Catalog data mapping

NopBridge product imports are designed for real catalog data, not only simple product rows. A production mapping should cover the product, its categories, pictures, attributes, specification attributes, and update identity.

After import, NopBridge Control Center can be used to review and adjust the imported product card.

Product fields

Start with the stable product identity.

Target	Notes
SKU	Best duplicate key when the supplier keeps SKU stable.
Source external ID	Useful when SKU can change.
Name	Required for customer-facing catalog quality.
Short description	Good for product lists.
Full description	Good for product detail pages.
Price	Validate currency and decimal separators.
Stock quantity	Convert supplier stock status when needed.
Published	Usually controlled by rule or default.

Categories

Category mapping can create or reuse nopCommerce categories.

Typical source shapes:

1. Single category name: Shoes.
2. Breadcrumb path: Clothing > Men > Shoes.
3. External category ID plus name.
4. Multiple categories per product.

Recommended rules:

1. Normalize separators.
2. Trim each category level.
3. Use consistent casing.
4. Reuse existing category when the normalized path matches.
5. Create missing categories only when the profile allows it.

Product attributes

Use product attributes for customer-selectable or variant-like values.

Examples:

1. Color.
2. Size.
3. Material.
4. Packaging.
5. Capacity.

If a source contains multiple values, split them into separate attribute values. For example, red|blue|green can become three color values.

Specification attributes

Use specification attributes for technical facts and filters.

Examples:

1. Weight.
2. Warranty.
3. Rating.
4. Shipping information.
5. Return policy.
6. Dimensions.
7. Availability status.

Specification attributes should be readable and consistent. Avoid creating hundreds of near-duplicate attribute names caused by inconsistent source labels.

Pictures

Product pictures can come from a different source than the product data file.

Supported picture source patterns:

Picture source	Example
HTTP URL	https://supplier.example.com/images/sku-100.jpg
File system	C:\Feeds\Images\sku-100.jpg
UNC share	\\server\share\images\sku-100.jpg
FTP / SFTP	/images/sku-100.jpg with connector credentials
Drive / SharePoint	File ID, shared link, or mapped file reference
Object storage	S3 or Azure Blob object key

Picture mapping should define:

1. How to find the image.
2. Whether to replace existing images or append new ones.
3. Display order.
4. Whether missing images should be warnings or errors.

Duplicate and update behavior

Production imports should never rely on product name alone for duplicates.

Recommended identity order:

1. Source external ID.
2. SKU.
3. Manufacturer part number.
4. GTIN or barcode.
5. Controlled custom key.

On repeat runs, NopBridge should:

1. Find the existing imported record.
2. Update changed fields.
3. Keep unchanged fields stable.
4. Add new records.
5. Report skipped records with reasons.