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Unlike traditional platforms, Medusa uses a modular architecture, allowing businesses to select and integrate only the features they need. This flexibility makes it ideal for both startups launching new online stores and established enterprises looking to expand the functionality of their current system.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the key modules that make up Medusa.js 2.0. Each module offers specific functionalities, such as managing products, processing orders, and handling customer interactions. We'll provide practical examples of how these modules can be used in real-world scenarios, helping e-commerce owners understand Medusa's potential and use it in their projects.
Let's dive into the components of Medusa 2.0 and see how this platform can help you build your custom project.
Understanding Modules in Medusa
![medusa-modules](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2Fee7b97397746e6731581ccba531e57ec.png&w=2048&q=75)
Medusa 2.0 is built around the concept of modules, each serving as a self-contained unit of functionality that can be easily integrated into an e-commerce store. This modular approach allows businesses to tailor their online platforms by selecting only the features they need, making Medusa a flexible and efficient solution for a wide range of e-commerce requirements.
What Is a Module?
In Medusa, a module is a package that provides specific e-commerce functionalities. These modules can be used independently or combined to create a comprehensive e-commerce platform.
This design enables businesses to customize their systems without the constraints of a one-size-fits-all solution.
Benefits of Using Modules
The modular architecture of Medusa offers several advantages:
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Customization: Businesses can select and implement only the modules that meet their specific needs, avoiding unnecessary complexity and cost.
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Flexibility: Modules can be easily added, removed, or modified as business needs change, allowing for rapid adaptation and scaling.
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Integration: Modules are designed to work seamlessly with each other and with third-party services, facilitating easy integration into existing systems.
Key Modules in Medusa.js 2.0
1. Product Module
The Product Module in Medusa 2.0 provides comprehensive features for managing product information, ensuring that your online store can effectively organize and present its product catalog.
![product-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F7282eba4a9dc6d0b8f3685454abf0011.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
The Product Module is responsible for handling all aspects of product management, including storing and organizing product details such as names, descriptions, images, and variants. It supports various organizational structures like categories, collections, and tags to streamline how products are displayed and accessed by customers.
Features
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Product Management: Easily store and manage products with essential details and customizable options like size and color. Each product variant can have unique attributes.
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Product Organization: Utilize categories, collections, and tags to organize products, making it easier for customers to find what they're looking for.
Practical use
Imagine running an online store that sells electronic gadgets like smartphones, tablets, and accessories. Each smartphone model can come with different storage options and colors. With the Product Module, you can:
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Create and manage product listings: Quickly add new gadgets to your store with detailed descriptions and high-quality images.
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Organize products by categories: Group gadgets into categories such as "Smartphones," "Tablets," and "Accessories" to enhance navigation.
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Manage product variants: Offer customers options like different storage capacities and colors, each managed as a separate variant with its own pricing and inventory level.
2. Cart Module
The Cart Module in Medusa 2.0 is a fundamental component that manages shopping cart functionalities. It allows customers to select products and proceed through the purchasing process seamlessly.
![cart-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F3ece3f9de88f4f9a9a46792489440030.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
The Cart Module is designed to handle all aspects of the shopping cart experience. It stores and manages cart details such as line items, shipping methods, and discounts. This module ensures that customers can easily add products to their cart, view totals, and make adjustments before proceeding to checkout.
Features
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Cart Management: Keep track of items added to the cart, including quantities, variants, and associated product details.
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Promotions and Discounts: Apply promotions or discounts to cart items and shipping methods by incorporating adjustment lines into their subtotals.
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Context and Scoping: Scope the cart to a specific sales channel, region, and customer to provide personalized experiences.
Practical use
Suppose you operate an online bookstore that sells physical books, e-books, and audiobooks. The Cart Module allows you to:
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Add items to cart: Enable customers to add multiple book formats to their cart, managing quantities and preferences for each.
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Calculate totals and discounts: Automatically apply discounts on bulk purchases or special promotions, such as "Buy 3 Get 1 Free."
