Getting Started with Shopify - Managing Product Data

  Before you start

Products are linked between the platforms using the Shopify Product ID. Products must be created in GlobalTill first to ensure the Shopify Product ID is synced. Products created in Shopify first won't be linked to your GlobalTill product and won't update in the sync process.

In this article, we review the product data points in GlobalTill and how they map to Shopify. We cover product types, tags, and metadata fields, and provide a detailed mapping of the available fields in the integration.

GlobalTill Categories and Shopify Types

In GlobalTill, products are organized into categories, which help keep your inventory organized and make it easier for your customers to find what they're looking for. In Shopify, products are organized into types, which serve a similar purpose.

In the GlobalTill <> Shopify integration, the GlobalTill category name is mapped to the Shopify type. When you sync your product data from GlobalTill to Shopify, the name of the category in GlobalTill becomes the name of the type in Shopify.

Use the Display name field in the GlobalTill Category Manager to overwrite the default category name and display a different type in Shopify.

When the Display name field is populated in a category in GT, the text is used as the type in Shopify instead. When the Display name field is empty, the regular category name is used as the default.

Using the GlobalTill Category Display Name to Customize Shopify Types

1. Login to the GT environment linked to the Shopify store.
2. Select Products > Product Management > Category Manager.
3. Select the category you wish to update.
   
4. In the field Display name text enter the Type to be displayed in Shopify.
   
5. Select Submit to save your changes.

GlobalTill Subcategories and Shopify Tags

In Shopify, tags are additional pieces of information that are assigned to products to help organize and filter them. Unlike types, which are used to group products based on their characteristics, tags are typically used to describe additional attributes or features.

When you sync your product data from GlobalTill to Shopify, the subcategory in GlobalTill creates a tag in Shopify.

If a subcategory doesn't have Display name text specified in GlobalTill, the subcategory name itself will be used as the tag name in Shopify. For example, if you have a subcategory in GlobalTill called Organic, any products in that subcategory will have an Organic tag in Shopify.

If the subcategory Display name text in GT is populated, this value overrides the subcategory name and is added as the tag in Shopify instead.

For example, if you have a subcategory in GlobalTill called Organic but you assigned the Display name text as Organic Tequila, products in the GlobalTill subcategory Organic are tagged Organic Tequila in Shopify.

Using the GlobalTill SubCategory Display Name to Customize Shopify Tags

  Heads up

This will work with GT subcategories and subsubcategories only. Categories are product types in Shopify and don't require entire tags.

1. Login to the GT environment linked to the Shopify store.
2. Select Products > Product Management > Category Manager.
3. Select the subcategory you wish to update.
   
4. In the field Display name text enter the name to be displayed in Shopify. When left blank, the SubCategory name is used.
   
5. Select Submit to save your changes.

GlobalTill SubSubCategories and Shopify Tags

In GlobalTill, SubSubCategories are a more specific type of category. They function similar to SubCategories in that they are used to organize products and help manage your product catalog.

When you sync your product data between GlobalTill and Shopify, SubSubCategories can be used to create Shopify tags in the same way as SubCategories. However, there is one key difference: tags are only created for SubSubCategories if the SubSubcategory's Display name text in GlobalTill is populated. If there is no Display name text specified for a SubSubCategory, no tags are added to the associated products in Shopify.

For example, let's say you have a SubCategory in GlobalTill called Organic, and within that SubCategory, you have several SubSubCategories such as Organic Tequila, Organic Wine, and Organic Gin. If you specify Display name text for each of these SubSubCategories in GlobalTill, then each SubSubCategory will be used to create a corresponding tag in Shopify. 

However, if you don't specify Display name text for a SubSubCategory, no tag is created for that SubSubCategory in Shopify. This means that any products assigned to SubSubCategories without Display name text will not be tagged in Shopify.

GlobalTill Sizes and Shopify Tags

In GlobalTill, the size of the product is defined using the Size field. Use the Web Text in each GlobalTill Size to create a corresponding tag in Shopify. 

