Advanced Shopify Configurations

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1. Introduction
SparkLayer has support for a range of additional configurations for Shopify that can extend the standard features on the SparkLayer Frontend.
2. Product pack sizing
SparkLayer has full support for pack sizing, meaning you can ensure customers to always add items to an order in your predefined packs (e.g. packs of 3, packs of 6)
To enable pack sizing, SparkLayer uses product metafields in Shopify to map the data across systems. To get started, you'll need to ensure your Shopify store is set up to capture metafields and our recommendation is to use a highly popular free Shopify app called Metafields Guru. You can also set up metafields natively via Shopify by following their help guide here.
Our video below runs through how to set up pack sizing using the Metafields Guru app.
When setting up pack sizing, it's important to note the following:
Pack sizing is managed via product metafields; the easiest way to set this up is to install a third-party Shopify app (see above)
Pack sizing is always added at a variant level even if the product only has a single variant
When setting up the metafield, the data should be set up as below 
Item
Details
Metafield type
This must be set as an integer
Namespace
This must be set as sparklayer
Key
This must be set as pack_size
Value
This must be set as an integer, e.g. 6, 12, 20 etc
3. Shipping & tax
Please refer to our full guide here on how Shipping can be customised on SparkLayer and Shopify.
4. Language support
SparkLayer supports a number of languages and you can learn how to activate these in our guide here.
5. Displaying a RRP (retail price)
Within the SparkLayer Frontend Product Purchasing Interface, it's possible to show RRP (recommended retail prices) alongside your specific B2B pricing. For example, you may want logged in users to see what non-B2B customers pay for a specific item, allowing them to easily see their pricing savings.
To show retail prices alongside your B2B pricing, SparkLayer uses product metafields (in much the same way as pack sizing detailed above). To get started, you'll need to ensure your Shopify store is set up to capture metafields and our recommendation is to use a highly popular free Shopify app called Metafields Guru. You can also set up metafields natively via Shopify by following their help guide here.
Our video below runs through how to set up retail pricing using the Metafields Guru app.
When setting up retail pricing, it's important to note the following:
Retail pricing is managed via product metafields; the easiest way to set this up is to install a third-party Shopify app (see above)
Retail pricing is always added at a variant level even if the product only has a single variant
When setting up the metafield, the data should be set up as below 
Item
Details
Metafield type
This must be set as an JSON string
Namespace
This must be set as sparklayer
Key
This must be set as rrp
Value
This must be set up in this format
​
[{"value":15.99,"currency_code":"usd"}]
​
Where value is the retail price and currency_code is the currency code (e.g. usd, gbp, eur)
Displaying retail prices for a single variant product
When setting up retail prices for products, this must always be done at a variant level, even if the product has just a single variant. Within Shopify, single variant products still have a 'variant' behind the scenes of which SparkLayer relies on to attach data. 
Whilst Shopify has the ability to attach metafields against a parent product, there is no interface available to action the above and our recommendation is to install one of the available metafields apps, such as Metafields Guru. Once installed, within the single variant product you're editing, simply click the Variants tab, select the variant that shows, and follow the instructions above to assign the retail price metafield data.
Tip: if you'd prefer to not use metafields to show retail prices, you could simply output the standard Shopify price within your liquid templates (this would require Shopify coding experience)
Updating the 'RRP' text
By default, SparkLayer will show the retail price as 'RRP' on your Shopify store. If you want to adjust this (e.g. to show as MSRP), you can do so by adding the below code to your layout/theme.liquid file within the SparkLayer Core Script.
layout/theme.liquid
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<script>
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  window.sparkOptions = {
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    siteId: 'your-site-id',
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    /* Add the below to your SparkLayer Core Script */
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    translations: {
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      en: {
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        pdp: {
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          price: {
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            rrp: "MSRP: ",
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          }
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        },
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        "product-card": {
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          price: {
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            rrp: "MSRP: ",
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          }
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        },
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      }
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    },  
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    /* End */
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  };
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</script>
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6. Adjusting the product detail page widget
It's possible to adjust how the product detail page widget looks such as hiding and showing content based on your preferences. 
