Let’s face it: the B2B buying process has its fair share of roadblocks.
From customers unsure about which part to order, to costly delays caused by incorrect purchases, there are plenty of moments where things can go sideways. And when they do, it often falls on your team to sort it out — wasting time, money, and goodwill.
What if you could prevent some of those issues before they happen?
Good news: you can — with Exploded View (previously called Lookbook).
This feature makes it easy for your buyers to visually identify and order the exact part they need, right from your web store.
Let’s break down how it works — and how it makes life easier for your customers and your team.
What is Exploded View?
Exploded View is a visual content feature in Sana Commerce Cloud designed specifically for complex machinery and spare parts ordering.
It allows you to upload a diagram — like an exploded view of a machine — directly into your web store. On that image, you can place clickable “hotspots” that customers can interact with. These hotspots link to product details, variant options, and the ability to add items straight to the cart, without leaving the page.
It’s a faster, clearer way for customers to find and order the parts they need — even if they don’t have the exact part number handy.
Why do machinery suppliers need Exploded View?
Let’s say you sell industrial cleaning equipment, and your customer needs a replacement valve for a broken machine. They might have a PDF manual, but cross-referencing that against the machine, identifying the right part, then trying to find it in your catalog? That’s not quick — or easy.
With Exploded View, they can simply:
Navigate to the product page for that machine.
Open the exploded diagram.
Click the valve in the image.
Add it to the cart in seconds.
By showing parts in context — connected to surrounding components — your buyers gain the confidence they’re ordering the right item. That means fewer mistakes, fewer returns, and less frustration.
Upload a high-quality schematic or exploded-view diagram of your machine, and link each component in the image to its corresponding product in your catalog.
Your customers can click directly on the part they need — no more jumping between PDF manuals and product listings.
Assemblies and sub-assemblies
If you sell machines with layered sub-assemblies, Exploded View can help your buyers quickly drill down into those structures.
Whether it’s a pump assembly or a gearbox, visual navigation makes it easy to identify the exact part needed — even within complex systems.
Support after-sales and service workflows
Exploded View doesn’t just help customers place orders — it helps your team support them more efficiently, too.
Customer service or field technicians can direct users to the right diagram in your store, making remote troubleshooting or post-sale assistance much smoother.
Exploded View helps buyers make the right purchase — faster
At the end of the day, Parts Exploder does one thing really well: it brings clarity to complexity.
By letting customers see parts in context, it reduces friction in the buying journey. They’re not guessing — they’re clicking on the exact part they know they need. That means fewer errors, more efficient service, and happier customers.
And on your end? It means fewer tickets, fewer returns, and more time spent helping customers move forward — not backward.
