--- schema_version: "1" id: 2891c010cfc248243f12c062336df1b7bd006826b019596fe2ca22ba73698393 title: Einstein Recommendations collection: developer version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/developer/current/en-us/commerce-cloud/einstein/guides/einstein-recommendations/einstein-recommendations-overview.md canonical_url: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/commerce/einstein-api/guide/einstein-recommendations-overview.html source_site: developer.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 71bd012acb8a421a6d0a36ccc2384c8597736aea0ff0b76b47d7ab28b37d5766 products: - B2C Commerce Einstein API - Salesforce APIs --- # Einstein Recommendations The Einstein Recommendations API has two main functions: to receive activities and to output recommendations. Our customers can also achieve flexibility in switching recommenders without any code changes by using our Zone components. This API documentation is primarily intended for Salesforce B2C Commerce customers. ## Enable Access To enable access to the Einstein Recommendations API, go to the [Einstein Configurator](https://configurator.cquotient.com/), and input your Account Manager client ID in the API page. Using Site Administrator access, you can [add an API Client ID](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=cc.b2c_account_manager_add_api_client_id.htm&type=5) on the [Account Manager](https://account.demandware.com/) page. When enabled, and as long as the correct client ID is passed, the API functions in all environments, including production, staging, development, and sandbox instances. ## Authentication Each API call must pass the `x-cq-client-id` header for API key authentication. Implementing our API on the client side or server side comes with some tradeoffs. To make sure that you keep your client ID secret, we recommend that you implement our API on the server side for increased security. Client-side implementation runs the risk of exposing your client ID to bad actors. The requests to get recommendations, and certain user activities like viewProduct, viewReco, and clickReco, require caching considerations if implemented on the server side. For example, in the case of a user viewing a cached product page, the viewProduct activity should still be sent. It is important that Einstein receives all events, and that recommendations are not cached. ## API Email Limitations This Einstein Recommendations API is not designed for the email recommendations use case. It does not support embedding Einstein recommendations in emails. ## Scalability Our service is globally distributed, horizontally scalable, and can automatically scale up and down based on traffic, so load testing is unnecessary. We recommend that you avoid any load testing because it affects recommendation results. ## User Identifier Parameters To help generate relevant product recommendations for each shopper, the Einstein Recommendations API provides parameters for shopper identification. **note:** To avoid potential malicious activity, user identifier parameters must be non-sequential. The parameters should not include sequences, patterns, IP addresses, email addresses, names, or anything linked to a specific person. All user identifier parameters must comply with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through hashing or other methods. - `cookieId` (required) - Unique identifier of an anonymous shopper. Typically, the `cookieId` is the value of a first-party cookie. - When making API requests from a traditional B2C Commerce storefront, pass the `cqcid` cookie value to match the automatic activity tracking on the traditional storefront. For more information, see [Browser-Based Local Data Storage](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=cc.b2c_local_data_storage.htm&type=5). - When using the Salesforce Commerce APIs, pass the `USID` value available as part of the token retrieval process. For more information, see the Shopper Login and API Access Service documentation. - When using OCAPI, pass the `visit_id` value from the guest login response to match automatic activities. For more information, see the [OCAPI Customer Document](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/commerce/b2c-commerce/references/ocapi-shop-customers?meta=type%3Acustomer). - `userId` (encouraged) - Unique identifier of a logged-in shopper. This parameter enables Einstein to link the same logged-in user across multiple devices. - When making API requests from a traditional B2C Commerce storefront, pass the `cquid` cookie value to match automatic activity tracking on the traditional storefront. For more information, see [Browser-Based Local Data Storage](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=cc.b2c_local_data_storage.htm&type=5). - When using the Salesforce Commerce APIs, pass the `hashed_login` value from the registered login response to match automatic activities. For more information, see the Shopper Login and API Access Service documentation. - When using OCAPI, pass the `hashed_login` value from the registered login response to match automatic activities. For more information, see the [OCAPI Customer Document](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/commerce/b2c-commerce/references/ocapi-shop-customers?meta=type%3Acustomer). ## Reporting Standard performance reporting for recommenders used through the Einstein API is the same as that for other recommenders used on your digital sites. View reporting on the Einstein Dashboard (see [Einstein Dashboard FAQ](https://resources.docs.salesforce.com/rel1/doc/en-us/static/pdf/EinsteinDashboardFAQv1.pdf) to learn more about the Einstein Dashboard). To make separate reporting and troubleshooting easier, we recommend that you create separate recommenders for the Einstein API. For example, naming a recommender “pdp-mobile-API” indicates that the recommender is used on the product detail page on a mobile app. **note:** Reporting metrics are based on activities. If an application using the Einstein Recommendations API fails to send activities, all metrics for the API recommender appear as zero (0). `Rights of ALBERT EINSTEIN are used with permission of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Represented exclusively by Greenlight.`