To learn what's possible, see our guide here​
7. Show live stock level
You can display the stock level of your products to signed in B2B customers, giving them instant visibility of available stock to purchase. Learn more here​
8. Enabling pre-order / back-order products
SparkLayer has full support for different stock status messages and it's possible to set up products as pre-order/back-order easily via the Shopify admin. This will allow products to be added to an order and then show the pre-order / back-order message to the customer. 
To enable this, simply set the product as 'Continue selling when out of stock' with a stock level of zero within the Shopify admin. 
Next, within your CSS overwrite, add the following code:
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--spark-product-stockstatus-back-order-display: flex;
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If you want to adjust the default messaging that shows, you can add the following code snippet to the SparkLayer core script.
SparkLayer core script
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translations: {
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      en: {
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        pdp: {
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          messaging: {
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            "back-order": "Pre-order",
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          }
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        }
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      }
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    },
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9. Minimum product quantities
It's possible to set 'minimum product quantities' for any SKU within your Shopify catalogue, meaning that customers must meet this minimum quantity before being able to purchase a product.
Just as with Pack Sizing (see above guide), this works by adding a metafield against a SKU. Please note:
The metafield must always added at a variant level even if the product only has a single variant
When setting up the metafield, the data should be set up as below. You can set up metafields natively via Shopify by following their help guide here.
Item
Details
Metafield type
This must be set as an integer
Namespace
This must be set as sparklayer
Key
This must be set as min_order_quantity
Value
This must be set as an integer, e.g. 6, 12, 20 etc
10. Reserve stock quantity
If you're installing SparkLayer on a single Shopify install and you are looking to run both B2C and B2B at the same time, it will be necessary to use the same stock pool behind the scenes. This means that both B2C and B2B customers will be ordering from the same stock source which can pose challenges. For example, your B2B customers could place large orders which inhibit B2C customers from being able to order.
SparkLayer has a way to solve this using a special setting called 'Reserve stock quantity'. It works as follows:
A product is set up within Shopify with a Reserve Stock Quantity, e.g. 50
Both B2C and B2B customers can order this product via your store
When the total stock level reaches 50, B2B customers will be prevented from adding the item to their order
B2C customers can continue to order the item, thus reserving stock for them
Just as with Pack Sizing (see above guide), this works by adding a metafield against a SKU. Please note:
The metafield must always added at a variant level even if the product only has a single variant
When setting up the metafield, the data should be set up as below. You can set up metafields natively via Shopify by following their help guide here.
Item
Details
Metafield type
This must be set as an JSON string
Namespace
This must be set as sparklayer
Key
This must be set as reserve_stock_quantity
Value
This must be set as an integer, e.g. 50
11. B2B only products
If you're running both B2B and B2C within the same Shopify store, there may be a range of products that you want to only show and be purchasable to logged in B2B customers. 
Perhaps they can only be purchased in high-volumes or they are exclusive to your B2B customers. It's possible to achieve this by using Shopify's tagging system making it easy to hide and show products based on who the customer is. Read our full guide here (note, this does require coding on Shopify)
Prefer to use an app:? it's also possible to achieve B2B-only products and collections by using a Shopify app such as Locksmith​
12. Sales Agent ordering
If you're on the SparkLayer Professional or Enterprise plan, you can enable Sales Agent ordering, allowing your team to place orders on behalf of your B2B customers. Learn more here.
13. Automating actions and workflows
Sending email notifications for draft orders
If your customers are placing orders and paying by manual payment methods (such as Pay by Invoice or Request for Quote), these orders will automatically come through to Shopify as Draft orders (you can learn more here). Currently, Shopify doesn't have a way to notify you of Draft orders but there are some great ways to solve this.
One such way is to use a highly popular Shopify app called Mechanic.
Mechanic is a development and automation platform available to all Shopify merchants. Similar to Shopify Flow (which is only available for Plus customers), it gives the flexibility to automate actions to suit your own business workflows. We've provided a sample below that you can simply set up within Mechanic.
