Best Practices for the Layout Engine Print

The Layout Engine in SellStack allows administrators to design and manage the body content of storefront presentation pages. While it can handle advanced targeting, the most common scenario is simple: create a Layout, assign it to a specific URL, and make it live.

Most Common Use Case: Go Live on a Specific URL

1. Create the Layout in Page Management → Layouts
2. Add and configure Blocks (e.g., Product Menus, banners, text content)
3. Save the Layout
4. Go to Page Management → Layout Mappings
5. Create a mapping:
   • Target: Enter the exact URL path
     • For storefront or campaign page: /summer-sale
     • For CMS page: /page/<slug> (e.g., /page/about-us)
   • No Conditions — keep it simple for immediate use
   • Set priority above any defaults if needed
6. Save the mapping and preview the URL

This straightforward approach is ideal for campaign pages, seasonal promotions, or any content page with a fixed URL.

General Best Practices

• Keep headers and footers in mind — in default SellStack templates, these are fixed; the Layout Engine controls the body area
• Name Layouts descriptively (e.g., “Summer Sale 2025 – Retail” instead of “Layout 3”)
• Test before publishing — preview Layouts on staging where possible
• For product displays, ensure products are already active and visible in ERP and synced to SellStack
• For CMS pages, confirm the CMS route exactly matches the mapping Target (usually starts with /page/)

Mapping Tips

• Always have a fallback mapping for critical URLs
• Place specific mappings above general ones in priority order
• For date-based campaigns, set start/end Conditions in advance
• Document mapping changes so other administrators understand the live configuration

CSS Overrides

SellStack 365 Cannabis storefronts use a default presentation layer governed by the Layout Engine. This ensures consistent compliance, reliability, and storefront behaviour across all customer-facing instances.

Custom CSS Overrides

Administrators with design-capable teams may enable CSS overrides to adjust the visual presentation of their storefront. This feature allows controlled styling changes, such as typography, colours, and spacing, without affecting compliance-related product data or core ERP synchronisation.

• Availability: CSS override editing is available as an add-on option. It is not included in the standard instance by default.
• Enablement: Overrides can be requested through iTristan Group. Once enabled, your design-capable team may add and maintain custom CSS.
• Scope: CSS overrides apply only to storefront presentation. They do not alter product compliance data, ERP synchronisation, or system logic.
• Responsibility: The administrator or designated design team is responsible for testing and maintaining CSS overrides to ensure storefront accessibility and usability.

Best Practices

• Keep overrides minimal and targeted.
• Avoid altering system-critical elements (e.g., product compliance fields).
• Test changes in Staging before deploying to Production.
• Engage SellStack support if unexpected storefront behaviour occurs.

For enablement requests, please contact the iTristan Group helpdesk: Submit a Ticket.

Content Governance

• Use Shared Layouts for content reused across multiple pages
• Archive unused Layouts to avoid clutter in the admin list
• In MEO setups, confirm each instance has the correct mappings and content

Performance Considerations

• Limit heavy media in Layouts for faster load times
• Optimise product images in SellStack before publishing
• For dynamic Blocks, ensure queries are efficient and scoped correctly

Troubleshooting Quick Checks

• Layout not appearing? — check the mapping Target and priority order
• Wrong content showing? — verify you’re editing the correct Layout
• Product data missing? — confirm ERP sync status and SellStack visibility settings