Domains

Do you want to set up new domains or subdomains? Do you need to order a new SSL certificate? Should the cache be deactivated temporarily? Such tasks are usually completed by a system administrator. This page of the manual serves as a reference for system administrators and helps them complete their administrative tasks in plentymarkets.

1. Domains

plentymarkets includes an assistant that helps you manage your domains. You can use the assistant for example to create new domains or sub-domains and to migrate existing domains.

Accessing the domain assistant:

Go to Setup » Assistants » Basic setup.
Click on the domain assistant.
→ If you’ve already configured domains, then you’ll see them listed here.
Click on an existing domain to open its settings. Or click on New configuration ().
The domain settings will vary depending on which type of domain you work with. In other words, you might not see all of the settings described on this page while you configure the domain in your plentymarkets system.

Service Centre is being phased out

Perhaps you can remember previously managing your domains in the menu plentymarkets Logo (Start) » Service centre. The Service Centre is being phased out. Therefore, we recommend that you use the assistant instead.

Availability after initial setup or changes

It can take up to 24 hours until all of the settings are available on all systems. This is because the servers need to be restarted periodically and the data is not distributed in the cloud immediately.

<table-example-domains> includes explanations of the various domain types.

Table 1. Examples of domains
Type	Addition	Example name	TLD	Explanation
Domain	—	yourstore	.com	The word "domain" refers to an Internet address in the form of a name and an extension, i.e. the top level domain. The name can be chosen freely. A domain is unique, i.e. the exact same domain may never be used twice. Therefore, when registering a desired domain, e.g. with a hosting service provider, it is necessary to check whether the domain has already been used.
Subdomain	info.	yourstore	.com	You can create as many subdomains as you want for a domain. Subdomains do not need to be registered. Subdomains use variations of the domain name. They are either placed in front of or behind the domain name and they are separated from it with a period.
Additional domains	—	your-store your_store	.com	Additional domains are e.g. created with alternative names of the main domain. Additional domains redirect to the main domain. This ensures that the domain is also found if it is spelled differently. For example, the additional domain your-store.com would redirect customers to the main domain yourstore.com, even if they spelled it with a hyphen. The names and top level domains can be chosen freely for additional domains. Every additional domain receives the main domain’s IP address.

1.1. Choosing the domain type

Open the domain assistant and navigate to the step Domain type.
Choose the desired domain type. The steps and settings of the assistant will change depending on which domain type you choose. Expand the info box below () if you need additional information about one of the options.
Ready to continue? Click on Next

Additional information about the individual options

I want to…	Additional information
Order a new domain, hosted by plentysystems	You will receive an email when registering a .com domain. This email will ask you to confirm the WHOIS data that was entered. This email is sent to the email address that was entered under ADMIN-C in the handle data (WHOIS). If you do not receive an email, check that the email address is available and working.
Add a new domain, hosted externally	Use this option to link an existing, external domain with the plentymarkets system. The domain’s IP address will be displayed in the overview of domains. Then save the DNS data in your hosting service provider’s DNS zone area. If there is an IPv6 A Record in your externally managed domain, then remove this IPv6 A-Record.
Add a new subdomain to an existing domain	You can create as many subdomains as you want for a domain. You do not need to register these subdomains. For example, if you have the domain yourstore.com, then you could create the subdomain info.yourstore.com to provide special information about your online store with this domain. Use the drop-down list to select which main domain you want to link with the subdomain. Select the corresponding plentymarkets system as well.
Transfer an existing domain to plentysystems	The processing times may vary depending on the Top Level Domain: For .de domains: up to 24 hours For .com and .net domains: 3 to 7 days For .eu domains: up to 5 days You will receive an email if you relocate a .com or .net domain. The email will ask you to confirm the relocation. This email is sent to the email address that was entered under ADMIN-C in the handle data (WHOIS). If you do not receive an email, check that the email address is available and working. If the email address no longer exists, then ask your current domain provider to change the email address.

I want to…

Additional information

Order a new domain, hosted by plentysystems

You will receive an email when registering a .com domain. This email will ask you to confirm the WHOIS data that was entered. This email is sent to the email address that was entered under ADMIN-C in the handle data (WHOIS). If you do not receive an email, check that the email address is available and working.

