Platform / Storefront Inheritance: Streamlining New Storefront Creation and Maintenance

Overview

Traditionally, when a new storefront was created on the platform, it would receive a one-off snapshot of a pre-defined default configuration. Afterward, you would have to update that storefront individually. There was no mechanism to have changes at the platform level automatically flow down to every storefront. The Platform / Storefront Inheritance feature changes that by allowing storefronts to inherit specific data groups from the platform itself.

As a result:

• You can centrally manage and edit high-level or shared resources once (at the platform level).

• Storefronts can either inherit these resources or override them with default values on an individual basis.

• This cuts down on repetitive reconfiguration and reduces errors that occur when the same settings must be updated in multiple places.

3. Key Settings

Currently, four primary data groups are supported by the new inheritance mechanism. In practice, you will see these listed as toggleable options in the “Advanced Options” section when creating a new storefront.

1. Settings

   • Global site settings that commonly apply to multiple storefronts (e.g., time zone, default Connect plugin settings, specific niche options, or shipping/payment defaults).

   • By inheriting these, you ensure each new storefront has consistent baseline configuration without needing to reapply or re-enter those settings.

2. Localizations (Language Strings)

   • Covers default translations, message templates, labels, system text, and more.

   • If these are overridden, a storefront may have its own language string variations. If these are inherited, updates to platform-level text are immediately reflected in the storefront.

3. Editable Content & Topics

   • Covers content pages (About Us, Contact Us, FAQ, etc.) and custom content “blocks” (e.g., homepage banners, footers).

   • If inherited, changes at platform level (like editing a shared banner) appear automatically on all inheriting storefronts.

4. Default Dynamic Product Config

   • Covers settings related to MegaEdit products, allowing you to define a preferred set of setting defaults which can be overriden later if required.

4. Use Cases

1. Consistent Branding & Localization

   • If your platform has standardized text, branding, and translation strings across multiple regions or verticals, you can inherit them for each new storefront. This ensures your brand presence is maintained without having to reconfigure text or content.

2. Centralized Configuration Management

   • Suppose your admin team frequently adjusts platform-level shipping or payment defaults. Inheritance allows you to keep changes synchronized across many storefronts without re-application in each.

3. Faster Storefront Launch

   • For organizations spinning up multiple storefronts (e.g., for different clients or markets), the inheritance feature dramatically speeds up the creation process. Much of the heavy lifting—settings, content pages, translations—is automatically in place if set to inherit.

4. Selective Overrides

   • Perhaps one new storefront needs a unique approach to shipping or has specialized localizations. You can toggle “override” for that data group alone. All other data groups might remain inherited from the platform, saving time and keeping shared pieces consistent.

5. Step-by-Step Implementation Guide

Below is a general procedure to leverage the new inheritance functionality when creating a new storefront:

1. Prepare the Platform Level

   • Confirm that your platform (the “parent” environment) contains the resources you want all future storefronts to inherit. Typical tasks include:

     • Setting time zones, payment/shipping methods, or other store-wide config.

     • Creating or editing shared content pages (e.g., ‘About Us’) and banner images.

     • Updating or verifying language strings and message templates.

2. Open the Create Storefront Popup

   • Navigate to Configuration > Storefront Management.

   • Fill out the usual required fields, such as the storefront name, domain/URL, etc.

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3. Access the ‘Advanced’ Options

   • Look for the “Advanced Options” section or tab on the Storefront Creation popup.

   • You may not have automatic access to these settings on your platform. If you cannot see the "Advanced Options" tab, please submit a ticket to Customer Support and request access to this feature.

4. Choose Which Data Groups to Set to Default (Override) vs. Inherit

   • The “Advanced Options” section lists the configurable data groups:

     • Settings

     • Localizations

     • Topics & Editable Content

     • Default Dynamic Product Config

   • By default, the system typically applies the overriden version (meaning you get a self-contained copy of each data group).

   • If you disable a toggle for one of these groups, it will inherit that data from the platform level. Any changes you later make at the platform for that resource automatically propagate to this new storefront.

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5. Create the Storefront

   • After confirming your toggle selections, proceed with storefront creation.

   • The system will either copy (override) or link (inherit) the relevant resources.

6. Verify Inherited vs. Overridden Data

   • Once creation completes, you can test inheritance by, for example, changing a platform-level resource (e.g., the platform time zone or a shared banner image).

   • Check if that change automatically reflects on the newly created storefront. If so, inheritance is working. If not, it may have been overridden (copied) or the advanced options were set differently.

7. Adjusting Inheritance After Creation

   • Once a storefront is created with override settings, it typically has its own copy of that data group. Future platform-level changes to that resource won’t reflect on the storefront.

   • If you need to revert to inheritance after you have overridden certain data, additional manual steps may be needed—effectively removing the storefront-level copy of the resource so it can “see” the platform version again.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What if I want a truly independent storefront?

   • Enable the overrides for all toggles (the “default” approach) and it becomes a standalone environment. You can then adjust everything on the storefront itself, with no future changes flowing from the platform.

2. Can I partially override only some language strings or settings?

   • Currently, the toggles apply at the group level. If you want partial differences, the recommended approach is to inherit the entire group and then specifically override only the items that differ by editing them in the storefront’s admin. Once an item is saved differently, it ceases to inherit from the platform.

3. Does this affect existing storefronts?

   • Not automatically. Only new storefronts are set up with these advanced inheritance toggles. Existing storefronts will remain as-is.

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