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
Follow these steps to set up your channel:
1. Categorize your products
To set up your product data, assign categories to your products.
- AI product categorization: Automatically assigns product categories through our algorithm.
- Manual Categorization: Manually assign product categories with custom rules. You can create detailed filters to map each product to the correct category.
- Uncategorized Items: Products that still need to be reviewed and categorized
2. Set up rules
Rules help you quickly optimize your product data for the marketplace you want to sell on.
- Rule templates: Commonly used rules you can adjust for your use case.
- Rules setup: Set up rules to refine your product data. This can include filtering, modifying, or enhancing data fields to meet marketplace requirements.
3. Build your listings
The Build step is where you configure your product listings to match marketplace requirements. It’s an essential step for getting your products live and avoiding errors.
Mandatory and optional fields:
- Mandatory fields : Required to list your products on this marketplace
- Recommended : Recommended to avoid errors
- Optional : Not required to list
Shared attributes
Shared attributes are the common fields that apply across your products, such as EAN, prices, and titles. This step ensures uniformity in basic product information across your listings.
-
Use static or dynamic Values:
- Static values: Fixed values that don’t change (e.g. brand name, manufacturer)
- Dynamic values: Fields that automatically change based on the linked data (e.g. stock, prices)
Category-specific attributes
Category-specific attributes fields that specifically apply to the category for your products .This step helps in fine-tune your listings to meet category requirements for your marketplace.
Fill in attributes that are specific to the selected category (e.g. such size for clothing or dimensions for furniture.)
Learn more about the Build step for marketplaces
4. Check the quality of your set up
The Quality step provides feedback on your channel before you activate it. It highlights mandatory and optional errors to ensure your product data meets requirements to list on the marketplace.
- Solve errors, prioritizing mandatory errors first.
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. Directs to the Settings step.
5. Preview before activating
The Preview step displays the attributes you mapped in the Build step, helping you check if everything is configured correctly by providing an overview of your products and potential errors.
Filtering:
- Filter by error: Click the All dropdown and select if you would like to filter to display only products with errors, or products with a specific error.
- Filter by category: Click the All categories dropdown and select the category you want to filter by.
Before you continue:
- 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.
Additional information for Zalando
-
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:
-
-
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.
-
EANs are required.
-
Images must be submitted in separate fields.
You can find more information about the product structure in Zalando here.
-
-
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.