Add a new domain, hosted externally

Use this option to link an existing, external domain with the plentymarkets system. The domain’s IP address will be displayed in the overview of domains. Then save the DNS data in your hosting service provider’s DNS zone area. If there is an IPv6 A Record in your externally managed domain, then remove this IPv6 A-Record.

Add a new subdomain to an existing domain

You can create as many subdomains as you want for a domain. You do not need to register these subdomains. For example, if you have the domain yourstore.com, then you could create the subdomain info.yourstore.com to provide special information about your online store with this domain. Use the drop-down list to select which main domain you want to link with the subdomain. Select the corresponding plentymarkets system as well.

Transfer an existing domain to plentysystems

The processing times may vary depending on the Top Level Domain:

For .de domains: up to 24 hours
For .com and .net domains: 3 to 7 days
For .eu domains: up to 5 days
You will receive an email if you relocate a .com or .net domain. The email will ask you to confirm the relocation. This email is sent to the email address that was entered under ADMIN-C in the handle data (WHOIS). If you do not receive an email, check that the email address is available and working. If the email address no longer exists, then ask your current domain provider to change the email address.

1.2. Naming the domain

Open the domain assistant and navigate to the step Name the domain.
Enter the desired domain name.
Select the appropriate domain options. Expand the info box below () if you need additional information about one of the options.
Ready to continue? Click on Next

Additional information about the individual options

Which settings are displayed here depends on which type of domain you selected in the previous step.

Setting	Explanation
Domain	Enter the desired domain name.
Top Level Domain	Select the top level domain (TLD) from the drop-down list, e.g. co.uk or com. You will see information about how much this domain will cost per month.
Confirm purchase	Toggle the button () to purchase the domain for the price shown.
Main domain	If you are creating a new subdomain for an existing main domain, then select the main domain from this list here.
Authcode	Enter the authcode from your previous provider.

Setting

Explanation

Domain

Enter the desired domain name.

Top Level Domain

Select the top level domain (TLD) from the drop-down list, e.g. co.uk or com. You will see information about how much this domain will cost per month.

Confirm purchase

Toggle the button () to purchase the domain for the price shown.

Main domain

If you are creating a new subdomain for an existing main domain, then select the main domain from this list here.

Authcode

Enter the authcode from your previous provider.

1.3. Choosing the client

Here you can link the domain to a plentymarkets system or change a system link. If you set up multiple domains, you can select which one should be used as the main domain for each plentymarkets client. The URL will then be displayed in the browser’s address line. This is also the case for the other domains. It can take up to 24 hours until all of the settings are available on all systems.

Switching the main domain

If you switch the main domain, then change the URL accordingly on all platforms and in the interface settings in your plentymarkets system, e.g. in the settings for payment providers.
In addition, go to Setup » Orders » Payment » EBICS and save the data there once again, in order to update the basic settings.

Linking an external system

You cannot link a plentymarkets system with an external server if the domain is your main domain. In this case, select a different main domain before proceeding.

Linking a plentymarkets system:

Open the domain assistant and navigate to the step Choose the client.
Use the drop-down list to select which plentymarkets system you want to link the domain to. If you use your own server, select the setting External server.
Optional: Enter the IP address (A-Record) of the external server.
Optional: Toggle the button () if you want this to be the client’s primary domain.

1.4. Saving the domain handle

Open the domain assistant and navigate to the step Domain-Handle.
Note: This step only appears if you selected Order a new domain, hosted by plentysystems in the step Domain type.
Enter the contact details of the domain owner.
Ready to continue? Click on Next

1.5. Current DNS settings

Your domain’s DNS settings are displayed here. DNS is short for Domain Name System. DNS allows people to access your website by entering its domain name instead of by entering its numerical IP address.

Practical example: Checking and modifying the DNS settings

You can find further information about DNS settings in this practical example. The page guides you step by step through the process of finding and modifying your current DNS entries.

Saving DNS settings with external domain providers

If your domain is hosted by an external provider, you need to save the DNS settings of your plentymarkets system with your external domain provider.

Here you can access the DNS settings and then save them with your external provider.

Accessing the DNS settings:

Open the domain assistant and navigate to the step Current DNS Settings.
Note: This step only appears if you selected Add a new domain, hosted externally in the step Domain type.
Take a look at the DNS settings. These settings are explained in the table.
Log into the service area of your domain provider.
Copy the DNS settings shown in plentymarkets into the relevant fields of the domain provider.
→ Check the documentation of the domain provider on how to do this.