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Shipping and billing addresses: Capture customer shipping and billing information to streamline the checkout process.
3. Order Module
The Order Module in Medusa 2.0 allows you to manage an order's entire lifecycle, from creation to fulfillment, including handling returns, exchanges, and claims.
![order-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2Ffd5c70f44c3a3bf0392c7b13c52f4e62.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to create, manage, and track orders, ensuring a seamless transition from customer purchase to delivery. This module also supports complex order management features such as draft orders, promotions, and versioning.
Features
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Order management: Create, retrieve, update, and cancel orders, maintaining an organized record of all transactions.
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Draft orders: Merchants can create draft orders on behalf of customers, which can be converted into regular orders when finalized.
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Returns and exchanges: Handle product returns and exchanges efficiently, maintaining version control over order history.
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Promotions and adjustments: Apply promotions or discounts to order items and shipping methods through adjustment lines.
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Order versioning: Keep track of changes to orders over time, allowing businesses to view the order's history and previous versions.
Practical use
Consider running an online store that sells home appliances, where customers often require returns or exchanges due to size or functionality preferences. The Order Module allows you to:
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Manage orders: Track the status of customer orders from placement to fulfillment, ensuring timely processing and updates.
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Process returns and exchanges: Easily handle requests for product returns or exchanges, updating inventory and customer records accordingly.
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Apply discounts: Offer promotions on specific products or entire orders, with automatic adjustments applied at checkout.
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Version control: Maintain an accurate history of each order, capturing changes such as returns, exchanges, or modifications in the order details.
4. Pricing Module
The Pricing Module in Medusa 2.0 ensures managing product pricing strategies, allowing businesses to implement dynamic pricing models that cater to different customer segments.
![pricing-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F5b7a5e4868e845693b2dc9bcd3ce8081.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to define prices for products and services, manage price variations based on conditions, and apply tax-inclusive pricing strategies. This module supports the creation of complex pricing rules and ensures that the best price is offered to customers based on contextual factors.
Features
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Price management: Store and manage prices for products and services, grouped into price sets for easy management.
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Advanced rule engine: Define custom pricing rules that allow for flexibility in price calculation based on various conditions, such as currency or customer group.
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Price lists: Create and manage price lists to apply specific pricing under certain conditions, such as promotional periods or customer segments.
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Tax-inclusive pricing: Support tax-inclusive pricing strategies, ensuring compliance with regional tax laws and enhancing transparency for customers.
Practical use
Imagine managing an online electronics store that sells gadgets and accessories to both retail and wholesale customers. The Pricing Module allows you to:
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Create price sets: Define different price sets for retail and wholesale customers, allowing you to offer competitive pricing tailored to each segment.
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Apply conditional pricing: Use the rule engine to apply discounts during holiday sales or to specific customer groups, such as loyalty program members.
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Optimize pricing strategies: Use price lists to offer time-limited discounts or adjust prices based on regional demand and competition.
5. Promotion Module
The Promotion Module in Medusa 2.0 empowers businesses to create and manage various promotional strategies, enhancing customer engagement and driving sales through targeted discounts and campaigns.
![promotion-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F1a1e5b0dde51ac307088b15d58b74c54.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It enables businesses to define and apply discounts to products, shipping methods, or entire orders based on a flexible set of rules. This module supports the creation of both standard and "Buy X, Get Y" promotions, allowing businesses to incentivize purchases and reward customer loyalty.
Features
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Discount functionalities: Create promotions that offer fixed or percentage discounts on cart items, shipping methods, or total order amounts.
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Flexible promotion rules: Define rules to restrict promotions based on attributes such as customer group, cart total, or product category.
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Campaign management: Group promotions into campaigns with shared conditions, such as start and end dates, and track their performance using identifiers.
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Targeted application: Apply promotions to specific items or shipping methods, with the ability to define "buy" conditions for promotions like "Buy Two, Get One Free."
