Channel maps

From now on, Channel maps help you to create data field mappings for a marketplace. With Channel maps, you can create cross-category mappings for a marketplace and apply them to catalogues afterwards. All linked catalogues automatically inherit the mapping from the Channel map. Besides, you can choose any amount of product categories for the Channel map and determine for which catalogues the mappings should be applied. This will save you a lot of time as you don’t need to carry out the mappings for each catalogue.

If you didn’t work with catalogues yet, familiarise yourself with the topic first. Note that a Channel map can always just be created for one marketplace.

At the moment, Channel maps are available for the following marketplaces:

You can find Channel maps in the side navigation on the left of the Data » Catalogues menu. At first, the Channel maps overview is empty. Once you created a Channel map, the following information will be visible in the overview:

Table 1. Channel maps overview
Setting Explanation

Status

The status of the Channel map. If the Channel map has been created successfully, it’s Active and you can start using it. If however errors occurred, the status shows Failed. In this case, hover over the status to see the errors.
Note: As long as the Channel map has the status In progress it cannot be opened.

Name

The name of the Channel map.
Tip: By clicking on Enable edit mode (edit) you can adjust the name as desired. Afterwards, click Save (save) at the top left.

Marketplace

The marketplace that is linked to the Channel map.
Note: A Channel map can always just be used for one marketplace.

Catalogue type

The catalogue type for which you want to create a Channel map.
Note: You can currently select between the catalogue types Product for product catalogues and Offer for offer catalogues.

Categories

All categories that are included in the Channel map.
Tip: By clicking on Enable edit mode (edit) you can add further categories. Afterwards, click Save (save) at the top left.

Warning

In case mandatory fields are missing for this catalogue, a warning icon (warning) will be displayed in this column. In this case, make sure that all fields required by the marketplace have been mapped.

Connected catalogues

Shows how many catalogues are connected to the Channel map.

1. Creating a Channel map

Create Channel maps and select as many categories as you like. All fields that exist in at least two of the selected categories are identified as common fields and only need to be mapped once. As soon as a Channel map has been created, mappings can be inherited by the category-specific catalogues. Note that a Channel map can always just be created for one marketplace.

Directly connect new catalogues with Channel map

When creating a new catalogue in the Data » Catalogues menu, you can directly select a Channel map from which the mappings should be transferred to the catalogue.
Only one Channel map can be connected per catalogue

While a data field can exist in several Channel maps, only one Channel map at a time can be connected to a catalogue.

Creating a Channel map:

  1. Go to Data » Catalogues.
    → The catalogue overview opens.

  2. In the side navigation on the left, click Channel maps.
    → The Channel maps overview opens.

  3. At the top left, click Create Channel map (add).
    → The Create Channel map window opens.

  4. Carry out the settings. Pay attention to the information given in Section 1.

  5. Click save CREATE CHANNEL MAP.
    → The Channel map is created and added to the overview.

Table 2. Creating a Channel map
Setting Explanation

Name

Enter a name for the Channel map.

Marketplace

Select a marketplace from the drop-down list for which you want to create the Channel map.
Important: Amazon has data fields that are named the same in all sales channels, but whose values differ depending on the country. Therefore, select a country-specific sales channel for Amazon (e.g. Amazon - Germany, Amazon - France). This ensures that country-specific values in the data fields are correctly mapped and transmitted.

Catalogue type

Select the catalogue type from the drop-down list for which you want to create a Channel map.
Note: You can currently select between the catalogue types Product for product catalogues and Offer for offer catalogues.

Categories

Select as many categories as you like, but at least two from the drop-down list for which the Channel map should be used.
Tip: At the top of the drop-down list with the available categories, you can enter the name of the category you’re searching for.
Note: As soon as you have saved categories for a Channel map, they cannot be removed anymore. If you however want to add further categories to the Channel map afterwards, click above the Categories column on Enable edit mode (edit) and save (save) the settings once you’re done.

