Import for Shopify

Import or synchronization?

For Shopify, an import is an inbound synchronization. Nifelo retrieves current catalog data through the secured Shopify API and turns it into Smart Products. The interface calls this Start Import because Shopify is one of several source types. During this step the direction is always Shopify → Nifelo.

A Shopify import never writes back to Shopify. Writing back only happens through a separately configured sales channel or explicit export.

Requirements and retrieved data

Verify that the Shopify connection is authorized, product access is available, the correct store is linked and the product limit is sufficient. If authorization or required scopes are missing, Nifelo stops before accepting an incomplete store snapshot.

Nifelo reads paginated products and completes them with their variants, media and supported metadata. Core fields use the centrally managed Shopify catalog contract, including title, description, SKU, barcode, price, availability, stock, images, brand and product type. Dynamic options and metadata only become Smart Fields after recognition and approval.

Simple products and variants

Shopify technically always has a variant. A product with only its default variant becomes one Smart Product. A genuinely configurable product becomes one Smart Product per sellable variant, linked to the same parent. Smart Product counts can therefore exceed the number of Shopify parent products.

Smart Update synchronization

New products and variants are added, changed values are updated, unchanged items are skipped, Smart Rules run again and protected Nifelo enrichments remain available.

Which value wins?

Shopify supplies the store snapshot, but it does not automatically own every effective value in Nifelo. Ownership is tracked per Smart Field.

AI protection

Successful AI enrichment, AI super extraction and content optimization are not replaced by a later Shopify import. An older Shopify title or description therefore cannot silently remove the improved Nifelo version. Failed AI processing is not protected.

Customer changes

A real customer edit receives customer ownership. Many commercial and content fields use local until successfully exported, including title, description, SKU, barcode, price, sale price, brand, product type, tags and several shipping fields. The local value survives new imports until that exact change has been exported successfully. After success, source ownership may return. This prevents lost work and import-export loops.

Quantity has a separate local policy once the customer takes ownership and uses the specialized inventory export path.

Shopify-owned fields

Technical or current store-state fields remain source-owned, such as external Shopify identities, product/variant grouping, currency, current availability, links, primary images and certain Shopify category or option fields. A local edit to such a field may be replaced during the next synchronization so Nifelo continues to represent Shopify's real state.

Rules and mixed ownership

Rules run on current source data but do not override protected AI or customer values. One product may therefore have an AI-owned title, customer-owned price and Shopify-owned availability at the same time. This field-level model protects AI credits without freezing the whole product.

Products no longer present in Shopify

Only after a complete snapshot without technical row failures may Nifelo deactivate Smart Products that no longer occur in Shopify. An interrupted or incomplete run cannot trigger mass deactivation.

Understand the status

Successfully imported includes technically processed items even when they have quality findings. Not imported only counts technical failures. Total source rows represent sellable items in the run; active Smart Products represent the current items in Nifelo.

A field can be correctly mapped but empty for some variants. Open Coverage & analysis to distinguish mapping status from filled coverage and quality.

Recommended workflow

1. Check the Shopify connection.
2. Start the import.
3. Confirm that Not imported is zero.
4. Compare counts with Shopify's variant structure.
5. Review Coverage & analysis.
6. Resolve data findings without unnecessary reimports.
7. Use a sales channel when values must be written back to Shopify.