Product Information Sync
ChannelDock imports products separately from each connected sales channel. There is no single generic importer - every channel has its own direct sync process.
You can start this sync in two ways:
Automatically - when you first connect your sales channel or runs on a schedule
Manually - via the “Fetch new products” button on the Sales Channels page.
During product sync, ChannelDock:
Reads your products from the sale channel
Creates or updates channel linked product records
Links them to a central main product
Creates a main product if none exists yet (based on EAN)
This is what brings your products into ChannelDock for stock and fulfillment processing.
Main Product vs Channel Product
ChannelDock stores product data in two layers:
Main ChannelDock product
This is the central product used for warehouse and fulfillment logic. It stores shared product data such as:
Title
Image
Weight
Dimensions
Core product identifiers
Channel linked product
This connects a product to a specific select channel and stores channel data such as:
Stock
Fulfillment type (such as FBA/FBB where applicable)
Delivery promise (bol)
Warehouse location (shopify)
Multiple channel products will be linked to the same main product when they share the same EAN.
Product Matching: We use the EAN as Product Identifier
ChannelDock links products across channels using the EAN (barcode) as the primary identifier.
Important rules:
The EAN is used to match and merge products across channels
The EAN in ChannelDock cannot be changed after import
Different channels may store the barcode in different fields
Examples:
In one shop the barcode may be stored in the SKU field
In another system it may be stored as EAN or article number
In marketplaces it may come from catalog data
For correct stock sync across channels, the same EAN must be used consistently everywhere.
If EANs do not match, ChannelDock will treat them as separate products and stock will not sync correctly.
First Connected Sale Channel Defines the Main Product (One-Time Import Only)
The main ChannelDock product is created using the data from the first connected channel where that EAN is imported.
That first channel becomes the source for the initial values such as:
Title
Image
Price
Stock (not for fulfillment center sellers)
Weight
Dimensions (where available: bol, amazon, woocommerce)
This main product is filled only once - at the moment it is first created.
After that:
Changes you make to product content in your sales channels are not re-imported into the main product
Changes you make to the main product in ChannelDock are not pushed back to your sales channels
There is no automatic two-way product content sync.
If you change product content fields such as title, images, weight, dimensions, or other descriptive data, you must update them manually in each system where needed.
Because of this, always connect the sales channel with the most complete and accurate product data first.
ChannelDock focuses on operational synchronization (stock and orders), not ongoing product content synchronization.
⚠️ Very Important - Changing the Product Identifier (EAN)
If a product’s EAN (or barcode identifier) is changed at the sales channel after it was already imported into ChannelDock, ChannelDock will still keep the old identifier internally.
This can cause serious issues:
Orders may not match to the correct product
Stock updates may fail
Products may appear duplicated
ChannelDock may not recognize the item during order processing
Changing the product identifier is not automatically updated by sync.
If You Changed the EAN at the Sales Channel - Required Fix
You must manually reload the product into ChannelDock, here's how:
Disconnect the product from the sales channel inside ChannelDock or delete it (all data will be deleted).
Fetch new products for that channel
The product will be re-imported with the new EAN
Do not skip this process after changing barcodes/EANs - otherwise, you will have issues with the stock and order sync. More info here.
Inventory Sync (Stock Levels)
ChannelDock only synchronizes inventory (stock levels) back to your connected sales channels - not product content.
Once inventory sync is enabled, ChannelDock becomes your central stock point.
Important:
From that moment on, you should update stock in ChannelDock
ChannelDock pushes the updated stock levels to your connected sales channels
You no longer need manage stock separately per channel
Order-driven stock updates:
ChannelDock checks your sales channels for new orders approximately every 15 minutes
When a new order is imported, stock is immediately reduced in ChannelDock
The updated stock is then automatically synced to your other connected channels
This keeps stock aligned across all channels and prevents overselling.
Summary
Products are imported per connected channel using direct API sync.
Products are matched across channels by EAN.
EAN must be consistent across all channels for correct stock sync.
Changing an EAN requires deleting and re-importing the product.
The main product is created once and filled from the first connected channel.
Main product content is not continuously re-synced.
Changes in channels and ChannelDock do not automatically update each other.
Always update product content manually in the systems where changes are required.