2. Mapping data fields in a Channel map

Common mappings vs. catalogue-specific mappings

While common mappings appear in several catalogues and are carried out for all of them at once, catalogue-specific mappings are only done for one specific catalogue. In the detail view of a Channel map, you can switch between the two mapping options. The changes will automatically be applied to all catalogues containing the respective mappings.

As soon as you have created a Channel map and the status Active is shown in the overview, you can open the Channel map for further editing. A Channel map identifies all common fields, which are all fields that exist in at least two of the selected categories. The mapping of these fields only needs to be done once and automatically applies to all categories. In order to carry out data field mappings, proceed as follows.

Mapping data fields in a Channel map:

  1. Go to Data » Catalogues.
    → The catalogue overview opens.

  2. In the side navigation on the left, click Channel maps.
    → The Channel maps overview opens.

  3. Click on the Channel map that you want to edit.
    → The detail view of the Channel map opens.

  4. Next to a data field, click Add data source +.

  5. Select the desired data field from the available categories on the left.
    Or: Select an Own value (edit) and enter the respective value.

  6. At the bottom left, click CONFIRM to apply the mappings.

  7. At the top, click Save (save).
    → The changes are saved and all connected catalogues with this mapping are adjusted accordingly.
    Note: A blue dot in the side navigation on the left indicates unsaved changes.

Mapping key as distinctive feature

Via the so-called mapping keys that are available in the tooltip next to the data field names in the mapping, it is possible to differentiate between data fields with the same name. Thus, the individual mapping key shows to which catalogue the data field belongs so the respective mapping can be carried out.
Changes in mapping affect all connected catalogues

If you change mappings in a Channel map, all connected catalogues with this mapping are updated accordingly.

3. Available functions in detail view

In the detail view of a Channel map, further options are available in the toolbar at the top. Learn more about it in the following table.

Table 3. Functions in the detail view
Function Explanation

Save (save)

Saves the changes.
Tip: As soon as you have unsaved changes, a blue dot appears in the side navigation on the left.

Preview (preview)

Creates a preview of the export data. The preview contains the first 5 data rows of the export file. By clicking on Download you can test the export and download the preview.

Live download (play_circle)

Downloads the Channel map’s data in a file. The download starts immediately. The file is automatically saved on your computer when the export is done.

Search (search)

You can search for the names of marketplace data fields and the values that you have selected in marketplace fields with an input field.

Show mandatory fields only (toggle_on)

Use the toggle button in order to decide whether you want to display all fields (toggle_off) or mandatory fields only (toggle_on).

All / Mapped / Unmapped

Select one of the three tabs depending on whether you want to see all fields (default), only mapped fields or only unmapped fields. Note that the tab selection also affects the search.

Channel maps can also directly be added when creating a new catalogue. This allows you to prefill a catalogue with mappings. When creating a new catalogue, a dialogue appears in the second step. Here, you can decide if and how a Channel map should be connected. The three possible scenarios are listed below.

  • Scenario 1: No Channel map exists yet
    Decide whether you want to create a new Channel map or whether the catalogue should be created without connecting a Channel map.

  • Scenario 2: There is no match for the selected category
    Decide whether the selected category should be added to an existing Channel map or whether the catalogue should be created without a connection to a Channel map.

  • Scenario 3: There is a match
    Decide whether the settings (data fields and mappings) should be taken over from an existing Channel map and if so, select a Channel map from the drop-down list, or do not connect any Channel map (if no data fields or mappings exist yet).

Manual mapping required

If there is no match for a selected category, the data field mappings from the Channel map will not be transferred to the catalogue. Here, a manual mapping is required.

5. Adding a Channel map to existing catalogues

In order to save time when mapping data fields, you can also add a Channel map to your existing catalogues. To do so, proceed as follows.

