Salesforce CPQ (Configure-Price-Quote) API Guide

Speed, accuracy, and automation are essential in today’s competitive sales environment. Sales teams do not have time to configure products, calculate prices, or send quotes manually. They need tools that handle these tasks, and the Salesforce CPQ API does exactly that.

But what if you want to take it a step further? What if you need to automate your quoting process or integrate Salesforce CPQ with other platforms, such as your ERP, billing, or e-commerce system?

That is where the Salesforce CPQ API, a powerful tool that empowers developers, architects, and integrators, comes into play.

What is Salesforce CPQ?

Salesforce CPQ stands for Configure-Price-Quote. It is a Salesforce product that helps sales representatives quickly configure products, apply pricing rules, and generate professional customer quotes without leaving Salesforce.

It simplifies complex product offerings, automates pricing calculations, and eliminates errors often associated with manual quoting.

The CPQ Process Includes:

• Configure: Select product features, options, and bundles.
• Price: Apply discounts, pricing rules, and approvals.
• Quote: Generate a document or proposal ready to send.

Salesforce CPQ is especially useful for businesses with complex pricing models, product dependencies, or large catalogs.

What is Salesforce CPQ API?

The Salesforce CPQ API is a set of programming tools and functions (Apex classes) that enables developers to interact with CPQ features using code.

It is designed for automation, system integration, and building custom workflows that extend beyond the standard CPQ interface.

In simple terms:

“The CPQ API gives developers the power to control quoting from behind the scenes.”

Benefits of Using the CPQ API

Feature	Description
Automation	Generate quotes and documents automatically with no manual input
Integration	Connect CPQ with your ERP, billing, or product catalog
Customization	Build custom quote workflows and business rules
Bulk Processing	Manage multiple quotes in one go using batch operations
Self-Service	Enable customers to generate their quotes from portals

Real-World Example:

Imagine an eCommerce site for custom machinery. Instead of contacting a sales representative, the customer uses a configurator on your site. The configurator calls the CPQ API to price the machine and instantly returns a downloadable quote.

Everyday Use Cases for the CPQ API

• Automatically create quotes when new opportunities are created.
• Push quote data from an external app (such as SAP or Oracle ERP).
• Apply custom discount logic based on user roles or products.
• Automatically generate quote PDFs when a quote is approved.
• Build a self-service quoting portal for partners or customers.

Key Components of the Salesforce CPQ API

Here are the most important Apex classes and what they do:

Apex Class	Purpose
SBQQ.QuoteAPI	Create and update quotes
SBQQ.ProductAPI	Add and manage products
SBQQ.ConfigurationAPI	Work with product configurations
SBQQ.QuoteCalculator	Recalculate pricing and rules
SBQQ.QuoteDocument	Generate quote PDFs and documents

Example: Creating a Quote via API

Let’s say you want to create a quote automatically when an opportunity is created.

Here’s a basic Apex example:

apex

SBQQ.QuoteAPI.QuoteRequest quoteReq = new
SBQQ.QuoteAPI.QuoteRequest();
quoteReq.OpportunityId = ‘006xxxxxxxxxxxx’; // your Opportunity ID

SBQQ.QuoteAPI.QuoteResponse quoteResp =
SBQQ.QuoteAPI.createQuote(quoteReq);
System.debug(‘New Quote ID: ‘ + quoteResp.QuoteId);

This code:

• Takes the opportunity ID
• Creates a new quote linked to it
• Returns the new quote’s ID

You can then use this ID to add products or generate documents.

Advanced API Features

Add products dynamically

apex

SBQQ.ProductAPI.ProductEntry entry = new
SBQQ.ProductAPI.ProductEntry();
entry.ProductId = ’01txxxxxxxxxxxx’;
entry.QuoteId = ‘0Q0xxxxxxxxxxxx’;

SBQQ.ProductAPI.addProducts(new
List SBQQ.ProductAPI.ProductEntry {entry});

Recalculate quote pricing

apex

SBQQ.QuoteCalculator.calculate(quoteId);

Generate quote PDF

apex

SBQQ.QuoteDocumentRequest docReq = new SBQQ.QuoteDocumentRequest();
docReq.QuoteId = ‘0Q0xxxxxxxxxxxx’;
SBQQ.QuoteDocument.generateDocument(docReq);

Important Notes and Limitations

• The CPQ API works only in Apex, not through REST or SOAP APIs.
• CPQ features must be licensed and installed in your org.
• It requires proper user permissions and object access.
• Complex logic or large data volumes may require asynchronous processing (using @future or Queueable Apex).

When Should You Use the CPQ API?

Scenario	Requirement
CPQ API?	✅ Yes
Need full automation	✅ Yes
Complex integrations with external systems	✅ Yes
Just want to use the UI manually	❌ Not needed
Creating one-off quotes manually	❌ Use Salesforce CPQ UI
Need quotes in a customer portal	✅ Yes
Need to batch create/update quotes	✅ Yes

Who Should Use It?

The CPQ API is built for:

• Salesforce Developers
• Technical Architects
• System Integrators
• DevOps Engineers
• Product/Quote Admins working on automation

Need Help with Salesforce CPQ API Integration?

We’re here for you at Differenz Force. Our Salesforce experts specialize in CPQ setup and customization, API-based automation, Integration with ERP, CRM, and billing systems, Quote document generation, and logic configuration

At Differenz Force, our Salesforce experts specialize in:

• CPQ setup and customization
• API-based automation
• Integration with ERP, CRM, and billing systems
• Quote document generation and logic configuration

Conclusion

The Salesforce CPQ API is a powerful tool for automating and customizing your quoting process. It allows you to fully control how quotes are created, configured, priced, and delivered, all from your code.

“If your sales team relies on speed and accuracy, automating your quoting process with CPQ APIs can be transformative.”

Whether you are building a seamless customer portal or syncing quote data with your backend systems, the CPQ API provides the flexibility and control you need to shape your processes.