Cartridge – Definition

A modular unit of code in Salesforce Commerce Cloud that contains business logic, templates, and resources for specific functionality.

Cartridges are the fundamental building blocks of SFCC applications. They can be stacked in a cartridge path, allowing for code reuse, customization, and clean separation of concerns. Custom cartridges can extend or override functionality from base cartridges. A typical SFCC implementation combines several cartridge layers: a base cartridge (like SFRA or the older Site Genesis) providing core storefront functionality, one or more custom cartridges implementing brand-specific business logic, and often third-party integration cartridges for payment providers, tax calculation, or marketing tools. The cartridge path determines resolution order — when multiple cartridges define the same template or script, the one earlier in the path takes precedence, which is how customizations override defaults without modifying base code directly. This architecture has direct implications for content teams: content-related functionality that lives inside custom cartridges (like campaign modules or content slots) typically requires developer involvement to change, since cartridge code is deployed through the same release process as the rest of the storefront. Specialized CMS platforms address this by implementing their own content delivery layer that sits alongside the cartridge structure, letting marketing teams manage content without touching cartridge code or waiting for a deployment window.