Combine multiple imports

Merge product data from multiple sources into one Channable import.

If your product data is not all in one place, you can improve or add to your product data in Channable by combining data from different sources.

What you can do with combined imports:

• Add new products: Add products that are not in your original import feed.
• Enrich product data: Add information such as EAN numbers to your existing products.
• Add the same information to all products: Add information to all products in a new field.

Before you start

• Order of imports: the sequence of imports matters. The first import determines which items are imported. Subsequent imports combine fields where matches are found, but any IDs not present in the first import are ignored.
• Field name consistency: Keep field names consistent within each of your import files. If you don't do this, you might hit a "name already exists" error message when you try to map a field from your second import file.
• Case sensitivity: When combining on fields, the values must match exactly (case-sensitive). This means if one import has “SKU123” and another has “sku123”, they will not be considered the same value.
• Field overwriting: Mapping to a field already filled by the first import will overwrite its data.

  • Solution 1: For different titles or prices for marketplaces, use unique field names (e.g., title_amazon, title_ebay).
  • Solution 2: To manage different language translations, rename fields or create new fields for each language to keep the original and allow multiple translations to be imported (e.g., title_en, description_en, title_nl, description_nl).

Tip: In Channable, click See visualization at each merge option to see a visual explanation of how your import data will be affected.

Example: Import 1 has link, import 2 has blog_link

You want to combine on the URL.

• Import 1 has a column header link.
• Import 2 has a column header blog_link.

To combine on field, both imports must end up using the same project field:

1. In import 2, change the column header from blog_link to link (in the file).
2. Re-import. Channable will auto-map it to the existing link project field.
3. Pick Combine on field and select link.

1

Go to [your project] > Setup > Import and click + Combine imports.

2

Your data source and Import settings

Select your import data type, complete the import file information and click Run import.

3

Import mapping

This page displays fields retrieved from your data feed (e.g. price, description, title).

• Imported data field: Fields from your import data.
• Project field: Corresponding project fields in Channable. Our system will automatically detect and link most fields to standardized fields.

Match (map) your imported fields to a corresponding project field. Channable does most mapping automatically, but it's important to review and adjust before importing.

4

Choose merge options

At Merge settings, select one of the merge options based on the outcome you want for your data. You can click View visualization for more information and you can view the options table for descriptions and examples.

5

Save & import

Click Save & Import to complete the process.

Options to combine imports

Merge option	Description	Example
Add as new items	Adds new items from the new import as distinct, separate entries.	If you have products “A” and “B” in the first import and “B” and “D” in the new import, both versions of “B” are added separately, along with “A” and “D”.
Combine on field	Combines items that match a specific field value (e.g., ID to ID). For the merge to work, the field name in both imports must match exactly. If your sources use different column names, rename the column to match the name in the original import. When a match is found, values from the new import overwrite those in the existing one, and any new fields are automatically added.	If both imports have product “B” with the same ID, the fields from the second import overwrite those from the first.
Item enrichment	Adds extra information from the new import to all items from the first import without creating new items.	If you import a field called “URL_1” and you have “A”, “B”, “C” from the first import, all three get “URL_1” regardless of whether they initially had it.
Insert or merge	Merges new data from the second import with data from the first, retaining all unique information.	If both imports contain product “B”, the result will include all unique fields from both imports. Product “D” is added as a new item if it's only in the second.
Insert or replace	Replaces fields from the first import with those from the second if items match. Removes extra fields from the first import that aren't in the second.	Product “B” from the first import will be replaced with “B” from the second. Product “D” from the second import will be added as a new item, while “A” and “C” remain unchanged.

Adjust the order of your imports

You can reorder your imports by dragging and dropping them.