Note: It can take up to 72 hours to process these changes. plentymarkets cannot influence this duration.

Entry	Explanation
Source	DNS source
Type	Type of DNS entry A = Assigns an IPv4 address CNAME = Assigns a different host
Target	The target of the entry. IP address = The IP address of the plentymarkets system. CNAME = The address of the AWS load balancer endpoint that provides elastic load balancing, i.e. autoscaling.

Entry

Explanation

Source

DNS source

Type

Type of DNS entry
A = Assigns an IPv4 address
CNAME = Assigns a different host

Target

The target of the entry.
IP address = The IP address of the plentymarkets system.
CNAME = The address of the AWS load balancer endpoint that provides elastic load balancing, i.e. autoscaling.

External domain: Updating DNS settings for autoscaling

If your domain is hosted by an external provider, you need to update the DNS settings of your plentymarkets system with your external domain provider to benefit from autoscaling. Proceed as described below to edit the DNS settings of the external domain.

Modifying the DNS settings:

Open the domain assistant and navigate to the step Current DNS Settings.
Note: This step only appears if you selected Add a new domain, hosted externally in the step Domain type.
Take a look at the DNS settings. These settings are explained in the table.
Check if there is a CNAME entry with the alias xxxx.eu-central-1.elb.amazonaws.com.
→ If this CNAME entry exists, the system is ready for AutoScaling. Continue with the next step.
Log into the service area of your domain provider.
Copy the DNS settings shown in plentymarkets into the relevant fields of the domain provider.
→ Check the documentation of the domain provider on how to do this.

Note: It can take up to 72 hours to process these changes. plentymarkets cannot influence this duration.

Entry	Explanation
Source	DNS source
Type	Type of DNS entry A = Assigns an IPv4 address CNAME = Assigns a different host
Target	The target of the entry. IP address = The IP address of the plentymarkets system. CNAME = The address of the AWS load balancer endpoint that provides elastic load balancing, i.e. autoscaling.

Entry

Explanation

Source

DNS source

Type

Type of DNS entry
A = Assigns an IPv4 address
CNAME = Assigns a different host

Target

The target of the entry.
IP address = The IP address of the plentymarkets system.
CNAME = The address of the AWS load balancer endpoint that provides elastic load balancing, i.e. autoscaling.

1.6. Choosing additional settings

Open the domain assistant and navigate to the step Choose additional settings.
Note: Which additional settings are displayed depends on how you configured the previous settings in the assistant.
Activate the additional settings as needed ().
→ An additional configuration step appears each time.
Expand the info boxes below () if you need additional information about one of the options.
Ready to continue? Click on Next

Settings for an external mail server

Here you’ll save information about the mail server that’s used to send and receive emails. No additional settings are required if you use the mailbox.org mail server. If you use your own server, then save the values for the IP address as well as MX10 through MX40 if available.

Setting	Explanation
spf	Enter the SPF record for your email provider.
ip	Enter the incoming mail server’s IP address. Access is provided with the address mail.[yourdomain].com. *Note:* Replace [yourdomain].com with your own domain.
mx10; mx20; mx30; mx40	Enter the mail server for receiving emails. The server MX10 takes priority. In other words, emails are first sent to mail server MX10. If this mail server is not available, the emails will be sent to the mail server MX20. The lower the MX number, the higher the server’s priority. *Tip:* You should save at least two mail servers to ensure that the availability is never compromised. For example, if a server is down or needs to be maintained, emails can still be received with the other server.

Setting

Explanation

spf

Enter the SPF record for your email provider.

Enter the incoming mail server’s IP address. Access is provided with the address mail.[yourdomain].com.
Note: Replace [yourdomain].com with your own domain.

mx10;
mx20;
mx30;
mx40

Enter the mail server for receiving emails. The server MX10 takes priority. In other words, emails are first sent to mail server MX10. If this mail server is not available, the emails will be sent to the mail server MX20. The lower the MX number, the higher the server’s priority.
Tip: You should save at least two mail servers to ensure that the availability is never compromised. For example, if a server is down or needs to be maintained, emails can still be received with the other server.