Practical use
Suppose you operate an online fashion store looking to boost sales during the holiday season. The Promotion Module allows you to:
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Launch holiday campaigns: Create a campaign offering 20% off all winter clothing, automatically applying the discount at checkout for eligible items.
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Offer "Buy One, Get One Free" deals: Define a "Buy X, Get Y" promotion for accessories, encouraging customers to purchase more by offering free items with specific purchases.
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Target VIP customers: Set up exclusive discounts for VIP customers, applying automatically based on customer group membership.
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Monitor promotion performance: Track the success of different promotions and campaigns using unique identifiers, helping refine future marketing strategies.
6. Inventory Module
The Inventory Module in Medusa 2.0 allows businesses to track and control stock levels across multiple locations efficiently.
![inventory-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F384086dc70b93eb57fd5fb204c5252f3.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It helps businesses maintain accurate inventory records, manage stock across various locations, and ensure product availability for customers. This module supports complex inventory scenarios, such as reserving the stock for orders and checking inventory levels in real-time.
Features
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Inventory management: Store and manage inventory details for stock-kept items, including quantities and locations.
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Multi-location support: Track inventory levels across different geographical locations or warehouses, ensuring accurate stock management.
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Reservation management: Reserve inventory for specific orders or purposes, preventing overselling and managing stock availability.
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Availability checks: Verify inventory availability before processing orders to ensure sufficient stock levels and prevent fulfilment delays.
Practical use
Consider running an online furniture store that ships products from multiple warehouses. The Inventory Module allows you to:
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Manage stock levels: Track the availability of furniture pieces across various warehouses, ensuring that customers can see which items are in stock.
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Support multi-warehouse operations: Allocate inventory to different locations, optimizing fulfilment strategies based on customer proximity and stock availability.
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Prevent overselling: Reserve inventory for confirmed orders, automatically updating stock levels to prevent overselling popular items.
7. Fulfillment Module
The Fulfillment Module in Medusa 2.0 streamlines the order fulfilment process, enabling businesses to manage shipments efficiently and provide customers with multiple delivery options.
![fulfillment-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F3b949e124a4c00c733029fce1e28a9ed.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to create and manage fulfillments, track shipping statuses, and integrate with third-party providers. This module supports various fulfilment methods and can be customized to meet specific delivery requirements.
Features
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Fulfilment management: Create and manage fulfillments for orders, keeping track of shipment details and statuses.
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Integration with third-party providers: Use third-party fulfilment services to offer diverse shipping options and handle logistics.
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Location and rule-based restrictions: Restrict shipping options based on geographical locations or specific business rules.
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Support for multiple fulfilment forms: Provide different fulfilment options, such as shipping or in-store pickup, to cater to diverse customer needs.
Practical use
Imagine operating an online electronics store that offers both home delivery and in-store pickup. The Fulfillment Module allows you to:
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Manage shipments: Track the status of shipments from preparation to delivery, providing customers with real-time updates.
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Offer flexible delivery options: Enable customers to choose between standard shipping, express delivery, or in-store pickup at checkout.
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Integrate with logistics partners: Connect with third-party fulfilment providers like FedEx or DHL to streamline the shipping process and expand delivery capabilities.
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Restrict Shipping Based on Rules: Set custom rules to limit certain shipping options based on factors like product weight or delivery location.
8. Payment Module
The Payment Module in Medusa 2.0 provides a solution for managing payment transactions, ensuring a secure and seamless checkout experience for customers.
![payment-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2Fe5ade74632a93d5e150215e822f680f0.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to integrate with various payment providers, manage payment sessions, and process transactions such as authorizations, captures, and refunds. This module ensures that payments are handled efficiently and securely, supporting a wide range of payment methods.
Features
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Payment integration: Connect with third-party payment providers like Stripe and PayPal to offer customers diverse payment options.
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Payment session management: Create and manage payment sessions to authorize and capture payments during the checkout process.
