cXML

cXML, short for commerce XML, is an XML-based protocol used for exchanging procurement information between buyers and suppliers in B2B e-commerce. It defines a standard set of message types and data structures for catalog retrieval, punch-out catalog sessions, purchase orders, invoices, and status updates, enabling automated procurement workflows and reducing manual data entry. The standard is designed to work over the internet and can be integrated with ERP and procurement systems.

Originating in the late 1990s as a collaborative effort among major e-procurement vendors (notably Commerce One and Ariba), cXML provides a machine-readable language for business documents and transactions. A typical cXML message contains a header that identifies the sender and receiver and a payload that carries a Request element with a transaction-specific type, such as PunchOutSetupRequest, PunchOutOrderMessage, OrderRequest, or InvoiceRequest.

cXML is widely implemented in enterprise procurement and supplier systems. It supports punch-out catalog workflows, allowing a buyer to view a supplier's catalog within a procurement system, add items to a cart, and return the cart for ordering. It also supports standard procurement documents like purchase orders and invoices, enabling end-to-end electronic processing.

Security and interoperability considerations include transport over HTTPS, use of credentials in the header, and mappings between cXML data and an organization's internal data models. While many suppliers and buyers support cXML, implementations can vary with vendor-specific extensions or alternative formats, and organizations may map cXML to other standards such as EDI or internal schemas.