---
title: Deploy Azure Web Apps in Commerce Connect
slug: commerce-connect-14/docs/deploying-commerce-to-azure-web-apps
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-23T10:25:35.210Z
---

This scenario uses Commerce Connect version 14. You can apply most steps through Visual Studio and NuGet package installations. See [Azure Web Apps](https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/app-service/web/) for information about Azure.

:::hint{type="info"}
- **Requirements**
  An Azure Management Portal account with login details.
- A cloud-enabled license. See the [Optimizely License Center](https://license.episerver.com/).
- Ensure each deployed application and module is designed to run in the cloud.
:::

Like an Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) website on Azure, you can run the Commerce Connect website on an Azure Web Site environment with multiple instances. The website instances share the same Azure SQL database, and the BLOB storage in Azure stores the file binary data. Load balancing is applied, and the Azure Service Bus manages events among the CMS websites.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/8ujO7GrCbbxB2HHYdaWPX-20260723-164629.jpg)

Follow these steps to create a Commerce Connect website in an Azure Apps environment.

1. Create a site.
   a. Create a basic CMS site.
   b. Install the latest version of the `EPiServer.Commerce` NuGet package.
   c. Install the `EPiServer.Commerce.Azure` NuGet package to the project.
   d. Add the cloud license to the website. This is used and activated later, when deploying the website to Azure.
2. Create Azure resources. See **Creating Azure resources** in this topic.
3. Update configurations. See **Updating configuration** in this topic.
4. Deploy the Optimizely site. See **Deploying** in this topic.
   a. Because Commerce Connect has two databases, add two scripts in the **Add SQL Script** step:
   - `EPiServer.Cms.Core.sql` under `[SolutionDir]\packages\EPServer.CMS.Core.x\tools` to `EPiServerDB`
     - `EPiServer.Commerce.sql` under`[SolutionDir]\packages\EPiServer.Commerce.Core.x\tools` to `EcfSqlConnection`

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/Mb8xZQtooK7bQCk2vmsab-20260723-164629.png)

b. When the database is successfully created, run the **Update-EPiDatabase** command in the Package Manager Console.

5. Change the site URL. See the **Changing the site URL** section in this topic.
6. Build the site index.
   a. Build the content index. See the **Search in Azure** section in this topic.
   b. Rebuild the catalog index.
   i. Access Commerce Admin.
   ii. Go to **Administration** > **Search Index**.
   iii. Click **Rebuild Index**. The catalog index is restored in your storage.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
If you are using `LuceneAzureSearchProvider` as the default search provider, complete the following additional steps.
:::

iv. Open `appsettings.json`, in the Commerce Connect `SearchOptions` section, set the `DefaultSearchProvider` key to `LuceneAzureSearchProvider`.
v. Set your `connectionStringName` and storage keys pointing to your Azure storage connection string and index storage folder. Note that the Azure storage `connectionString` must already exist in your `ConnectionString` section of `appsettings.json`.
The following example shows search config in `appsettings.json`, defined for using Lucene on Azure.

```json
"SearchOptions": {
  "DefaultSearchProvider": "LuceneAzureSearchProvider",
  "IndexerBasePath": "indexcontainer",
  "IndexerConnectionString": "EPiServerAzureBlobs",
  "SearchProviders": [
    {
      "Name": "LuceneAzureSearchProvider",
      "Type": "Mediachase.Search.Providers.Lucene.LuceneAzureSearchProvider, Mediachase.Search.LuceneSearchProvider",
      "Parameters": {
        "queryBuilderType": "Mediachase.Search.Providers.Lucene.LuceneSearchQueryBuilder, Mediachase.Search.LuceneSearchProvider",
        "storage": "indexcontainer",
        "simulateFaceting": "true",		  "connectionStringName": "EPiServerAzureBlobs"
      }
    }
  ],
  "Indexers": [
    {
      "Name": "catalog",
      "Type": "Mediachase.Search.Extensions.Indexers.CatalogIndexBuilder, Mediachase.Search.Extensions"
    }
  ]
}
```

7. To improve the user interface experience, enable [WebSocket support](docId\:BRxpG_wlli-bM-cQgLTBo).