Salsify: merchant integration guide

Supported	Not supported
Product content	Orders
Product offers (price only)	Shipments
Product variations	Returns
	Cancelations
	Multiple stock locations
	Stock levels

Overview

Export options

There are two ways to extract your Salsify feed and connect it to your ChannelEngine environment for a real-time data sync:

• Option 1 - export a custom product feed and upload it to ChannelEngine.
• Option 2 - activate a dedicated ChannelEngine export channel on Salsify to build a readiness report before export, and upload the export to ChannelEngine.

To determine which export option to choose, compare your Salsify product properties with the product attributes that ChannelEngine recommends (Step 1 below).

The setup process follows these general steps:

1. Review ChannelEngine's required and recommended attributes. (See the ChannelEngine data recommendations section below.)
2. Include your product properties in a custom product feed. 
   • Alternatively, create a readiness report in a dedicated ChannelEngine channel. Do this if you have complicated data mapping on Salsify that you want to edit before exporting to ChannelEngine. Then continue with Steps 4 - 6.
3. Select additional mapped columns in a custom product feed, set the file format and export location, and verify the output by downloading a sample.
4. Publish the export.
5. (optional) Configure a schedule for automated syncs.
6. On ChannelEngine, import your product data by adding the exported file(s) as a ChannelEngine product feed.

Supported transfer methods

Salsify can deliver exports to ChannelEngine using the following transfer methods: FTP, FTPS, SFTP (username and password), and SFTP (username and public key). It is also possible to export your files to Dropbox and Google Drive. Coordinate with your ChannelEngine account manager to confirm the preferred method and obtain the connection credentials before starting setup.

Supported file formats

The export supports the CSV format.

Setup

On Salsify

Create a product feed

To easily choose which product properties to include in the exported file, create a new product feed.

1. On Salsify, go to Activation, Channels, and click + New channel.
2. From the sidebar, click Products. Select the products that you want to export to ChannelEngine via the filters. Filter by any Salsify property — for example, by category, brand, or region — to control which products are included in your export to ChannelEngine.
3. Go to Product feed from the sidebar.
4. Toggle on the product feed.
5. Set the file name and select the target destination.
6. Next to the Columns field, click Choose Columns. Add your additional properties.
7. Download a sample file to verify that the output contains the correct fields and values.
8. Once the sample is confirmed, click Publish to push the export to the target location that you chose.

ChannelEngine channel

If you want to edit your mapped data before export, create a ChannelEngine readiness report channel.

1. Request a custom readiness report via Salsify Support.
2. Once the readiness report is completed, go to Activation, Channels, and click ChannelEngine.

3. From the sidebar, click Products. Select the products that you want to export to ChannelEngine via the filters. Filter by any Salsify property — for example, by category, brand, or region — to control which products are included in your export to ChannelEngine.
4. Next, click Readiness from the sidebar. Here, verify how your product properties are mapped to ChannelEngine’s required, recommended, and optional attributes.
5. Then, go to Settings, Delivery. Here, configure where you want to export your file:
   1. Enable the Enable custom destination toggle.
   2. Set the file name and select the target destination. If using FTP or SFTP, enter the connection credentials that were agreed upon with ChannelEngine.
   3. Select CSV as the export format. 
6. Click Publish to publish the export.

Schedule automated exports

To keep your ChannelEngine listings current without manual intervention, configure a publication schedule on the channel.

1. Open the channel and go to Settings, Schedule.
2. Enable the Publication Schedule toggle.
3. Select the frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly) and the preferred time and timezone.
4. Save the schedule.

On ChannelEngine

Import your product data to ChannelEngine by adding your product feed to ChannelEngine.

To add your product feed:

1. On ChannelEngine, save the exported file’s URL or FTP directory path and login credentials at Products, Product feeds.
2. Configure the product feed settings.
3. Map your fields to ChannelEngine’s fields and your custom fields.
4. For detailed guidance on adding a product feed to ChannelEngine, check out ChannelEngine: product feeds.

If you exported a custom product feed file from Salsify, the properties in that file are treated as custom fields on ChannelEngine.

1. Before adding the feed to ChannelEngine, create one custom field for each property contained in the custom product feed export file at Products, Custom fields.
2. Then, continue with the steps for adding a product feed on ChannelEngine.
3. For details on managing custom fields, check out ChannelEngine: custom fields. 

ChannelEngine data recommendations

ChannelEngine requires specific product attributes to create and maintain accurate marketplace listings. When configuring your Salsify export, map your properties to the ChannelEngine fields below. The more attributes you include from the outset, the less manual work is needed when activating your products on individual channels.

Highly recommended attributes

The following attributes are needed to create a viable product on ChannelEngine. In theory, only a merchant product number is required to create a product on ChannelEngine, but including all highly recommended attributes saves significant time when listing on channels.

Recommended attributes

While not mandatory, the following attributes are strongly recommended. Including them reduces the configuration effort required when activating products on individual channels.

Optional attributes

The following attributes are not required, although they may be conditionally required on certain channels (e.g.: Grandparent SKU). Beyond these optional attributes, add any other relevant attributes that your marketplaces require in a custom product feed (Step 6, above, in Setup, On Salsify).

*The URL attribute is only used on affiliate networks/click channels that you activate on ChannelEngine.

FAQs

What file format should I use?
CSV is the only supported file format.

How do I verify the export before going live?
On Salsify, use the Download a Sample option in the Product Feed configuration to review the output before publishing. Confirm all mandatory columns are present and contain valid values.

How often should I schedule the export?
This depends on how frequently your product data changes. For most merchants, a daily schedule is sufficient. If your catalog is updated very frequently, coordinate with your ChannelEngine account manager on the optimal frequency.

What happens if a required field is missing from the export?
ChannelEngine is still able to import your data as long as your merchant product number (SKU) is present in your exported file, but individual marketplaces may prevent you from listing your products if you do not provide them with the fields that they require. Always verify that marketplace-required fields are included and mapped on each channel plugin on ChannelEngine before making the final export to your individual channels.

How are product fields exported to ChannelEngine?
Product fields from Salsify are exported to ChannelEngine as custom fields. Custom fields appear as extra data in your product details.