How to Use This Glossary
Merchkit's product ecosystem includes several interconnected concepts. When you're learning the platform or troubleshooting an issue, you may encounter unfamiliar terminology. This glossary provides:
- Core Term Definitions — What each term means and how it's used in Merchkit
- UI Location — Where to find this term or feature in the application
- Related Articles — Links to the main help article covering this topic
- Synonym Mappings — Common alternate names for the same concept (critical for searching)
Pro Tip: If you search for a term and don't immediately find what you're looking for, check the Synonym Quick-Reference at the end of this article—your term might be listed under a different name.
Core Terms (Alphabetical)
Acceptable Values
Definition: A comma-separated constraint list that restricts AI-generated values to a specific set of options you define. When you set acceptable values on an attribute, the AI will only return values from that list, preventing out-of-spec content generation.
UI Location: Workspace → Attributes → [Attribute Name] → Acceptable Values field
Related Article: Working with Attributes
Attributes
Definition: Columns in your product table that store product information (e.g., "Title", "Description", "Price"). Attributes are the core units of product data. Each attribute has a field type, AI toggle to enable/disable generation, a prompt that instructs the AI what to generate, and optional constraints like acceptable values or required dependencies.
UI Location: Products → [Grid View] (every column is an attribute); Workspace → Attributes (attribute management)
Related Article: Working with Attributes
Categories
Definition: A taxonomy for organizing products into logical groups (e.g., "Sofas", "Rugs", "Lighting"). Categories help structure your catalog and can be required by certain channels during export (e.g., Wayfair requires category assignments). Categories can have their own attributes to hold category-specific metadata.
UI Location: Products → Products Sidebar → Categories; Workspace → Categories
Related Article: Creating and Managing Categories
Channels
Definition: Sales channels where Merchkit generates optimized, platform-specific content. Channels include Wayfair, Walmart, Amazon, Google Merchant, ChatGPT/GEO, Houzz, Mirakl, and others. Each channel has a dedicated grid view with pre-loaded attribute templates reflecting that channel's requirements and best practices.
UI Location: Top navigation → [Channel Name] (e.g., "Walmart", "Amazon")
Related Article: Working with Channels
CSV Import
Definition: A 3-step workflow for bulk-uploading product data from a spreadsheet into Merchkit. Steps: (1) Choose file, (2) Preview the data, (3) Map columns to Merchkit attributes. Accessible via the Import dropdown in the Products toolbar.
UI Location: Products → Import → CSV Import
Related Article: Importing Products via CSV
Enrichment / Generate
Definition: The AI process of automatically filling in product attribute values. Triggered by clicking the Generate button in the action bar. Two modes: "Generate Empty Attributes Only" (fills only blank fields; keyboard shortcut ⌘↵) and "Generate All Attributes" (regenerates all values). The AI reads product data, sources, and your attribute prompt to produce output.
UI Location: Products → [Select product(s)] → Action Bar → Generate
Related Article: Enriching Products with AI
Field Mapping
Definition: The configuration step that connects external platform fields to Merchkit attributes when importing or exporting data via an integration. Import Mapping defines which platform fields map to which Merchkit attributes (platform → Merchkit). Export Mapping does the reverse (Merchkit → platform). Configured in the Integrations modal.
UI Location: Workspace → Integrations → [Integration Name] → Field Mapping tabs
Related Article: Setting Up Integrations
Field Types
Definition: The data format of an attribute. Merchkit supports: Single Line Text, Number, Image (uses Nano Banana model), Formula (supports 30 functions), Reference Lookup (links to vendor or category data), Collection Reference (links to multiple records), and Record Reference (links to a single record).
UI Location: Workspace → Attributes → [Attribute Name] → Field Type dropdown
Related Article: Working with Attributes
Formula
Definition: A field type that computes values based on other attributes using 30 built-in functions (e.g., CONCATENATE, IF, LENGTH, ROUND). Formulas are read-only and automatically recalculate when referenced attributes change.
UI Location: Workspace → Attributes → [Attribute Name] → Field Type: Formula
Related Article: Using Formulas
Integrations
Definition: Data pipelines that connect Merchkit to external platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, Salsify, Akeneo, WooCommerce, Walmart, and Wayfair. Integrations enable import (platform → Merchkit) and export (Merchkit → platform) with field mapping. Important: Integrations are NOT the same as Channels.
UI Location: Workspace → Integrations
Related Article: Setting Up Integrations
Insert Value / {{ }} Tags
Definition: A syntax for referencing other attribute values within an attribute's prompt. When you type @ or click the "Insert Value" button, you can select an attribute to dynamically reference. The prompt will use {{ attribute_name }} syntax to substitute the actual value at generation time.
