# B2C Solution Architect Study Guide

*Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect*

The Certifyforce B2C Solution Architect study guide covers the official Salesforce B2C Solution Architect exam outline in 20 units across all 5 exam sections, one unit per exam-guide topic. The exam itself has 60 scored questions plus 5 unscored, a 120-minute limit and a 63% passing score, and its largest section is Discovery and Customer Success at 27%. Every unit is verified against official Salesforce documentation, cites its sources, and links to the practice questions that test it.

## Contents

### Discovery and Customer Success (27% of the exam)

- [Discovery workshops, solution kits and success criteria](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/discovery-and-customer-success/discovery-workshops-solution-kits-and-success-criteria): How a B2C solution architect runs discovery across Commerce, service and marketing: who defines requirements, which artifacts align executives, how solution kits and value maturity assessments feed a phased plan, and which requirement risks to document before design. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/discovery-and-customer-success/discovery-workshops-solution-kits-and-success-criteria))
- [Choosing B2C products for business requirements](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/discovery-and-customer-success/choosing-b2c-products-for-business-requirements): The product-fit facts a B2C solution architect uses to justify a recommendation: B2C Commerce realms versus B2B Commerce orgs, Order Management, Omnichannel Inventory, Field Service, Loyalty Management, Einstein and Intelligence analytics, Personalization, Composable Storefront and the connectors between them. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/discovery-and-customer-success/choosing-b2c-products-for-business-requirements))
- [Systems of record and order ingestion risks](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/discovery-and-customer-success/systems-of-record-and-order-ingestion-risks): How B2C Commerce orders, shoppers and inventory land in Order Management, Data 360 and Omnichannel Inventory, which objects each source record becomes, and the ingestion and inventory risks an architect must record in a design review. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/discovery-and-customer-success/systems-of-record-and-order-ingestion-risks))
- [Estimating effort for integration extensions](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/discovery-and-customer-success/estimating-effort-for-integration-extensions): How to size extensions to standard B2C integrations: custom data and payment methods in the Commerce to Order Management integration, order-level constraints, inventory feed options, a Marketing Cloud Personalization web implementation, and data versus process integration. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/discovery-and-customer-success/estimating-effort-for-integration-extensions))
- [Release governance for replication and code activation](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/discovery-and-customer-success/release-governance-for-replication-and-code-activation): How B2C Commerce code and data replication behave (transfer, activation, publishing, undo, task scope, exclusions, cache and notifications), what each instance type proves, and the release checks a multi-product launch needs for Personalization and the service org. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/discovery-and-customer-success/release-governance-for-replication-and-code-activation))

### Functional Capabilities and Business Value (7% of the exam)

- [Loyalty programs and abandoned-cart Behavioral Triggers](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/functional-capabilities-and-business-value/loyalty-programs-and-abandoned-cart-behavioral-triggers): How a B2C customer process runs from an abandoned-cart message in Marketing Cloud Engagement through purchase funding, service concessions and Loyalty Management partners, vouchers, benefits, reversals and group contributions. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/functional-capabilities-and-business-value/loyalty-programs-and-abandoned-cart-behavioral-triggers))
- [Post-purchase returns, refunds and order adjustments](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/functional-capabilities-and-business-value/post-purchase-returns-refunds-and-order-adjustments): How Order Management handles B2C Commerce orders after purchase: simple returns versus return merchandise authorizations, partial receipts, credit memos and fee invoices, refund requests, price adjustments and cumulative excess funds. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/functional-capabilities-and-business-value/post-purchase-returns-refunds-and-order-adjustments))

### Architecture Design (18% of the exam)

- [Cross-product data flows for commerce journeys](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/architecture-design/cross-product-data-flows-for-commerce-journeys): How B2C Commerce, Marketing Cloud Engagement, Order Management, Omnichannel Inventory and the service org hand data to each other in a consumer journey: the abandoned-cart reference implementation and its feeds, reservation and fulfillment-order handoffs, order cases in the Service Console and the B2C CRM Sync profile flow. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/architecture-design/cross-product-data-flows-for-commerce-journeys))
- [Order routing, fulfillment capacity and cart recovery](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/architecture-design/order-routing-fulfillment-capacity-and-cart-recovery): How to turn business goals into an Order Management and cart-recovery design: fewest-splits and distance routing, location fulfillment capacity, the Distributed Order Management package, fulfillment exceptions, order summaries versus change orders, and the incentive, inventory and revenue decisions that make abandoned-cart recovery pay. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/architecture-design/order-routing-fulfillment-capacity-and-cart-recovery))
- [Personalized experiences with Data 360 and Personalization](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/architecture-design/personalized-experiences-with-data-360-and-personalization): How Marketing Cloud Personalization and Data 360 divide personalization work: which data loads where, what the connector exports and imports, server-side campaigns, ETL feeds and attribute precedence, the native CRM integration and the Journey Builder Personalization Activity. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/architecture-design/personalized-experiences-with-data-360-and-personalization))
- [Data security, encryption and residency boundaries](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/architecture-design/data-security-encryption-and-residency-boundaries): How to meet security and residency requirements across Marketing Cloud Personalization and the service org: what beacon self-hosting does and doesn't change, PGP-encrypted ETL files, Sensitive versus Personally Identifiable attributes, and Shield Platform Encryption key choices, rotation, recovery and field limits. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/architecture-design/data-security-encryption-and-residency-boundaries))