Using the GlobalTill Size Web Text to Create Shopify Tags

1. Login to the GT environment linked to the Shopify store.
2. Select Products > Product Management > Size Manager.
3. Select the size you wish to update.
   
4. In the field Web text enter the name to be displayed in Shopify.
   
5. Select Submit to save your changes.

  Heads up

If you don't populate the Web Text field for the product size in GlobalTill, no size tag will be added to the Shopify product. This means that the size information won't be included in the product data sent to Shopify. This approach provides greater flexibility for Shopify developers to work with product variants.

GlobalTill Tags and Shopify Tags

In Shopify, a tag is a descriptive word or phrase that can be added to a product to help organize and filter products. Tags are used to group products together based on shared characteristics or attributes, making it easier for customers to find what they are looking for. Tags can also be used to create custom collections, automate discounts and promotions, and manage product inventory.

Tags that are created and managed in GlobalTill are accessible on the product's Web Data tab. Select Edit Web Data.

Select the Tags tab to access tags.

GlobalTill Bottle Deposits and Shopify Related Products

Bottle deposit implementation varies from store to store.

By default, when a product in GlobalTill has an attached deposit, the attached deposit is synced to Shopify as a Related Product. Here's an example.

In GlobalTill, the SKU 738786 has a $0.10 deposit.

The $0.10 deposit syncs to Shopify automatically as a related product.

The related product in Shopify is referenced on the deposit product's Web Data tab in GT.

Although GlobalTill doesn't provide additional guidance or support for managing bottle deposits outside of the default behavior, there are other methods available. These include using Javascript API calls, the Shopify Script Editor (only available in Shopify Plus), and other third-party Shopify applications. If you don't use the GT bottle deposits, we recommend hiding them via collection or whatever method is convenient for your store.

GlobalTill Product Fields and Shopify Metafields

In Shopify, Metafields are custom fields that you can add to products, orders, customers, and other objects in your store to store additional information that doesn't fit into the standard fields provided by Shopify.

There are specific product fields in GlobalTill that sync to Shopify as Metafields. For example, you can add a Shopify Metafield using the GT field Extra Description One to a product, which could contain additional information about the product that isn't included in the standard description field.

One thing to note is that Metafields aren't included in the overnight sync or the Full Update option on the product's Web Data tab. If you choose to use Metafields in your integration, they must be synced manually from the product's Web Data tab in GlobalTill. To do this, select Shopify Sync > Update Metadata.

In summary, metafields are custom fields that you can add to objects in Shopify to store additional information, but they have specific syncing options and limitations to consider.

GlobalTill to Shopify Field Mapping Summary

The following table summarizes the relationship between the product data in GlobalTill and Shopify. Understanding the field mapping is an important step during setup to ensure that your product data is configured to sync accurately between the two platforms. For more details on each attribute, please refer to the sections above in the article.

