--- title: Catalog content slug: commerce-connect-14/docs/catalog-content docTags: createdAt: 2026-07-23T10:25:34.370Z --- ## Access catalog content as IContent Optimizely Commerce Connect provides a content provider that can serve any catalog content as IContent. That means you can use an `IContentRepository` to work with the content as you do in the Optimizely Content Management System (CMS). Sample code ```csharp public ContentReference CreateNewSku(ContentReference linkToParentNode) { var contentRepository = ServiceLocator.Current.GetInstance(); //Create a new instance of CatalogContentTypeSample that will be a child to the specified parentNode. var newSku = contentRepository.GetDefault(linkToParentNode); //Set some required properties. newSku.Code = "MyNewCode"; newSku.SeoUri = "NewSku.aspx"; //Set the description newSku.Description = "This new SKU is great"; //Publish the new content and return its ContentReference. return contentRepository.Save(newSku, SaveAction.Publish, AccessLevel.NoAccess); } ``` For information about displaying Commerce Connect content, see [Commerce Connect rendering templates](docId\:vlysddL29BglPu_Z3o0DW). ## Content model Connect a content type to the meta-class to get the full feature set. Do that by creating a model class that inherits from the appropriate type in the `EPiServer.Commerce.Catalog.ContentTypes` namespace and decorating it with the `CatalogContentTypeAttribute` attribute. Sample code ```csharp using EPiServer.Commerce.Catalog.ContentTypes; using EPiServer.Commerce.Catalog.DataAnnotations; using EPiServer.Core; using EPiServer.DataAnnotations; namespace CodeSamples.EPiServer.Commerce.Catalog.Provider { [CatalogContentType( GUID = "7B6B3E60-BFD8-4AD6-BA94-C9728F727988", MetaClassName = "CatalogContentTypeSample", DisplayName = "Content Type Sample", Description = "A customize for variation content" )] public class CatalogContentTypeSample : VariationContent { [CultureSpecific] [Tokenize] [Encrypted] [UseInComparison] [IncludeValuesInSearchResults] [IncludeInDefaultSearch] [SortableInSearchResults] public virtual string Description { get; set; } public virtual int Size { get; set; } [DecimalSettings(18, 0)] public virtual decimal Discount { get; set; } } } ``` The following types are available when you create Commerce Connect models. | Type name | Description | | ------------------ | -------------------------------- | | `VariationContent` | A type for variant/SKU models. | | `ProductContent` | A type for product models. | | `BundleContent` | A type for bundle models. | | `PackageContent` | A type for package models. | | `NodeContent` | A type for category/node models. | | `CatalogContent` | A type for catalog models. | You should not inherit from the following types because they exist only to show various states in the system: | Type name | Description | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `EntryContentBase` | A base type for `VariationContent`, `ProductContent`, `BundleContent`, `PackageContent` and `DynamicPackageContent`. | | `NodeContentBase` | A base type for `NodeContent` and `CatalogContent`. | | `RootContent` | The virtual root in Optimizely's hierarchical representation of Commerce Connect content. | During synchronization, specific CLR types generate meta-fields of a specific `MetaDataPlus` type. You can modify the default mapping by using the `BackingTypeAttribute`. The following table shows mappings for all supported types. **Maps for all supported types** | CLR Type | MetaDataPlus Type | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | `Byte` | `Integer` (`SmallInt`, `TinyInt` and `Int` are also supported) | | `Int16` | `Integer` (`SmallInt`, `TinyInt` and `Int` are also supported) | | `Int32` | `Integer` (`SmallInt`, `TinyInt` and `Int` are also supported) | | `Int64` | `Integer` (`SmallInt`, `TinyInt` and `Int` are also supported) | | `Double` | `Float` | | `Single` | `Float` | | `Float` | `Float` | | `Decimal` | `Decimal` | | `String` | `LongString` (`ShortString` and `Text` are also supported) | | `Boolean` | `Boolean` | | `DateTime` | `DateTime` (`Date` and `SmallDateTime` are also supported) | | `Url` | `Url` | | `XhtmlString` | `LongHtmlString` | | `ContentReference` | `ShortString` | | `PageReference` | `ShortString` | ## Customized Commerce-specific attributes Any attribute you can use in the CMS can also be used in Commerce Connect content type models. You can decorate your model with the following Commerce Connect-specific attributes: - `CatalogContentTypeAttribute` To connect the content type to an existing meta-class, use the `CatalogContentTypeAttribute`. Connect them by defining the