> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://helpcenter.channable.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://helpcenter.channable.com/list-advertise/amazon/list-items-on-amazon/how-to-set-up-parent-child-channels-for-amazon.md).

# How to set up parent/child channels for Amazon

Set up parent and child Amazon channels to list product variations as a single product family.

This article explains how to set up an Amazon channel in Channable to display product variants in a drop-down menu on Amazon and in your Amazon inventory.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you also sell products without variants, or products that already exist in the Amazon catalog, we strongly recommend you send them through a separate (third) **Offer only** channel. See Send items that already exist on Amazon.
{% endhint %}

***

### <i class="fa-memo-circle-check">:memo-circle-check:</i> **Before you start**

**You'll need**

* Valid [EAN/GTINs](/list-advertise/list-on-channels/feeds-troubleshooting/fixing-the-invalid-ean-gtin-issue.md) for your products
* A [Professional Amazon selling account](https://sell.amazon.com/pricing) (Required to sell on Amazon via channels)
* [Permission from Amazon to sell a certain item or category](https://sell.amazon.nl/en/productvermeldingen-guide#step2)

**Good to know**

* [How parent/child channels work](/list-advertise/amazon/list-items-on-amazon/how-to-optimize-your-amazon-channel-for-speed.md)

<details>

<summary>Do all your items have ASINs?</summary>

You can send parent/child items from one channel instead of having to set up two. Follow our [**Offer only** Amazon](/list-advertise/amazon/list-items-on-amazon/how-to-set-up-an-amazon-channel/add-offers-to-products-already-selling-on-amazon.md) guide.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Slower processing times</summary>

Amazon processes data more slowly between 12:00–17:00 UTC. For best results, change your [schedule settings](/list-advertise/amazon/list-items-on-amazon/how-to-optimize-your-amazon-channel-for-speed.md) to run your channel outside this window. Runs that take longer than 2 hours will auto-stop and need to be restarted.

</details>

* Channable doesn't decide automatically which channel an item belongs in. When new items appear in your import, they go to every channel whose rules they match.
  * To make sure new and existing items always end up in the right channel, base your rules on a field in your data, such as an `ASIN` field.
* We refer to product identifiers as `IDs` and `Item group IDs`. These correspond to `SKU` and `Parent SKU` in Amazon's terminology.
* **Selling in multiple countries?** You’ll need to create a parent and child channel for each country.
* If your product isn’t already in the Amazon catalog, you must [create a new product listing to add it](/list-advertise/amazon/list-items-on-amazon/how-to-set-up-an-amazon-channel/create-or-manage-listings-on-amazon.md).

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

## **Set up a Parent channel**

The “Parent” product is the primary product to which child products (variations) belong. Follow the steps below to set up parent products.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### **Create your Parent channel**

1. Go to **Channels**, click **+ Create channel** and select Amazon V2.
2. Set up your channel settings:
   * For **Name**, choose a name for your channel (e.g. Parent UK).
   * For **Unique ID per item**, select the field to pull your product's group ID data (often item\_group\_id or parent\_id). This will be used as the Seller SKU for the parent in Amazon.
   * For **Amazon Country**, select the country to advertise your listings.
   * For **Listing requirement level**, select **Product only**.
   * For **Amazon error language**, select the language you’d like to receive error messages in.
3. Click **Continue**.
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### **Categorize your products**

1. Go to the **Categories** step.
2. Categorize your items.

{% hint style="warning" %}

#### **Important**

AI Categorization can’t always categorize all of your products. If this happens, you’ll need to manually categorize remaining products.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Create rules

You need to group your items so only the parent products remain. To do this, your child products (variants of the main product) must include a field that ties them to the parent (e.g. `item_group_id`).

{% hint style="info" %}
If your import doesn't have a suitable field for grouping, you'll need to [group your items yourself](/list-advertise/sell-on-marketplaces/get-started-with-marketplaces/marketplaces-rules-step.md) using a rule and [create a new field](/list-advertise/list-on-channels/fill-missing-attribute-data.md) to group them.
{% endhint %}

1. Go to the **Rules** step in your Parent channel.
2. Click the ‘+’ icon to create a new rule. Name it “Group items”. Define a rule that groups items by the `item_group_id` (take `item_group_id` and `group items`).
3. Click **Save rule**.

