How to Run Magento 2 Import or Export After Specific System Event or Process

If you are wondering how to automate import and export processes, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we shed light on how to run Magento 2 import/export after a specific system event or process in a fully automated manner. You will no longer need to start data exchange procedures manually after reading this article. To make the long story short, let’s proceed right to the crux of the matter.

Introduction

As you might have already guessed, the ability to run Magento 2 import and export processes after a specific system event is based on a third-party extension. The default data migration tools represented on the platform are limited so that you can use them for basic procedures only. Anything more robust is provided with the help of additional extensions.

However, not all import and export tools are similar. Most extensions of this kind improve the default Magento 2 functionality just slightly. As a result, you need to look hard to find a tool that enables Magento 2 import and export after a specific system process. Most of them don’t even provide the ability to create a schedule of transfers so that you should launch every process manually.

Luckily, there is the Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension which not only supports cron but also works with Magento 2 events and observers allowing you to create specific conditions for launching import or export.

Magento 2 Events & Observers

There are lots of various tutorials that explain how to leverage events and observers of Magento 2. Since we don’t pretend to turn this article into a developer’s guide that describes this technical aspect of our favorite e-commerce platform, you will find a link to the appropriate material below. Below, we only shed light on some core aspects necessary to describe the proper functionality of our module.

If you have a zero understanding of what events and observers do, they dramatically improve your daily routine if you know how to streamline the corresponding piece of technology. Being based on the publish-subscribe pattern, they provide the ability to run custom code in response to specific Magento events or even custom processes.

Let’s take a look at what exact functionality is hidden behind the two terms.

Observers represent a potent mechanism available in Magento 2 by default. Being a specific type of a Magento class, they can influence everything from the platform’s general behavior to the custom business logic. As you might have already guessed, observers are tightly connected with events. They are executed whenever the corresponding event is dispatched by the event manager. So, an observer is continuously watching a specific event. When the event happens, it starts to run the programmed process (import or export in our case). But what about Magento events?

Modules dispatch them after specific actions are triggered. As mentioned above, you can use not only local Magento events but also create custom ones.  When an event is dispatched, it can pass data to any observers that fallow that event.

We hope that now you understand the basic principle behind events and observers of Magento 2. For further information, read the official documentation: Magento 2 Events and Observers. As for the promised tutorial, you can find it here: Magento 2 Events List and How to Use Them.

How to Run Magento 2 Import or Export After Specific System Event

Now, we can proceed to the corresponding functionality of the Improved Import & Export extension. If you need to launch import or export in Magento 2 right after a specific event or process, specify the corresponding behavior in the admin section of our module. Choose the appropriate option which is available additionally to schedules and manual runs and select an event that will launch the process. That’s all!

The Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension starts a data transfer right after a corresponding observer detects the specified event. Note that even an import/export process can become a trigger radically increasing the flexibility of import and export processes. Thus, you can use our extension to:

• Run an order export job after a new order has been placed – an advantageous behavior that automates data transfers between Magento 2 and your drop shipping partner.
• Run product export after a price has been changed – if your store is connected to a marketplace, and you want to change the current product prices, the extension provides the ability to inform the external platform about them automatically.
• Import products when the stock is less than five items and a product has been purchased right now – it is an example of a complex rule that launches a new data transfer when both conditions are met.
• Export new customer data after he/she has placed an order – a beneficial condition if your store is integrated with an external CRM system.
• Run a stock import job after an export job has been finished – it is an example of how an export process can launch the opposite procedure. Note that you can use an export trigger to start export processes. The same is about the import.

Thus, the Improved Import & Export extension offers the most flexible conditions in the whole ecosystem when it comes to the ability to run Magento 2 import & export processes after a specific event.

Now, let’s focus on the other features of our module. The full list of Magento 2 event is provided at the end of this article.

Get Improved Import & Export Magento 2 Extension

How to Run Magento 2 Import or Export On Schedule

In addition to event-based import and export processes, the extension lets you create flexible schedules on the basis of cron. We’ve already mentioned this feature above and want to say a few more words about it now.

The Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension supports allows you to create any custom update schedule. Additionally, you can choose one of the predefined intervals that can be customized if necessary. Another vital opportunity that our module offers is represented by profiles designed for a manual run only. For instance, you need to move customer data from your old Magento 1 store to a new one by the second version of the platform. Since this process should be launched only once, there is no need to create an update schedule.

At the same time, you can run every scheduled import and export process manually before the specified time. For instance, you’ve just received a significant update, but the corresponding job is scheduled for tomorrow. There is no need to wait or create a new import profile – launch the existing one manually!

