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Automatically Remove or Archive product when not found in Update Feed (Auto Clear Discontinued)

The Auto Clear Discontinued feature automatically archives or removes products from your store when their variants are no longer found in your connected supplier feed. This keeps your store catalog synchronized with current supplier availability and eliminates obsolete inventory.

Prerequisite: An active Update Feed must be configured before setting up an Auto Clear Discontinued feed.

How to Set Up Auto Clear Discontinued

You can configure an Auto Clear Discontinued feed using either the main navigation setup or directly through your Update Feed details.

Method 1: Set Up from the New Setup Page

Go to App → New Setup → Remove

Select Template: Choose the Auto Clear Discontinued template.
Link Update Feed: Select your existing Update Feed from the dropdown menu to link it.
Skip Column Matching: Click Next through Matching Column (Step 2), as column mapping is automatically pre-configured.
Configure Store Product Filters: In Step 3: Filter, define any criteria (e.g., vendor, brand, or tag) to narrow which store products are monitored.
Set Removal Action: In Step 4: Advanced Settings, choose whether unmatched items should be archived or permanently deleted.
Finish Setup: Click Finish to activate the feed.

By default, unmatched products are archived. To delete them permanently, switch the action to Remove in Step 4.

The Remove feed triggers automatically after the linked Update Feed completes, but only when unmatched products and a net change in matched SKUs are detected.

Method 2: Set Up from the Update Feed Details Page

Go to App → Feed Settings → Update Feed Details

Locate Feature: Scroll down to the Auto Clear Discontinued section.
Begin Setup: Click the Setup here link.
Review and Confirm: Complete the configuration wizard and click Finish.

The Undo function is available in the sync logs to restore accidentally removed or archived products.

Auto Clear Discontinued Smart Settings / Detailed Breakdown

1. Typical Multi-Feed Workflow

A standard automated inventory lifecycle uses three connected feeds working together:

Feed Type	Operational Role	Execution Timing
Add Feed	Imports new items and variants from the supplier feed into the store	Scheduled independently or run on demand
Update Feed	Updates prices, variants, and stock quantities for existing store products	Runs on a regular schedule
Remove Feed (Auto Clear)	Archives or deletes store products that are omitted from the supplier feed	Runs automatically immediately after the linked Update Feed finishes

2. Archiving vs. Permanent Removal

In Step 4: Advanced Settings, you can choose how unmatched products are handled:

Action Setting	Behavior in Store	Recovery Option
Archive (Default)	Sets the Shopify product status to Archived, hiding it from storefront sales	Fully reversible via Shopify admin or Stock Sync Undo
Remove	Permanently deletes the product and its variants from your store catalog	Reversible via the Stock Sync Undo log function

3. Preventing Specific Products from Being Archived

To protect specific items (such as custom store inventory or temporarily missing supplier stock) from being cleared, apply one of the following methods:

Method	Configuration Path	How It Works
Store Product Filter Exclusion	Step 3: Filter → Store Product Filter	Filters out specific SKUs, vendors, or tags so the feed ignores them entirely
Remove SKU Identifier	Store Platform / Shopify Admin	Products without a SKU are excluded from SKU-based matching algorithms
Temporary Filter Isolation	Step 3: Filter → Exclude Vendor/SKU	Prevents archiving while a supplier temporarily runs out of stock; manage manually until restored

4. Variant-Level Discontinuations and Partial Match Rules

Archiving and deletion operate strictly at the product level, not at the individual variant level.

Partial Match Setting	Scenario	Result
Disabled (Default / Recommended)	One or more variants disappear, but at least one variant remains in the feed	The product remains active in the store; existing variants stay untouched
Disabled	All variants of the product are completely missing from the feed	The entire product is archived or deleted
Enabled	Only a single variant of a multi-variant product is omitted from the feed	The entire product may be archived even if other variants are still active

To mark single missing variants as unavailable without archiving the entire product, enable the Out-of-Stock Strategy in your Update Feed to set missing variant quantities to 0.

Key Rules & Technical Details

Execution Gate Conditions: The Auto Clear feed only runs when unmatched products exist and there is a detected difference in the count of matched SKUs versus store products.
Store Product Filters vs. Incoming Feed Filters:
- Step 3: Store Product Filters: Restricts which existing store products Stock Sync examines.
- Incoming Feed Filters: Restricts which rows are read from the supplier file.
- Ensure any target SKU prefix or product group is explicitly included in Step 3; excluded prefixes are never detected as unmatched.
Multi-Supplier Segregation: When managing multiple suppliers, tag products using a static tag (via Tags → Fixed Value) in each feed's mapping. Then, apply matching Store Product Filters in Step 3 so each feed only archives items belonging to that specific supplier.
Combined Out-of-Stock and Archive Workflow: If products omitted from the feed should have stock zeroed out before archiving, ensure the Out-of-Stock Strategy is active in your linked Update Feed.
Shopify Suspended Products: Products marked as Suspended in Shopify cannot be edited, archived, or deleted by Stock Sync and must be managed directly in the Shopify admin.

Critical warning: Avoid clicking Undo after making manual product changes in Shopify. The Undo function restores data from the snapshot log and will overwrite any manual adjustments made since the sync ran.

Troubleshooting Steps

Issue: Products are not being archived after the Update Feed runs → Solution: Check that the linked Update Feed has completed. Verify that unmatched products were detected and that target items are not excluded by filters in Step 3: Store Product Filter.
Issue: Entire multi-variant product was archived when only one variant was out of stock → Solution: Go to your feed settings and ensure Partial Match is disabled. Use the Out-of-Stock Strategy in the Update Feed to zero out variant quantities instead.
Issue: Products from other suppliers are being accidentally archived → Solution: Set up a Store Product Filter in Step 3 using a unique supplier vendor name or tag to ensure the feed evaluates only its assigned catalog.
Issue: Accidental archival or removal occurred → Solution: Open the feed activity log and use the Undo button to revert the products to their previous state.

Good Articles to Continue

Store Product Filter Setup → Learn how to include or exclude specific store products using tags, vendors, and SKUs.
Out-of-Stock Strategy Configuration → Automatically set missing or omitted feed items to zero inventory.
Remove Feed Advanced Settings → Detailed breakdown of permanent deletion options, schedules, and logging.

Updated on: 03/11/2026

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