Generate an AuthCode

You need to have an authentication code for your domain if you switch to a different provider. This auth code proves that you own the domain.

Click on Generate. The code is generated and displayed in the field Domain Authcode.
Note: A domain auth code is valid for 30 days. If you do not use the code during this time, you will have to generate a new code when needed.

Further info

If you want to switch to a different webhosting provider, then you will need to carry out a domain name transfer (also known as a KK or auth info procedure in Germany). You need to fill out a standardized form of authorization in order for the domain to be transferred. The German form is called a connectivity coordination application, abbreviated as a KK-Antrag. The connectivity coordination application regulates the switch from one provider to another. The auth info procedure is becoming more and more popular.

Please note the following points when switching to a different web hosting provider:

Generate an auth code.
Do not delete your previous domain name with your current provider.
Tell your current provider about your plans to transfer the domain and let them know that they will soon receive an authorization form.
Contact the new provider in regards to the transfer. Your new provider will ask you to sign a form and confirm that you want to transfer the domain.

It is usually possible to transfer the domain without any problems. The process can be completed in a short amount of time. However, if you have any problems with the domain transfer because of incomplete or unclear data, then your old provider may initially reject the transfer. In such a case, contact the old provider as soon as possible. The current provider can only accept the transfer once there are no further uncertainties.

IPS tag: If you want to transfer your .uk or .co.uk domain to plentymarkets from a different domain provider, you need to have your current domain provider adapt the IPS tag in advance. Our domain provider’s IPS tag is:

UNITEDDOMAINS-DE

Configure CNAME Records

A Canonical Name or CNAME record is a type of DNS record that links an alias name to another canonical domain name. For example, you can use it along with the provider Shopgate to create a mobile version of your online store or you can use it to set up an external email service.

This is done by entering a source and a target. In the example, the source mobile.your-shop.com is the mobile version of the domain your-shop.com. Use the Shopgate subdomain cname.shopgate.com as the target. This CNAME entry ensures that your store will have the correct resolution with Shopgate.

Configure TXT Records

Use the TXT Resource Record to save a user-definable text within a DNS zone. This can be done for your main domain as well as for all sub-domains of your online store. For example, email or newsletter service providers may require such entries. Your service provider will give you the data to be entered.

This is done by entering the data that you received from the service provider.

Configure your own name servers for subdomains

Here you’ll enter one or more name servers for a sub-domain. This is done by entering the sub-domain and the domain name of the target server. Please note:

You can only save name servers for sub-domains of a main domain.
You can enter multiple name servers for a sub-domain. Simply click on the plus symbol again.
Enter the name server’s domain name.

URL forwarding

Here you can set up forwarding for an extra charge. This is done by entering redirect information into the designated field. You can define one redirect per line. Note the following syntax information while entering redirects. Changes will be published on the web servers within 24 hours.

Structure

Redirects always consist of four parts that are separated by semicolons:

Source;Target;HTTP-code;Option

Part Explanation

Part	Explanation
Source	The source path you want to forward from (e.g. `/contact/`). Use an asterisk `` at the end of the source if you want all of the subpages to redirect to the target (e.g. `/contact/`).
Target	The target path or target URL you want to forward to (e.g. `/company/contact/` or `http://www.external-domain.com/contact/`).
HTTP code	The following HTTP codes are supported and interpreted by search engines: 301: The requested source is now available at the defined target (also called redirect). The old address (source) is no longer valid. 304: The contents of the requested resource have not been modified since the last client query. Therefore, the contents are not retransmitted.
Option	You don’t always need to specify an option. L: If you specify this option, no additional RewriteRule is run after this one.

Source

The source path you want to forward from (e.g. /contact/). Use an asterisk * at the end of the source if you want all of the subpages to redirect to the target (e.g. /contact/*).

Target

The target path or target URL you want to forward to (e.g. /company/contact/ or http://www.external-domain.com/contact/).

HTTP code

The following HTTP codes are supported and interpreted by search engines:

301: The requested source is now available at the defined target (also called redirect). The old address (source) is no longer valid.
304: The contents of the requested resource have not been modified since the last client query. Therefore, the contents are not retransmitted.

Option

You don’t always need to specify an option.

L: If you specify this option, no additional RewriteRule is run after this one.