You can see how to configure the corresponding section of the Improved Import & Export extension below:

How to Run Magento 2 Import or Export After Specific System Event via Multiple File Formats

The Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension exceeds the boundaries of the platform even more by introducing the support for multiple file formats. By default, Magento works with CSV files only. With the help of our module, you can dramatically extend that functionality. It allows you to run import and export after a specific system event via XML, JSON, ODS, and Excel. You no longer need to convert these file formats into CSV to import data files into your store. Furthermore, the extension lets you create the corresponding output providing it right to external systems via one of the supported file sources.

The Improved Import & Export module works with FTP/SFTP destinations. It means that you can use your local server to transfer data between two systems. A remote server can be freely utilized for the same purposes as well.

The Dropbox support represents another data source. Use your account in the cloud storage to exchange data files between Magento 2 and any external platforms that support this connection type.

And if you need to import data, a direct URL is enough. Provide the Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension with an address of a file, and the module will move it into the system.

Note that all compressed data is unzipped automatically. You no longer need to extract file archives manually before importing them into Magento 2.

How to Run Magento 2 Import or Export After Specific System Event Without Files

You can even run import and export processes after a specific system event without data files. The Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension offers several corresponding options.

First of all, our extension enables you to import data from Google Sheets. Let’s assume a situation when your partner provides stock updates via this service. You can use the Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension to launch the corresponding job after a specific number of items is left.

The following gif shows how to connect your Magento 2 website to Google Sheets:

Alternatively, you can avoid all intermediaries and link your store to a remote system directly. The Improved Import & Export extension support the following three standards: SOAP API, REST API, or GraphQL API. All of them are used for complex integrations, and you can freely leverage event-based import/export processes with one of these API connections.

How to Run Magento 2 Import or Export After Specific System Event Without File Editing

Another feature of our module that truly enables the ability to run all import and export processes automatically is mapping. The extension allows using mapping presets that erase boundaries between Magento 2 and external platforms.

It’s not a secret that due to different data standards, you cannot take an external output and import it into Magento 2. The barrier exists even between Magento 2.x and 1.x. Different attribute standards cause the problem so that you need to edit every data file manually before moving it into your e-commerce store. Usually, this process takes much time and effort since it covers a massive volume of work. But there is a reliable solution.

Our extension lets you effortlessly run import and export processes after a specific event with the help of mapping presets. You need to select a predefined mapping scheme developed for your particular integration. Below, you can see how to solve the problem caused by different attribute standards of Magento 2 and 1:

At the same time, the Improved Import & Export Magento 2 module enables you to match external attributes to ones used internally in a convenient admin interface. The procedure is very straightforward. You only need to select an external attribute in one column and match it to ones used in Magento 2. The native attribute should be specified in the second column. Besides, you can type a hardcoded attribute value that will be added to all items. The following gif image illustrates the process:

Advanced Mapping Features

To improve the mapping functionality we’ve just described, the Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension offers several more features, such as attribute values mapping and editing, category mapping, and attributes on the fly. Let’s take a look at each one individually.

The ability to map attribute values will save your time and effort in case you get third-party files with attribute values that are not used within your database. Instead of importing them and creating new ones, you can match the unnecessary designations to the existing values. The procedure is based on the same principle as attribute matching and takes place in the same environment, but you can match multiple external values to a single one as well. You can find more information regarding attribute values mapping in this post: Attribute Values Mapping.

Attribute values editing is another time-saver provided by Improved Import & Export. Use multiple rules and conditions to apply changes in bulk precisely. You can add a prefix, suffix, or both. Besides, it is possible to merge or split the data if necessary. The feature is described here: How to Modify Attribute Values During Import and Export in Magento 2.

As for the ability to map product categories, it lets you match all external designations to ones used in your database without affecting the existing catalog. Furthermore, you can create new categories right during the import process. Both options are illustrated here: Category Mapping.

As mentioned above, you can freely create attributes on the fly with the help of the Improved Import & Export extension. If any data is absent in the import file, it’s no longer a problem. Specify parameters necessary to create the missing attribute, and our extension will do everything for you. Follow this link to get a better understanding of this feature: Product attributes import.

And don’t forget to check this video to discover more nuances related to the Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension:

Final Words

You must admit that running import or export after a specific system event in Magento 2 is no longer a problem. The Improved Import & Export extension revolutionizes the way you used to work with the default Magento tools. Events and observer-based functionality of the module is just the tip of the iceberg. For any further information, follow the link below and contact our support:

Get Improved Import & Export Magento 2 Extension

Magento 2 Events List

Below, you can see a table that contains all Magento 2 events. The first column shows a file where you can find a specific event whilst the second one provides a corresponding event name. You can use the following information to get a better understanding of what specific system events can be used to run Magento 2 Import & Export processes in a fully automated mode right after particular conditions has been met.