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# How to Set Up a Product Feed for Your Shopify Store

This guide explains the essential steps to set up a product feed in SyncX: Stock Sync for your Shopify store. It covers adding new products, updating existing ones, and connecting supplier feeds such as downloadable URLs, XML files, and Shopify Public Store connections.

## 1. Choose the Feed Type
Create the feed type that matches the operation you need:
* **Add Feed**: Imports brand-new products into your Shopify store. You can test the configuration by importing a small batch first.
* **Update Feed**: Updates existing products, such as stock, price, images, or variants. An Update Feed does not add new products.
* **Remove Feed**: Removes products or variants according to the configured matching and removal settings.

If you need to add and update products, create an Add Feed and an Update Feed. If you also need to remove products, configure a separate Remove Feed. These operations must be configured separately, even when they use the same source file or connection. Multiple product files can be consolidated into fewer files if they contain the fields required by the selected feed and the mappings are configured for that file structure.

## 2. Prepare and Upload the File
Before uploading, ensure the CSV/Excel file has a header row in the first row and includes the fields needed for the operation, such as SKU, title, quantity, or price. Format SKU, barcode, EAN, ISBN, and other long identifiers as **Text** in Excel so digits are not truncated or converted to scientific notation.

Steps:
1. Go to **Create New Feed** → **Add Feed** and select the required feed type.
2. Select **Upload File** as the connection method.
3. Drag the CSV/Excel file into the upload area.
4. If the file has no headers, or the headers contain hidden characters, map fields by column index instead of header name. If the first row contains a filename or other metadata, enable **Skip First Row**.
5. If the file uses tabs or another delimiter, select the matching delimiter in the feed settings.

## 3. Map Your Fields
In **Step 2: Mapping**, map each source column to the corresponding Shopify field. For an Update Feed, the minimum required mappings are **SKU** and **Quantity**. For Shopify CSV files, use **Variant SKU** as the Product Identifier for variant-level updates; Barcode or Handle can also be used when the values match the store and source file. Map Quantity to the specific Shopify Inventory Location that syncX should update, and map title, price/cost, images, description, vendor, product type, and variant fields when required.

For an **Upload File** connection, the setup is incomplete until the source CSV/Excel file is uploaded and its headers and delimiter are verified. The file must contain the fields needed for the selected mappings.

You can create separate feeds for different supplier sources or product categories, including multiple feeds with different data formats. This lets each feed use its own connection, mappings, and selected fields without requiring all suppliers to share one configuration.

For a logistics-only Update Feed, map only the fields that should change—for example, **Quantity**, **Price**, or both. Leave Tags, Product Type, Metafields, and other Shopify-managed fields unmapped so the feed does not modify them. Use a separate Add Feed for new products and configure its field mappings and filters independently.

Quantity values must be direct numbers. If a supplier uses values such as `10+`, `More Than 5`, or availability text such as `Available`, create a rule to convert the value into an exact number before mapping it to Quantity.

## 4. Preview and Run the Feed
Use **Preview Sync** to verify the products and fields that will be added, updated, or removed. For an Add Feed, test with a small batch, such as three products. Then click **Add Products** for an Add Feed or **Start Process** for an Update or Remove Feed.

## 5. Enable Automatic Updates
To automate the feed, open the feed detail page, click **Set Automation** (or **Set Automation Schedule**), enable the schedule, and choose the desired interval and time. Scheduled connections can run hourly, daily, or weekly depending on the plan and connection method; the minimum supported frequency is once per hour. Trial plans run automated updates every 24 hours, while hourly or more frequent scheduling requires a paid plan. The feed must be enabled, and the plan must support scheduled syncs.

**Upload File** is a manual connection method and cannot run automatically. For scheduled updates, use a supported connection such as Direct URL, FTP/SFTP, or Google Sheets. After saving the schedule, run **Preview Sync** to check the proposed changes, then click **Start Process** to apply an actual sync.

## 6. Troubleshooting Tips
* If the feed setup is incomplete, finish configuring the connection and field mappings before running it. For an **Upload File** connection, upload the source file and verify its headers and delimiter. For an FTP connection, provide the FTP password if the host and username alone are not sufficient to connect.
* If no products are matched, verify that the Product Identifier values match the Shopify products exactly.
* If a header is not detected, check for BOM/hidden characters and use column-index mapping.
* If quantity updates fail, confirm the quantity column and inventory location are mapped correctly.
* If the feed remains paused, upload the file or enable an update schedule before running it.

Following these steps ensures that a CSV/Excel file is formatted, mapped, tested, and uploaded correctly for Shopify.