Configuration set up

Summary

Configuration set up

App Connection Settings

This section explains how to access and set up your Akeneo App for BigCommerce within the Akeneo PIM platform.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the setup, ensure the following:

  1. Enable Akeneo App for BigCommerce: The Akeneo App for BigCommerce must be activated in your Akeneo PIM instance by your Customer Success Manager. Please reach out to them to activate the app for your account.
  2. Manage/Open App System Role: To manage and open the app, your account in the Akeneo PIM instance must have the Manage/Open App permission activated.

 

How to activate App management and opening permissions?

To enable App management and opening permissions in your Akeneo PIM, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your Akeneo PIM instance.
  2. Navigate to the System/Roles section.
  3. Locate and select the role assigned to your user account. For example, if you have an administrator role, select that role.
  4. Go to the Permissions tab within the selected role.
  5. Scroll down or search for the Connect category and click on it to expand the permissions.
  6. Check the checkboxes next to Manage apps and Open apps to activate these permissions.
  7. Save the changes to update the role's permissions.

 

First Connection

To establish the initial connection, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Connect menu in Akeneo.
  2. Navigate to the App Store.
  3. Find and select the Akeneo App for BigCommerce.
  4. Click on Connect to initiate the connection.

 

Subsequent Connections

For subsequent connections, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Connect menu in Akeneo.
  2. Select Connected Apps.
  3. Find and choose the Akeneo App for BigCommerce.
  4. Click on Open to access the app.

 

Setting up Your App for BigCommerce in the Akeneo PIM

This section explains how to set up your Akeneo App for BigCommerce within the Akeneo PIM interface. Note that these steps are applicable to the first usage by an administrator.


Setup Steps

Follow these steps to set up your app:

  1. Go to the Connect menu in Akeneo.
  2. Navigate to the App Store section.
  3. Locate and click on the Akeneo App for BigCommerce.
  4. Click on Connect to proceed.
  5. A pop-in window will appear, displaying authorization permissions. Read and agree to the App's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
  6. Another pop-in window will appear, presenting the requested permissions. Acknowledge and confirm these permissions.
  7. Allow the following permissions:
    • Category tree: Tick all categories.
    • Locales: Tick all locales.
    • Attribute Groups: Tick all attribute groups.
  8. A summary of the permissions will be displayed. Confirm the permissions.
  9. The app is now activated and will be open for use.

 

Create a BigCommerce API account

To ensure proper configuration on your Configuration page within the App, it is essential to establish a new API account in your BigCommerce store interface. This account will allow the app to connect to your BigCommerce store to synchronize data.  
Please note that you must be the store owner to set up a new API account. 

To create the API account, follow these steps:

  1. Open your BigCommerce Store.
  2. Navigate to Settings >> Store-level API Accounts.
  3. Click on Create API Account, then select Create V2/V3 API Token.
  4. Provide a name for your new account and configure the following permissions:
    1. Products: MODIFY mode
    2. Channel Settings: MODIFY mode
    3. Channel Listings: MODIFY mode
  5. Save the changes you made. 

    It is crucial to grant these permissions; otherwise, the App will not work correctly, and synchronization issues may occur.

     

 

Once the API account is created, you will see a pop-in displaying your credentials. It is important to save them on your device since you won't be able to access them later.

 

Find your store hash

To find your store hash, follow these steps:

  1. Open your BigCommerce Store.
  2. Navigate to Settings >> Store-level API Accounts.
  3. Click on Create API Account.
  4. Consult the API path field, which contains your store hash.  
    It has the following structure: https://api.bigcommerce.com/stores/<storehash>/v3

 

Create a store in the Akeneo App for BigCommerce

It is now necessary to create a new store in the Akeneo App for BigCommerce in order to continue configuring the app. 
You can view this step here.

 

Setting up Store Configuration

This section explains how to configure your store settings within the Akeneo App for BigCommerce.

Use the dropdown list to select the desired fields.  
The options are automatically populated from your PIM.

Configure the following settings:

Akeneo's side:

  • Locale: Selects the locale from which products and their attributes will be synchronized.
  • Channel: Defines the channel for your store.
  • Currency: Sets your default currency, even if you don't use your PIM for pricing.
  • Category Code: Specifies the category for your store.

 

BigCommerce's side:

  • Store hash: Refers to a unique identifier assigned to each store - it has already been filled in when the store was created.
  • Access token: Refers to a unique credential that provides authorization for an API client application to access specific resources and perform actions on behalf of a BigCommerce store owner - copy/paste from your BigCommerce store.

 

Please note that only products created within a specific locale, channel, and category will be imported into your BigCommerce instance. Double-check your store's configuration before the initial import. 

Be cautious when making changes to the following fields as they can cause issues with your app:

  • Locale
  • Channel
  • Currency
  • Category

If changes are necessary, manually clean the BigCommerce store and perform any required modifications before reimporting your products from your PIM. 

The app can clean data persistence to restart the configuration and mapping, but this means you will need to reimport your PIM catalog from scratch.

 

 

Set up Storefront

You will need to finish your configuration setup by choosing a data destination Storefront. This functionality enables you to choose a Storefront to which your products and categories will be attached once imported.

The Storefront section becomes available only when BigCommerce credentials are saved correctly. The list reflects a list of your storefronts available in your BigCommerce store. The list will be updated each time a new storefront is created.

If your API connections are established with Success, and your main configuration and storefront are all set up, then it means that you are good to go and map your BigCommerce/PIM attributes.

 

Set up display type for variants

The product display section lets you select the display type you want to see for your variants in your BigCommerce store.

Display types supported by the Akeneo App for BigCommerce:

  • Radio Buttons
  • Rectangle List
  • Dropdown

You need to select a display type to be able to create your variants with the app.
The variant display is synchronized only when the product is created, allowing you to modify the type option in BigCommerce at a later date without the app overwriting your changes on subsequent synchronizations.

 

Store Resetting

In case you make changes to your store's data configuration after the initial import (e.g., changing the channel or locale), it is highly recommended to delete your store to avoid any potential data import issues due to the new configuration. Deleting the store will clean the data persistence links within the app.

For instructions on store deletion, please consult the article provided here.

After deleting the store, you can reconnect it. We strongly advise consulting with our support team if you have any questions or concerns about the cleaning process and carefully considering any changes to your store's configuration before the initial import.

Want to find out more? Take a look at these related articles