How to Get an Instant Quote Using a Product Configurator

Ordering a custom or configurable product used to mean sending an email, describing what you want, waiting for someone to come back with a price, then going back and forth over details you forgot to mention the first time. If you were lucky you had a quote in three or four days. If you were unlucky, you had a spreadsheet attachment and a phone call.

The configurator flow is the modern replacement for all of that. Let’s walk through what actually happens when you use one.

Step 1: Open the configurator on the product page

On a store that uses ConfigQuote, you’ll see a configurator embedded directly on the product page — or a button that opens it in a modal or inline panel. No separate website, no external tool. The configurator is part of the page you’re already on.

When it opens, you’re presented with a series of steps. Each step covers one aspect of the product: the frame material, the dimensions, the finish, the accessories, and so on. The order is deliberate — earlier choices shape what appears later. If you select “powder-coated steel”, the finish options shown in the next step are the ones that actually work with steel. The incompatible ones don’t appear at all, so you can’t accidentally build something that can’t be made.

Step 2: Make your selections — the price updates live

As you work through the steps, the price shown in the configurator updates in real time. You choose a larger size — the price adjusts. You add a protective coating — the price reflects it immediately. You increase the quantity — the total recalculates.

This is not an estimate or a ballpark. It’s the actual price for exactly what you’re configuring, calculated using the same pricing rules the manufacturer uses internally. There are no hidden additions later — what you see during configuration is what appears on the quote.

If you change your mind at any point, you can go back to a previous step, make a different choice, and watch the price adjust accordingly. The configurator remembers your other selections so you only need to change the one thing you want to revisit.

Step 3: Review the configuration summary

Once you’ve worked through all the steps, the configurator shows you a summary of everything you’ve chosen: each option, each line item, and the total. This is your last chance to check the specification before submitting.

The summary is written in plain language, not code names or SKU references. “Oak frame, matt white finish, 1800mm × 600mm, with integrated cable management and wall-fixing kit.” You can see clearly whether this is the product you wanted.

At the bottom you’ll see the total price and a button to proceed. Most configurators at this stage move to a short contact form.

Step 4: Fill in your contact details

The contact form asks for the basics: name, email, phone, and optionally a company name, VAT number, and delivery address. This is the only information you need to provide yourself — everything about the product specification was captured during configuration.

You’re not creating an account. You’re not logging in. You fill in a short form and submit. The whole process from opening the configurator to clicking Submit typically takes three to seven minutes for a product with a moderate number of options.

Step 5: Your quote arrives — instantly

When you submit, the system hands your configuration to an AI pricing engine. It reviews the specification, confirms the pricing against the rules, and generates a quote document. This happens in seconds.

The quote lands in your inbox as a branded PDF. It includes a full breakdown of every line item, the configuration you specified, the total, VAT where applicable, and the quote’s validity period. It looks like a document produced by the seller’s own team — because it is, just without the human lag.

For more complex specifications, the seller may apply a brief manual review before the quote is sent. In those cases you’ll receive a confirmation that your request has been received, and the quote follows shortly after. But for most standard configurations, the whole thing is automatic.

Step 6: Approve or ask questions

The PDF contains a link that lets you approve the quote online. Click it, confirm your details, and the seller receives an immediate notification that you’ve accepted. No phone call required, no reply email needed.

If you have questions, you reply to the quote email directly. The seller knows which quote you mean because the reference number is in the subject line and they can see the full specification in their dashboard. No re-explaining what you were trying to order.

Why this matters

The core thing that changes with a configurator flow is who does the work. In the old process, the customer describes what they want and the seller figures out what that means in terms of options and price. In the configurator flow, the customer makes the actual selections and the system calculates the price. The seller’s time is freed up for orders that genuinely need a conversation.

For you as a buyer, it means you get a firm price immediately, without having to wait for someone’s working day to begin. You know exactly what you’re getting before you commit to anything. And you can compare options in real time by adjusting your configuration and watching the price change — something that would require multiple quotes and days of waiting in a manual process.

It’s a significantly better buying experience. And for sellers, it’s a significantly better way to handle enquiries at scale.