This article describes how the link report works and how to use it to your advantage!
What is the Link Report?
The Link Report is the tool that SKU IQ uses to find matching products between your Clover POS and your eCommerce platform. We try to find matches based on the title, SKU number, or UPC of your products. If we find an exact match based on one of those fields, we'll suggest that pair of items to be linked.
What's a Link?
A link is what we like to call the syncing relationship between an item on Shopify and an item on Clover. Think of it as a bond between the two products that allows SKU IQ to communicate changes in inventory quantity as well as product attributes, if you so choose. The link between the item will also help us communicate if you add new variants on one platform - we'll send those new variants over to the other side without any extra input on your end.
How Do You Match Things?
We match based on the product's Title, SKU number, or UPC (barcode). As long as one of those has an exact match, we can link it!
- Titles & SKU number matching are not case sensitive
- Titles, SKUs, or UPCs do need to be exactly the same alphanumerically
- Only one of these items needs to match in order to form a link - that means you can have different titles on Clover or Shopify as long as the SKU or barcode match!
How Does It Work?
When a product on your Clover is linked to a matching product on your Shopify, we can then sync quantities as you sell items both online and in-store. During the initial link, you are asked to pick your primary system - that's your Source of Truth! That means that whichever platform you pick during the initial link, we will respect the quantity for that platform and overwrite the opposing platform.
So if you have 6 of a t-shirt on Clover, but only 4 on Shopify, if you pick Shopify as your Primary System, Clover's inventory quantity will be overwritten to be 4.
After the initial link, quantity syncing is then bi-directional. So if you sell something online, the quantity will decrement on both sides. Or if you receive a purchase order for that item and update it on Clover (or Shopify), we'll increment the inventory accordingly on both sides.
Why does one of my matches have ⚠️ next to it?
The ⚠️ icon indicates that there is a product structure mis-match between Clover & Shopify. Generally speaking, it is very important to have the exact same product structure on both platforms to ensure the best matching. If you have an item on Shopify that has multiple variants, but the items are individually set up on Clover, you may run into a situation where some of the items are orphaned and we are unable to find the right match due to naming conventions, SKU misspellings, and all sorts of other reasons.
What if I Accidentally Linked Something?
Please contact Support for assistance if you accidentally linked products you shouldn't have.