Connect a commerce connector
Lesson 2 of 30 8 min read
The setup sequence every connector follows, what differs on the connection forms, and how to get to a safe first run.
Every connector in this course is set up the same way. The only part that changes is the connection form, where you give Supply Lens the credentials for the other system. Learn the sequence once and you can stand up any of them, then spend your time on the settings that actually shape the data.
By the end of this lesson you'll be able to create a commerce Integration, add its Configurations, and run it for the first time without importing a flood of old orders.
The five-step sequence
- Create the Integration. Go to Settings → Integration setup → Integrations, click + ADD INTEGRATION, click ADD on the connector, complete the form and click CONNECT.
- Review the tile. Expand the new Integration to see its cards (below).
- Add a Configuration per Document type. Open Configurations, click + Add, pick the Document type, choose Send, Receive or both, click Create Default JSON, adjust the settings and Save.
- Add Mappings so each Document has somewhere to go.
- Run it. Set a schedule or run it manually, then switch Activation on.
What differs on the connection form
The connection forms are where the connectors genuinely differ. The release notes describe these:
| Connector | What the form asks for |
|---|---|
| BigCommerce | Its own form. When you create an API account, BigCommerce gives you a credentials file. Upload or paste it and the form fills in the details for you. |
| Faire | An access token. The Integration is named after your Faire brand automatically. |
| Mirakl | An API key and a Shop ID. The Shop ID is optional: leave it blank and Supply Lens uses the shop the API key belongs to. |
| Wix | A Wix store, connected from the add-integration list. |
| B2B Wave, Cin7 Core, Cin7 Omni, Coda Commerce, Epos Now, Itsperfect, Pipedrive | A connection form for each, added in the same release. |
API keys, tokens and passwords on connection forms are hidden as you type, and your browser won't offer to save them.
Mirakl with several shops
If the customer's API key can see more than one shop, fill in the Shop ID so there's no doubt which shop the Integration reads from.
The Integration tile
| Activation | Whether the Integration can run at all. Disabled means nothing is sent or received. |
|---|---|
| State | Live or Test. This usually only matters for EDI Integrations and can be left unset for commerce connectors. |
| Configurations | One entry per Document type and direction, each holding that type's settings. |
| Schedule | How often the Integration runs automatically: every 30 minutes, or every 1, 2, 4, 8 or 12 hours. |
| Default Unit of Measure | Forces every quantity on this Integration into one Unit of Measure. Leave unset to use each Product's defaults. |
| Manual Operation | Run Send & Receive, Run Send or Run Receive on demand. |
| Remove | Permanently removes the Integration and its stored credentials. Documents already received are kept. |
Configurations are JSON
Create Default JSON fills a Configuration with the connector's settings and their
defaults. The settings you'll meet in this course (for example importDelay or
defaultFulfillmentLocationId) are keys in that JSON. You only change the ones your project
needs; the rest can keep their defaults.
Some settings belong to the system
setupDate and lastImportDate appear on most receive Configurations. Supply Lens sets them
and moves lastImportDate forward after every run. Don't edit them by hand unless Support
asks you to. The next lesson explains why they matter.
Before the first run: line up your SKUs
The most common cause of go-live trouble is a SKU on an incoming order that doesn't match a Product in the back office. For your own storefront, aim for an exact match: the same SKU in both systems, character for character. For marketplaces and retailers that use their own codes, use cross-reference records that translate the external code to your SKU.
Check this by exporting SKUs from both sides and comparing them. Supply Lens has no automated alignment check.
Run it and watch
For a first run, use Manual Operation → Run Receive with the schedule off. Check that the orders you expected arrived, and nothing older. Then set a schedule and enable the Integration.
Fern & Finch connects Faire
Fern & Finch's implementer adds Faire, pastes the access token, and the Integration appears named after the brand. She adds an Order Configuration (Receive) and an Inventory Configuration (Send), creates the default JSON for each, and sets the fulfilment location and default customer (covered later in this module). She maps Faire orders to Unleashed, runs Run Receive once, confirms two test orders arrived, then switches on a 1-hour schedule and the Integration.
Recap
- Every connector follows the same sequence: create, review the tile, add Configurations, add Mappings, run.
- Connection forms differ: BigCommerce takes a credentials file, Faire an access token, Mirakl an API key and optional Shop ID.
- Configurations are JSON. Create Default JSON gives you every setting with its default.
- Leave
setupDateandlastImportDateto the system. - Align SKUs before go-live, and do the first run manually.
Quick guides for this topic
Your progress is saved in this browser. Create a free account to keep it everywhere, take quizzes and earn certificates.