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Authorize, capture, and refund payments: Handle essential payment operations, including authorizing, capturing, and refunding transactions.
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Webhook event handling: Process webhook events from payment providers to update payment statuses and ensure accurate transaction records.
Practical use
Consider managing an online marketplace that supports multiple payment options for a global customer base. The Payment Module allows you to:
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Integrate with popular payment gateways: Offer customers the ability to pay using their preferred methods, such as credit cards, PayPal, or digital wallets.
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Manage payment workflows: Automatically authorize payments at checkout and capture funds upon order fulfillment, ensuring a smooth transaction process.
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Handle refunds: Process refunds directly through the platform, providing customers with a hassle-free return experience.
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Use webhooks for real-time updates: Automatically update order statuses and inventory levels based on real-time payment confirmations from providers.
9. Region Module
The Region Module in Medusa 2.0 is a powerful tool for managing geographical areas and their specific configurations, enabling businesses to tailor their operations to different markets.
![region-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2Ffbd51b92fa3b69ed2a2e5ad2ff9b3141.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to define regions, each with its own currency, tax settings, and payment providers. This module ensures that businesses can effectively manage multi-regional operations, providing localized experiences for customers across different geographical areas.
Features
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Region management: Create, update, retrieve, and delete regions, each with unique settings and configurations.
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Multi-currency support: Assign different currencies to regions, allowing businesses to display prices in the local currency of each market.
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Custom tax rates: Define specific tax rates for each region, ensuring compliance with local tax regulations.
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Region-specific payment providers: Specify which payment providers are available in each region, tailoring the payment options to local preferences.
Practical use
Suppose you operate an international e-commerce store that sells home goods to customers in Europe, North America, and Asia. The Region Module allows you to:
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Set up localized regions: Define separate regions for Europe, North America, and Asia, each with its own currency and tax settings.
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Display local currencies: Automatically display product prices in euros, dollars, or yen based on the customer’s location, enhancing their shopping experience.
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Apply regional tax rates: Ensure that the correct VAT rates are applied to orders in Europe, while different tax rules are implemented in North America and Asia.
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Offer preferred payment methods: Enable region-specific payment options like iDEAL in Europe, credit cards in North America, and Alipay in Asia.
10. Sales Channel Module
The Sales Channel Module in Medusa 2.0 enables businesses to manage product availability and customer interactions across multiple sales platforms, supporting omnichannel strategies.
![sales-channel-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F142b1365f02f977e925884d12e145327.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to define distinct sales channels, control product availability for each channel, and customize the shopping experience based on the platform used by the customer. This module is essential for businesses looking to expand their reach and effectively engage customers across various touchpoints.
Features
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Sales channel management: Create and manage multiple sales channels, each with unique settings and configurations.
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Product availability: Specify which products are available in each sales channel, tailoring offerings to different customer segments or platforms.
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Omnichannel support: Enable seamless integration across online and offline sales channels, ensuring a consistent customer experience.
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Scoping carts and orders: Associate carts and orders with specific sales channels, allowing for channel-specific promotions and pricing strategies.
Practical use
Imagine running a fashion brand that sells its products online through a web store, a mobile app, and offline through physical retail locations. The Sales Channel Module allows you to:
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Define multiple channels: Set up distinct channels for your web store, mobile app, and retail stores, each with customized product listings and promotions.
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Tailor product offerings: Offer exclusive products or collections in the mobile app to drive downloads and engagement, while maintaining a broader selection online.
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Integrate online and offline: Allow customers to browse products online and reserve items for pickup in-store, enhancing the shopping experience with flexible fulfilment options.
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Channel-specific promotions: Run targeted promotions on specific channels, such as offering app-exclusive discounts or in-store loyalty rewards.
11. API Key Module
The API Key Module in Medusa 2.0 facilitates secure access to different parts of an e-commerce platform by managing API keys, allowing businesses to control and monitor how their services are accessed.
