Configuring Custom Channels
This article explains how to ingest a retailer-provided XLSX or XLSM template and configure it as a Custom Channel in Akeneo Activation. You’ll upload the file, define how product data is structured, and configure channel requirements so the file can be validated and generated correctly.
By the end of this process, your Custom Channel will be ready for validation and file generation.
Step 1: Name your channel and upload your file
Start by giving your Custom Channel a clear, descriptive name. This name helps you identify the channel later, especially if you manage multiple retailers or templates.
Upload the retailer-provided XLSX or XLSM file you want to use as your product template. Activation will analyze the file structure before allowing you to continue.
If the file cannot be ingested, you’ll be notified before moving to the next step.
Bundle several workbooks in one channel
Some retailers split their template across several Excel files that share the same structure, for example one file per product Family or per main Category. Instead of creating and managing one Custom Channel per file, you can bundle all these files, called workbooks, in a single Custom Channel.
In this step, add up to 20 workbooks (100 MB maximum per file). Each workbook is exported to its own output file, so you deliver the same set of files the retailer sent you, filled with your product data.
If a file cannot be added, for example because it is too large, contains no sheet, or cannot be read, Activation tells you which file was rejected and why. The other files stay in the list.
Configure shared attributes once
When your Custom Channel bundles several workbooks, you don't have to configure the same Attributes again in each workbook. When you review your channel requirements, the Attributes are organized in tabs:
- A Shared attributes tab lists the Attributes found in every workbook. Configure them there once: their type, whether they are required, their possible values, and their help text. These settings apply to all workbooks.
- One tab per workbook lists all the Attributes of that workbook. Shared Attributes are marked with a Shared badge. Attributes that only exist in some of the workbooks are configured here.
If one workbook needs a different setting for a shared Attribute, change it in that workbook's tab: the other workbooks keep the shared value. To go back to the shared value, click Reset to shared value.
Bundling several workbooks in one Custom Channel is currently in Beta. Contact your Akeneo Customer Success Manager to enable it.
Current limitations
- Several workbooks can only be bundled with the Single family pattern (see Step 2). When you add a second workbook, the other patterns are no longer available.
- Once a Custom Channel with several workbooks is created, you cannot use Edit to change its configuration (name, logo, sheets, rows, Attributes, or display options). Editing these channels is not supported yet.
Step 2: Choose how families are configured
Retailer templates organize product Families in different ways. Choose the pattern that matches your template: it defines how sheets relate to Families, and whether Attributes are configured once for the whole channel or per Family.
| Pattern | Use it when your template… | Attribute configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Single family | Uses the same column structure for all products, on one or several sheets | Once, for the whole channel |
| One sheet per family (Beta) | Has one sheet per product Family, each with its own column structure | Independently for each Family |
| All families on one sheet (Beta) | Lists every Family on a single sheet, told apart by a "Family" column, with each Family requiring its own columns | Once per column, then each column is assigned to the Families it applies to |
This choice cannot be changed once the channel is created.
Single family
All products share the same Attribute configuration. Your template can still contain several sheets: each sheet you select maps to a distinct Family, so only products belonging to that Family are written to their corresponding sheet, along with only the Attributes present for those products.
How sheets and families work
When you select multiple sheets, each sheet acts as a dedicated destination for a specific group of products. This means:
- Products are written only to the sheet that matches their Family
- Each sheet includes only the Attributes relevant to that Family, keeping output clean and retailer-ready
Shared attribute configuration
Attributes are configured at the channel level, not at the individual sheet level. During the attribute configuration step, the system consolidates all Attributes across all sheets into a single, deduplicated list, so any Attribute that appears on more than one sheet is configured once and applies consistently everywhere it appears.
What this means in practice:
- If both a Shoes sheet and a Dresses sheet include a Description Attribute, you cannot mark it as required on one sheet and optional on the other: the same required/optional setting applies to both.
- If both sheets include a Color Attribute with a dropdown list, you cannot define different selectable values per sheet: the same list of options is used across all sheets where Color appears.
When to choose another pattern
If your sheets require different configurations for the same Attribute, such as distinct validation rules or separate dropdown lists, choose One sheet per family instead.
One sheet per family
Each sheet corresponds to a different product Family, and each Family is configured independently. The same Attribute can be required for one Family and optional for another, or accept a different list of values.
- When you review your channel requirements, each Family has its own tab (or its own entry in a dropdown list when there are many Families).
- To import or export the attribute configuration, choose This family to work on the selected Family only, or All families to work on one workbook with one sheet per Family.
