Akeneo Connector Overview

Summary

What is it?

The Akeneo Connector ensures that your SDM and Akeneo PIM remain synchronized. It serves two main purposes:

  1. Sync the PIM configuration between SDM and PIM, ensuring consistency.
  2. Push product data from SDM to PIM once your job is complete.

How is the connector set up?

Your SDM Business Consultant sets up the Akeneo connector during your SDM onboarding phase. It can be linked to your Akeneo PIM Production Environment or Test Environment.

 

How does the connector work?

1. Configuration Sync

The connector fetches your Akeneo PIM’s configuration (like Families, Attribute Groups, etc.) and applies it to your SDM project. It keeps your project up-to-date by syncing automatically. 

Configuration customization: You can ask your Akeneo business consultant when setting up your connector to work only on specific channels or locales, or even focus on specific product families.

Note that there might be a delay between when the PIM configuration is obtained through SDM sync and when you finish a workflow and send your data to the PIM. 
This means that new attributes may have been added to your input file in SDM and may already be created in the PIM, but they have not yet been fetched from the PIM during the last synchronization. In this case, SDM will not add or overwrite any value in your PIM if it doesn't recognize the new attribute.

 

Manual Sync: You can trigger a manual sync from SDM if you need immediate updates from your PIM configuration, without waiting for the next scheduled sync.

 

2. Product Push

When a job in SDM is finalized, the connector pushes the assets and the product data (simple and variants) to your Akeneo PIM. 

If SDM detects a new product, it will be created in your PIM system with all related and known attributes.

Empty attributes in SDM will not overwrite existing data in PIM with empty values. 
But note that the connector uses the overriding mode, so make sure you have set-up with your Akeneo business consultant or integrator the right validation rules before any push.

 

PIM Supported Attributes and Limitations

Getting the Most Out of the PIM Connector

For more advanced configurations and tailored advice, consult with the support team or your integrator. They can provide detailed guidance to optimize the use of the PIM connector, ensuring it aligns perfectly with your data management strategies.