GlobalTill Field	GlobalTill Description and Notes	Shopify Field
Shopify Product ID	Unique identifier of the Shopify product. The Shopify ID is used to link the products between the platforms.	Shopify Product ID
Shopify Variant ID	Unique identifier of the primary variant of the Shopify product.	Shopify Variant ID
SKU	Stock-keeping unit (SKU) of the product.	SKU
Product Name	Descriptive name for the product.	Title
Web Name	Descriptive name for the product that will overwrite the Product Name displayed online when populated.	Title
Long Description	Detailed product description.	Description
Retail Price	Retail price of the product.	Price
Web Price Override	Price of the product that will overwrite the Retail price displayed online when populated.	Price
On Sale Now Price	Promotional price referenced for products that are on sale.	Compare at Price
Inventory Quantity Available	Number of units in inventory that are available for sale. Products flagged as non-inventoried in GT will transmit a quantity of 0.	Available quantity
Bottle Deposit	Bottle deposit SKU attached to the main SKU in GlobalTill.	Related Product
Shipping Weight	Shipping weight used for calculations.	Shipping Weight
Taxable flag	Designation the product incurs tax.	Variant taxable flag
Category	Product's top-level product category. Category Display name text is used if populated, otherwise Category name is used.	Type
SubCategory	Product's subcategory. SubCategory Display name text is used if populated, otherwise SubCategory name is used.	Tag
SubSubCategory	Product's subsubcategory. SubSubCategory only creates a tag when Display name text is populated.	Tag
Size	Product's size. Size only creates a tag when Web text is populated.	Tag, Custom Metafield
Vintage	Tag(s) indicating the vintage of the product.	Tag
Country	Tag(s) indicating the country of origin of the product.	Tag
Region	Tag(s) indicating the region of origin of the product.	Tag
Subregion	Tag(s) indicating the subregion of origin of the product.	Tag
Varietal	Tag(s) indicating the variety of the product.	Tag
Terpene	Tag(s) indicating the terpenes in the product.	Tag
Other	Any other tags associated with the product.	Tag
Main Image	The primary product image published to the web.	Media
Secondary Image	The secondary product image published to the web.	Media
Extra description one	Additional product description information.	Custom metafield
Extra description two	Additional product description information.	Custom metafield
Extra description numerical one	Additional numerical description of the product. Often used for % content.	Custom metafield
Extra description numerical two	Additional numerical description of the product.	Custom metafield
Equivalent Grams	Grams that count towards the 30-gram legal purchase limit.	Custom metafield
Brand	Product's brand.	Custom metafield

Frequently asked questions

1. Are GlobalTill Categories and Shopify Types the same thing?
   Product types in Shopify are very similar to GlobalTill categories. They are both used to group similar products together based on shared characteristics or attributes.
2. Do I have to enter the Display name text in Categories, SubCategories and SubSubCategories?
   You are not required to enter Display name text for Categories and SubCategories. When left blank, the Category and SubCategory names are used by default for the Shopify Type and Tag.
   If you wish to create tags from GlobalTill SubSubCategories, you must enter a name in the SubSubCategories Display name text. Unlike Categories and SubCategories, the SubSubCategory name isn't used by default.
3. Where can I learn more about Shopify Types and Tags?
   Check out the articles for Types and Tags on the Shopify Help Center.
4. Why aren't my product Sizes syncing as tags?
   Doublecheck that the Web Text is populated for each Size in GlobalTill. Go to Products > Product Manager > Size Manager, click on the size and ensure the Web Text field has a value.
5. Why aren't my SubSubCategories syncing as tags?
   Doublecheck that the Display name text is populated for each SubSubCategory in GlobalTill. Go to Products > Product Manager > Category Manager, click on the SubSubCategory and ensure the Display name text field has a value.
6. I filled out product attributes in GlobalTill that I expected to create Metafields in Shopify, but when I view the product in Shopify, there are no Metafields. Why is this happening?
   Metafields don't automatically sync in the overnight sync, or with the Full Update option on the product's Web Data tab. Manually sync the Metafields from the product's web data tab in GlobalTill using the Shopify Sync > Update Metadata option.
7. What happens to my product on Shopify when I disable web status in GlobalTill?
   When you disable web status for a product in GlobalTill, the product is removed from the API and will no longer be available on your Shopify site.
8. Can I re-enable web status for the same product later on?
   Yes, you can re-enable web status for the same product. However, you will have to remove the Shopify Product ID in GlobalTill and sync the product as a new item to re-establish the connection. To do this, go to the Web Data tab, select Shopify Sync > Delete Shopify ID. Then select Shopify > Full product update to sync with a new Shopify ID.
9. Will my product information be lost if I disable web status in GT?
   No, your product information will still be stored in GlobalTill. Disabling web status only removes the product from the API and your Shopify site.

More Information

For more information, see the article Getting Started with Shopify - Initial Configuration.