Which B2C Commerce tool should a developer use for collecting product lists independently from the main site?

The best choice for collecting product lists independently from the main site is to utilize the Search-Show Controller URL to perform a web crawl. This approach enables developers to programmatically access and gather data about products from the storefront in a structured way.

Using the Search-Show Controller allows for essential web crawling functionality that can collect product listings without requiring integration with the main site's user interface or backend directly. This method is particularly advantageous as it lets developers retrieve comprehensive details about products, such as attributes, pricing, and availability, while maintaining separation from the overall site architecture.

While product search functionality exists through the ProductSearch resource of the Shop OCAPI, this is primarily designed for real-time search rather than collecting lists for external purposes. The existing category's endpoint may also have limitations when it comes to fetching extensive product details independently. Although iframes can display content from another source within a site, they don't facilitate the independent collection of product data outside the context of browsing the site, as they are more about embedding existing content rather than gathering data.

In summary, the Search-Show Controller URL is a suitable option for effectively executing a web crawl and gathering product lists in an independent and structured manner.