---
title: Activate widgets
slug: commerce-connect-13/docs/activating-widgets
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-23T09:44:50.000Z
---

The following are key concepts within Optimizely Personalization:

- *Tracking types*, define visitor actions that can be tracked, see [Track and recommend](docId:1Yj0exhC19Aj_JA67Zw7i)
- *Widgets*, displays recommendations based on tracking type calculations, see [Recommendations](docId\:Ag3UEqh7rK98ddBWjIJJO).

When a new environment is set up, it has the following Optimizely Commerce Connect-specific widgets. Widgets are only configured for five of the eleven tracking types. See TrackingTypes in the [Commerce Connect class library](https://world.optimizely.com/documentation/class-libraries/commerce/) for the full list.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/efdNQcwh7nbv_cVzwALL0-20260723-094604.png "defaultwidgets.png")

In a new environment, all widgets are inactive. Before you can track and receive recommendations, you must activate them by using the WidgetService within EPiServer.Personalization.Commerce.

Sample code is provided in the *SiteInitialization.cs* file in the Commerce Connect sample site source code. See [Quicksilver on GitHub](https://github.com/episerver/Quicksilver).

```csharp
var widgetService = context.Locate.Advanced.GetInstance<WidgetService>();
    var response = widgetService.GetWidgets();
    
    foreach (var widget in response.EpiPerPage.Pages.SelectMany(x => x.Widgets))
      {
        widget.Active = true;
        widgetService.UpdateWidget(widget);
      }
```