Adding a Channel map to existing catalogues:

  1. Go to Data » Catalogues.
    → The catalogue overview opens.

  2. Click on the catalogue that you want to connect to a Channel map.
    → The Mapping tab of the catalogue opens.

  3. On the left in the side navigation, click on the Settings tab.
    → The settings open.

  4. In the Basic settings section, select the Channel map from the Channel map drop-down list that you want to connect to the catalogue.

  5. Save (save) the settings.
    → The Channel map is connected to the catalogue and the data field mappings are transferred.
    Tip: Via this setting you can also replace the Channel map that is connected to the catalogue at any time. If you do so, the data field mappings will be adjusted again according to the selected Channel map.

6. Remove inherited mapping from catalogue

If a catalogue is connected to a Channel map and there are common fields in the mapping, you can still adjust the mapping for this catalogue and remove the mapping from the Channel map for specific data fields. After the changes, the catalogue is still connected to the Channel map. The changes that have been carried out will only apply to the modified catalogue.

Remove inherited mapping from catalogue:

  1. Go to Data » Catalogues.
    → The catalogue overview opens.

  2. Open the catalogue for which you want to remove the mapping.

  3. Go to the line of the data field for which you want to remove the mapping from the Channel map.
    Note: All common fields that have been transferred from the Channel map show the label Inherited from Channel map at the right of the data field column.

  4. Deactivate (toggle_off) the toggle button Inherited from Channel map in order to remove the mapping that has been transferred from the Channel map.

  5. Carry out a new mapping for the data field.

  6. At the bottom left, click CONFIRM to apply the changes.

  7. At the top, click Save (save).
    → The changes are saved.
    Note: You can reapply the mapping from the Channel map at any time by activating the toggle button Re-inherit from Channel map (dataset_linked) once again.

7. Connecting several catalogues to a Channel map

In the Channel maps overview, you can connect several catalogues to a Channel map at once.
Note: If conflicts between a catalogue value and a Channel map value arise during the mapping process, the catalogue value will automatically be kept.

Connecting several catalogues to a Channel map:

  1. Go to Data » Catalogues.
    → The catalogue overview opens.

  2. In the side navigation on the left, click Channel maps.
    → The Channel maps overview opens.

  3. On the right of the Channel map’s row, click on the further actions menu (more_vert).

  4. Click Connect catalogues (playlist_add).
    → The Connect catalogues window opens.

  5. Select the catalogues that you want to connect to the Channel map.

  6. Click link CONNECT TO CHANNEL MAP.
    → A success message appears.

  7. Click OPEN CHANNEL MAP to review the mappings of the newly connected catalogues.

8. Reviewing mappings of newly connected catalogues

In the Channel map’s overview, all newly connected catalogues will be marked with a blue dot. An additional warning icon indicates that some catalogue values did not match those of the Channel map. To review such mapping conflicts, open the detail view of the catalogue. All fields with conflicts will have the label Review value.
Note: Once you leave this view, the labels will disappear.

Reviewing mappings of newly connected catalogues:

  1. Click on one of the newly connected catalogues.
    → The catalogue-specific mappings open.

  2. For each field with a Review value label, you can either activate the toggle button on the right to inherit the Channel map value or leave the current settings to keep the catalogue value.

  3. Check all fields with a Review value field.
    Tip: For all fields where the Channel map value was inherited, you can deactivate the toggle button to edit the value.

  4. Save (save) the settings.
    → The mappings are saved according to your settings.

9. Deleting a Channel map

A Channel map can only be deleted if no catalogues are connected. As soon as a catalogue uses the Channel map, deleting is not possible. To delete a Channel map, proceed as follows.

Deleting a Channel map:

  1. Go to Data » Catalogues.
    → The catalogue overview opens.

  2. In the side navigation on the left, click Channel maps.
    → The Channel maps overview opens.

  3. On the right in the column of the Channel map that you want to delete, click on the further actions menu (more_vert).

  4. Click Delete (delete).
    Note: If a Channel map is connected to a catalogue, this function is not available.

  5. Confirm the deletion.
    → The Channel map is deleted.