The Supplier function allows differential processing of imported products. Use it to update the products related to a selected supplier and skip all the rest.
This function helps to avoid mistakes and use the catalog more efficiently if you upload several price lists from different suppliers on a regular basis. However, if you use a single file to populate your entire website, this function may not be necessary.
Using supplier attribute: where to begin
If your website already has products, first create the necessary number of supplier records and link the products to them. Once done, you will be able to update the products linked to a specific supplier via import.
Using supplier records with respective price lists
Add the necessary number of supplier records in the admin panel.
Relate the products from the catalog to the records.
Use the product import window to upload a price list file from a supplier and select the necessary record from the list in the Supplier field at the preview step.
Set up Actions with products to suit your needs and initiate the import process. The import operation will only apply to goods from a specific supplier that you selected whereas the products from other suppliers or with no supplier assigned will not receive any updates.
It is best to create a dedicated supplier record for each price list that you use for updating products.
Adding and managing suppliers
You can add a supplier:
1. In the Suppliers section of the control panel.
2. On the preview screen while importing a file.
Suppliers section in the control panel
⚠️ Attention: This section is only accessible to users with owner access privileges.
While in the admin panel, go to Products → Attribute values lists → Suppliers section and click the Add button.
Enter a unique name of the suppler and click Save.
This section also allows to rename or delete suppliers. Deleting a supplier with related products sets the [not defined] attribute for all of them.
Import preview
This method is convenient while uploading a supplier’s price list for the first time with no products from that supplier present on the website.
Click Import in the Products section and upload the file.
At the preview step, click the Supplier field and enter a name.
Then click Add Supplier.
Relating a product to a supplier
To relate a product to a certain supplier, use the Supplier field in the product attributes. By default, this field is set to [not defined] for all products.
Group supplier allocation via import
You can use the import function to define or change the supplier for a group of products. This method allows simultaneous allocation of suppliers to products and adding new ones, if absent.
Specify the names of product suppliers in the Supplier column.
Once the file is created, use the import function to update the products:
Go to the Products section of the admin panel, click Import and upload the file.
Make sure that the SKU and Supplier columns match the product fields and click Import.
Select the Update operation for the products available in the Product Operations window and click Initiate Import.
⚠️ Attention: leave the Supplier field empty or else the values from the respective column in the file will not be imported.
During the import process, the system creates new suppliers and links them to products automatically.
Using supplier records during import
⚠️ Attention: make sure that you have designated suppliers for all the products you intend to update before proceeding.
At the preview step, click the Supplier field and select a supplier from the list.
If you have selected [not defined], the import operation will only apply to the goods for which a supplier is not defined.
If you have not selected a supplier and left the field empty, the import operation will apply to all the goods in the catalog.
After selecting a supplier, click Import and set up the product processing options.
Product processing
Once a supplier has been selected, the import operation will only process goods related to the supplier and skip all the rest. This results in the following logic of Product Processing:
New Products (i.e. those which are present in the file, but absent from the website): import and assign the selected supplier.
Products Available (i.e. those which are present both in the file and on the website): update the products from the selected supplier and skip the products from other suppliers.
Products Not Available (i.e. those which are absent from the file, but present on the website): hide/change availability status of the products from the selected supplier and skip all other products.
This way, new imported products are immediately related to a supplier, the products present on the website are updated while the operation with the products absent from the website only applies to the products from the selected supplier.