Important Note: This article is specially tailored for our more adventurous clients who've requested and received our custom work for a multi-store system, following the treasure map outlined here. If you're scratching your head, wondering if this applies to you, don't fret! Reach out to our ever-ready support team.
Multi-Store Galleries on Sauce Using Custom URL Approach
The multi-store feature on Sauce allows a versatile way to manage different stores. One of these methods is the 'Custom URL' approach. This approach is best suited for clients who:
Intend to utilise a common Sauce Feed across all their International Stores, with shoppable links redirecting to the corresponding Product Page.
Maintain consistent Product Handles (slugs) across all International Stores.
Are comfortable with prices only shown on the primary store, and not on embeds where the destination URL is rewritten - this being due to the product data being shared on all stores (sub-accounts)
Illustrating the Multi-Store Use Case
Consider you have three regional stores: US, GB, and AU. The Product Handle remains identical across all stores, but the Path is unique. For instance:
US:
https://example.com/silver-necklaceGB:
https://example.com/en-gb/silver-necklaceAU:
https://example.com/en-au/silver-necklace
or the path the same, but just the Domain differs:
US:
https://example.com/products/silver-necklaceGB:
https://example.co.uk/products/silver-necklace
Employing the Custom Visit URL Attribute
In order to adapt the Product Page URL as per the described use case, you need to include an additional data attribute to your Embed code. This will be a data-custom-visit-urlattribute, where the URL will utilise the PRODUCT_HANDLE placeholder and allow you to modify the rest as needed.
For instance, the attribute for the GB store would look like this:
data-custom-visit-url="https://example.com/en-gb/PRODUCT_HANDLE"
When a visitor clicks to visit the Product Page from the Sauce embed, the URL above is deployed, with the PRODUCT_HANDLE dynamically replacing the Product clicked on, e.g., silver-necklace or gold-necklace, etc.
So, for the GB store, an example of your Homepage Gallery embed, with the added attribute, could look like this:
data-custom-visit-url="https://example.com/en-gb/PRODUCT_HANDLE"
An example for the AU store would look similar, with the visit-url modified to en-au.
Note too, that you have the option to use a relative path if the domain is the same:
data-custom-visit-url="/en-gb/PRODUCT_HANDLE"
Upon selecting a product from the Sauce embed to visit its Product Page, the system will utilise the previously mentioned URL. It will dynamically substitute the PRODUCT_HANDLE based on the specific product clicked, such as 'silver-necklace', 'gold-necklace', and so forth.
Therefore, for the GB store, your Homepage Gallery embed—once furnished with the added attribute—might resemble the following example:
The AU store for example would look similar, with the visit-url modified to en-au:
What if just my Domain is different?
If your stores are on different domains altogether, but the URLs are otherwise exactly the same for each of your product pages, then you can use an alternative attribute to just specificy the desired domain:
data-custom-visit-domain="example.co.uk"
Kick-starting Your Multi-Store Custom URL Implementation:
Apply these instructions to each International Store:
These guidelines are adaptable for any gallery type you select, including the Shoppable Galleries (you may have multiple distinct galleries e.g. Homepage Gallery, Inspo Gallery etc.) and Product Page Galleries.
Navigate to your Visual Shopping menu.
Select 'Shoppable Galleries'.
Select the Gallery from the blue drop down
Copy your Embed code.
Paste the Embed code into your Store Theme where you'd like it to appear.
Add the
data-custom-visit-urlas outlined above, ensuring to set the Product Page path to match the respective store.
For Product Page Galleries:
Please reapply steps 1 to 4 this time starting from Product Page Galleries
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How can I verify the successful implementation?
To ascertain the successful implementation, follow these steps:
Visit one of your International stores, navigate to a gallery, and select an image or video to view its associated products. Clicking on a product will redirect you to its corresponding product page within the same store.
Next, manually switch the locale of your store to another International store.
Repeat the steps above, ensuring that the product tags now direct you to the corresponding product pages of the new store.
Execute these steps for each of your galleries including your Product Page Gallery.
How will my product tags work seamlessly across all International Stores? Will I need multiple Media Libraries?
Fear not, intrepid marketer! The multi-store custom URL method has got your back. It's cleverly crafted to synchronise all your product URLs using a single instance of your media library. Say goodbye to tagging multiple times! It's a "set it and forget it" system that simplifies your life. Just tag once, and let the magic unfold across all your international stores. It's like having a trusty assistant who takes care of the heavy lifting for you.
Should you need more assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're here to support you. If a Zoom call would be helpful, please let us know and we'd be happy to arrange it.