- When you configure the display options, Use the same identifier, label, and image for all families is on by default. Turn it off to pick different Attributes for each Family.
All families on one sheet
Some retailer templates put every product Family on a single sheet, and tell them apart with a "Family" column. Each Family only expects a subset of the columns: for example, Shoe size for shoes and Waist size for trousers. This pattern lets you describe which columns apply to which Family, so that each product is only validated against the columns its Family needs.
To configure it:
- When you select the sheets containing product data, select exactly one sheet.
- When you review your channel requirements, use the Applies to picker on each column to choose the Families it applies to. Type a name that does not exist yet to create a new Family, or use All for columns shared by every Family.
- Use the Families panel to review your Families, rename them, or remove a Family from every column at once.
Every column must apply to at least one Family, or be marked as Ignored.
The columns you choose as product identifier, display name, and image automatically apply to every Family.
All families on one sheet is currently in Beta. Contact your Akeneo Customer Success Manager to enable it.
Step 3: Select the sheets containing product data
Select the spreadsheet tabs that contain product information. Only selected sheets will be included in the channel configuration.
Each selected sheet will correspond to a product family in the completed Custom Channel. This allows you to support different product structures within the same retailer template.
Sheets that do not contain product data should not be selected.
With the All families on one sheet pattern, select exactly one sheet: it holds all your products.
Step 4: Identify the attribute row and first product row
Specify:
- The row that contains attribute names or column headers
- The row that contains the first product record
These row positions apply to all selected sheets.
Use the file preview to verify that:
- Attribute names align with the expected columns
- Product data starts on the correct row
Correct row selection is required for attributes to be extracted properly.
Step 5: Review and configure channel attributes
Activation extracts attributes from the selected sheets based on the rows you defined. Review the extracted attributes and configure how each one should behave in the channel.
For each attribute, you can:
- Set the attribute type
- Mark the attribute as required or optional
- Define possible values, if applicable
- Add help text or examples for users
- Ignore attributes you do not want to use
Ignored attributes can be restored at any time.
Attribute Configuration Grid:
During this step, you'll see the following information for each attribute:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Attribute Name | The label extracted from the column header row |
| Ignored | Whether the attribute is excluded from mapping and output |
| Attribute Type | The data type assigned to the attribute (e.g. string, list) |
| Required | Whether a value must be present for the product to be valid |
| Possible Values | The allowed values for list-type attributes |
| Help Text | Guidance text displayed to users during mapping |
| Examples | Sample values extracted from the template or entered manually |
| Location | The sheet and column where this attribute appears in the template |
This information helps you understand how each attribute is used across the template.
Auto-Detected Configurations
When you upload a retailer template, Custom Channels automatically inspects the workbook and pre-configures several attribute settings based on conventions already present in the file. This reduces manual setup and helps ensure your channel configuration stays true to the retailer's original intent.
Ignored Columns that are hidden in the workbook are automatically marked as ignored. These columns will be excluded from your attribute configuration and will not be mapped or populated during syndication.
Valid Values If a column has conditional list validation (a dropdown) defined in the workbook, Custom Channels detects this and pre-populates the attribute's valid values. The selectable options are pulled directly from the retailer's own dropdown definitions.
Examples If you upload a pre-populated template that already contains sample product rows, Custom Channels extracts values from those rows and uses them as examples for the corresponding attribute.
Help Text Cell notes attached to a column header are automatically captured and surfaced as help text for that attribute. Retailer annotations (e.g., "If not a trademark brand, state 'unbranded'") are preserved and visible during configuration.
Attribute Types Attributes with a detected dropdown are automatically assigned the list type. Other type assignments — such as numeric, boolean, or date — are not yet auto-detected and will default to string unless manually updated.
Note: Auto-detected configurations are a starting point. You can review and adjust any of these settings during the attribute configuration step before activating your channel.
Step 6: Configure display options
Define how products will be displayed and identified in the Activation grid for this Custom Channel.
You must select:
- Display Name – the attribute used to uniquely identify each product
- Product Identifier – the attribute used to display the product name or title
- Product Image – the attribute used to represent the product visually
These selections determine how products appear and are managed when working with this channel.
With the One sheet per family pattern, you can use the same Attributes for all Families or pick them per Family. With the All families on one sheet pattern, these Attributes apply to every Family.
What happens next?
Your Custom Channel behaves like any other Activation channel. You can connect to it one or multiple times to create distinct data flows, generate files, and deliver them to their destination via sFTP/FTP.