### Data Models and Management (25% of the exam)

- [Commerce data model and customer identity](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/data-models-and-management/commerce-data-model-and-customer-identity): How customer profiles, products, catalogs, prices, inventory and orders are modelled in B2C Commerce and Salesforce Order Management, and how one durable customer key links Commerce, the service org and Marketing Cloud Engagement. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/data-models-and-management/commerce-data-model-and-customer-identity))
- [Sequencing connectors, synchronization and cutovers](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/data-models-and-management/sequencing-connectors-synchronization-and-cutovers): How to order the work that connects B2C Commerce, Marketing Cloud Personalization and Marketing Cloud Engagement to Data 360, sets up Marketing Cloud Connect and Synchronized Data Sources, and cuts over orders, inventory, customer groups, prices and person accounts without surprises. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/data-models-and-management/sequencing-connectors-synchronization-and-cutovers))
- [Privacy, consent and data subject requests](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/data-models-and-management/privacy-consent-and-data-subject-requests): Which out-of-the-box privacy tools B2C Commerce, Data 360, the service org, Marketing Cloud Engagement and Marketing Cloud Personalization provide for deletion, restriction, portability, tracking and consent, and where a request still needs custom work in each product. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/data-models-and-management/privacy-consent-and-data-subject-requests))
- [High-volume jobs, big objects and Ingestion API](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/data-models-and-management/high-volume-jobs-big-objects-and-ingestion-api): How to keep high-volume B2C Commerce catalog data and jobs within platform standards and quotas, when a Salesforce big object fits large historical data, and how the Data 360 Ingestion API bulk and streaming patterns differ in format, limits and latency. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/data-models-and-management/high-volume-jobs-big-objects-and-ingestion-api))
- [Data migration with imports, replication and bulk loads](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/data-models-and-management/data-migration-with-imports-replication-and-bulk-loads): How to move data into, out of and between B2C Commerce instances with import, export and replication, load historical orders and large record sets into the Salesforce org, and promote configuration between orgs and Marketing Cloud Engagement business units. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/data-models-and-management/data-migration-with-imports-replication-and-bulk-loads))

### Integration (23% of the exam)

- [Out-of-the-box multi-product integrations and their limits](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/integration/out-of-the-box-multi-product-integrations-and-their-limits): What the standard connections between B2C Commerce, a third-party OMS, Order Management, the service org, Marketing Cloud Engagement, Personalization, Loyalty Management and Data 360 do out of the box, where their documented limits sit, and when a requirement needs a custom integration instead. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/integration/out-of-the-box-multi-product-integrations-and-their-limits))
- [Integration patterns for volume, latency and failure](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/integration/integration-patterns-for-volume-latency-and-failure): How to pick request-reply, fire-and-forget, batch, event or virtualization patterns from a requirement's timing and volume, and how B2C Commerce services, outbound messages, change events, Composite requests, Engagement triggers, Data 360 and Omnichannel Inventory imports behave under load and failure. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/integration/integration-patterns-for-volume-latency-and-failure))
- [Securing shopper and business user access](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/integration/securing-shopper-and-business-user-access): Which controls secure Business Manager users, API clients, storefront shoppers, service-org users and Marketing Cloud Engagement data across a B2C solution, and what each control does and doesn't protect against. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/integration/securing-shopper-and-business-user-access))
- [Choosing APIs for Commerce, Engagement and service](https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/integration/choosing-apis-for-commerce-engagement-and-service): Which API or protocol to use when integrating with B2C Commerce (SCAPI, OCAPI, WebDAV feeds and jobs), the Salesforce service org (platform events, Connect REST API, Order Management data) and Marketing Cloud Engagement (REST, SOAP, server-to-server auth and Event Notification Service), and the behaviours each one brings. ([markdown](https://www.certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/b2c-solution-architect/integration/choosing-apis-for-commerce-engagement-and-service))

## Common questions about the B2C Solution Architect study guide

### Is the B2C Solution Architect study guide free?

Partly. Every unit's summary and its "What the exam expects", "Key facts" and "Check yourself" sections are free to read without an account. The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections, reading progress and unlimited timed mock exams come with the B2C Solution Architect pack (USD $19).

### How current is the B2C Solution Architect study guide?

It is written to the current official Salesforce B2C Solution Architect exam outline, and each unit is checked against Salesforce documentation before it is published.

### How does the study guide map to the official B2C Solution Architect exam guide?

There is one unit per topic in the official exam guide, grouped under its 5 weighted sections: Discovery and Customer Success (27%), Functional Capabilities and Business Value (7%), Architecture Design (18%), Data Models and Management (25%), Integration (23%). Each unit quotes the exam objective it covers word for word.

### How do the practice questions link to the study guide?

Each unit lists the reviewed practice questions that test it (300 questions are linked across the guide), so you can read a topic and practice it in one click. After a practice exam, every missed question links back to the unit that teaches it.