After this rule, you should have only one Parent item per group of variant products.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Map product attributes

1. In your parent Amazon channel, navigate to the **Build** step.
2. In the **Shared attributes** tab, make sure all fields are empty and unmapped. If a field is mapped, click **Delete** to remove it.
3. Click **Save**.
4. Go to the **Attributes per category** tab and select a category.
5. Scroll to the **Variation theme** section:
   * For **Parentage level,** select **Supported values** and choose **Parent**.
   * For **Variation Theme**, click **+ Add**, select **Supported values** and select the theme for your variants (common choices: COLOR, SIZE, SIZE/COLOR).
6. If you set your **Listing requirement level** to **Offer and Product** in your channel settings, in the **Offer** section set **Skip offer** to the supported value **True** (dropdown > **Supported values** > **True**).
7. Fill in any remaining attributes marked as required by Amazon (mandatory attributes are shown in blue).
8. Click **Save**.
9. Repeat these steps for each category.
10. Go to the **Quality** step and review and resolve any items flagged with errors.
    {% endstep %}
    {% endstepper %}
    {% endstep %}

{% step %}

## **Set up a child/variant channel**

Child products are the variations (different color, size, etc.) of a parent product. Follow the steps below to set up your child products.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### **Create your child channel**

1. Select **+ Create channel** (or the appropriate option) and choose Amazon V2 for the child channel.
2. For **Name**, choose a channel name (e.g. Child UK).
3. For **Unique ID per item**, select the id field to pull your product's ID data (often `id`). This functions as the unique SKU for your variants.
4. For **Amazon Country**, select the country to advertise your listings.
5. For **Listing requirement level,** select **Offer and product**.
6. Click **Continue**.
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### **Categorize your products**

1. In your child channel, go to the Categories step.
2. [Copy your categories](/manage-improve-product-data/categorize-products/manual-categorization/copy-categories-from-another-channel.md) from your Parent channel.
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### **Create rules to enrich, filter, and refine product data**

When your product data is incomplete or doesn’t match Amazon’s required format, you can use [rules](/manage-improve-product-data/rules-bulk-edit-and-enrich/rules-in-channable.md) to improve it.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### **Map shared attributes**

1. In your child channel, go to the **Build** step.
2. In the **Shared attributes** tab, map all mandatory fields to appropriate fields from your data.
3. In the **Shipping** section, map the **Item Package Dimensions** and **Package Weight** attributes.
4. To set up offers for all Amazon customers, map attributes in the **Purchasable offer** (Standard) section. Click **+ Add** to view and map attributes related to **Offer information** and **Discount price**.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you use our [Repricer](/list-advertise/repricer/repricers-in-channable.md), the repricer only reprices the Standard offer.
{% endhint %}

5. To set up exclusive offers for registered Amazon Business (B2B) accounts, map attributes in the **Purchasable offer** (Business price) section.
   1. Click **+ Add** to view and map attributes related to offer information, and **+ Discount** to add discount details.
6. Click **Save**.
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}

### **Map category attributes**

1. Go to the **Attributes per category** tab and select your category.
2. Scroll to the **Variation theme** section.
3. At **Child Parent Sku Relationship**, click **+ Add** and set:
   * **Child Relationship Type:** **Supported values** > **Variation**
   * **Parent SKU:** select `item_group_id`
   * **Parentage level:** **Supported values** > **Child**
   * **Variation Theme:** **+ Add** > **Supported values** and choose the theme (COLOR, SIZE, SIZE/COLOR, etc.)
4. Click **Save**.
5. Repeat for each category.
6. Go to the **Quality** step and review and resolve items flagged with errors.

{% hint style="warning" %}

#### **Important**

The variation theme you choose determines which attributes you must fill for your variants. For example, the **SIZE** theme requires filling `size` and often `size_map` .
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}

#### **Note**

Some attributes are mandatory by default according to Amazon documentation and may not make sense for your category. You can leave these fields empty when setting up your channel.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## **Send items that already exist on Amazon**

If your import contains a mix of new items and items that Amazon already knows (items with an ASIN), you need to tell Channable how to handle the existing items. This also applies to items you add to your import later.

You can do this in two ways:

* **Set up a separate Offer only channel (recommended).** This keeps new and existing items fully separate, which makes errors easier to find and fix.
* **Send existing items through your child channel as offers.** Use this if you'd rather not manage a third channel.