Examples

Redirect Explanation

Redirect	Explanation
`/mens/*;/fashion/mens/;301;L`	All URLs that start with `/mens/` are forwarded to the URL `/fashion/mens/`.
`/mens/trousers/;/fashion/mens/trousers/;301;L`	The URL `/mens/trousers/` is forwarded to the URL `/fashion/mens/trousers/`.
`/mens/basics-;/fashion/mens/;301;L`	All URLs that start with `/mens/basic` are forwarded to the URL `/fashion/mens/…`. *Note:* In this example, the part of the source URL that starts with `basics-` is appended to the target URL.
`/;https://www.external-blog.com/;301;L`	The homepage is forwarded to the URL `https://www.external-blog.com/`.
`/*;https://www.external-blog.com/;301;L`	All URLs, including the homepage, are forwarded to the URL `https://www.external-blog.com/`. *Note:* Never set this redirect for your main store. Otherwise the plentymarkets admin will no longer be accessible. However, you can use this redirect for additional clients (stores) without any problem.
`/blog/*;https://www.external-blog.com/;301;L`	All URLs that start with `/blog/` are forwarded to the URL `https://www.external-blog.com/`.
`^/fashion/trousers/$;/fashion/mens/trousers/;301;L`	This rule only applies to the address `your-domain.com/fashion/mens/` without anything before or after. The circumflex `^` symbolises the beginning of the string and the dollar sign `$` symbolises the end of the string. Use this syntax if you have multiple lines of redirects that have e.g. `/fashion/trousers/` as the source URL and you want to avoid undesired redirects or endless redirects.

/mens/*;/fashion/mens/;301;L

All URLs that start with /mens/ are forwarded to the URL /fashion/mens/.

/mens/trousers/;/fashion/mens/trousers/;301;L

The URL /mens/trousers/ is forwarded to the URL /fashion/mens/trousers/.

/mens/basics-*;/fashion/mens/*;301;L

All URLs that start with /mens/basic are forwarded to the URL /fashion/mens/….
Note: In this example, the part of the source URL that starts with basics- is appended to the target URL.

/;https://www.external-blog.com/;301;L

The homepage is forwarded to the URL https://www.external-blog.com/.

/*;https://www.external-blog.com/;301;L

All URLs, including the homepage, are forwarded to the URL https://www.external-blog.com/.
Note: Never set this redirect for your main store. Otherwise the plentymarkets admin will no longer be accessible. However, you can use this redirect for additional clients (stores) without any problem.

/blog/*;https://www.external-blog.com/;301;L

All URLs that start with /blog/ are forwarded to the URL https://www.external-blog.com/.

^/fashion/trousers/$;/fashion/mens/trousers/;301;L

This rule only applies to the address your-domain.com/fashion/mens/ without anything before or after. The circumflex ^ symbolises the beginning of the string and the dollar sign $ symbolises the end of the string. Use this syntax if you have multiple lines of redirects that have e.g. /fashion/trousers/ as the source URL and you want to avoid undesired redirects or endless redirects.

1.7. Deleting or cancelling domains

Go to Setup » Assistants » Basic setup.
Click on the domain assistant.
Click on Delete () in the upper right corner of the box.

Cancelling the main domain

Only cancel your main domain if you also want to cancel your plentymarkets system’s contract. Otherwise, save a new main domain.
If you want to cancel your system contract, please note the cancellation deadlines. If you cancel your main domain too early, the domain’s contract might end earlier than the system’s contract. The system will no longer be available in this case, even though the contract has not ended yet.

Cancelling a client

If you cancel a client, the domains associated with this client are also cancelled. To continue using these domains, link them to a different client.

2. SSL certificate

This chapter provides you with information about SSL certificates. You’ll learn how to check the expiration date on your SSL certificate, how to order a new SSL certificate and how to deactivate your active SSL certificate if necessary.

2.1. What is an SSL certificate?

An SSL certificate is used to encrypt your website. It provides a secure connection to your website and your online store. An SSL certificate is required for certain markets and for receiving the Trusted Shops certification. You know you’re using an SSL certificate if your website is accessed via https.

SSL certificates are offered by independent certificate providers. plentymarkets offers 2 types of SSL certificates:

A paid SSL certificate with a duration of at least one year without renewal. After the SSL certificate expires, you need to order a new certificate.
A free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt. It is automatically renewed and can be cancelled with one month notice.

