ChannelEngine integration

KatanaPIM seamlessly integrates with ChannelEngine using a streamlined XML process. This ensures that all your product information, including base fields, custom fields, translations, and variants, is effortlessly transferred to ChannelEngine.

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Finding your XML feed in KatanaPIM

To establish the connection between KatanaPIM and ChannelEngine, you'll need the XML URL generated by KatanaPIM. This URL serves as the bridge to your ChannelEngine environment, allowing for a smooth data transfer.

Accessing the XML URL:

Verify your role: ensure you have the necessary permissions in KatanaPIM. If you encounter any restrictions, please reach out to your KatanaPIM admin for access adjustments.
Locate the XML URL: navigate to Configuration > Local Plugins within your KatanaPIM dashboard. Here, you'll find the ChannelEngine plugin. Clicking the Edit (⚙️) icon next to it directs you to the Configure - ChannelEngine page.
Acquire the feed: scroll down to discover the XML feed URL. If your KatanaPIM setup includes multiple stores, you'll find that multiple feeds are generated accordingly, each tailored to a specific store setup. Once located, simply copy the URL.

Scheduling tasks for updating your ChannelEngine feed

From default, KatanaPIM is configured to refresh the ChannelEngine XML feed daily at 05:00 CEST. However, you have the flexibility to modify this schedule within your KatanaPIM environment. Here's how you can personalize the update timing to suit your needs:

Navigate to System > Scheduled Tasks in your KatanaPIM environment.
On the Scheduled Tasks page, you'll find a variety of tasks scheduled for your environment. Your ChannelEngine feed generator should be at the top of the list.

To adjust the schedule, simply click the edit button found at the end of the row.
- ‍Setting Daily, Monthly, and Weekday Tasks: You'll notice an asterisk (*) next to Days, Months, and Weekdays settings, indicating the task is set to run daily, throughout every month and on all weekdays.‍
- Specific Day Scheduling: If your goal is to have the task run solely on Mondays, for example, you can easily specify this by adjusting the task settings accordingly.
- ‍Multiple Days or Times: Need more frequent updates? You can set the task to run at multiple times throughout the day – even as often as every 15 minutes. Use commas to separate the specific minute marks for execution.

Configuring product variants relationships

Some marketplaces demand a structured approach to product data, adhering to the Grandparent/Parent/Child (GPC) model. This guide outlines how to configure your products within KatanaPIM to meet these requirements, ensuring a seamless integration with such marketplaces.

Understanding GPC structure

The GPC structure is required from marketplaces that necessitate detailed relationships between product variants. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Grandparent: represents the overarching product category or line.
Parent: specifies the product type or model within the grandparent category.
Child: details the individual variants, such as size, color, or material.

Zalando is known for its detailed product listing rules, which can really help you get your product information organized. Mastering Zalando's requirements can set you up for success across various other marketplaces as well. For detailed guidelines, Zalando offers comprehensive documentation available at: Zalando Developer Documentation.

Variants configuration in KatanaPIM

Setting up your product variants in KatanaPIM is easy.

This example file illustrates the optimal organization of product data, crucial for a smooth and efficient configuration process.

http://marketing.katanapim.com/variant-relationships.xlsx

Here's how the template lays out the product structure:

ExternalKey: This column is unique for each child variant, providing an identifier that's exclusive to your system.
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit): Each child variant, being a sellable product, has its own SKU.
Name: The child product name.
ParentName and ParentExternalKey: These columns are related to parent variants of the same product (name and external key), like different colors of running shoes.
GrandParentName and GrandParentExternalKey: These columns are related to grandparent products (name and external key).

Creating a Feed Mapping for variants imports

To upload your product data into KatanaPIM, you first need to create a Variant Relationships feed mapping. To do so, you can refer to the documentation: Creating a Feed Mapping - variant relationships.

View of your product variants within KatanaPIM

KatanaPIM provides an intuitive layout that displays how your product variants are categorized. In the example of running shoes, the interface shows a top-level category 'Running shoes' (grandparent) followed by color variations (parents) as 'Running shoes - Red', 'Running shoes - Blue', and so on. Under each color variation, size-specific variants (child products) like 'Running shoes - Red - 42' are listed, making it simple to view and manage your complete inventory at a glance.

Variants configuration in ChannelEngine

Load your Katana XML feed inside ChannelEngine with the link provided to you.
See how to find your feed here.
Make sure to generate the grandparent/parent products too if those do not exist in the PIM.

Map the fields from your XML to the corresponding fields.

This results in the following structure inside ChannelEngine
- The grandparent product is "New Shoes"
- The parent products are based on the colors (Red, Blue, Yellow)
- The child products are based on the sizes for each color (38, 39, 40)

Content inheritance on the ChannelEngine feed

Managing product variants in KatanaPIM is made significantly more efficient through the use of content inheritance. This feature enables content assigned to Grandparent and Parent products to automatically be inherited down to Child products. The result? A streamlined workflow that minimizes repetitive content entry.

How Content Inheritance Works:

Content inheritance applies to a variety of content types, including short descriptions, full descriptions, specifications, and images. The system intelligently fills in these details for Child products only where no specific content exists, ensuring unique information can be maintained where needed while leveraging shared content where applicable.

Impact on ChannelEngine Feeds:

For those utilizing ChannelEngine, content inheritance means that content from Grandparent and Parent levels seamlessly integrates with Child products. This ensures each product listing is rich and complete, encompassing all necessary details without manual duplication effort.

Image distribution

Whenever you upload an image to KatanaPIM, we store it on our servers. We then generate a public URL for each image, making it straightforward for you to incorporate these images into your product listings across various sales channels.

URL example: https://demo.katanapim.com/content/images/thumbs/000/0000906_running-shoes-yellow-44.png

When utilizing the ChannelEngine feed feature within KatanaPIM, this process is further simplified. The public URLs for your product images are automatically included within your feed. This ensures that you can effortlessly link each image to its respective product listing on any marketplace, maintaining a consistent and attractive online presence for your products.

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