How it works: If customers have opted to pay via manual payment methods, you can automatically send an email to a specified email address to notify them to review the order.
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{
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   "name":"SparkLayer - Send email for new quote",
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   "options":{
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      "email_recipient__email_required":""
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   },
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   "subscriptions":[
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      "shopify/draft_orders/create"
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   ],
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   "subscriptions_template":"shopify/draft_orders/create",
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   "script":"{% assign sparkPaymentType = draft_order.note_attributes[\"sparkPaymentType\"] %}\n{% if sparkPaymentType == 'quote' %}\n  {% action \"email\" %}\n    {\n      \"to\": {{ options.email_recipient__email_required | json }},\n      \"subject\": \"New quote {{ draft_order.name }}\",\n      \"body\": \"View the quote here: https://{{ shop.domain }}/admin/draft_orders/{{ draft_order.id }}\",\n      \"reply_to\": {{ shop.customer_email | json }},\n      \"from_display_name\": {{ shop.name | json }}\n    }\n  {% endaction %}\n{% endif %}",
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   "docs":"For newly-created draft orders which are quotes from Sparklayer, it sends an email.",
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   "halt_action_run_sequence_on_error":false,
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   "liquid_profiling":false,
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   "online_store_javascript":null,
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   "order_status_javascript":null,
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   "perform_action_runs_in_sequence":false,
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   "shopify_api_version":"2021-10"
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}
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​
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If you're using Shopify Plus, it's possible to automate routine tasks using a powerful app called Shopify Flow (learn more here). For non-Shopify Plus users, there are a number of alternatives available that can achieve a similar outcome. 
Convert draft orders into orders
For orders that have been placed via a manual payment method (such as Payment on account), you can automatically convert these into 'Paid' orders that can then be processed. We've provided a sample below that you can simply set up within Mechanic.
How it works: If customers have opted to pay via manual payment methods, this will automatically convert a Draft order into a Completed order.
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{
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   "name":"SparkLayer - Turn draft orders into orders",
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   "options":{
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      "mark_new_orders_as_fully_paid__boolean":true
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   },
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   "subscriptions":[
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      "shopify/draft_orders/create"
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   ],
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   "subscriptions_template":"shopify/draft_orders/create",
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   "script":"{% assign payment_pending = true %}\n{% if options.mark_new_orders_as_fully_paid__boolean %}\n  {% assign payment_pending = false %}\n{% endif %}\n{% assign sparkPaymentType = draft_order.note_attributes[\"sparkPaymentType\"] %}\n{% if sparkPaymentType == 'paymentByInvoice' or sparkPaymentType == 'paymentOnAccount' or event.preview %}\n{% action \"shopify\" %}\n  mutation {\n    draftOrderComplete(\n      id: {{ draft_order.admin_graphql_api_id | json }}\n      paymentPending: {{ payment_pending | json }}\n    ) {\n      draftOrder {\n        order {\n          id\n          name\n          fullyPaid\n        }\n      }\n      userErrors {\n        field\n        message\n      }\n    }\n  }\n{% endaction %}\n{% endif %}",
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   "docs":"This task monitors for newly-created draft orders, and converts each one into a completed order if the SparkLayer payment method was Payment on Account.",
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   "halt_action_run_sequence_on_error":false,
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   "liquid_profiling":false,
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   "online_store_javascript":null,
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   "order_status_javascript":null,
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   "perform_action_runs_in_sequence":false,
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   "shopify_api_version":"2021-10"
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}
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​
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14. Customer percentage discount
As well as assigning price lists to customer groups, you can go a step further and add additional percentage discount on top of this at a customer-specific level. 
For example, let's say you've set up your B2B customers and assigned them to a price list but you want to give a range of these customers an additional 25% discount on top of these prices. SparkLayer lets you do this simply by adding special settings against a customer record in Shopify.
