Shopify–NetSuite Products & Variants Integration

Introduction

After setting up customers, the next building block in your Shopify–NetSuite integration is products and variants.

Every order in Shopify references a product and a variant (size, color, etc.), which must match a NetSuite item record. Without proper product synchronization:

• Orders will fail because SKUs don’t match.
• Inventory sync breaks.
• Wrong prices get pushed into orders.

This guide covers everything you need to integrate Shopify Products/Variants with NetSuite Items, including:

• Differences between Shopify products and NetSuite items.
• Mapping products, variants, and SKUs.
• Handling matrix items.
• Syncing pricing and currencies.
• Managing images and attributes.
• Inventory sync considerations.
• Best practices for product governance.

1. Shopify Product & Variant Model

Shopify’s structure is product-centric.

1.1. Shopify Product Object

• id: Unique product ID.
• title: Product name.
• body_html: Description.
• vendor: Brand/manufacturer.
• product_type: Category.
• tags: Custom tags for filtering.
• variants[]: Each variant = separate purchasable SKU.
• options[]: Attributes (e.g., Color, Size).
• images[]: Product + variant-level images.

👉 Example Shopify Product JSON:

{
  "id": 123456789,
  "title": "Classic T-Shirt",
  "vendor": "MyBrand",
  "product_type": "Apparel",
  "variants": [
    {
      "id": 111,
      "sku": "TSHIRT-BLK-S",
      "option1": "Black",
      "option2": "Small",
      "price": "25.00",
      "inventory_quantity": 50
    },
    {
      "id": 112,
      "sku": "TSHIRT-BLK-M",
      "option1": "Black",
      "option2": "Medium",
      "price": "25.00",
      "inventory_quantity": 30
    }
  ]
}

2. NetSuite Item Model

NetSuite has multiple item record types.

2.1. Common Item Types

• Inventory Item – Tracks stock, used for physical products.
• Non-Inventory Item – For services or items not tracked in stock.
• Matrix Item – Parent product with child variants (like Shopify’s product + variants).
• Kit/Assembly Item – Bundle of multiple items.

2.2. Key Fields in NetSuite

• itemid: SKU / Item Name.
• displayname: User-friendly name.
• parent: If matrix child, parent matrix item.
• matrixoption: Attribute like Color/Size.
• baseprice and pricing: Pricing details.
• isinactive: Item status.
• custom fields: Map tags, metafields, etc.

3. Field Mapping Between Shopify & NetSuite

4. Matrix Items (Variants)

4.1. Shopify Variants = NetSuite Matrix Child Items

• Shopify’s options → NetSuite matrix attributes.
• Example:
  • Product: Classic T-Shirt.
  • Variants: Black-S, Black-M, White-S, White-M.
  • In NetSuite → Parent Item “Classic T-Shirt” with 4 matrix children.

4.2. Best Practice

• Always map Shopify variant SKU → NetSuite itemid.
• Store Shopify variant ID in a custom field for debugging.

5. Pricing Synchronization

Shopify supports a single price per variant (unless using advanced apps).

NetSuite supports:

• Multiple currencies.
• Price levels (Wholesale, Retail, etc.).

👉 Recommended:

• Sync Shopify price → NetSuite base price.
• If using NetSuite price levels, define mapping:
  • Shopify retail → NetSuite Base Price.
  • Shopify wholesale app → NetSuite Wholesale Price Level.

6. Images and Media

Shopify → NetSuite image sync is optional.

• Shopify supports multiple product + variant images.
• NetSuite allows file attachments in the File Cabinet.

👉 Best Practice:

• Store product images in Shopify only (customer-facing).
• In NetSuite, store reference URL from Shopify → reduces storage.

7. Inventory Synchronization

While inventory has its own page later, note that product sync is tied to inventory:

• Shopify variant has inventory_quantity.
• NetSuite inventory items track stock per location.

👉 Inventory mapping requires a location table (Shopify location ID → NetSuite location ID).

8. Authentication & Data Push

8.1. Shopify → NetSuite Product Push

• Trigger: Shopify webhook (products/create, products/update).
• Payload → middleware (Celigo, Boomi, Lambda).
• Auth: NetSuite TBA → push to RESTlet.
• RESTlet → creates/updates Inventory Item or Matrix child.

8.2. NetSuite → Shopify Product Push

• Trigger: Scheduled Map/Reduce script or Workflow.
• Collect new/updated items.
• Auth: Shopify Admin API token.
• Push via REST call: POST /admin/api/2025-01/products.json

9. Common Challenges

10. Testing Plan

• ✅ Sync 5 products with single variant.
• ✅ Sync 5 products with multiple variants (matrix).
• ✅ Update pricing in Shopify → confirm NetSuite update.
• ✅ Update description in NetSuite → confirm Shopify update.
• ✅ Test inventory sync for one product across two locations.

11. Best Practices

• Always use SKU as primary key between systems.
• Store Shopify Product ID + Variant ID in NetSuite custom fields.
• Keep product creation one-directional (e.g., NetSuite → Shopify).
• Use webhooks + scheduled reconciliation.
• Don’t sync images unless required.
• Automate inactive product handling (archive in both systems).

Summary

You’ve now learned how to integrate Shopify products and variants with NetSuite items:

• Mapping fields between both systems.
• Handling matrix items (variants).
• Pricing, images, and inventory considerations.
• How to authenticate and push data both ways.
• Best practices for reliable product governance.

👉 Next in the series: Shopify–NetSuite Inventory Synchronization