How do I install the B2c Metadata skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add salesforcecommercecloud/b2c-metadata in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

What does the B2c Metadata skill do?

Define custom attributes, custom object types, and site preferences for B2C Commerce using metadata XML. Use this skill whenever the user needs to add a field to products, orders, or customers, create a new custom object type, set up site preferences, or extend the B2C data model. Also use when they ask about system-objecttype-extensions.xml, custom-objecttype-definitions.xml, attribute groups in Business Manager, or data model definitions — even if they just say "add a field to products" or "I need a new object type". It is listed under AI & ML on SkillMD.

Is B2c Metadata safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with B2c Metadata?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is B2c Metadata free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published B2c Metadata?

salesforcecommercecloud (@salesforcecommercecloud) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

B2c Metadata by salesforcecommercecloud

Name: B2c Metadata
Author: salesforcecommercecloud

Metadata Skill

This skill guides you through working with site metadata XML for Salesforce B2C Commerce, including custom attributes, custom objects, and site preferences.

Scope & grounding

This skill covers B2C Commerce metadata XML system (metadata.xsd namespace http://www.demandware.com/xml/impex/metadata/2006-10-31), including system-objecttype-extensions.xml, custom-objecttype-definitions.xml, and preferences.xml file structures. The examples show attribute types, enum value patterns, and Script API custom attribute access via dw.system.Site and ExtensibleObject.custom. Before answering questions that name specific B2C versions, XSD schema constraints, or emitting code the user will run, confirm current API shape and schema rules via b2c docs search and b2c docs read (CLI) or docs_search/docs_read (MCP). The canonical B2C Commerce documentation is the grounding source for metadata schema evolution, Script API signatures, and platform object types.

Canonical docs:

metadata - metadata XML schema and structure
dw.system.Site - Script API for site preferences
dw.system.SitePreferences - Script API for site preferences access
dw.object.CustomAttributes - Script API for custom attribute access
b2c-commerce/b2c-create-impex-folder-structure-ds - site archive folder structure
b2c-commerce/b2c-exporting-active-data - export guide
b2c-commerce/creatingcustombusinessobjectswithdemandwarebusinessmanager - custom object creation
b2c-commerce/b2c-business-manager-extension-points - Business Manager extension points

Overview

Metadata defines the structure of your B2C Commerce data:

Metadata Type	Purpose
System Object Extensions	Add custom attributes to Products, Orders, Customers, etc.
Custom Objects	Define entirely new data types
Site Preferences	Site-specific configuration values

Site Archive Structure

Metadata is organized in site archives:

/site-archive
    /meta
        system-objecttype-extensions.xml    # Custom attributes on system objects
        custom-objecttype-definitions.xml   # Custom object definitions
    /sites
        /MySite
            preferences.xml                 # Site preferences

System Object Extensions

Add custom attributes to existing system objects.

Basic Structure

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<metadata xmlns="http://www.demandware.com/xml/impex/metadata/2006-10-31">
    <type-extension type-id="Product">
        <custom-attribute-definitions>
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="myCustomAttribute">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">My Custom Attribute</display-name>
                <type>string</type>
                <mandatory-flag>false</mandatory-flag>
                <externally-managed-flag>false</externally-managed-flag>
            </attribute-definition>
        </custom-attribute-definitions>
        <group-definitions>
            <attribute-group group-id="MyCustomGroup">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">My Custom Group</display-name>
                <attribute attribute-id="myCustomAttribute"/>
            </attribute-group>
        </group-definitions>
    </type-extension>
</metadata>

Common System Objects

Illustrative list; confirm current platform object types with b2c docs read b2c-commerce/creatingcustombusinessobjectswithdemandwarebusinessmanager and Business Manager object reference.

Object Type	Use Case
`Product`	Product attributes
`Order`	Order metadata
`Profile`	Customer profile data
`Basket`	Cart data
`SitePreferences`	Site configuration
`Category`	Category attributes
`Content`	Content asset attributes

See System Objects Reference for more types. The full set of extensible system objects is defined by the B2C platform — check Business Manager and official docs for version-specific availability.

Attribute Types

Per metadata.xsd simpleType.AttributeType — confirm current schema with b2c docs schema metadata.

Type	Description	Example
`string`	Text (max 4000 chars)	SKU, descriptions
`text`	Long text (unlimited)	Rich content
`int`	Integer	Quantity, rank
`double`	Decimal	Percentage, weight
`boolean`	true/false	Flags
`date`	Date only	Birth date
`datetime`	Date and time	Timestamps
`email`	Email address	Contact email
`password`	Encrypted	API keys
`html`	HTML content	Rich text
`enum-of-string`	Single select	Status
`enum-of-int`	Numeric enum	Priority level
`set-of-string`	Multi-select	Tags
`set-of-int`	Numeric multi-select	Categories
`image`	Image reference	Thumbnails

Enum Value Definitions

Illustrative of enum structure; confirm current schema ordering constraints with b2c docs schema metadata.

