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Maintaining Customs Product Data In Ecommerce Platforms

Where possible, maintain product information in the ecommerce platform or source system so ParcelPilot can receive it during product synchronisation.

This guide describes what ParcelPilot currently maps into canonical Item data. It does not assume every field a platform may support is currently imported by ParcelPilot.

If a field is not listed as currently mapped, maintain it directly in ParcelPilot or by using the Item CSV workflow until a specific mapping is implemented.

Mapping principles

ParcelPilot distinguishes:

  • data currently imported automatically
  • data a platform may store but ParcelPilot does not currently map
  • configurable or custom fields that are not safe to assume
  • data that must currently be maintained directly in ParcelPilot

ParcelPilot also protects existing locally maintained regulatory fields. Product sync may fill missing values where the implementation supports it, but it should not overwrite existing manual or CSV-maintained product data just because a platform sends another value.

Shopify

Currently mapped into ParcelPilot

Shopify product sync currently maps:

  • Shopify variant SKU to ParcelPilot Item SKU, which ParcelPilot currently uses as Merchant Product ID
  • Shopify variant barcode to ParcelPilot barcode
  • Shopify variant barcode to ParcelPilot Standard Product ID only when ParcelPilot can identify it as a valid GTIN type
  • inferred Standard Product ID Type for supported valid GTIN barcodes
  • Shopify inventory-item HS code / harmonized system code to ParcelPilot HS Code when the Item value is missing
  • Shopify inventory-item country or region of origin to ParcelPilot Country of Manufacture / Origin when the Item value is missing
  • Shopify vendor to ParcelPilot vendor/source product metadata

Not currently mapped as Manufacturer Product ID

Do not treat Shopify Vendor as Manufacturer Product ID.

ParcelPilot does not currently map a standard Shopify field into Manufacturer Product ID. Complete Manufacturer Product ID directly in ParcelPilot or through the Item CSV workflow unless a specific future/custom mapping is implemented.

Manufacturer and customs description

Shopify vendor is preserved as vendor/source metadata. It is not the same as ParcelPilot's Manufacturer Product ID.

ParcelPilot does not currently promote Shopify product names or descriptions into the canonical Item Customs Description field for this EU PID data-maintenance workflow.

Where to maintain it in Shopify

Use Shopify product and variant fields where they are the real source of truth, especially SKU, barcode/GTIN, HS code, and country/region of origin.

Shopify UI locations can change, so use your current Shopify product, variant, and customs/inventory-item editing screens rather than relying on a hard-coded path.

WooCommerce

Currently mapped into ParcelPilot

WooCommerce product sync currently maps:

  • WooCommerce product SKU to ParcelPilot Item SKU, which ParcelPilot currently uses as Merchant Product ID
  • WooCommerce global_unique_id to ParcelPilot Standard Product ID where supplied
  • WooCommerce global_unique_id type as a recognised GTIN type when ParcelPilot can infer one; otherwise as an unknown standard identifier type
  • WooCommerce isbn or _isbn product metadata to ParcelPilot Standard Product ID with type ISBN when global_unique_id is not supplied
  • WooCommerce weight, dimensions, tax status/class, fulfilment metadata, and raw upstream product metadata for other operational workflows

Not currently mapped

ParcelPilot does not currently promote WooCommerce fields into:

  • Manufacturer Product ID
  • HS Code
  • Country of Manufacture / Origin
  • canonical Manufacturer
  • canonical Customs Description

WooCommerce stores can have custom fields or plugin fields for this data, but ParcelPilot does not automatically treat arbitrary WooCommerce metadata as regulatory product identifiers.

Maintain those fields directly in ParcelPilot or through the Item CSV workflow unless a specific mapping is implemented.

Magento

Currently mapped into ParcelPilot

Magento product sync currently maps:

  • Magento product SKU to ParcelPilot Item SKU, which ParcelPilot currently uses as Merchant Product ID
  • Magento custom attribute hs_code to ParcelPilot HS Code when no explicit Product Data Mapping rules are configured
  • Magento custom attribute country_of_manufacture to ParcelPilot Country of Manufacture / Origin when no explicit Product Data Mapping rules are configured
  • raw Magento product payload under source/upstream metadata

Magento integrations can also use Product Data Mapping on the Client Integration record. In this Phase 1 implementation, rules can map retained Magento product properties or custom attributes into missing ParcelPilot Item values for Manufacturer Product ID, Standard Product ID, Standard Product ID Type, Manufacturer, HS Code, Country of Manufacture, and Customs Description. Mapping configuration is fill-missing only and records Item provenance when it writes a value.

Configured Magento Product Data Mapping rules supersede the legacy hs_code and country_of_manufacture assumptions. Source field discovery reads retained Magento product payloads already stored on Items; it does not call Magento from the settings page.

On an individual Magento Item, Refresh from Magento also protects existing ParcelPilot product/customs values by default. Operators can explicitly select Overwrite existing product data for a one-off refresh of safe product/customs fields only: Manufacturer Product ID, Manufacturer, Standard Product ID, Standard Product ID Type, HS Code, Country of Manufacture, and Customs Description. Missing, blank, or invalid Magento values do not clear existing ParcelPilot values. Stock, inventory units, allocations, reservations, locations, bundles/recipes, dimensions, weight, and image settings remain separate from this product-data overwrite option.

Not currently mapped

ParcelPilot does not currently promote arbitrary Magento attributes into:

  • Manufacturer Product ID
  • Standard Product ID
  • canonical Manufacturer
  • canonical Customs Description

Individual Magento stores may have custom attributes for GTIN, MPN, manufacturer, or regulatory data. ParcelPilot does not automatically treat arbitrary attributes as regulatory product identifiers unless that mapping is explicitly configured on the Magento Client Integration.

BigCommerce

Currently mapped into ParcelPilot

BigCommerce product sync currently maps:

  • BigCommerce product or variant SKU to ParcelPilot Item SKU, which ParcelPilot currently uses as Merchant Product ID
  • product/variant name, type, image, price, weight, visibility, and raw upstream product/variant metadata

Not currently mapped

ParcelPilot does not currently promote BigCommerce fields into:

  • Manufacturer Product ID
  • Standard Product ID / GTIN / UPC / EAN
  • HS Code
  • Country of Manufacture / Origin
  • canonical Manufacturer
  • canonical Customs Description

BigCommerce stores may hold some of this information in product fields or custom fields, but ParcelPilot does not currently treat those as canonical regulatory fields automatically.

Maintain those fields directly in ParcelPilot or through the Item CSV workflow unless a specific mapping is implemented.

Other or unsupported sources

If your source platform does not currently map customs/product identifier fields into ParcelPilot, maintain the canonical product data directly on the ParcelPilot Item.

For bulk updates, use the Item CSV export/import workflow described in Customs & Product Identification.

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