ChannelEngine: add a channel

About this article

This article describes the process of adding channels to ChannelEngine.

Table of contents

Introduction

Order channels

Click channels

Add channels

Map channels

Introduction

A channel is an online location where products can be listed, sold, promoted, compared, and reviewed. Once a channel is added to ChannelEngine, it becomes possible to list your products and offers on it.

ChannelEngine makes a simple distinction between channels: order channels and click channels.

Order channels

Order channels are the channels with orders that can be handled by ChannelEngine. Customers can buy your products directly on these channels, such as Amazon, bol.com, Cdiscount, etc. On order channels, a full integration with products, orders, shipments, and returns is possible.

Click channels

Click channels (aka affiliate networks) do not offer any order handling. Your products are listed, but when customers select them they are redirected to your own webshop. ChannelEngine is only used to generate a product feed for these channels. E.g.: Google Shopping, Facebook Business, Awin, etc.

Add channels

Before adding a new channel, all existing offers must be deleted.

A channel can be added by selecting Add channel on the dashboard, or by selecting Channels, Channels from the menu on the left-hand side of the dashboard. Once on this channel overview page, you can use the filters or the search box to find a particular channel.

Select + Add and a channel-specific page opens. Every channel needs different details to complete the integration, such as API keys or access tokens. In the example below, it is necessary to paste a Seller ID and an MWS authorization token. This information can either be found in the back-end of the channel itself, such as Amazon's Seller Central and Mirakl's Connect, or enquired with the channel's customer service.

When you are done adding the required details, select Save so the channel's tasks can start running and the channel can be added to your account.

Map channels

After adding the channel, it is necessary to further configure it by going through the Product selection, Categorization, Mappings, and other tabs. The number of options and requirements depends on the channel.

More information on these steps can be found on each channel's guide, which you can also find in ChannelEngine's help center.