Build a product configurator: choose options, see it, send it to the maker
A product configurator lets a buyer assemble their own version of something you make (a bike, a sofa, a cake, a garden room) and see the result and the price as they go. For made-to-order businesses it replaces a long email thread with one complete brief. Anticode builds the configurator as an app and sends each finished configuration to you; it doesn't take payment inside it.
Model your options before anything else
A configurator is only as good as the option model behind it. Lay it out as a table first: each step, the choices in it, the price effect of each choice, and which choices rule others out. For a made-to-order table:
| Step | Choices | Price effect | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 4, 6 or 8 seats | Base price per size | 8 seats needs a centre leg |
| Wood | Oak, walnut, ash | Multiplier on base | Walnut not available at 8 seats |
| Finish | Oil, matt lacquer | Flat add-on | None |
| Legs | Tapered, trestle, hairpin steel | Flat add-on | Hairpin only up to 6 seats |
| Extras | Matching bench | Priced by size | Bench length follows table size |
The Rules column is where configurators go wrong. If an impossible combination can be selected, buyers will select it, and you'll have to disappoint them after they've imagined it. Decide for each rule whether the conflicting option is hidden, greyed out with a reason ("Walnut isn't available in 8-seat lengths"), or automatically switched with a notice.
What the buyer should see
- A preview that changes with each choice. It doesn't need to be photorealistic. A clean illustration where the wood colour, leg shape and size visibly change is more useful than a fixed photo.
- The price, always visible, with a breakdown on request. Sudden jumps should be explained by the line that caused them.
- Progress through the steps, with the ability to go back without losing later choices.
- A summary before sending: every choice, the total and the lead time, in words the buyer could forward to a partner.
How Anticode builds it
Give the Architect your option table and rules, and describe the preview you want: "A configurator for handmade dining tables. Steps for size, wood, finish, legs and an optional bench, with these prices and rules. Draw the table from above and from the side, updating with each choice. End with a summary and an enquiry form for name, email, postcode and preferred delivery month."
The model writes the whole configurator as one app. The preview is drawn in code (SVG, canvas or WebGL for a simple 3D view), because the sandbox doesn't load images from other sites. That suits configurators well: a drawn preview can change colour and shape instantly in a way a set of photos can't without hundreds of combinations. The Ember & Oak Roasters template in the gallery, a coffee subscription builder, shows the same pattern of choices building towards a summary.
Sending the configuration to you
When the buyer sends their summary, the app posts it through Anticode's form pipeline as an enquiry: their contact details plus every option and the price, in the message. It's saved to your project, sealed at rest, and emailed to you. Connectors can forward it to the place you plan work, such as a Google Sheet or Airtable base of orders, a Notion board, Slack or HubSpot.
Because the buyer has already chosen everything, your reply can be a confirmation and a payment request rather than a list of questions. Many makers send a deposit invoice or a checkout link from their own payment provider at this point.
Why there's no checkout inside it
Anticode apps run in a sandbox with no network and no payments, so the configurator can't charge a card or reserve stock. You can put a link to a checkout page from Stripe Payment Links, PayPal, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Shopify or Whop on the summary screen, but that link opens a fixed product, not the buyer's exact configuration and price. For made-to-order work, enquiry first and payment second is often the better order anyway: it gives you a chance to confirm the details and the lead time.
Limits
- No stock or lead-time data. If a wood runs out, change the options by asking for an edit; the app can't check your supplier.
- No saved designs across devices. A buyer's choices can be kept in their browser, but they can't start on a phone and finish on a laptop.
- Drawn previews only. For photographic previews of every combination, a dedicated 3D or image-based configurator service is the better fit.
- One currency, the one you set. No automatic conversion or tax calculation.
Questions people ask
Can I change prices and options later?
Yes. Ask for the change in words, such as "add an elm option at 1.2 times the oak price", and the configurator updates. Recent versions are kept in the version history.
Can the product configurator show my own product photos?
You can add your own photos to the build, but a preview that changes with every choice is drawn in code, since the app can't load images from other sites. If buyers need to see real photographs of each finish, a photo-led product page with an enquiry form may serve them better than a configurator.
Where do the configurations go?
To your email and your Anticode dashboard, and on to any connected tool such as Google Sheets, Airtable or Slack.