Common browser issues while using CPQ
Summarize
Summary of Common browser issues while using CPQ
This document addresses common browser-related issues that ServiceNow CPQ customers may encounter due to cookie blocking. CPQ relies on authentication cookies to maintain active sessions and validate users and organizations. When cookies are disabled or blocked, CPQ configuration may fail, resulting in errors such as the configurator not loading or HTTP 403 errors.
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Key Issues
- Cookie Blocking by Browsers: Browsers like Safari and Firefox block all cross-site cookies by default, which interferes with CPQ authentication as it requires cross-site cookies between CPQ and Salesforce. Users must enable cookies or adjust privacy settings to allow these cookies for CPQ to function correctly.
- Cookie-Blocking Browser Extensions: Third-party extensions may block cookies, disrupting CPQ. Common problematic extensions include uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, Ghostery, Disconnect, Cookie AutoDelete, and others such as crypto wallets (MetaMask, BNB Chain Wallet) and tools like WalkMe.
Practical Guidance for Customers
- If CPQ configuration errors occur, test with another browser to isolate whether the issue is browser-specific.
- Check browser privacy settings to ensure cookies, especially cross-site cookies, are allowed.
- Review and temporarily disable browser extensions to identify if any are blocking cookies.
- If using easyXDM and unable to control end users’ browsers, submit a support case requesting the “runtimeAPI” parameter update to improve compatibility.
- Report any newly identified problematic extensions to ServiceNow support to enhance future guidance.
Key Outcomes
By understanding and managing browser cookie settings and extensions, ServiceNow customers can ensure uninterrupted CPQ configurator functionality. Proper cookie handling guarantees successful user authentication and session tracking, enabling smooth product configuration without errors.
When cookies are blocked by the browser or by browser extensions, it can interfere with the use of CPQ.
If attempting to configure in CPQ results in an error (configurator not loading, a 403 error is returned, or similar) and using another browser resolves the issue, then the issue must be with the settings of the original browser.
CPQ uses authentication cookies to track active sessions across browser tabs. These cookies do not track the user and are deleted when the user closes their web browser. Their only purpose is to validate the user and their organization for the use of the software.
If cookies are not enabled in the browser, CPQ cannot configure products. The browser itself or the extensions used by the end user in this browser could be inhibiting this active cookie.
Here are some reasons this issue might occur.
Cookie blocking by the browser
By default, Safari and Firefox block all cross-site cookies. This behavior interferes with the authentication cookie that jumps across CPQ and Salesforce. If either of these browsers is your (or your end userʼs) default browser, cookies must be allowed to use the configurator.
If you have no control over what browsers end users use to access the CPQ Configurator, and you use easyXDM, submit a support case requesting a “runtimeAPI” parameter. Once the runtime clients are updated to include this parameter, the browsers should work with their default settings.
Consult your browser's documentation to find the settings that affect whether cookies are blocked. These settings are often found in the privacy options sections of the browser settings.
Cookie-blocking extensions
- uBlock Origin
- Privacy Badger
- Ghostery
- Disconnect
- Cookie AutoDelete
- Briskine
- BNB Chain Wallet MetaMask
- WalkMe
Review your browser's plugins to check whether any other extensions could be interfering while using CPQ. If the end user can configure after all browser extensions are disabled, one of the extensions must be causing the issue. If you identify an extension that causes the issue and is not in the list above, please let us know.