Sync Process for KatanaPIM Connect

Understanding how synchronization works in KatanaPIM Connect. Learn the difference between Full and Incremental sync, and when to use each.

Overview

KatanaPIM Connect synchronizes data in two stages:

1. Import from PIM - Fetch data from KatanaPIM API into intermediate tables
2. Create in Magento - Process intermediate data to create/update Magento entities

This two-stage approach allows you to review imported data before creating Magento products.

Sync Types

Full Update

# Full sync of everything
bin/magento katana:import:full

# Sync specific entity types only
bin/magento katana:import:full --attributes
bin/magento katana:import:full --categories
bin/magento katana:import:full --products
bin/magento katana:import:full --assets

Incremental Update

bin/magento katana:import:incremental

Sync Order

Entities should be synchronized in this order:

1. Attributes - Required first for product data mapping
2. Categories - Optional, needed if using PIM categories
3. Products - Main product data
4. Assets - Product images and videos (requires products)

The Full Update command handles this order automatically.

What Gets Synced

Products

Categories

Attributes

Assets

Hash Comparison

The module uses hash comparison to detect changes:

1. When data is imported from PIM, a hash is calculated
2. When Magento entity is created/updated, another hash is calculated
3. If hashes differ, the item is marked "Needs Update"
4. Matching hashes mean no update is required

This prevents unnecessary Magento saves and improves performance.

The "Needs Update" Flag

In all grids, you'll see a "Needs Update" column:

Items marked "Needs Update" will be processed during the next sync if automation is enabled.

The "Skipped" Flag

Mark items as "Skipped" to exclude them from synchronization:

• Skipped items are ignored during auto-sync
• Useful for products you don't want in Magento
• Can be set/unset via mass action

Automation Flow

When automation is enabled:

1. Cron triggers based on configured frequency
2. Incremental/Full Update fetches data from PIM
3. Auto-create (if enabled) creates new Magento entities
4. Existing items with "Needs Update" are updated
5. Sync Log records the results

Manual vs Automatic Creation

Automatic (via cron):

• Enable "Auto create new products" in Automation settings
• New products are created automatically during sync
• Less control, more convenience

Manual (via grid):

• Leave auto-create disabled
• Review imported products in grid first
• Select items and use "Update/Create Magento Products" mass action
• More control over what gets created

Performance Tips

1. Use Incremental for frequent updates (hourly)
2. Use Full for periodic maintenance (daily/weekly)
3. Adjust batch sizes if experiencing timeouts
4. Disable reindex in production - run manually after sync
5. Use CLI for large imports - avoids browser timeouts

Need More Help?

Documentation:

• All Help Articles - Complete documentation overview

Support:

• Contact Support - Get help from our team