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Table of contents
- Preparation
- Create a Zalando API connection
- Create the Zalando API
- Create your product listings
- Zalando Order Connection
- Getting everything approved on Zalando & Go Live!
Preparation
Before setting up the Zalando API in Channable, you must ensure that you meet all the necessary requirements. The list below outlines the requirements for using the Zalando API in Channable, which are further explained in this article.
- Approved to sell on Zalando's Partner Program using Channable
- Passed brand readiness stage
- Have access to a zDirect account
- Be able to use our order connection because Zalando does not offer an interface to handle orders.
- You are aware of the requirements to get items approved on Zalando, for example the images and order fulfillment documents.
Step 1: Create a Zalando API connection
To make a connection, you need to invite Channable as an External Technical Organization by using zDirect. To do this, please email our support department. Upon contact, you will receive an invitation link. After sending the invitation, please respond to the email thread to confirm. We will then accept the invitation and set up the Zalando connection.
Step 2: Create the Zalando API
Once you receive an email from us that your connection is ready, you can proceed to create a new Zalando API in Channable. Go to Channable, open your project, and go to APIs > Add new API. A new screen will open where you can select the Zalando connection. When you have selected the connection, you will see a screen (see image below) where you can fill in a name for the API and select the right region.
Step 3: Create your product listings
To set up your API, follow the steps outlined below. Click on each step to expand and view the detailed instructions, which will guide you through the entire process.
1. Categorization
For your product data to be created, your products need a category. Add categories to your products by using the generate categories feature, or create new categories from scratch.
- Smart Categorization: This feature automatically assigns categories to your products based on predefined criteria, simplifying the categorization process.
- Manual Categorization: Manually assign categories to your products by setting specific rules. You can create detailed filters to map each product to the correct category.
- Uncategorized Items: Review and categorize any items that remain uncategorized to ensure all products are properly organized.
2. Rules
Create different rules to optimize your product data. For examples, refer to our common rules support article for guidance.
- Rules Setup: Set up various rules to refine your product data. This can include filtering, modifying, or enhancing data fields to meet marketplace requirements.
3. Build step
The Build step in Channable allows you to configure all necessary attributes for your items, ensuring your product data aligns with marketplace requirements. This step is crucial for successful product listings and avoiding errors.
3.1 Overview
- Access the Build step: Start by accessing the centralized interface of the Build step. This is where you will manage and map all product attributes.
- Identify mandatory and optional Fields: Mandatory fields are highlighted in pink, indicating they are essential for listing your products. Optional fields are marked in orange and can be filled based on specific needs.
3.2 Populate Shared Attributes
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Fill Shared Attributes: Enter common details that apply to all products, such as EAN, prices, and titles. This step ensures uniformity in basic product information across your listings.
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Use static or dynamic Values:
- Static Values: Directly input values that remain constant, like brand name or manufacturer.
- Dynamic Values: Utilize fields that automatically update based on linked data, ideal for variables like stock levels or prices.
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Use static or dynamic Values:
After you have filled in the desired values for the Shared attributes, continue to the Category specific attributes below.
3.3 Specify Category-Specific Attributes
- Select product category: Choose the relevant category for your product, such as clothing or furniture.
- Input Category - specific attributes: Fill in attributes that are specific to the selected category, such as size for clothing or dimensions for furniture. This step helps in fine-tuning your listings according to category requirements. Here you can again use static or dynamic values.
4. Quality step
The quality step provides instant feedback on setup quality, highlighting mandatory and optional errors to ensure your product data meets the marketplaces' standards.
Actions
- View items: See products with specific issues.
- View in build: Redirects to the build step to map missing information.
- Set categories: Directs to the categories step to categorize items.
- Show source: Available for ID fields, directing to the settings step.
5. Preview step
The preview step displays mapped attributes for multiple items, highlighting errors before exporting to the marketplace.
Features
- Search & filter: Find specific products or filter by error message/category.
- Item overview: Shows all items to be exported; it can filter to show only items with errors.
- Detailed product preview: Displays missing information and dynamic actions to correct errors.
Checklist for finalizing attributes
- Review shared attributes: Ensure all mandatory shared attributes are filled.
- Review category-specific attributes: Ensure all mandatory category-specific attributes are filled.
- Check for errors: Correct any red-marked fields.
6. Result step
The result tab provides an overview of your API setup outcomes, including successful uploads, errors, and a preview of the products to be listed. This tab ensures your product data is correctly processed and identifies any issues that need resolution.
- Overview: The result tab shows the status of your product listings, highlighting errors and issues for detailed insights.
- Preview products: Displays an overview of products to be sent to the marketplace, allowing verification of correctly filled attributes.
- Successful: Lists products successfully processed and ready for listing, confirming compliance with marketplace requirements.
- Errors: Identifies errors during processing, providing detailed information to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
Optional tabs like repricer errors, repricer event history, stock updates, and fulfillment updates appear only if relevant to the API you are using. Click here to read more about the Result step.
Additional information for Zalando
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Categories
Categories are mandatory for Zalando. Setup Zalando categories for your products by using the generate categories feature, or create new categories from scratch. Zalando gives you specific categories in which you are allowed to sell during the Brand Readiness phase. Currently, all Zalando categories are visible in the category section. Even though all categories are visible in the Channable API, it does not mean you are still allowed to sell in every category. To avoid errors, we advise you to only select the categories where you are allowed to sell according to Zalando. -
Shared attributes tab
For Zalando specifically, there are a few things to consider when filling out the templates:
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Item group ID + Item subgroup ID + EAN determine the product structure. It's important that these are filled in correctly and that use the same IDs and product structure you currently use.
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EANs are required.
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Images must be submitted in separate fields.
You can find more information about the product structure in Zalando here.
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Attributes per category
The Attributes per category section in the Zalando API is a little different than you're normally used to from us. The Zalando attribute values consist of a code and a more human-readable label. Unfortunately, we can’t reliably use the label in the attribute builder. Therefore, we decided to only work with codes. We show a list of possible values, and you have to fill in one of these codes. These codes are usually not really meaningful (e.g., the code '302' maps to 'red'). To help you set up the attributes correctly, we can provide you with a specific CSV with all the allowed values and their codes. Please contact our support department to provide you with the CSV.
Step 4: Zalando Order connection
As described earlier, it is necessary for Zalando to set up an order connection. To set up the order connection, please contact our support department. More information about Zalando orders can be found in this article.
Step 5: Getting everything approved on Zalando & Go live!
Go to the Results step of your API to check the products that are about to be sent to your Zalando account. It is recommended to ensure that the API is as complete as possible before running it for the first time, as Zalando conducts a manual check on product content. If everything looks right, go to the Settings step of your API and activate the API. When the order connection is set up and the API is fully configured with your product information, Zalando will review your product information and order handling. Please contact Zalando to review this. The article onboarding has several stages, you can follow the Article Status Overview module within zDirect. You can find more information about the different stages here.
When Zalando has given their approval, they will remove a so-called 'Merchant block' in the API and your products will go live on Zalando. Going live will always be in consultation with you and Zalando.