To enable this feature, SparkLayer uses customer metafields in Shopify to map the data across systems. To get started, you'll need to ensure your Shopify store is set up to capture metafields and our recommendation is to use a highly popular free Shopify app called Metafields Guru. You can also set up metafields natively via Shopify by following their help guide here. 
Here's how it works:
First, find the B2B customer record in Shopify that you want to apply the additional discount to
Within the metafields view, add the following information in the below table, where Value is the discount % you want to give the customer
Click Save. When the customer next logs in, they'll then see the additional discount applied.
Item
Details
Metafield type
This must be set as an integer
Namespace
This must be set as sparklayer
Key
This must be set as discount_percentage
Value
This must be set as an integer, e.g. 10, 20, 50 etc
15. Customer Specific Price Lists
As well as assigning price lists to customer groups, you can go a step further and set specific price lists per customer (this overrides the customer group price-lists). 
For example, let's say you've set up your standard B2B price list but you want specific customers to get additional pricing discounts on some (or all) products. To achieve this, you can create an additional price list, upload your prices via SparkLayer, and then simply set this to apply to a customer.
To enable this feature, SparkLayer uses customer metafields in Shopify to map the data across systems. To get started, you'll need to ensure your Shopify store is set up to capture metafields and our recommendation is to use a highly popular free Shopify app called Metafields Guru. You can also set up metafields natively via Shopify by following their help guide here. 
Item
Details
Metafield type
This must be set as an json
Namespace
This must be set as sparklayer
Key
This must be set as price_lists
Value
An example of just one price list:["price-list-handle-one"]
For two, use commas: ["price-list-handle-one", "base-list"]
16. Configuring Shopify Flow
Example Shopify Flow workflow
​Shopify Flow is powerful feature for Shopify Advanced & Shopify Plus merchants that allow automations to be configured based on certain actions. 
When B2B customers place orders via a manual payment method on your website (e.g. Pay on Account), this will come through to the Shopify orders admin as 'Payment Pending'. In order to ensure Shopify marks the order as paid to subsequently be sent to your backend system, you'll need to set up a special Shopify Flow rule to automatically apply this workflow. You can download our sample below.
We've also included some additional ready made Shopify Flow workflows that you can import into your Shopify admin. 
Trigger
Details
Download
Mark order as paid
When a B2B customer places an order via manual payment methods, the order will automatically be marked as paid
​Download​
Tag orders as B2B       
When a B2B customer places an order, this workflow will automatically tag an order with b2b_order allowing you to easily filter and report on B2B orders
​Download​
Send an email 
Send an email to a specified email address when a B2B customer places an order; great if you need to notify other members of your team who handle B2B accounts
​Download​
Archive B2B orders
Automatically archive B2B orders from your Shopify Orders view; useful if you want to hide them from your standard B2C orders
​Download​
17. Add multiple items to an order in 1-click
It's possible to create special buttons on your store that allow customers to add collections of products to an order, rather than having to add them all individually. We call these Spark Buttons.
Learn how to set up Spark Buttons in our guide here.
18. Setting Credit Limits and Account Balances
If some of your B2B customers have a credit limit in place, it's possible to display this when they login to your Shopify store.
Credit limits work by specifying an amount against a customer record and, when the customer signs in, and places an order using 'Pay on Account' ,they'll be notified if they are about to place an order that exceeds this. In our example below, the customer has exceeded their credit limit and they are only able to Pay Online by Card.
This feature works by enabling a customer metafield within Shopify that can then be manually adjusted according to the agreed terms. It's also possible to specify an account balance, which will automatically update each time a successful order is placed (this can also be adjusted manually if required).
To get started, you'll need to ensure your Shopify store is set up to capture customer metafields and our recommendation is to use a highly popular free Shopify app called Metafields Guru. You can also set up metafields natively via Shopify by following their help guide here.
When setting up the customer metafield within Shopify, please note the following:
Item
Details
Metafield type
This must be set as an JSON
Namespace
This must be set as sparklayer
Key
This must be set as payment_on_account
Value
This must be specified in the following format:
{"credit_limit":1000,"balance":250}
​