![api-key-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F8f052aa570d9eba562bbc426c2539de5.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
The API Key Module is designed to handle authentication and authorization within an e-commerce platform by issuing and managing API keys. These keys enable secure interactions between services and ensure that only authorized users and applications can access specific resources. This module is essential for maintaining security and control over integrations with third-party applications and services.
Features
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API key management: Create, store, and manage API keys for different purposes, including both publishable and secret keys.
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Token verification: Verify tokens associated with secret API keys to authenticate users or actions, enhancing security.
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Revoke and roll keys: Revoke API keys to disable access and roll keys to generate new ones, ensuring security and compliance.
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Integration with sales channels: Associate publishable API keys with sales channels to simplify access control.
Practical use
Suppose you run a multi-channel e-commerce business and need to provide secure API access to various partners and services. The API Key Module allows you to:
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Issue publishable keys: Generate publishable API keys for client applications like mobile apps, allowing them to access specific sales channels without exposing sensitive data.
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Control access: Revoke API keys if they are compromised or no longer needed, preventing unauthorized access to your platform.
12. Auth Module
The Auth Module in Medusa 2.0 provides authentication features, enabling businesses to securely manage user access and enhance the overall security of their e-commerce platform.
![auth-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2Fe4eb0f360dd9dbbf818505ec8f62c21e.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
The Auth Module offers secure login options and manages user identities. It supports various authentication methods, including basic email/password logins and third-party social logins, providing flexibility and security in managing user access.
Features
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Basic user authentication: Authenticate users using standard email and password credentials, ensuring secure access to the platform.
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Third-party and social authentication: Support authentication through third-party services and social platforms, allowing users to log in with accounts from providers like Google or Facebook.
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Custom actor types: Define custom actor types for different user roles, such as admin or customer, to control access and permissions effectively.
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Route protection: Secure API routes by requiring authentication based on actor types, ensuring that only authorized users can access sensitive data and operations.
Practical use
Suppose you operate a large e-commerce platform with multiple user roles and need to offer secure and convenient login options for your customers. The Auth Module allows you to:
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Offer flexible login options: Enable users to log in using their email and password or authenticate through popular social media accounts for a streamlined experience.
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Manage user roles: Define custom actor types, such as administrators, customers, and vendors, to ensure that each user has appropriate access levels and permissions.
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Secure sensitive routes: Protect admin routes with authentication middleware, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive operations like order management or inventory control.
13. Stock Location Module
The Stock Location Module in Medusa 2.0 provides tools for managing inventory across multiple locations, helping businesses optimize their logistics and ensure accurate stock management.
![stock-location-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2Fd3969b2da4661e6993c39f8216b504d7.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to define stock locations such as warehouses or retail stores and manage inventory levels for each location, ensuring efficient distribution and fulfilment processes.
Features
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Stock location management: Create and manage multiple stock locations, each associated with inventory levels and other relevant data.
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Address management: Store detailed address information for each stock location to facilitate logistics and inventory tracking.
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Location-based inventory control: Manage inventory quantities specific to each location, enabling precise stock tracking and allocation.
Practical use
Imagine you operate an online furniture store with warehouses located in different regions. The Stock Location Module allows you to:
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Define multiple warehouses: Create records for each warehouse location, storing details like address and contact information to streamline logistics.
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Manage location-specific inventory: Track stock levels at each warehouse, ensuring that inventory data is accurate and up-to-date.
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Optimize fulfillment: Automatically allocate stock from the nearest warehouse to the customer, reducing shipping times and costs.
14. Store Module
The Store Module in Medusa 2.0 serves as the central hub for managing store configurations and settings, ensuring that businesses can efficiently control and customize their e-commerce operations.
![store-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F98b4270d9ffbae9e13e1c6cddb853fe9.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to set up and customize various aspects of their store, including currencies, default settings, and operational parameters. This module provides a centralized interface for managing store-wide settings, enabling businesses to tailor their e-commerce environment to meet specific needs and preferences.
