Zone Component
A zone is defined as one recommendation slot. Using zones for recommendations is optional, but zones offer added flexibility. For example, your product details page can have two zones: one for the "You may also like” recommender and another for the "Complete the set" recommender. Using zones, you can easily switch between recommenders in Einstein Configurator.
Unlike with content slots, implementing recommendations with the Einstein Recommendations API requires some coding to enable switching among recommenders.
When changing the recommenders for a zone, limit the change to other recommenders within the same recommender type. With this action, you can avoid the need to change the recommendation anchor.
| With Zones | Without Zones | |
|---|---|---|
| Changing recommenders for a zone | In Einstein Configurator, change the recommender linked to the zone. | Use a code change to update the API call with the new Recommender. |
| API endpoint | Get zone recommendations | Get recommendations |
| Recommendations endpoint response | {recs: [], recoUUID: '', recommenderName: '', displayMessage: ''} | {recs: [], recoUUID: ''} |
The activities endpoint is always the same whether you are using zones or not. The viewReco and clickReco activities always require a recommenderName parameter. When using zones, the recommenderName parameter in viewReco and clickReco activities must come from the response of of a request to the Zone Recommendations API.
After enabling access to the API in the Einstein Configurator, the Site Recommendations tab changes to a menu for site admin users. Using this menu, you can view and configure Recommenders or Zones.
Site administrators can enable access to zones for other users from the User Management tab by locating and selecting the user, and selecting Edit Actions from the menu.
The Recommenders tab is where you can set up, edit, and delete recommenders, the same as using the Site Recommendations page without API access configured. The Zones tab is for setting up, editing, and deleting zones.
To create a zone:
- Select Zones from the Site Recommendations menu.
- Click +New Zone.
- Specify a Zone Name, and provide an optional description of the zone.
- After it’s saved, the Zone Name can’t be changed.
- Use the menu to select an available recommender for use in the zone.
- If you don’t have any recommenders configured, or haven’t decided which recommender to use for a zone, you can save this step for later. For information about how to create recommenders, see Commerce Cloud Einstein Product Recommendations.
- Click Save.
You can create multiple zones for use through the Einstein API.
After you set up zones in the Einstein Configurator, a developer uses the configured zone name as the zoneName path parameter in the zone API request (see API Specification - Endpoints - Zone Recommendations).
The response contains a recommenderName that identifies the name of the recommender currently configured for the zone. Pass this value as the recommenderName body parameter in subsequent viewReco and clickReco activity requests.