Setting up an OTTO API

Table of contents

• Preparation
• Step 1: Create a new connection
• Step 2: Create the API
• Step 3: Create your product listings
• GPSR and DSA requirements
• Step 4: Send your product listings to OTTO
• Step 5: Check your product listings for errors

Preparation

• If you are new to OTTO then you will first have to go through an onboarding / registration process. You can read more about this process here. 
• OTTO has a couple of requirements for partners interested in selling on their marketplace, which you can find here. We recommend reading these thoroughly before setting up the OTTO API. If you meet these requirements and you have registered for an OTTO Partner Connect account, we can start setting up the API!
• If you want to make use of an order connection for the OTTO marketplace, we highly recommend you read our article on how to set up an order connection for OTTO. 
• Pay attention! Our API removes all existing listings in your OTTO seller account when the API pushes for the first time.

Step 1: Creating a new connection

Go to APIs > Add new API.  A new screen will open with the API settings where you can click on the "+ Add new connection" button. 

You will be forwarded to an overview where you will see the OTTO OAuth connection.

Click on the button 'Connect with OTTO OAuth'. Once you've clicked on this button, you will be directed to OTTO's environment where you will be able to log in to your OTTO account.

After authorizing, you will be redirected to Channable to confirm and name the connection. We recommend giving it a recognizable name to easily identify the connection. 

Step 2: Create the API

Now you can start creating your product listings. Choose your new connection with OTTO and continue setting up your API.

1. Configure API settings:
   • Name your API
   • Choose the unique ID per item. (we recommend the 'id' field)
     
     
2. Create API: Click on "Continue" to create the new OTTO API.

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

2. Rules

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

1. 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.
2. 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

1. 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.
   • 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.

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

1. Select product category: Choose the relevant category for your product, such as clothing or furniture.
2. 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.

Click here to read more about the Build step.

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.

Click here to read more about the Quality 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.

Click here to read more about the Preview step.

6. Result step

GPSR and DSA requirements

The European Union (EU) has introduced new GPSR and DSA requirements for online platforms, including marketplaces. 

For your OTTO API in Channable, make sure to fill in these sections in the Shared attributes tab of the Build step:

Product safety (manufacturer information)

At ‘Product safety (manufacturer information)’, you need add the following information: 

• Manufacturer or importer: Enter the company name of the manufacturer or importer.
• Address: Provide the complete address, including: Street name and number, Postal code, City Country. Make sure to use commas to separate the address elements, and do not include any extra formatting or line breaks.
• Region: Enter the single country code of the European Economic Area (EEA) members (for example, “NL”, “DE”). 
• Email: Enter the email address of the manufacturer or importer.
• Url: Enter a URL of the manufacturer’s or importer's contact information. This is mandatory if no email is provided.
• Phone number: Provide a valid phone number for the manufacturer or importer.

Additional images

At ‘Additional images’ in the ‘Images’ section, you need to add a field that contains an image URL with the product’s safety information. For example, the image URL could contain an image of the product’s safety datasheet or warning label (see the available options at ‘Type’). 

Additional requirements for OTTO

• Product Reference: The product reference in the Build-step groups all variations that you want to combine into one product. This is not visible to your customers. The product reference can be freely assigned and may consist of a maximum of 50 characters. OTTO then recognizes which products have the same product reference and automatically makes variants out of, (e.g. different sizes, colors, etc.) You can define what distinguishes the variants in the Build step of the OTTO API in Channable.
• MOIN: After products are created, OTTO assigns a MOIN (My OTTO Integration Number) to a product. This is a unique identifier used solely on OTTO. If you upload product information for a product that already exists on OTTO, OTTO will show an error stating that the existing product information has to be used. To accept the use of this existing product information, set the field “Accept MOIN suggestion” to “True”. If you do not want to accept the product information suggested by OTTO, reach out to OTTO Partner Help

Step 4: Send your product listings to OTTO

Almost there, your product listings are ready to be sent. If you have not activated your project, go to your project settings on the left-hand side of the screen and click "Activate project". 

After, go back to the APIs overview and go to [Your OTTO API] > Settings, where you activate the API by clicking "Activate API".

Once you have activated the API, navigate back to the API overview and click on the blue "Run now" button to send your product listings to OTTO.

Important Notes:

• Existing listings removal: The first time you use our API to push products, all existing listings in your OTTO seller account will be removed.
• Display restriction: If this is your first time selling on OTTO, you may encounter a Display Restriction. Follow the guidelines provided here to resolve this issue based on your onboarding status.
• Verification of success: A 'Successful' status in the Results tab indicates that your products have been successfully sent to OTTO's staging area for products ("Produktübersicht" in your OTTO GUI). Note that this does not guarantee immediate visibility on OTTO or absence of data submission errors or warnings.
• Processing time: It takes at least 24 hours for your products and images to be processed by OTTO. If processing takes longer, consider contacting OTTO Seller Help after a few days.

Step 5: Check your product listings for errors

If you have sent your product listings to OTTO, go to the Preview tab of your OTTO API then set the filter to 'error' to see which product listings have errors and are not placed. Click on a specific error to see more information on what is causing the error.