# Typical ecommerce workflow

Source: https://developer.avalara.com/products/ecm/integration-guides/document-management/ndc5568157089857/

Guide: Exemption Certificate Management (ECM)

# Typical ecommerce workflow

Understand the steps involved in a typical ecommerce workflow for exemption certificate management (ECM).

A typical ECM workflow in an ecommerce environment includes the following steps:

1.  Create a quote for the transaction.
2.  When a registered customer goes to check out, allow them to self-identify as exempt. Provide the customer with a link where the customer can then input their exemption information.
    -   To generate an ecommerce SDK token successfully, the customer must be a registered customer with a `customerCode`. Otherwise, you can’t trigger the SDK for the customer to submit a certificate.
3.  After receiving the exemption certificate, convert the quote to an invoice.
4.  Complete the checkout.

Note

Don’t send a request for an exemption certificate during a guest checkout. Only provide this functionality to registered customers.

![ecm-ecommerce-workflow](https://knowledge-be.avalara.com/bundle/hxd9079947903116_hxd9079947903116/page/czb4613668204403.image?_LANG=enus)