Features
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Store configuration management: Define and manage key store settings, including default currency, tax configurations, language settings and other operational parameters.
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Multi-tenancy support: You can create multiple stores, each having its own configurations.
Practical use
Imagine you are developing a marketplace e-commerce platform that allows multiple vendors to set up their own stores under a unified marketplace. The Store Module enables you to effectively manage each tenant’s store configurations
- Support multiple vendors: Each vendor can have their own unique store settings, including branding, payment options, and shipping methods.
15. Tax Module
The Tax Module in Medusa 2.0 manages tax calculations and compliance, ensuring that businesses can effectively handle tax-related requirements across different regions.
![tax-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F6e30b49940b3cb96cc00a1d36113b95f.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to define and manage tax rates for various regions, ensuring compliance with local tax regulations. This module supports the calculation of taxes for both products and shipping, providing flexibility in how taxes are applied based on regional requirements.
Features
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Tax rate management: Define and manage tax rates for different regions, including both standard and custom tax configurations.
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Automatic tax calculations: Automatically calculate taxes on products and shipping during checkout, ensuring accurate tax application.
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Integration with external tax providers: Integrate with third-party tax services like TaxJar or Avalara for real-time tax calculations and reporting.
Practical use
Suppose you run an online retail store that ships products to customers in the United States and Europe. The Tax Module allows you to:
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Define regional tax rates: Set up specific tax rates for U.S. states and European countries, ensuring compliance with local tax laws.
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Calculate taxes automatically: Implement automatic tax calculations during checkout, providing customers with accurate tax amounts based on their shipping address.
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Handle VAT and sales tax: Manage VAT for European customers and sales tax for U.S. customers, applying the correct tax rates based on regional rules.
16. Currency Module
The Currency Module in Medusa 2.0 provides managing and displaying product prices in multiple currencies, enabling businesses to cater to a global customer base with ease.
![currency-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2F0e790205b36e540974b1fdee36efd819.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to offer products in various currencies depending on customer location or preference. This module ensures that businesses can display accurate pricing information, helping to enhance the shopping experience for international customers.
Features
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Multi-currency support: Enable support for multiple currencies, allowing businesses to set and display prices based on the customer’s location or selected currency.
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Exchange rate management: Integrate with external services to fetch up-to-date exchange rates, ensuring that currency conversions are accurate.
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Localized pricing: Configure products to show prices in different currencies, making it easier for international customers to understand costs without manual conversions.
Practical use
Consider managing an online clothing store that serves customers from North America, Europe, and Asia. The Currency Module allows you to:
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Display prices in local currencies: Automatically convert and display product prices in U.S. dollars, euros, or yen based on the customer's location or preference.
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Fetch current exchange rates: Use an external service to update exchange rates regularly, ensuring that currency conversions are precise and reflect market changes.
17. Customer Module
The Customer Module in Medusa 2.0 provides a framework for managing customer data, enabling businesses to deliver personalized experiences and enhance customer relationships.
![customer-module](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frigby-web.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com%2Fec1651b333b53a7b3eb6811f9c478362.png&w=2048&q=75)
Purpose
It allows businesses to store and manage customer information, and group customers based on specific attributes.
Features
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Customer data management: Store and manage detailed customer information, including contact details, purchase history, and preferences.
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Customer grouping: Create customer groups based on specific attributes such as location, or loyalty status for targeted marketing and promotions.
Practical use
Imagine running an online beauty store that wants to enhance customer engagement and loyalty. The Customer Module allows you to:
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Store detailed customer profiles: Keep track of each customer's personal information and order history, enabling personalized recommendations and support.
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Create loyalty groups: Group customers based on their purchase frequency or spending, and offer exclusive promotions to reward loyal customers.
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Integrate with Promotions: Automatically apply targeted promotions and discounts to specific customer groups, enhancing personalization and increasing sales.
How Modules Work Together
Medusa 2.0 features a modular architecture where individual modules integrate seamlessly to create a cohesive and efficient e-commerce platform.