You order the SSL certificate for your main domain, i.e. the domain that is listed as the primary domain in the menu Setup » Assistants » Basic setup » Domain assistant. Quick tip: Look at your domains with the table view. This will help you recognise which one is the primary domain.

If you want to set up an SSL certificate for a different domain, you will have to set this domain as your main domain first.

Figure 1. Domain assistant with the table view

No SSL certificates for cancelled domains or test domains

You cannot order SSL certificates for cancelled domains, start-up domains and test domains, i.e. domains with names that contain plenty-testdrive.eu, plentymarkets-x1.com etc. Therefore, the Order SSL certificate button is not displayed for these types of domains.

2.2. SSL certificate for external domains

You can continue to have a domain hosted externally and save the DNS settings with this external provider. However, the SSL certificate needs to be saved close to the system. This means that even if the domain is hosted externally, the actual encoding is done directly in the system after the domain forwarding via IP address is carried out. As such, it is not possible to use an external SSL certificate. The SSL certificate needs to be ordered from plentymarkets.

2.3. Prerequisites for booking an SSL certificate

Before booking an SSL certificate, make sure that your system meets the following requirements:

2.3.1. Domain

It’s only possible to order an SSL certificate for a primary domain.
→ Check the settings in the domain assistant.

2.3.2. Active autoscaling

A few systems have not been switched to autoscaling (AS). In most cases, this is because the domain is not hosted by plentymarkets. As such, the domain owner must adjust the DNS settings manually. Another cause might be that the domain was added to a client for the first time. These clients are not automatically switched to autoscaling. The plentymarkets support team needs to manually activate autoscaling.

Proceed as described below to check if autoscaling is active:

Checking the autoscaling status:

Open the domain assistant and navigate to the step Current DNS Settings.
Note: This step only appears if you selected Add a new domain, hosted externally in the step Domain type.
In the column DNS Record Type, check if a CNAME entry exists for the domain.
→ If a CNAME entry exists, autoscaling is active. An SSL certificate can be ordered.
→ If no CNAME entry exists, but rather two A records, autoscaling is not active.
If autoscaling is not active, contact the plentymarkets support via the plentymarkets Forum and ask them to activate autoscaling. The thread is in German, but the support staff can also speak English.

2.3.3. For subdomains: Existing parent domain

If you want to order an SSL certificate for a subdomain, then the parent domain must also exist in the assistant. The relationship between the domain and subdomain must also be entered correctly in the assistant.
→ Check the settings in the assistant.
→ If the parent domain was deleted from the assistant, then create the parent domain again. If you do not want this parent domain to point to plentymarkets, but rather e.g. to Showare, then save an external A record for the parent domain by creating a system link.

2.3.4. For external domains: DNS settings

The DNS settings saved for the external provider must be identical to the DNS settings saved in the assistant.
→ Check the settings in the service area of your domain provider.
The domain that the SSL certificate is being ordered for must not have an IPv6 entry (AAAA record).
→ Check the settings in the service area of your domain provider.
If the domain has any existing CAA records, then they must allow for the selected certificate to be ordered.
→ Check the settings in the service area of your domain provider.

2.4. Managing paid SSL certificates

If you buy an SSL certificate, you need to order a new SSL certificate before your old certificate expires. Even if you already have an SSL certificate, you will still need to order a new certificate before it expires. You will need to select a certificate provider and duration every time you order an SSL certificate. plentymarkets orders the SSL certificate on your behalf and bills you for the one-off purchase price and the monthly fee.

2.4.1. Checking the expiration date of an SSL certificate

Proceed as described below to view the expiration date of an SSL certificate.

Checking the expiration date of an SSL certificate:

Go to Setup » Client » Select client » SSL.
→ You will see a table with the domain’s certificates.
→ The column Valid until shows you when the certificate expires.

2.4.2. Buying an SSL certificate

Proceed as described below to order a paid SSL certificate.

