Pre-existing catalogs
This section provides an overview of pre-existing catalog management with the Akeneo app for Shopify.
Pre-existing products
Pre-existing products refer to all products that were already created within your Shopify store before integrating the Akeneo app. With the app, you can associate PIM products with these pre-existing products. When you initiate synchronization, the app creates a link between PIM products and pre-existing products. It then proceeds to update all Shopify native fields with the relevant data from Akeneo.
Recommendations
It's essential to exercise caution when using the pre-existing catalog feature, as the links established between Shopify and PIM products cannot be undone. To ensure a smooth transition, we strongly advise the following:
- Testing on a Sandbox Store: Before implementing this feature in your production environment, testing it on a Shopify sandbox store is highly recommended.
- Backup Your Shopify Store: Create a backup of your Shopify store to safeguard against any unforeseen issues. Detailed instructions on duplicating a Shopify store and creating a backup can be found here.
- Filter Usage: While synchronizing your pre-existing catalog, consider using the 'Import pre-existing products only' filter. This allows you to focus solely on linking products and bypass the creation of new products. You should only deactivate this filter once all pre-existing products have been successfully linked.
Prerequisites
To ensure seamless integration of this feature, it's essential to meet the following prerequisites:
- Common Identifier Field: Products need to have a shared identifier field present on both platforms, such as SKU, EAN, GTIN, and ISBN. The app leverages this identifier to link products between both platforms.
- Unique Identifier Value: For successful product linking between Akeneo and Shopify, the identifier value must be distinct for each product and consistent across both platforms.
- Consistent Product Structure: The product structure should align on both the Akeneo and Shopify platforms. E.g. It is not possible to link a product with variants on the Shopify side to several simple products on the Akeneo side.
Compatible identifiers
In order to link products between Akeneo and Shopify, it is necessary to use a common identifier. The identifier must be linked at the product level for products without variants and at the variant level for products with variants.
PIM identifier
| PIM attribute type |
|---|
| Identifier |
| Text |
Shopify identifier
| Shopify field |
|---|
| SKU |
| Barcode |
Configure pre-existing products & products with variants
Products
Follow these steps to configure the link between Shopify pre-existing products and Akeneo PIM products:
- In your Akeneo App for Shopify, navigate to the Configuration page.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Configuration page and click on the Pre-existing catalog section to unfold it.
- In the Pre-existing products sub-section, map a Shopify field to the Shopify product identifier. The field can be the SKU or Barcode of the product.
- In the Pre-existing products sub-section, map a PIM attribute to the PIM product identifier. The PIM attribute type must be a Text or Identifier. The attribute must have a unique value to serve as an identifier.
- Save your configuration.
Products with variants
Follow these steps to configure the link between Shopify pre-existing products and variants to Akeneo PIM product models and variants:
- In your Akeneo App for Shopify, navigate to the Configuration page.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Configuration page and click on the Pre-existing catalog section to unfold it.
- In the Pre-existing products with variants sub-section, map a Shopify field to the Shopify variant identifier. The field can be the SKU or Barcode of the product variant.
- In the Pre-existing products with variants sub-section, map a PIM attribute to the PIM variant identifier. The PIM attribute type must be a Text or Identifier. The attribute must have a unique value to serve as an identifier.
- Save your configuration.
Pre-existing metafields
Pre-existing metafields are metafields whose definitions were created in Shopify before the app was used. The app allows you to map PIM attributes to pre-existing metafields. When synchronization is launched, the app will not create definitions of these metafields. The app will create a link between the attribute and the pre-existing metafield, and then update the values with data from Akeneo. Compatible metafields must be at the Product or Variant level. Depending on the type of PIM attribute you want to map to a pre-existing metafield, only certain types of metafield are compatible.
List of compatible pre-existing metafield types
| Akeneo PIM attribute type | Shopify metafield type |
|---|---|
| Date | Date |
| Identifier | Single line text - one value |
| Simple select | Single line text - one value |
| Multi-select | Single line text - list of values |
| Measurement | Single line text - one value |
| Number | Decimal |
| Price | Money |
| Text | Single line text - one value |
| Text area | Multi-line text |
| Yes/No | True or false |
Configure pre-existing metafields
Follow these steps to map pre-existing metafields:
- In your Akeneo App for Shopify, navigate to the Metafields mapping page.
- On the Metafields page, click on Manage metafields. It will open a selection modal.
- Select the PIM attribute you want to synchronize as a metafield by ticking its checkbox. Dropdown lists will then appear in the Existing Shopify product metafield and Existing Shopify variant metafield columns.
- From the dropdown lists, map a pre-existing metafield with your PIM attribute. It is not mandatory to map both levels of metafields.
- Save your selection.
Please be aware that the app does not retrieve metafields with the 'akeneo' namespace, as these are intended to be created by the app itself. To map existing metafields, ensure that they have a different namespace.