Setting Up Import Mapping

Import mapping tells Merchkit where to place incoming data from your platform. This guide walks you through configuring it, including the powerful auto-mapping feature.

Access Import Mapping

1. Go to Workspace → Integrations
2. Find your connected integration in the Active Integrations list
3. Click the integration name → Configure Fields
4. Click the Import Mapping tab

[SCREENSHOT: Configure Field Mapping modal with Import Mapping tab active]

The Import Mapping Interface

You'll see:

• Mapping Profile Dropdown: "Default Import (Default)" or any custom profiles you've created
• Import Filters (expandable): Rules for which SKUs to import
• Create Missing Columns and Auto Map Them button (green): AI-powered field matching
• Product Fields: Manually mapped fields with platform field → Merchkit column pairs
• Expandable sections: Product Structured Metafields, Variant Fields, Variant Structured Metafields

Quick Setup: Auto-Mapping

The fastest way to get started is auto-mapping. Merchkit analyzes your platform fields and intelligently guesses which Merchkit columns they belong in.

Step 1: Click "Create Missing Columns and Auto Map Them"

This green button does two things:

1. Creates new columns in Merchkit for any platform fields that don't have obvious matches
2. Auto-maps common fields (Title → Product Name, Description → Description, etc.)

[SCREENSHOT: Auto-mapping button highlighted, showing the list of fields being auto-mapped]

After clicking, you'll see the mapping grid populated with suggestions.

Step 2: Review Auto-Mapped Fields

Merchkit's AI isn't perfect. Look through the suggested mappings:

• Good matches: ✓ Title → Product Name, Price → Retail Price
• Questionable matches: ⚠️ Review and adjust if needed
• Missed matches: Look for platform fields that should map somewhere but don't

Step 3: Adjust and Add Missing Mappings

For any field that auto-mapping got wrong or skipped:

1. To edit: Click the Merchkit column dropdown and select the correct column
2. To remove: Click the ✕ button next to the mapping pair
3. To add a new mapping: Click + Add Field Pair and manually select both the platform field and Merchkit column

[SCREENSHOT: Import Mapping grid showing manually edited and added field pairs]

Manual Mapping (If You Prefer)

If you'd rather not use auto-mapping, you can manually build the entire mapping:

1. Start with Product Fields (core product data)
2. Map obvious ones first: Title, Description, Price, SKU, Inventory
3. Work through platform-specific fields (e.g., Shopify has "Product Type", BigCommerce has "Brand")
4. Leave unmapped platform fields alone—they just won't come into Merchkit

Understanding Metafields and Variants

Product Structured Metafields

If your platform stores extra data in metafields (custom Shopify metafields, BigCommerce custom fields, etc.), expand Product Structured Metafields to see them. These are optional, but valuable if you store SKU-specific customization data.

[SCREENSHOT: Product Structured Metafields section expanded, showing custom field mappings]

Variant Fields and Variant Structured Metafields

Products often have variants (size, color). Expand Variant Fields to map variant-specific attributes like:

• Variant Title
• Variant SKU
• Variant Price
• Variant Inventory

If variants have their own metafields, Variant Structured Metafields lets you map those too.

[SCREENSHOT: Variant Fields section expanded]

Creating New Merchkit Columns on Import

When you click Create Missing Columns and Auto Map Them, Merchkit creates new Merchkit columns for platform fields that don't fit existing columns.

For example: If Shopify sends a "Brand" field but you don't have a Brand column in Merchkit, the auto-mapping button will create one and map the data there.

These new columns appear in your Merchkit database and can be used in future imports and exports.

Import Filters: Choosing Which SKUs to Import

Above the field mappings, expand Import Filters to limit which products you import.

For large catalogs, you might:

• Import only products in certain categories
• Import only items from specific collections
• Import only products with certain tags or properties
• Import SKUs that match a text pattern

Each rule narrows the data set. Multiple rules are combined with AND logic (all rules must match).

[SCREENSHOT: Import Filters section with 1 rule example]

This is especially useful when:

• You're rolling out Merchkit to one product line at a time
• You want to test the import on a small subset first
• You don't need all products in Merchkit (e.g., archived or discontinued items)

Saving Your Import Mapping

Once you're happy with your mappings and filters:

1. Click Save Mapping at the bottom of the modal
2. Your mapping is now the active import profile

The next time you trigger an import (from the Products toolbar), it will use this mapping.

Example: Setting Up a Shopify Import

Here's what a typical Shopify import mapping looks like:

Metafields and variant-specific data map to their respective sections.

Next step: Using Import Filters