Enum types (enum-of-string, enum-of-int, set-of-string, set-of-int) require value-definitions with display/value pairs:

Element order matters. The metadata.xsd schema requires <display> before <value> in each <value-definition> — see b2c docs schema metadata for current schema constraints.

<attribute-definition attribute-id="warrantyType">
    <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Warranty Type</display-name>
    <type>enum-of-string</type>
    <mandatory-flag>false</mandatory-flag>
    <value-definitions>
        <value-definition>
            <display xml:lang="x-default">No Warranty</display>
            <value>none</value>
        </value-definition>
        <value-definition>
            <display xml:lang="x-default">Limited Warranty</display>
            <value>limited</value>
        </value-definition>
        <value-definition>
            <display xml:lang="x-default">Full Warranty</display>
            <value>full</value>
        </value-definition>
    </value-definitions>
</attribute-definition>

Element	Purpose
`<display>`	Human-readable label shown in Business Manager (must appear first)
`<value>`	The stored/API value (use lowercase, no spaces)

Product Custom Attribute Example

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<metadata xmlns="http://www.demandware.com/xml/impex/metadata/2006-10-31">
    <type-extension type-id="Product">
        <custom-attribute-definitions>
            <!-- Simple string attribute -->
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="vendorSKU">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Vendor SKU</display-name>
                <type>string</type>
                <mandatory-flag>false</mandatory-flag>
                <externally-managed-flag>true</externally-managed-flag>
            </attribute-definition>

            <!-- Enum (dropdown) attribute -->
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="productCondition">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Product Condition</display-name>
                <type>enum-of-string</type>
                <mandatory-flag>false</mandatory-flag>
                <value-definitions>
                    <value-definition>
                        <display xml:lang="x-default">New</display>
                        <value>new</value>
                    </value-definition>
                    <value-definition>
                        <display xml:lang="x-default">Refurbished</display>
                        <value>refurbished</value>
                    </value-definition>
                    <value-definition>
                        <display xml:lang="x-default">Used</display>
                        <value>used</value>
                    </value-definition>
                </value-definitions>
            </attribute-definition>

            <!-- Boolean attribute -->
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="isHazardous">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Hazardous Material</display-name>
                <type>boolean</type>
                <mandatory-flag>false</mandatory-flag>
                <default-value>false</default-value>
            </attribute-definition>

            <!-- Multi-select attribute -->
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="productFeatures">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Product Features</display-name>
                <type>set-of-string</type>
                <mandatory-flag>false</mandatory-flag>
                <value-definitions>
                    <value-definition>
                        <display xml:lang="x-default">Waterproof</display>
                        <value>waterproof</value>
                    </value-definition>
                    <value-definition>
                        <display xml:lang="x-default">Recyclable</display>
                        <value>recyclable</value>
                    </value-definition>
                </value-definitions>
            </attribute-definition>
        </custom-attribute-definitions>

        <group-definitions>
            <attribute-group group-id="CustomProductInfo">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Custom Product Information</display-name>
                <attribute attribute-id="vendorSKU"/>
                <attribute attribute-id="productCondition"/>
                <attribute attribute-id="isHazardous"/>
                <attribute attribute-id="productFeatures"/>
            </attribute-group>
        </group-definitions>
    </type-extension>
</metadata>

Custom Object Definitions

Create entirely new data types.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<metadata xmlns="http://www.demandware.com/xml/impex/metadata/2006-10-31">
    <custom-type type-id="StoreLocations">
        <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Store Locations</display-name>
        <description xml:lang="x-default">Physical store information</description>
        <staging-mode>source-to-target</staging-mode>
        <storage-scope>site</storage-scope>
        <key-definition attribute-id="storeId">
            <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Store ID</display-name>
            <type>string</type>
            <min-length>1</min-length>
        </key-definition>
        <attribute-definitions>
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="storeName">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Store Name</display-name>
                <type>string</type>
                <mandatory-flag>true</mandatory-flag>
            </attribute-definition>
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="latitude">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Latitude</display-name>
                <type>double</type>
            </attribute-definition>
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="longitude">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Longitude</display-name>
                <type>double</type>
            </attribute-definition>
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="phone">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Phone</display-name>
                <type>string</type>
            </attribute-definition>
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="isActive">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Active</display-name>
                <type>boolean</type>
                <default-value>true</default-value>
            </attribute-definition>
        </attribute-definitions>
        <group-definitions>
            <attribute-group group-id="StoreInfo">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Store Information</display-name>
                <attribute attribute-id="storeId" system="true"/>
                <attribute attribute-id="storeName"/>
                <attribute attribute-id="latitude"/>
                <attribute attribute-id="longitude"/>
                <attribute attribute-id="phone"/>
                <attribute attribute-id="isActive"/>
            </attribute-group>
        </group-definitions>
    </custom-type>
</metadata>

Site Preferences

Site-specific configuration via custom attributes on SitePreferences.

