What is a Feed in syncX: Stock Sync?

A feed is a data connection used to either update, add, export, or remove products in a Shopify store. Each feed defines how product information is handled—whether pulling data from a supplier or sending it elsewhere.

The image below shows multiple feeds already created in the dashboard, each serving different functions depending on the store’s inventory or data needs:

Types of Feeds Available

Stock Sync supports different feed types for managing product data. Below are the most commonly used feeds:

• Update Existing Products

Syncs inventory, prices, and other fields for products already in the store.

• Add New Products

Imports new products into the store from a supplier’s feed.

• Export Existing Products

Sends product data from the store to an external file or system.

• Remove or Archive Products

Automatically removes or archives products that are no longer found in the supplier's feed.

Add Feed vs Update Feed

Add Feed
• Creates new products in Shopify when they do not already exist.
• Used when importing a full or new product catalog.
• Includes Variant Group options because variant merging occurs during product creation.

Update Feed
• Updates existing products only; it cannot create new ones.
• Used to modify stock, price, images, title, barcode, metafields, and more.
• Skips items not already in Shopify.
• Variant Group options do not appear since merging only happens on creation.

To sync new images and prices to products that already exist, create or use an Update feed and map the source price and image fields to the corresponding Shopify fields. Ensure the Product Identifier mapping matches the existing products (for example, SKU). An Add feed skips existing products, so it will not update their prices or images.

Many merchants use Add Feed for initial setup and Update Feed for ongoing syncs.

How to Create a Feed

To create your first feed profile:

1. Go to the Stock Sync dashboard and click Create New Feed.
2. Choose the feed type based on the intended action:

• Select Add/Import to create new products or import a new catalog.
• Select Update Existing Products to update products already in Shopify, such as inventory, prices, images, titles, barcodes, or metafields. An Update feed does not create products that are missing from the store.

3. In Feed Manager (Step 1), choose the connection method and configure the source, such as a direct HTTP/HTTPS download URL, FTP/SFTP/FTPS, Google Sheets, or another supported connection. Select the file format that matches the source, such as CSV, XLS/XLSX, XML, JSON, TXT, EDI, TSV, or HTML Table. A manually uploaded file cannot be automated; use a connection method that syncX can retrieve.
4. Continue to field mapping and map the source fields to the corresponding Shopify fields. For inventory, map the source quantity field to qty only, not qty,Scheduled. For an Add feed, configure Variant Group if variants need to be merged during product creation; the source and existing Shopify product handles must match for a variant to merge correctly.
5. Finish the setup, run a test, and activate or schedule the feed as needed. Use an Add feed for the initial product list and a separate Update feed for ongoing synchronization. The same source connection can be reused, but each feed must be configured independently.

Once created, the feed profile appears in the dashboard with your other feeds.

Updated on: 03/08/2026