Buying an SSL certificate:

Go to Setup » Client » Select client » SSL.
→ The domain’s certificates are displayed.
In the row Order new SSL for domain: [domain name], click on the down arrow to the right.
→ The SSL certificates that are available for the domain are displayed.
Check the available SSL certificates.
Click on Order SSL certificate in the line of the SSL certificate that you want to book.
→ The SSL certificate is ordered.
Note: It can take up to 2 hours for the SSL certificate to be activated.
Delete the browser cache.
Optional: Delete the DNS cache.
1. Click the shortcut key Windows key + R.
2. Enter CMD and press Enter.
3. Enter the command ipconfig /flushdns.
  → The DNS cache is cleared.

2.4.3. Deactivating a paid SSL certificate

You can temporarily or permanently deactivate an active SSL certificate. To do so, proceed as described below.

Expiration date remains the same

The expiration date is not pushed back if you temporarily deactivate your SSL certificate.

Deactivating a paid SSL certificate:

Go to plentymarkets logo (Start) » Service centre.
Tip: To do so, point your cursor at the plentymarkets logo at the top left of the screen.
→ The Service centre opens in a new browser tab.
Click on the blue plus icon of the system.
→ The available tabs are shown.
Click on the Domain tab.
Click on the blue plus icon of the main domain.
→ The expiration date of the SSL certificate is shown in the SSL certificate area.
Click on Deactivate SSL certificate.
→ Your SSL certificate is deactivated.
You can reactivate your SSL certificate any time by clicking on Activate SSL certificate.
Note: It can take up to 4 hours for the SSL certificate to be activated or deactivated.

2.5. Managing a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate

Rather than buying a paid SSL certificate, plentymarkets also allows you to use SSL certificates provided by the certification authority Let’s Encrypt. The certificates are automatically renewed and can be cancelled with one month notice. Proceed as described below to activate an SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt.

Provisioning fee

Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates are free of charge. When you book an SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt, all you pay is a monthly provisioning fee to plentymarkets.

2.5.1. Activating a free Let’s Encrypt certificate

Proceed as described below to activate a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt.

Activating a free SSL certificate:

Go to plentymarkets logo (Start) » Service centre.
Tip: To do so, point your cursor at the plentymarkets logo at the top left of the screen.
→ The Service centre opens in a new browser tab.
Click on the blue plus icon of the system.
→ The available tabs are shown.
Click on the Domain tab.
Click on the blue plus icon of the main domain.
In the SSL certificate area, activate the check box LetsEncypt.
→ The SSL certificate is activated.
Note: The activation process can take up to 24 hours.
→ plentymarkets bills you for the provisioning fee monthly.

3. Cache

The static content of your online store, e.g. item images, are stored in the cache for a certain amount of time. This makes it possible to display such content as quickly as possible. If you make changes, e.g. to an image, then these changes will not go into effect immediately. Rather, it may take up to 1 hour for the changes to become visible. Take a look at our blog entry on this topic (only available in German).

3.1. Temporarily deactivating the cache

You can temporarily deactivate your system’s cache. To do so, proceed as described below.

Temporarily deactivating the cache:

Go to plentymarkets logo (Start) » Service centre.
Tip: To do so, point your cursor at the plentymarkets logo at the top left of the screen.
→ The Service centre opens in a new browser tab.
Click on the blue plus icon of the system.
→ The available tabs are shown.
Click on the Cache tab.
In the drop-down list From, select a start time for deactivating the cache.
In the drop-down list To, select an end time for deactivating the cache.
Click on Deactivate cache temporarily.
→ Your system’s cache is deactivated for the selected period of time.

3.2. Permanent SSL redirect

If you booked an SSL certificate, your website will be completely encrypted. The technology SNI/TLS is a common standard that has been used for years. It is supported by all current browsers. However, some of your store’s visitors may use older browsers that do not support this standard. If you deactivate the SSL redirect, then visitors with older browsers will also be able to click through your online store. However, customers will only be able to place an order with current browsers. The order process is always encoded, even if the SSL redirect was deactivated. You can inform customers that it is only possible to place an order with current browsers.

Deactivating the permanent SSL redirect:

Go to plentymarkets logo (Start) » Service centre.
Tip: To do so, point your cursor at the plentymarkets logo at the top left of the screen.
→ The Service centre opens in a new browser tab.
Click on the blue plus icon of the system.
→ The available tabs are shown.
Click on the Cache tab.
Select < IE 9 inactive from the drop-down list.
Click on Save permanent SSL redirect.
→ Your system’s SSL redirect is deactivated.

