Ebook | 7 minute read
The Elastic Path MCP (Model Context Protocol) server lets you interact with Elastic Path's APIs using natural language through an AI assistant such as Claude. Instead of writing API calls manually, you can simply describe what you want to do and the LLM will handle the steps for you.
Primary use cases (merchandiser/admin tasks):
NPM Package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@elasticpath/elasticpath-mcp
You'll need a Client ID and Client Secret from your Elastic Path store.
Once created, copy both the Client ID and Client Secret — you'll need these in Step 3.
Note: The MCP server follows the same permissions model as the Elastic Path API, so the MCP will have exactly the same access level as the API key you create here.
my-store-production
urban-furniture
client_id
client_secret
Example structure (your values will vary):
{ "mcpServers": { "urban-furniture": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@elasticpath/elasticpath-mcp"], "env": { "EPCC_CLIENT_ID": "your-client-id-here", "EPCC_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-client-secret-here" } } } }
Tip — Multiple Environments: You can configure the same MCP server multiple times with different names to connect to multiple stores (e.g., my-store-dev and my-store-production). This lets you transfer resources between environments directly from Claude.
my-store-dev
Close Claude Desktop completely and reopen it to load the new configuration.
Once Claude restarts, confirm the MCP server is connected by asking:
"What EPCC access do we have?"
Claude should respond with a list of available tools and confirm the name of your connected store (e.g., urban-furniture). If you see your store name, you're good to go!
Start by asking Claude what's in your store:
"What products do we have in the [your store name] store?"
Claude will call the API and return a list of your current products with details.
You don't need to have all the information upfront. You can build a product step by step in natural language.
Step 1 — Create the product:
"Create a new product called Elastic Hammock and make it $10 less than the Celestial Hammock."
Step 2 — Add a description (in the same or a follow-up prompt):
"Please create a description."
Tip: Claude will draft a description for you. You can also give it a specific tone, e.g.: "Please update the description to be more wild and unhinged."
Step 3 — Assign to a hierarchy:
"Please assign it to the same hierarchy structure as the other hammocks."
Claude will look up existing hierarchies in your store and match the product to the appropriate one automatically.
Step 4 — Publish the catalog
⚠️ This step is still manual. Catalog publishing is intentionally kept outside the MCP to avoid accidentally pushing draft content to live shoppers.
Step 5 — Verify with Cart Preview
In Commerce Manager, use the Cart Preview feature to confirm the product can be added to a cart and appears correctly.
Basic promotion example:
"Create a back-to-school promotion for 10% off carts over $250."
Or:
"Please check the EPCC documentation options."
Check the result in Commerce Manager: Go to Merchandising → Promotions to verify the promotion was created with the correct discount type, amount, and conditions.
Test the promotion with Snapshot Date:
Use the Snapshot Date feature in the cart preview to simulate a future date and test that the promotion applies correctly:
Add a second promotion:
"Let's create another promotion for October — 20% off hammocks when the cart is $250 or over."
On quantity limits (e.g., "first 100 sold"): This is possible via rule promotions but is complex. Wes recommends using the LLM to create the base promotion structure, then manually configuring quantity/max limits in Commerce Manager to make sure it's accurate. Reach out to the Elastic Path team for guidance on specific rule promotion setups.
If you have multiple stores configured (see Step 3 tip above), you can move promotions or other resources between them with a single prompt.
Example:
"Please duplicate the back-to-school sale in my [other store name]."
Claude will:
Important: If a promotion references a category or hierarchy node that doesn't exist in the destination store, Claude will let you know and ask how to proceed. You can resolve this by creating the missing category first, or by pointing the promotion at a different identifier (like a SKU).
Tip
Details
Be iterative
You don't need all the product info upfront. Add details step by step as you go.
Watch the tool calls
Click the expand arrows in Claude (may be different in other LLMs) to see exactly which API calls are being made — useful for learning the Elastic Path API schema.
Use Claude Skills
If you frequently create a specific type of promotion, create a Claude Skill with those instructions to make the process faster and more consistent.
Mind the context window
Long conversations will eventually trigger Claude to compact the context. This is normal — Claude retains what it needs to continue the task.
Publishing is always manual
Catalog publishing is intentionally excluded from MCP actions. Always verify and publish from Commerce Manager. Always be cognizant of what you're asking it to do
Name your configs clearly
When configuring multiple stores, use descriptive names like my-brand-dev and my-brand-production so you can reference them easily in prompts.
my-brand-dev
my-brand-production
For advanced use cases (complex rule promotions, quantity limits, multi-store setups), reach out to the Elastic Path team directly — we're happy to dig in with you on your specific scenario.