Akeneo products have a standard update date (the updated field) that only changes when the product itself is modified. If an Asset or a Reference Entity record linked to a product changes, that standard date stays the same. For integrations that rely on incremental sync, this means those indirect changes are invisible and products may never be re-exported to downstream systems.
The Linked Entities Update option introduces a second, separate update date called updated_including_linked_entities. Unlike updated, this date also changes when a linked entity is modified. When enabled, it is exposed as a dedicated API filter and export option so your integrations can detect and act on those indirect changes.
How it works
Akeneo tracks a separate date for each product, updated when:
- the product itself is modified (always), or
- one of its linked entities is modified, if that entity type is enabled in the configuration.
Two linked entity types can be tracked independently:
| Entity type | What triggers an update |
|---|---|
| Assets | An Asset linked to the product or one of its product models is modified. |
| Reference Entity records | A Reference Entity record linked to the product or one of its product models is modified. |
Enable the option
- Go to System > Configuration.
- Open the Linked Entities Update section.
- Toggle on the entity types you want to track: Assets, Reference Entity records, or both.
- Save your changes.
Use the filter via API
Once the option is enabled, use the updated_including_linked_entities filter on the following list endpoints:
GET /api/rest/v1/productsGET /api/rest/v1/products-uuidGET /api/rest/v1/product-models
This filter supports the same operators as the standard updated filter: =, !=, <, >, BETWEEN, NOT BETWEEN, and SINCE LAST N DAYS.
Example: filter products updated in the last 7 days
To retrieve products updated, including any change made to their linked entities, during the last 7 days:
GET /api/rest/v1/products-uuid?search={"updated_including_linked_entities":[{"operator":"SINCE LAST N DAYS","value":7}]}Restrict to specific entity types
You can optionally use the companion filter updated_including_linked_type to narrow down which linked entity types are taken into account. This filter only accepts the IN operator and must be used together with updated_including_linked_entities.
Accepted values: asset, reference_entity_record.
GET /api/rest/v1/products-uuid?search={
"updated_including_linked_entities":[{"operator":">","value":"2025-01-01 00:00:00"}],
"updated_including_linked_type":[{"operator":"IN","value":["asset","reference_entity_record"]}]
}If an entity type is not enabled in System > Configuration, changes to that entity type are not taken into account by the filter, even if you include it in updated_including_linked_type.
For the full filter reference, see the API documentation.
Use the filter in exports
When the Linked Entities Update option is enabled, the updated_including_linked_entities filter also becomes available in export profiles. You can use it in the Product Export Builder to schedule or trigger exports that include products with indirect changes.
This is especially useful for scheduled delta exports where you want to capture all catalog changes, including those originating from linked Assets or Reference Entity records.
Connectors
The Shopify app automatically enables the Linked Entities Update option for Assets and Reference Entity records as soon as it is connected. No manual configuration is needed.