4. Hosting data

How much data volume and traffic you have depends on your contract. You will be billed if you exceed the amount of memory available to you. As such, you can track the data volume your plentymarkets system uses at any time.

Usage data is displayed in the menu plentymarkets Logo (Start) » Hosting. Click on one of the sub-menus on the left to access the corresponding data.

4.1. Information about traffic

Traffic is generated every time a person visits your online store, clicks on various items, clicks on images to enlarge them, downloads files, etc.

Additional traffic is generated in the following cases:

When exchanging data with markets.
REST calls, since they create connections to the server.
Tip: Depending on the type of call, they may generate a substantial amount of traffic. You should optimize your calls, e.g. so that you do not retrieve all of the information, but rather only the changes.
When your website is scanned by bots. The bots save your pages, which results in traffic. For example, a Google bot does this so that Google can find items from your store along with their descriptions. Bots are controlled by proprietary algorithms, which makes it impossible to predict when such bots will visit your website.
Tip: To take some control of bot behaviour, you can block bots using the robots.txt file.
If your product portfolio has expanded, resulting in more data and images. This will cause more bots to crawl your site.

5. System relocation

Use the menu plentymarkets Logo (Start) » Relocation to relocate your system to a different cloud free of charge. The Relocation menu also lists the status of any planned relocation projects and information about any previous relocation projects. Refer to our website for further information about the cloud solutions provided by plentymarkets.

5.1. System relocation requirements

Make sure that the following requirements are met before you begin planning to relocate your system to a different cloud:

You must have a current plentymarkets cloud contract. If you do not have a plentymarkets Cloud contract, then change your contract information.
The system relocation must be scheduled to begin at least 2 days in the future.

Files on FTP server are not migrated

When your system is relocated to a different cloud, the FTP host address of the plentymarkets system also changes. The files stored on the old FTP host are not copied to the new FTP host address during relocation. You need to move the FTP files manually.

Change the IP address with your external domain provider

When you relocate your system, your IP address changes. If your domain is hosted by an external provider, then you will need to save the new IP address with your external domain provider. This ensures that your online store remains accessible. plentymarkets does not have access to the data of your external domain and cannot make these changes for you. Check your domain provider’s documentation for information about saving your new IP address there.

5.2. Planning a relocation

Proceed as described below to plan the relocation of your system to a different cloud. Please note that it is not possible to simultaneously relocate more than one system per cloud. As such, the relocation start time may be delayed.

Planning a relocation:

Go to plentymarkets Logo (Start) » Relocation.
Tip: To do so, point your cursor at the plentymarkets logo at the top left of the screen.
Click on the Relocation tab.
Select the target cloud, i.e. the cloud where you want to relocate your system to.
→ The costs for the target cloud are shown.
Select the date when the system relocation should begin.
Select the time when the system relocation should begin.
Note: The system relocation must be scheduled to begin at least 2 days in the future.
Click on Start relocation to request the relocation.
→ The planned relocation is shown in the Planned relocation tab and starts at the specified time.
Note: It is not possible to simultaneously relocate more than one system per cloud. As such, the relocation start time may be delayed.

Store availability

For mid-sized systems, relocation takes approximately 20 minutes. However, the actual duration always depends on the volume of data that is to be relocated. Your plentymarkets system is available during this time. However, you cannot save any changes in the system. Your store’s order process is also deactivated while your system is being relocated. Therefore, choose a time when you do not anticipate a large amount of traffic. We recommend that you plan the relocation for the middle of the night.

5.3. Cancelling a planned relocation

You can cancel a planned relocation any time before the processes in the menu plentymarkets Logo (Start) » Relocation » Tab: Planned relocation have been completed. The relocation will be cancelled as soon as possible. It may not be possible to cancel the relocation immediately. Proceed as described below to cancel a planned relocation.

Cancelling a relocation:

Go to plentymarkets Logo (Start) » Relocation.
Tip: To do so, point your cursor at the plentymarkets logo at the top left of the screen.
Click on the Planned relocation tab.
Click on Cancel relocation.
→ The relocation will be cancelled as soon as possible. Processes that were already completed will be relocated back to the source cloud.

If all of the processes have already been completed, i.e. if the system has been completely relocated, then you will need to request a new relocation to move your system back to the previous cloud.