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What is a Feed in syncX: Stock Sync?

A feed is an automated data pipeline that connects your Shopify store to external systems to add, update, export, or remove products. Each feed operates as an independent profile, allowing you to control exactly how supplier files update your inventory or how store catalog data is shared externally.

How to Set Up a New Feed Profile

Go to App → Dashboard → Create New Feed

Stock Sync Feeds Dashboard

Select Feed Action: Click Create New Feed and choose your feed objective (Add, Update, Export, or Remove).
Configure Connection & Source (Step 1): Select your retrieval protocol (e.g., HTTP/HTTPS URL, FTP/SFTP/FTPS, Google Sheets) and specify the file format (e.g., CSV, XLSX, XML, JSON).
Map Product Fields (Step 2): Match your source data columns directly to Shopify product attributes and define matching identifiers like SKU or barcode.
Configure Rules & Review (Steps 3 & 4): Apply filters and custom options, then finish setup to run a test sync and activate your automated schedule.

Manually uploaded files cannot run automatically on a recurring schedule. Use a retrievable connection method like FTP or Google Sheets for automated updates.

Feed Profiles Smart Settings / Detailed Breakdown

1. Types of Feeds Available

Stock Sync offers four primary feed architectures tailored to specific inventory management workflows:

Feed Type	Operational Objective	Common Data Fields Handled	Direct Guide Link
Update Existing Products	Syncs live data for products that already exist in your Shopify store	Quantity, Price, Compare-at Price, Images, Title, Metafields	Update Feed Guide
Add New Products	Creates brand-new products and variant structures from a supplier file	Full catalog attributes, Variant Groups, Option Names	Add Feed Guide
Export Existing Products	Extracts store catalog data and delivers it to an external file or system	Full product catalog, inventory levels, SKUs	Export Feed Guide
Remove or Archive Products	Cleans up obsolete, discontinued, or out-of-catalog store products	Product status, Archive trigger, Deletion trigger	Remove Feed Guide

2. Add Feed vs. Update Feed Comparison

Choosing the correct feed type is critical to ensuring store data is modified as intended:

Feature & Behavior	Add Feed	Update Feed
Creates New Products	Yes (creates items missing from Shopify)	No (strictly ignores unmatched feed items)
Updates Existing Products	Skips items that already exist in the store	Yes (updates matched items based on identifier)
Primary Use Case	Initial catalog import and onboarding new vendor lines	Ongoing daily/hourly inventory and price synchronization
Variant Group Options	Available (used to merge multi-row variants under one handle)	Not available (variant merging only occurs at creation)
Identifier Requirement	Required to match existing handles or structure new items	Mandatory (e.g., SKU or barcode to locate the target item)

Most merchants use an Add Feed for initial catalog population and run a scheduled Update Feed for continuous synchronization.

To update prices or images on existing products, use an Update Feed. An Add Feed will skip items that already exist in Shopify.

3. Connection Methods & File Format Compatibility

In Step 1: Feed Manager, configure the source retrieval protocol and match it to your feed file type:

Connection Protocol	Supported File Formats	Automation Capability
HTTP / HTTPS Download URL	CSV, XLSX, XLS, XML, JSON, TXT, TSV	Fully automated via scheduled fetch
FTP / SFTP / FTPS	CSV, XLSX, XLS, XML, JSON, EDI, TSV	Fully automated via scheduled server retrieval
Google Sheets	Cloud Spreadsheet / Google Drive Sheet	Fully automated via Google API connection
Direct File Upload	CSV, XLSX, XLS, XML, JSON, TXT	Manual only (requires re-uploading for every run)

Key Rules & Technical Details

Inventory Field Mapping: Always map your source file's quantity column to qty only. Do not map to combined or scheduled attributes such as qty,Scheduled.
Variant Grouping at Creation: When using an Add Feed, variant rows must share the exact same handle value to merge properly into a single multi-variant product in Shopify.
Shared Source Connections: Multiple feeds (e.g., one Add Feed and one Update Feed) can connect to the exact same supplier file source, but each feed must be configured and managed independently.

Critical rule: An Update Feed cannot create new products, and an Add Feed cannot update existing products. Running an Add Feed on an existing catalog will skip all matching products without updating their stock or prices.

Troubleshooting Steps

Issue: Existing product prices or images are not updating → Solution: Ensure you are using an Update Feed rather than an Add Feed, and confirm that your matching identifier (such as SKU) matches your Shopify variant SKUs exactly.
Issue: Feed fails to run automatically on schedule → Solution: Check Step 1: Feed Manager to verify the feed uses a remote connection method (URL, FTP, Google Sheets). Feeds configured with direct manual file uploads cannot execute automatically.
Issue: Variants created by an Add Feed appear as separate standalone products → Solution: In Step 2: Matching Column, configure Variant Group and verify that all variant rows in the supplier file share an identical product handle.

Good Articles to Continue

Update Feed Setup Guide → Learn how to keep inventory levels, pricing, and variants updated automatically.
Add Feed Setup Guide → Step-by-step instructions for importing new products and merging multi-variant listings.
Matching Column (Step 2) Overview → Detailed instructions on mapping source columns, formulas, and Shopify product attributes.

Updated on: 03/11/2026

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