Sync from Shopify (Suppliers)

This guide matches the in-app help next to Sync from Shopify on the Suppliers screen, with a bit more detail for support and engineering. See also Suppliers for how IM suppliers relate to Shopify vendors overall.

What “Sync from Shopify” does

The button runs a vendor sync: it reads vendor names from Shopify, updates supplier names in Inventory Mate to stay aligned, adds any new vendors as supplier rows (Shopify-linked suppliers), then runs auto-assign so missing links get filled in—which supplier applies to each variant at each warehouse/location, only where nothing was set yet for that inventory item and location.

That combination is how you keep a usable supplier directory in IM and gradually attach products to suppliers by matching Shopify’s product vendor string to a supplier name, without forcing a full re-import of every SKU.

How the link works

1. Vendor name match
   The vendor field on the product in Shopify Admin is compared to supplier records in Inventory Mate by name. Matching is case-insensitive (and normalizes spacing), so Acme Co and acme co resolve to the same supplier if you have one row with that name.

2. Variants and inventory items
   Each Shopify variant corresponds to an inventory item in IM’s synced catalog. Stock and replenishment logic are tracked per item; vendor is stored on the variant row used for that item.

3. Locations and product location settings
   An inventory item can have stock at multiple locations. For each (inventory item, location) pair, Inventory Mate can store a product location setting—including which supplier applies there. That is what reordering and many supplier lists use, so “who supplies this SKU at this warehouse?” can differ by location if you configure it.

Auto-assign only creates those rows when they don’t exist yet; it does not overwrite rows you (or a prior sync) already created.

Typical cases

• You use a new vendor in Shopify
  After sync, IM gets a supplier row for that vendor name (or reuses an existing supplier if the name already matches). Auto-assign can then link variants whose Shopify vendor matches that name, for item/location pairs that still have no setting.

• You rename a vendor in Shopify
  When it’s clearly a single old name replaced by a single new one, the app may update the existing Shopify-linked supplier instead of creating a duplicate row. If you have many vendors changing at once, use Sync from Shopify so the list in IM catches up promptly.

• Supplier per location
  Auto-assign only creates a product–location row when there isn’t one yet. If you already chose a supplier—or Unassigned—for that variant at that location, that choice is not replaced by sync.

• This page vs the Sync button
  Opening the Suppliers area can trigger background vendor sync and auto-assign on a cooldown (so repeated visits don’t hammer the API). Sync from Shopify forces a fresh pull right away when you’ve just changed vendors in Shopify Admin and want IM to match without waiting.

A bit more detail

Shopify vendor first, then Inventory Mate

For each product at each location, if you have not saved a supplier in Inventory Mate yet, the app uses the vendor from Shopify (matched to a supplier by name). That’s the default for Stock Replenishment and Find products & assign suppliers until you change the row.

Inventory Mate wins when you set it

If you choose a supplier (or Unassigned) in Stock Replenishment or Find products & assign suppliers, that product location setting takes priority for reordering and supplier lists. Changing the vendor in Shopify Admin alone does not replace that saved link. Sync and auto-link only create settings where none exist yet.

Supplier pages

Supplier product lists combine PLS links (what you set in IM) with Shopify catalog vendor name matches. A product is not listed only under a different Shopify vendor name when your IM link points elsewhere.

At a glance