Metadata (system-objecttype-extensions.xml)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<metadata xmlns="http://www.demandware.com/xml/impex/metadata/2006-10-31">
    <type-extension type-id="SitePreferences">
        <custom-attribute-definitions>
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="enableFeatureX">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Enable Feature X</display-name>
                <type>boolean</type>
                <default-value>false</default-value>
            </attribute-definition>
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="apiEndpoint">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">API Endpoint</display-name>
                <type>string</type>
            </attribute-definition>
            <attribute-definition attribute-id="maxItemsPerPage">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Max Items Per Page</display-name>
                <type>int</type>
                <default-value>20</default-value>
            </attribute-definition>
        </custom-attribute-definitions>
        <group-definitions>
            <attribute-group group-id="CustomSettings">
                <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Custom Settings</display-name>
                <attribute attribute-id="enableFeatureX"/>
                <attribute attribute-id="apiEndpoint"/>
                <attribute attribute-id="maxItemsPerPage"/>
            </attribute-group>
        </group-definitions>
    </type-extension>
</metadata>

Values (sites/MySite/preferences.xml)

Preferences can be set per instance type (development, staging, production) or for all instances:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<preferences xmlns="http://www.demandware.com/xml/impex/preferences/2007-03-31">
    <custom-preferences>
        <all-instances>
            <!-- Values that apply to all instance types -->
            <preference preference-id="maxItemsPerPage">25</preference>
        </all-instances>
        <development>
            <!-- Development-specific values -->
            <preference preference-id="enableFeatureX">true</preference>
            <preference preference-id="apiEndpoint">https://dev-api.example.com/v1</preference>
        </development>
        <staging>
            <preference preference-id="enableFeatureX">true</preference>
            <preference preference-id="apiEndpoint">https://staging-api.example.com/v1</preference>
        </staging>
        <production>
            <preference preference-id="enableFeatureX">false</preference>
            <preference preference-id="apiEndpoint">https://api.example.com/v1</preference>
        </production>
    </custom-preferences>
</preferences>

Access in Code

Illustrative code; confirm current API signatures and return types with b2c docs read dw.system.Site.

// See dw.system.Site Script API docs for full method signatures and return types
var Site = require('dw/system/Site');

var enableFeatureX = Site.current.getCustomPreferenceValue('enableFeatureX');
var apiEndpoint = Site.current.getCustomPreferenceValue('apiEndpoint');
var maxItems = Site.current.getCustomPreferenceValue('maxItemsPerPage');

Attribute Definition Options

Illustrative of available flags; confirm current schema elements and deprecation status with b2c docs schema metadata.

<attribute-definition attribute-id="myAttribute">
    <display-name xml:lang="x-default">Display Name</display-name>
    <description xml:lang="x-default">Description for BM tooltip</description>
    <type>string</type>
    <localizable-flag>false</localizable-flag>
    <site-specific-flag>false</site-specific-flag>
    <mandatory-flag>false</mandatory-flag>
    <searchable-flag>false</searchable-flag>
    <visible-flag>true</visible-flag>
    <externally-managed-flag>false</externally-managed-flag>
    <order-required-flag>false</order-required-flag>
    <min-length>0</min-length>
    <field-length>256</field-length>
    <unit xml:lang="x-default">kg</unit>
    <default-value>default</default-value>
</attribute-definition>

Flag	Purpose
`localizable-flag`	Can have different values per locale
`mandatory-flag`	Required in BM
`externally-managed-flag`	Read-only in BM
`visible-flag`	Shown in BM
`site-specific-flag`	Different value per site
`order-required-flag`	Required for order export
`searchable-flag`	Indexed for search (deprecated per metadata.xsd — use search2.xsd SearchableAttributes instead)

Best Practices

Use attribute groups to organize in Business Manager
Prefix custom attributes with organization name (e.g., acme_myAttribute)
Set externally-managed for data imported from external systems
Use enums over strings for controlled vocabularies
Document with descriptions - they appear as tooltips

Quick Reference

For canonical documentation, see the Scope & Grounding section above. The files below are derived quick-reference summaries.

System Objects Reference - All system object types
XML Examples - Complete import/export examples

B2c Metadata

File contents

Metadata Skill

Scope & grounding

Overview

Site Archive Structure

System Object Extensions

Basic Structure

Common System Objects

Attribute Types

Enum Value Definitions

Product Custom Attribute Example

Custom Object Definitions

Site Preferences

Metadata (system-objecttype-extensions.xml)

Values (sites/MySite/preferences.xml)

Access in Code

Attribute Definition Options

Best Practices

Quick Reference

Frequently asked questions

B2c Metadata

File contents

Metadata Skill

Scope & grounding

Overview

Site Archive Structure

System Object Extensions

Basic Structure

Common System Objects

Attribute Types

Enum Value Definitions

Product Custom Attribute Example

Custom Object Definitions

Site Preferences

Metadata (system-objecttype-extensions.xml)

Values (sites/MySite/preferences.xml)

Access in Code

Attribute Definition Options

Best Practices

Quick Reference

Related skills

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the B2c Metadata skill?

What does the B2c Metadata skill do?

Is B2c Metadata safe to use?

Which AI agents work with B2c Metadata?

Is B2c Metadata free to use?

Who published B2c Metadata?