<details>

<summary><strong>Option 1: Set up a separate Offer only channel</strong></summary>

#### **Create the Offer only channel**

1. Go to **Channels**, click **+ Create channel** and select Amazon V2.
2. For **Listing requirement level**, select **Offer only**.
3. Follow our [standard Amazon setup](http:///list-advertise/amazon/list-items-on-amazon/how-to-set-up-an-amazon-channel.md#create-your-amazon-channel) to finish the channel.

#### **Include only existing items**

1. In your Offer only channel, go to the **Rules** step.
2. Create a rule that excludes items where your ASIN field is empty.
3. Click **Save rule**.

#### **Exclude existing items from your parent and child channels**

1. In your parent channel, go to the **Rules** step.
2. Create a rule that excludes items where your ASIN field isn't empty.
3. Click **Save rule**.
4. Repeat these steps in your child channel.

New items you add to your import later are sorted by these rules on every run, so you don't need to update your setup each time.

</details>

<details>

<summary><strong>Option 2: Send existing items through your child channel</strong></summary>

1. In your child channel, go to the **Build** step.
2. Map the **Merchant Suggested ASIN** attribute to your ASIN field.
3. Click **Save**.
4. Go to the **Rules** step.
5. Create a rule: if your ASIN field isn't empty, set `internal_category` to `PRODUCT`.
6. Click **Save rule**.

Your child channel now sends these items to Amazon as offers only.

</details>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## **Activate and check for errors**

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### **Activate your channels**

{% hint style="info" %}

#### Amazon processes data more slowly between 12:00–17:00 UTC

For best results, change your schedule settings to run your channel outside this window. Runs that take longer than 2 hours will auto-stop and need to be restarted.
{% endhint %}

1. Click **Channel** to return to your channel overview page.
2. Select the **Settings** step in your parent channel.
3. Click **Activate API** > **Save**.
4. Click X to return to your Channel overview page.
5. Click **Run now** to send your product listings to Amazon.
6. Once your parent channel has run, check your Amazon Seller account to see if your parent products are visible. If they’re not, follow our troubleshooting guide.
7. In Channable, click **Channels** and select the **Settings** step in the **Edit** column of your child channel.
8. Click **Run now** to send your child product listings to Amazon.

Your Amazon seller account should show the parent/variant setup once processed.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### **Review and fix listing errors**

Amazon enforces strict data requirements. The **Result** step displays your current listing status and feedback you can use to resolve any open issues.

Steps to review and resolve:

1. Open your **Parent** channel and go to the **Result** step.

{% hint style="warning" %}

#### **Important**

Items in your parent channel show as **Offline** and **Incomplete** in your Overview.
{% endhint %}

This is because in a parent/child setup, Amazon receives the offer data (price, stock) required to list items from your **child** channel.

2. Use the **All** dropdown to focus your checks:
   * [**Online listings**](#user-content-fn-1)[^1]
   * [**Offline listings**](#user-content-fn-2)[^2]
   * [**No match found**](#user-content-fn-3)[^3]
   * [**Offline** and **Incomplete**](#user-content-fn-4)[^4]
3. Fix **submission errors** first:
   1. Click the red error code in **Description**.
   2. Click **Go to attribute**.
   3. Update the mapping or select a supported value.
   4. Click **Save**.
4. Click **Run now** to resend your products to Amazon.
5. Repeat steps 1–4 in your **Child** channel. Most listing blockers appear there.

{% hint style="info" %}

#### **Additional notes**

* Amazon needs time to process and list your products. Typically listings are live within 3 to 5 hours, depending on volume.
* You can perform a **Dry run** to see which listings would be live; resolve as many submission errors as possible before doing this.
  {% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}

#### **Important**

Some listing state errors are caused by older versions of the Amazon API (V1) and currently can’t be resolved with standard use of the API on the latest version (V2). Amazon is aware and is working on a fix.

**What you can do for now:**

* Delete listings with the error by removing their SKUs from your channel.
* Wait 24 hours, then resubmit the listing.
  {% endhint %}

[Fill missing attribute data](/list-advertise/list-on-channels/fill-missing-attribute-data.md)
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

[^1]: Listed successfully on Amazon

[^2]: Usually stock or offer issues *(only relevant for child channels)*

[^3]: Amazon can’t find the product in its catalog

[^4]: Expected in Parent channels


---

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