Welcome to the Channel Sync guide for Shipturtle! When vendors connect their extenal stores to your marketplace using Channel Sync, they have two options for importing items: Add Product or Map Product.
While both options successfully connect a vendor's inventory to the merchant's store, they are used in different scenarios. Choosing the correct method ensures accurate inventory synchronization and prevents duplicate listings on your marketplace.
1. Add Product (For New Items)
You should use the Add Product function when the vendor is introducing an item that does not already exist on the merchant's marketplace.
What happens when a vendor adds a product?
- Shipturtle automatically creates the new product on the merchant's store.
- The vendor's original product and the new merchant product are immediately mapped (linked) together.
- Real-time inventory synchronization begins instantly.
Example: A vendor connects their external Shopify store to your marketplace. They select products that are completely new to your catalog. By choosing Add, Shipturtle creates these new listings on your store and links them to the vendor's inventory for future syncs.
2. Map Product (For Existing Items)
You should use the Map Product function when the item the vendor wants to sell already exists in the merchant's marketplace catalog.
Instead of creating a brand new product page, Shipturtle simply links the vendor's inventory to the existing merchant product. This is crucial for maintaining a clean catalog and preventing duplicate entries for the same item.
Example: Your marketplace already sells Product A, Product B, and Product C. A new vendor connects their store, and they also carry Product A and Product B. Instead of adding them as new items, the vendor should Map their items to your existing Product A and Product B so that their inventory syncs correctly under your established product listings.
3. Quick Comparison: Add vs. Map
To summarize, here is how to decide which action to take:
| Action | When to Use It | What Shipturtle Does |
|---|---|---|
| Add Product | The product does not exist on the merchant store. | Creates a new product on the merchant store and maps it automatically. |
| Map Product | The product already exists on the merchant store. | Connects the vendor's product to the existing merchant product. |
Best Practice: Always verify whether an item is already in the merchant's catalog before importing. Using the correct option prevents messy duplicates and ensures proper product linking and accurate inventory tracking across all connected stores.
If you’re stuck, reach us at team@shipturtle.com or open a ticket on the support page.