UI Location: Workspace → Attributes → [Attribute Name] → Prompt field → Insert Value button
Related Article: Working with Attributes
Products
Definition: Individual items in your catalog, each uniquely identified by an SKU. Products can have parent-child relationships: a parent product (e.g., "Sofa Model X") can have multiple variants (children) for different sizes or colors. Each product is a row in the Products grid and contains values for every attribute.
UI Location: Products → Products Grid
Related Article: Managing Your Product Catalog
Reference Lookup
Definition: A field type that creates a link from a product to data stored elsewhere—typically vendor or category attributes. Unlike a simple text field, a Reference Lookup pulls in external data (e.g., a vendor's pricing policy) and can be used in formulas and prompts.
UI Location: Workspace → Attributes → [Attribute Name] → Field Type: Reference Lookup
Related Article: Working with Attributes
Required Values
Definition: A dependency gate that specifies one or more attributes that must have values before a dependent attribute's AI generation can run. For example, you might require "Brand" to be filled in before generating "SEO Title". This ensures AI generation has sufficient context.
UI Location: Workspace → Attributes → [Attribute Name] → Required Values field
Related Article: Working with Attributes
Sources
Definition: Per-product reference material (URLs, plain text, or documents up to 25MB) that the AI reads during content generation/enrichment. Sources are NOT the same as imported product data from integrations or CSV files. They provide context to inform AI-generated outputs.
UI Location: Products → [Product Detail] → Sources tab
Related Article: Adding Sources for Better AI Generation
Vendors
Definition: Suppliers or manufacturers linked to products. Vendors can have their own attributes (e.g., "Pricing Policy", "Lead Time") that are referenced by products via Reference Lookup. Use vendors to centralize supplier information and avoid data duplication.
UI Location: Workspace → Vendors; Products → [Product Detail] → Vendor field
Related Article: Managing Vendors
Views
Definition: Saved configurations of your Products table that remember columns displayed, applied filters, and sort order. Views allow you to quickly switch between different product perspectives (e.g., a "Walmart Feed" view showing only Walmart-relevant attributes, a "Missing Descriptions" view filtered to products without descriptions).
UI Location: Products → Views dropdown (at top of Products grid)
Related Article: Creating and Managing Views
Workspace
Definition: The organizational container that holds your products, attributes, integrations, channels, and team settings. You can switch workspaces using the workspace switcher at the top of the sidebar. Each workspace is a separate, isolated environment for product management and enrichment.
UI Location: Top of Sidebar → Workspace Switcher
Synonym Quick-Reference
Use this table if you search for a term and don't find it immediately. Look up the synonym and jump to the correct Merchkit term.
| Synonym / Alternate Term | Merchkit Term | Why the Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Feed | Channels | "Feed" is common in ecommerce, but Merchkit calls optimized sales destinations "Channels" |
| Marketplace | Channels | Wayfair, Walmart, and Amazon are channels; the term "marketplace" is less specific |
| Destination | Channels | Industry jargon for where content is published; Merchkit uses "Channels" |
| Retailer | Channels | Often refers to a sales platform; in Merchkit, these are Channels |
| Spreadsheet | CSV Import | Merchkit specifically handles CSV files during bulk import |
| Upload | CSV Import or Sources | Uploading data via CSV or uploading reference documents are both common; context matters |
| Field | Attributes | Industry-standard term for a database column; Merchkit calls these Attributes |
| Column | Attributes | Visual term for what you see in the table; Merchkit calls these Attributes |
| Connector | Integrations | "Connector" is common in data platforms; Merchkit uses "Integration" |
| Plugin | Integrations | "Plugin" suggests add-ons; Merchkit's Integrations are core data pipes |
| Sync | Integrations | Syncing data is what Integrations do; the term is less specific than "Integration" |
| Enrichment | Enrichment / Generate | Both terms are used interchangeably; "Generate" is more action-focused |
| AI Generation | Enrichment / Generate | What the AI does; "Enrichment" is the broader process, "Generate" is the button |
| Taxonomy | Categories | Formal term for classification system; Merchkit uses "Categories" |
| Product Type | Categories | Common way to group products; in Merchkit, this is handled by Categories |
| Mapping | Field Mapping | Short form; full term is "Field Mapping" |
| Data Source | Sources | External reference material you provide to the AI; called "Sources" in Merchkit |
| Reference Material | Sources | Documentation, URLs, or text files the AI reads; Merchkit calls these Sources |
| PIM | Integrations | Merchkit is not a PIM, but it integrates with PIM systems like Salsify and Akeneo |
| Lookup | Reference Lookup | Short form of the field type name |
Need Help Finding Something?
- Search the Help Center using any term from this glossary or the Synonym Quick-Reference—our search will redirect you
- Browse by Article Section — Visit the main Help Center to explore articles by topic
- Ask Support — If you can't find what you're looking for, contact our support team