FAQ
Everything you need to know about SyncA2Z. Can't find your answer? Email us at support@synca2z.com
SyncA2Z is a Shopify embedded app that lets you move bulk data in and out of your store without manual effort. There are three modes:
You build each integration once using a step-by-step wizard, then run it manually or on a schedule.
No. The setup wizard walks you through every step with plain-English labels. You pick a mode, choose a source, map your columns to Shopify fields using dropdowns, and optionally set filters. No coding required.
The one optional exception is the Transform Sandbox — if you want to reshape a field value (e.g. add a markup to a price, or merge two columns), you can write a short JavaScript snippet. The AI Assistant can write these for you automatically if you prefer.
After installing the app from the Shopify App Store, open SyncA2Z from your Shopify admin. Click New Integration and the wizard will guide you through 8 steps:
Your integration is saved as inactive. Activate it when you're ready, then click Run Now to trigger your first sync.
Yes. SyncA2Z is installed per store — each store has its own integrations, settings and run history. If you manage multiple stores, install the app on each one separately.
You can also export an integration config from one store as a JSON file and import it on another store, saving you from rebuilding the same setup twice. Passwords are never included in exported configs for security.
You can import the following data types into Shopify:
INSERT always creates new products regardless of whether they already exist. Use this when you know all rows are new products.
UPSERT first looks up existing products by SKU or barcode. If a match is found, it updates the existing product. If no match is found, it creates a new one. Use this for ongoing supplier feeds where you want to keep products in sync without creating duplicates.
For upsert to work correctly, you must map at least one key field (SKU or barcode) and check the "Key Field" checkbox in the field mapper.
Yes. To import multi-variant products, your CSV should have one row per variant, with a column that groups rows belonging to the same product (e.g. a product handle or product ID column).
In the field mapper, map that column to the special variants.groupBy key. SyncA2Z will automatically group the rows and create one product per group with all its variants in a single Shopify API call.
Option names (Size, Color, etc.) are auto-detected from column headers following the pattern variants.option1.Size, variants.option2.Color.
SyncA2Z automatically selects the best location for inventory updates using this priority:
You can also map a locationName column in your CSV to target a specific named location per row.
The app also automatically enables inventory tracking and activates items at the target location if they aren't already — so you don't need to do this manually in Shopify first.
SyncA2Z processes all rows and records the result for each one. After the job completes you'll see a run summary showing total rows, successful rows, and failed rows.
You can download a per-row report CSV from the integration detail page that shows exactly which rows succeeded, which failed, and the specific error message for each failure. This makes it easy to fix your source data and re-run just the failed rows.
The run status will show as PARTIAL if some rows succeeded and some failed, so you always know at a glance if there's anything that needs attention.
You can export Orders, Products, and Collections from your Shopify store. For each data type you choose exactly which fields to include using the field picker — you're not limited to a fixed column set.
Orders export includes line items, fulfillment details, financial status, shipping address, and more. Products export includes variant-level data like SKU, price, barcode, and inventory. Collections export includes rules and metadata.
Export supports CSV, Excel (XLSX), JSON, and XML. Choose the format that best fits your downstream system — most accounting and ERP systems accept CSV or Excel.
Yes. In the export integration setup, after choosing your fields you can configure an FTP or SFTP destination. Once the export file is written, it will be uploaded to your server automatically as part of the same job. The file is also available to download directly from the SyncA2Z interface.
FTP and SFTP credentials are encrypted at rest and never stored in plain text.
Yes. The filter builder lets you add rules based on any Shopify field value — for example, only export orders with status "paid", or only export products from a specific vendor. Filters support 10 operators including equals, contains, greater than, is empty, and more. You can combine rules with AND or OR logic.
FTP and SFTP credentials are encrypted — they are never stored in plain text or sent to the browser.
SyncA2Z supports CSV, Excel (XLSX), JSON, and XML as import formats. The parser auto-detects the format from the file extension. For CSV files, common delimiters (comma, semicolon, tab) are handled automatically.
There is no hard row limit enforced by SyncA2Z. The app uses Shopify's Bulk Operations API which is specifically designed for large datasets — it handles thousands of products in a handful of API calls without hitting rate limits.
Practical performance depends on your Shopify plan and the complexity of your data (e.g. products with many metafields or images take longer). Imports of 10,000+ products are supported.
Yes. There is a Test Connection button in the source configuration step that verifies your credentials and file path before you save the integration. This runs a live connection test server-side so you get accurate results without needing to run a full job.