name of the meta-class that should be connected to the content type. Sample code ```csharp using EPiServer.Commerce.Catalog.ContentTypes; using EPiServer.Commerce.Catalog.DataAnnotations; namespace CodeSamples.EPiServer.Commerce.Catalog.Provider { [CatalogContentType(MetaClassName = "WineSKU")] public class CatalogContentTypeAttributeSample : VariationContent { } } ``` - `EncryptedAttribute` – Use to declare a property to enable Use Encryption. This encrypts the value when stored in MetaDataPlus. - `UseInComparisonAttribute` – Use an attribute to declare a property to be used for comparison. - `IncludeInDefaultSearchAttribute` – Use to declare a property to include the value in default search results. This will be used by the search provider system. - `IncludeValuesInSearchResultsAttribute` – Use to declare a property to be included in search results. This will be used by the search provider system. - `SortableInSearchResultsAttribute` – Use to declare a property to be flagged as index sortable. This will be used by the search provider system. - `TokenizeAttribute` – Use to declare a property to be tokenized (word breaking). - `DecimalSettingsAttribute` – Use to declare a property to have precision and scale. ## Commerce Connect-specific types The types you can represent in `MetaDataPlus` are not directly mapped to a CLR type. Properties that are backed by meta-fields of these `MetaDataPlus` types need to be specified beyond return type. The following table lists such `MetaDataPlus` types and additional requirements. :::hint{type="info"} **Note** The use of Commerce Connect-specific types is not supported within blocks. ::: | MetaDataPlus Type | CLR Type | Additional Requirements | | --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | | \`Dictionary\` | \`string\` | Decorated with \`\[BackingType(typeof(PropertyDictionarySingle))]\` | | \`Dictionary, multiline\` | \`ItemCollection \` | Decorated with \`\[BackingType(typeof(PropertyDictionaryMultiple))]\` | | \`StringDictionary\` (new in Commerce Connect 13.1) | \`IDictionary \` | Decorated with \`\[BackingType(typeof(PropertyStringDictionary))]\` | :::hint{type="info"} **Note** To define a property that maps to a `StringDictionary` metafield, use this example: `[BackingType(typeof(PropertyStringDictionary))]` `public virtual IDictionary StringDict { get; set; }` ::: To change the values of that `StringDictionary` metafield, update the property as a normal dictionary. Example: `content.StringDict = new Dictionary() {{ "abc", "xyz" }, {"hello", "world"}};` See also [New feature in Customized Commerce 13.1: StringDictionary support for catalog content](https://world.optimizely.com/blogs/Quan-Mai/Dates/2019/3/new-feature-in-commerce-13-1-stringdictionary-support/) ## Limits in synchronization The synchronization of catalog models works the same way as with content types in the CMS, except the data is backed in `MetaDataPlus`. However, there are some limitations due to technical differences. The following are not done automatically. They require manual steps: - Change a property type – Causes an exception. - Rename a model class – Unless specified by the `CatalogContentTypeAttribute`, adds a meta-class, but the old one is left in the system. - Rename a property – Adds a meta field, but the old one is left in the system. - Remove a property. Different properties with the same name must have identical definitions. For example, you cannot have a property called *Description* on two different classes and make it culture-specific on one, but not the other. This is because, in `MetaDataPlus`, meta fields are shared across meta classes. Hence, they can only have one definition. See [Synchronization](docId\:tuj89esBBi8aLWv5x8Cl4). ## List properties Beginning with CMS 11, Commerce Connect has a `PropertyValueList` that lets editors input multiple primitive values. Available types are: - `Int` - `String` - `Double` - `DateTime` You can add a list as a property in your model. Sample code ```text [BackingType(typeof(PropertyIntegerList))] [Display(Name = "List of int", Order = 5)] public virtual IList IntList { get; set; } [BackingType(typeof(PropertyDateTimeList))] [Display(Name = "List of date time", Order = 8)] public virtual IList DateTimeList { get; set; } [BackingType(typeof(PropertyStringList))] [Display(Name = "List of string", Order = 6)] public virtual IList StringList { get; set; } [BackingType(typeof(PropertyDoubleList))] [Display(Name = "List of double", Order = 7)] public virtual IList DoubleList { get; set; } ``` Sample results ![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/lDeYiB8Cb9hP_4tqcudps-20260723-094554.png)