Synergy Between Modules
The synergy between Medusa modules is achieved through predefined link modules, which define relationships between different data models across modules. This architecture ensures that changes in one module are consistently reflected in others, enabling cooperation. Below you will find the most key connections between modules.:
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Cart and Customer Modules: A cart is scoped to the customer using it, allowing for personalized shopping experiences. The Cart Module integrates with the Customer Module to build a relationship between the cart and customer data models .
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Cart and Payment Modules: Payments can be associated with a cart, enabling smooth transaction processes. The Payment Module connects with the Cart Module to link payments with the cart data models.
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Cart and Product Modules: Line items in a cart are directly linked to product variants, ensuring an accurate representation of product details in the shopping cart. The Product Module facilitates this connection, integrating with the Cart Module to associate line items with product and variant data models.
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Cart and Promotion Modules: Promotions and discounts can be applied to line items and shipping methods within a cart. The Promotion Module interacts with the Cart Module to apply promotional adjustments to cart items.
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Cart and Region Modules: A cart is scoped to a region, allowing the system to apply region-specific tax rates, payment options, and fulfilment providers. This integration ensures that regional settings are consistently applied during checkout.
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Cart and Sales Channel Modules: Each cart is associated with a specific sales channel, enabling businesses to tailor product availability and pricing strategies based on the sales platform. This scoping ensures that the cart reflects the correct product data and pricing for the sales channel it belongs to.
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Inventory and Stock Location Modules: Inventory levels are managed per stock location, providing businesses with precise control over stock availability across different geographical locations. The Inventory Module integrates with the Stock Location Module to manage inventory items and reservations specific to each location.
The integration between Medusa modules and the separation of domain logic for each module ensure that businesses can easily add or modify functionalities as their needs evolve.
How to Use Modules
Each module offers specific functionalities that can be easily integrated into different types of applications, from full-fledged e-commerce systems to lightweight serverless applications.
Medusa Application
The Medusa application uses commerce modules to expose e-commerce features through REST APIs. This setup provides a complete and scalable solution for managing online stores, supporting a wide range of operations from product management to order fulfillment.
- Customization: Use the modules as building blocks to customize the platform to suit specific business needs. Developers can extend functionality by adding custom modules or integrating third-party services.
Serverless Application
Medusa modules can be used in serverless applications, such as those built with Next.js, without the need to manage a complete e-commerce backend. This allows developers to create lightweight and efficient e-commerce solutions that scale automatically with demand.
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NPM integration: Install the desired modules in your Node.js project as NPM packages. This makes it easy to incorporate specific e-commerce functionalities into your application.
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Event-driven architecture: Use serverless functions to handle specific e-commerce operations, such as processing orders or managing inventory, providing a flexible and scalable approach to application development.
Node.js Application
Medusa modules can also be utilized in traditional Node.js applications, allowing developers to build custom e-commerce platforms that integrate seamlessly with existing systems.
- Package Installation: Install modules using NPM to add specific functionalities to your Node.js application. This modular approach ensures that you only include the features you need.
Example Use Cases
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Startups: Quickly launch an online store using Medusa modules to handle product listings, shopping carts, and payments, reducing time to market.
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Enterprise Solutions: Integrate Medusa modules into existing systems to enhance functionality, such as multi-channel sales and advanced inventory management. Enterprises can migrate gradually by implementing modules step by step, starting with key components like Product and Inventory, then expanding to Cart, Order, Payment, and Fulfillment modules, allowing a smooth transition from legacy systems.
Conclusion
Medusa 2.0 by offering a wide array of specialized modules, allows businesses to build customized e-commerce solutions that are tailored to their specific needs and goals.
The ability to mix and match modules gives businesses the flexibility to adapt quickly to market changes, implement new features, and optimize operations without being constrained by a rigid monolithic system.
As e-commerce continues to evolve, the importance of scalability and adaptability in platform design becomes even more crucial. Medusa empowers businesses to stay competitive.
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