A Transform lets you run a small JavaScript snippet to modify a field value before it's sent to Shopify. Common use cases:
VALUE = (parseFloat(VALUE) * 1.25).toFixed(2)VALUE = VALUE.trim().toUpperCase()VALUE = VALUE.toLowerCase().replace(/ /g, '-')VALUE = ROW["Brand"] + " " + ROW["Model"]The sandbox exposes VALUE (the current field value) and ROW (all columns in the current row as a frozen object). You reassign VALUE — there is no return statement.
Yes. In the field mapper, you can add multiple destinations to a single source column using the multi-target mapping. Each destination can have its own transform. For example, map a "Product Name" column to both title (as-is) and handle (with a slugify transform) simultaneously.
The AI Assistant reads your file's column headers and lets you describe your goal in plain English. For example: "Map Item Code to SKU, set price as Trade Cost plus 20% markup, only import rows where stock is greater than zero."
The AI will set up the full field mapping, write the JavaScript transform code for the price calculation, and add the stock filter — all in one step. You can review everything before saving, and edit any part manually.
Yes. Every transform field has a Test button that runs your code against a real sample row from your uploaded file. The result shows both the input value and the transformed output side by side. Errors in your code are shown immediately so you can fix them before the job runs.
When you set a schedule on an integration, SyncA2Z's built-in scheduler checks for due jobs every 15 minutes and fires them automatically in the background. You don't need to keep any browser window open — the scheduler runs server-side continuously.
After each run, the next scheduled time is calculated and stored. You can see the next scheduled run time on the integration detail page.
Yes. Every integration has a Run Now button on its detail page that triggers an immediate run regardless of its schedule. This doesn't affect the next scheduled run time.
Yes. While a job is running, a Cancel button appears on the integration detail page. Cancellation is signal-based — the running job receives a stop signal and exits cleanly at the next safe checkpoint. The run will be marked as CANCELLED in the run history.
No — intentionally. Erase Data integrations are always set to run once and require manual confirmation every time. This prevents accidental scheduled mass-deletions. You must click Run Now and confirm in the modal each time you want to erase data.
Most supplier integrations in SyncA2Z work through file feeds (CSV, Excel, FTP). But some suppliers only provide an API — no file download available. The Business Plan's Supplier API Connection feature lets you connect directly to those APIs and sync data into Shopify automatically.
This covers both RESTful APIs (JSON or XML responses) and SOAP-based APIs (legacy XML web services with WSDL definitions). A dedicated integration engineer builds and configures the connector for you.
All common authentication methods are supported:
All credentials are encrypted at rest and never stored in plain text.
No. The whole point of the Business Plan's dedicated engineer is that you don't need to touch any code. The process is:
Once live, the integration runs automatically like any other SyncA2Z job. You can monitor runs, view reports, and adjust schedules yourself.
Your dedicated integration engineer provides ongoing support for changes to the supplier's API — new endpoints, updated field names, authentication changes, and so on. Business Plan support includes a response SLA so API changes don't leave your sync broken for days.
Email business@synca2z.com with a brief description of your supplier and the API you need to connect. We'll get back to you within one business day to schedule a discovery call and confirm the scope.
There's no commitment at this stage — the call is free and you'll get a clear picture of what's involved before agreeing to a plan.
SyncA2Z offers a free plan so you can get started without a credit card. Paid plans unlock higher usage limits, more integrations, and priority support. Visit the app listing on the Shopify App Store for current pricing details.
Plan changes are managed through Shopify's billing system. Go to Settings → Plan inside SyncA2Z, choose your new plan, and you'll be redirected to Shopify's standard billing approval page. Your plan is active as soon as you approve the charge.
When you uninstall SyncA2Z, your integration configurations, run history, and settings are removed from our servers within 48 hours in line with Shopify's app data retention requirements. Your Shopify store data (products, orders, etc.) is never affected — SyncA2Z only reads and writes through the standard Shopify API.
All passwords and secret fields are encrypted at rest using industry-standard encryption before being written to the database. They are decrypted server-side only at the moment they are needed (e.g. when connecting to your FTP server). Credentials are never sent to the browser in plain text — even in edit mode, password fields show a placeholder rather than the actual value.
SyncA2Z does not permanently store your Shopify product or order data. During a job run, data is processed in memory and written directly to your destination (Shopify, a file, or your FTP server). Run logs store row counts and error messages — not the full row data itself.
Export files are available for download briefly after a job completes and are not stored indefinitely.
SyncA2Z requests the minimum permissions needed for the features you use:
The app uses Shopify's standard OAuth flow for background scheduled jobs. Access tokens are stored encrypted and refreshed automatically.
Yes. Every integration has an Export Config button that downloads the full setup as a JSON file. This includes field mappings, filters, schedule, and source configuration (passwords are excluded for security). You can use this file to back up your integrations or clone them to another store using the Import Config button.
Check the full documentation or reach out — we usually reply within a few hours.
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