# Understand CertExpress and ECM for eCommerce

Source: https://developer.avalara.com/products/ecm/integration-guides/document-management/ruf0392618246976/

Guide: Exemption Certificate Management (ECM)

# Understand CertExpress and ECM for eCommerce

Learn how CertExpress and ECM for eCommerce work together to collect exemption certificates in online purchasing flows.

Avalara Exemption Certificate Management (ECM) provides multiple mechanisms to collect, create, and manage digital sales tax exemption certificates across various sales channels. When planning an integration, developers and administrators must understand the distinct roles of **CertExpress** and **ECM for eCommerce**, as well as how they function together in an online purchasing environment.

**CertExpress** is Avalara's secure, customer-facing web portal and guided certificate completion wizard:

-   **Interactive Form Wizard**: Prompts buyers for their jurisdiction and exempt reason, dynamically show the legally compliant exemption certificate or affidavit form.

-   **Smart Validation**: Grays out inapplicable fields and validates required entries in real time to prevent incomplete or erroneous submissions.

-   **Dual Submission Methods**: Allows buyers to complete and digitally sign standard state or jurisdiction forms online or upload existing scanned certificates (PDF, PNG, TIFF, JPEG).

-   **Multichannel Delivery**: CertExpress can be accessed via standalone request emails (such as expiration renewal campaigns), permanent public URLs, or embedded inside web applications.

**ECM for eCommerce** is an integration module consisting of a client-side JavaScript Software Development Kit (SDK) and Avalara REST APIs designed specifically for online storefronts and shopping carts:

-   **Point-of-Purchase Capture**: Embeds exemption certificate collection directly into the online checkout process or customer account management pages.

-   **Instant Exemption**: Generates real-time customer exemption records so qualifying buyers can complete tax-exempt purchases without transaction delays.

-   **Customizable Workflow**: Gives software developers programmatic control over form display (`GenCert.show()` / `GenCert.hide()`), validation routing (`submit_to_stack`), customer metadata handling (`setCustomerData()`), and event handling through callbacks (`onCertSuccess`, `onUpload`).

## How CertExpress and ECM for eCommerce are related

CertExpress and ECM for eCommerce are complementary components of the ECM ecosystem:

-   **CertExpress powers the eCommerce UI**: When a buyer initiates a tax exemption during an online checkout, the ECM for eCommerce SDK loads the CertExpress wizard (inside an iframe or modal dialog) to handle the form presentation, data entry, and digital signing.

-   **Unified Account Configuration**: Exemption settings configured in your ECM account (such as automatic validation versus routing submissions to a manual review queue) control certificate handling across both standalone CertExpress links and the eCommerce plug-in.

-   **Separation of Concerns**: CertExpress represents the user experience and document completion tool, whereas ECM for eCommerce represents the technical SDK and checkout integration layer.

Dimension

CertExpress

ECM for eCommerce

Component type

Customer-facing web portal and digital form wizard

Software developer SDK (`gencert.js`) and REST API module

Primary audience

End buyers / customers completing exemption certificates

Software developers and site administrators integrating shopping carts

Key function

Guided form generation, field validation, and digital signing

Embedding certificate capture into checkout and account pages

Integration method

Direct URL links, email invitations, or iframe embedding

JavaScript SDK initialization (`GenCert.init`) with API auth tokens

Authentication

One-time invitation token or public company link

Server-generated eCommerce authorization token (`CreateECommerceToken`)