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title: >-
Activating B2B Functions for Customers and Customer Groups | Shopware
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Learn the two ways to activate B2B functions in Shopware: directly on a single
customer, and in advance through a customer group with a customized…
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https://hub.shopware.com/learn/unit/activating-b2b-functions-for-customers-and-customer-groups
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- Activate individual B2B functions directly in a customer's profile.
- Preset B2B functions for new registrations through a customer group.
- Understand how the customized signup form connects customer groups to B2B functions.
- Choose the right activation path for a given onboarding scenario.
# Activating B2B Functions for Customers and Customer Groups
After you understand what the B2B modules do, the next question is how a customer receives these functions.
Shopware provides two activation paths:
- You can activate B2B functions directly for one existing customer.
- You can preset B2B functions through a customer group, so new registrations receive them automatically.
Both paths can give customers B2B capabilities. The right choice depends on the onboarding scenario: do you configure one known customer, or do you prepare a registration flow for many future B2B customers?
In this learning unit, you learn both activation paths and when to use each one.
## Create Your Learning Environment
Before you activate B2B functions, create a learning environment for this course. You can use it to follow the next steps directly in the administration and compare your result with the screenshots.
After the environment is ready, continue with the two activation paths below. First, you activate B2B functions for one existing customer. Then, you preset B2B functions through a customer group for future registrations.
## Two Ways to Activate B2B Functions
Use the activation path that matches how the customer enters the B2B workflow.
| Activation Path | Use It When |
|-------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Activate functions directly on a customer | You already know the customer and want to configure one specific account. |
| Preset functions through a customer group | New B2B customers should register through a prepared B2B registration flow. |
The result is similar: the customer receives selected B2B functions. The difference is how those functions are assigned.
### Path 1: Activate B2B Functions for One Customer
The most direct path is to enable B2B functions for one existing customer. Use this when you already know the customer and can decide which modules they need.
1. In the administration, open **Customers > Overview**.
2. Select a customer and click on edit profile.
3. Scroll down to **B2B Components** and enable the functions this customer should receive.
The available functions are the same modules you met before: Quick Order, Employee Management, Quote Management, Order Approval, Shopping Lists, and Organisation Units.
After you save the customer, do a quick activation check from the customer's perspective. Use the login action to open the storefront as that customer.
With B2B functions active, the storefront account shows the additional B2B areas for this customer.
Activation also changes what you can configure in the administration. After B2B functions are active, the customer's profile includes a **Company** tab.
You can use this tab to configure details such as employees, roles, and approval rules. For now, focus on the result of activation: the customer has access to B2B areas in the storefront, and the administration now gives you the place to configure the company account.
This per-customer approach is the right choice when:
- You onboard a specific B2B customer and know exactly what they need.
- You want to enable B2B features for an existing account without changing how new customers register.
- You are testing the modules on a single safe test account before a wider rollout.
You will work with the **Company** tab throughout the next course.
Before you activate B2B functions for real accounts, create a test customer and enable the modules there.
This allows you to explore both the administration configuration and the storefront experience without affecting live customers.
### Path 2: Preset B2B Functions Through a Customer Group
Activating each customer manually does not scale well. If you expect many B2B customers to register, preset B2B functions through a **customer group**, so new registrations receive them automatically.
1. In the administration, open **Settings > Customer > Customer Groups**.
2. Open the customer group that should be used for B2B registrations. Then enable the **customized signup form**.
3. This opens the **Signup form** section. Scroll down to the B2B Components options and select the functions new members of this group should receive. The same module list applies: Quick Order, Employee Management, Quote Management, Order Approval, Shopping Lists, and Organisation Units.
At this point, you are preparing the default B2B setup for future registrations that use this customer group's signup form.
The mental model is:
> A customer group with a customized signup form acts as a reusable template for the B2B registration flow. Anyone who registers through that form joins the group and automatically gains the B2B functions you preset.
This is the right choice when:
- You run a dedicated B2B registration and expect a steady stream of B2B customers.
- You want a consistent default set of B2B functions for all B2B customer accounts.
- You do not want to configure each new account individually.
There is no separate "convert to business partner" button. A customer's B2B capabilities come from the functions assigned to them, either directly in their profile or through the customer group they registered into.
When a customer registers through the customized signup form tied to a B2B-enabled group, they join that group and receive the preset functions.
That means your customer group design is also your B2B onboarding design. Decide which default functions a new B2B customer should have, and preset exactly those.
## Choose the Right Activation Path
These examples show how the same B2B functions can be assigned in different onboarding situations.
### Example: Guided Onboarding for One Customer
A distributor with a sales team sets up each B2B customer personally. The sales representative knows the customer's structure and negotiated terms. Here, per-customer activation fits: Open the customer, enable the needed modules, and configure their company on the Company tab.
### Example: Self-Service Registration for Many Customers
A self-service wholesale shop lets businesses register themselves. Manual activation would quickly become a bottleneck. Here, a customer group with a customized signup form fits: New B2B customers register, join the B2B group, and receive a sensible default, such as Quick Order and Shopping Lists. The shop can still enable more advanced modules like Order Approval on individual customer accounts later.
Many shops combine both: A customer group sets the baseline, and per-customer activation handles exceptions. This hybrid approach allows merchants to automate standard onboarding while still adapting individual customer accounts whenever business requirements differ.
## Quick Check
Before you continue, use this quick check to verify that you can apply the two activation paths to a real onboarding scenario.
You expect many B2B customers to register themselves and want every one of them to start with the same B2B functions. Which activation path fits best?
Enable the functions by hand in each new customer profile.
Preset the functions on a customer group with a customized signup form.
There is a dedicated "convert to business partner" button you press once per customer.
## Common Pitfalls
Before you activate B2B functions, check who should receive them and what should happen after activation.
### Pitfall 1: Enabling B2B Functions for the Wrong Customers
If you preset B2B functions on a customer group that also contains regular shoppers, those shoppers will see B2B areas they do not need. Keep B2B functions limited to customer groups that are intended for B2B customers.
### Pitfall 2: Forgetting the Customized Signup Form
Presetting functions on a customer group has no onboarding effect if new customers never register into that group. The customized signup form is what routes new registrations into the B2B-enabled customer group.
### Pitfall 3: Activating Functions Without Configuring Them
Enabling Employee Management or Order Approval is only the first step. Until you configure employees, roles, and rules on the **Company** tab, the customer has an empty framework. Plan the configuration that follows each activation.
## Summary
In this learning unit, you learned:
- How to activate B2B functions directly in a customer's profile.
- How to preset B2B functions through a customer group with a customized signup form.
- How the customized signup form connects new registrations to a B2B-enabled customer group.
- Why B2B capabilities come from assigned functions, not from a separate conversion step.
- When to use per-customer activation and when to use customer-group presets.
With this activation model, you can give the right B2B functions to the right customers without affecting regular shoppers.
Next, you will see what these activated functions look like from the customer's perspective in the storefront company account.