B2B Custom Storefront Contextualization in Shopify Plus Explained

Building a B2B custom storefront on Shopify Plus goes beyond design—it’s about contextualization. Contextualization ensures your store reflects personalized catalogs, pricing, payment terms, and product visibility. With proper Shopify B2B configuration, you deliver a seamless B2B checkout experience that builds trust and increases sales.

Why B2B Contextualization in Shopify Matters

Without Shopify B2B contextualization, customers only see default pricing and publishing rules. This creates friction, as B2B buyers expect their assigned catalogs, company-specific discounts, and flexible payment terms. By linking each customer to their company location, you automatically surface the right pricing, Shopify B2B catalogs, and order rules for them.

Steps to Achieve Shopify B2B Contextualization

1. Obtain a customerAccessToken: Customers log in through Shopify’s Customer Accounts API. This token represents the logged-in B2B customer and is essential for storefront contextualization.
2. Retrieve a companyLocationId: This links the customer’s account to specific Shopify B2B pricing and catalogs.
3. Set Buyer Identity on the Cart: Use cartCreate or cartBuyerIdentityUpdate to enforce Shopify Plus B2B catalogs, quantity rules, and pricing.

Important Considerations for Shopify Plus B2B

• B2B features are exclusive to Shopify Plus stores.
• Updating a cart’s buyer identity may remove unavailable products or apply new B2B quantity rules.
• The @inContext language argument works for cart queries, even though buyer and country don’t.
• B2B customers must use the new Shopify B2B login flow (one-time PINs); legacy accounts don’t support these features.

Final Thoughts

By following these steps, you can create a B2B storefront in Shopify Plus that’s fully contextualized—offering personalized catalogs, pricing, and checkout experiences aligned with each customer’s company location. Optimizing your Shopify B2B setup not only improves customer satisfaction but also drives repeat orders and long-term loyalty.