"Improved Import"

How to Import and Export Attributes, Values, and Attribute Sets in Magento 2

June 28, 2021 - E-Commerce, Magento 2, Our extensions

Magento 2 attributes, values, and attribute sets import and export

Operating an e-commerce store is associated with numerous processes. Various management chores include a broad array of actions from creating a category tree to adding an FAQ section. Somewhere between these processes, attribute management is hidden. Magento 2 heavily relies on attributes, attribute sets, and attribute values. You may need to update them frequently as well as add new designations from time to time. Although the platform delivers all the tools necessary to manage your attributes and all the related data, your daily routine turns into an unbearable burden if you work with hundreds of records. However, we know how to assist you with that.

To automate various tasks, you can import or export attributes, attribute sets, and attribute values to/from your Magento 2 website. Below, we shed light on how to enable this functionality on your store even though Magento 2 lacks the corresponding features. A little spoiler: you need to install the Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extension. It will help you transfer Magento 2 attributes, values, and attribute sets to and from your e-commerce website.

The article below focuses on the pros and cons of both manual attribute management and the corresponding import and export automation. After that, it sheds light on various aspects of the import and export functionality represented by our extension. You will learn how to manage attribute tables, edit attribute values, create new attributes on the fly during import, use multiple file formats and sources for the attribute import and export, as well as leverage alternative transfers. Mapping and scheduling are also described in this post.
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How to import Magento 2 product images and swatches

June 21, 2021 - E-Commerce, Magento 2, Magento tips & tricks, Our extensions

Lack of decent product content is what prevents ecommerce businesses from booming. The years of industry growth have proved crucial the support of offers with a trustable and detailed visual representation. Thus, your store can deem credible to any visitor. In addition, engaging audio and video, catchy images, and other multimedia themselves can become solid marketing tools.

To show you how to enrich your site content, below, we are going to discover the ways to create visual/color swatches and to import them as well as product images into a Magento 2 store. The following article sheds light upon the two topics: Magento 2 color swatches and Magento 2 product images. First of all, we provide a short guide to the former. You will find out what Magento 2 product swatches are and why you should use them. Next, we explain how to create this content type associated with configurable products. Of course, you will also discover a standalone chapter dedicated to the Magento 2 color swatch import.

After that, we proceed to the detailed description of the Magento 2 image import. You will see all the primary attributes needed for composing a data table for product image import. Besides, there is a thorough description of the import job associated with both Magento 2 product swatches and Magento 2 product images. So, let’s see what instruments are at your service in the Magento 2 backend and how to make up a shortfall in powerful data transfer solutions there.

FireBear Improved Import & Export for Magento 2 – Extension Change Log

June 21, 2021 - Magento 2, Our extensions

The following blog post will help you retrace the evolution of the Improved Import & Export Magento 2 module. The article gathers updates associated with the extension’s each new version from the very beginning. At the time of 1.0.0, it was a basic import solution with an existing import jobs architecture and import cron automation. With the next few versions, the module got such enhancements as product attribute import on the fly, transfers from FTP, SFTP, URL, and Dropbox, custom mapping, etc. Each new release made the Improved Import stronger and stronger. However, it was still an import-only tool until 1.5.0 was released. With this version, our extension became capable of both import and export processes. You can peruse the detailed evolution of the module and see its latest features below.

Extension Manual | FAQ | Demo | Sample Files

3.5.2 (released 21.06.2021)

Features

Added possibility to enable login and password encryption for FTP and SFTP sources. The setting is available under Stores > Configuration > Firebear Improved Import & Export
Added possibility to import and export products with the quantity per warehouse. If Magento 2 MSI extension is installed, you can import and export products with additional attributes msi_{warehouse_name}, msi_{warehouse_name}_qty, msi_{warehouse_name}_status
Added support of OneDrive as an import and export source. One OneDrive account per store can be added in the extension settings
Added possibility to delete an imported file after the import process completes if you are uploading a file to the store
Added possibility to use ‘tab’ (just type in ‘t’) as a multiple value separator, and field separator, enabling use of the .tsv files
Added possibility to import ALL files from the specified folder, works with sources: file, FTP, SFTP
Added possibility to import .zip archives. You still need to select the proper file type which is contained in the archive.
Added possibility to specify EMPTY_VALUE constant. You can use any symbol to specify that the field should have an empty value after import completes.
Improved URL generation pattern, you can now use [product_attribute_code] to include any product attribute value into the final URL
Now it will not be possible to create multiple export jobs which target the same output file. When duplicating the export jobs the output file path is reset and you need to fill it again. Also, the prefix ‘Duplicate of original_job_name’ will be added to the duplicated job.
Speed improvements for configurable products import

Bugfixes

Fixed issue with product images when Remove All Images and Remove Images from Directory options were enabled together
Fixed issue where Skip Errors Validation system wouldn’t work when importing from command line
Fixed issue with importing product images from Google Drive and DropBox filesystem
Fixed issue when it was not possible to import product price rules by attribute set condition
Fixed issue when it was not possible to save the address of the URL if the URL resulted in 404 error
Fixed issue with the default product stock update when the imported file doesn’t contain stock attributes
Fixed issue when it was not possible to export products page by page
Fixed issue with the product images import when the path to the image is not URL
Fixed issue with importing orders with Json file type
Fixed issue with updating category names using entity_id
Fixed issue with the export filters missing multi-select attributes
Fixed issue with customers sometimes not being confirmed after the import
Fixed issue with the category import when the incorrect value specified for the ‘position’ attribute
Fixed issue with the advanced pricing import with ‘Replace’ behavior adding new lines of the advanced pricing
Fixed issue with the category mapping tab when several pages are added
Fixed issue with the Generate Unique URL if duplicate not working with the URL Generation Pattern
Fixed issue with the Advanced Pricing export when the price has been fetched by the entity link field
Fixed issue with the product image database entries being duplicated for each store in the multi-store environment
Fixed issue with the category mapping preserving cached paths when new import source is selected
Fixed issue with FTP and SFTP sources not working properly in several cases and not being able to connect
Fixed issue with updating category attribute ‘is_anchor’ for multi-store environment due to the inherited Magento 2 behavior
Added URL key validator

Improved Import / Export Magento 2 Extension Manual

June 15, 2021 - Magento 2, Our extensions

In this article, we’d like to draw your attention to the Improved Import & Export Magento 2 extensions. The following blog post contains all the information about the data transfer module. Below, you will find the Improved Import & Export Extension manual that sheds light upon all the key aspects associated with the plugin. We describe its installation, configuration, and import/export transfers, teach you how to add a new import and export job, talk about import and export processes associated with different entities. You will also discover various nuances of running data transfers via CLI, automating processes, using extension customization endpoints, and performing troubleshooting. Various use cases and specific features are also described in the manual.

Improved Import and Export extension allows importing and exporting CSV/XML/JSON files with product data and product images to Magento 2. The files can be imported from a remote FTP/SFTP server, Dropbox, direct URL of a source CSV file, Google Sheets, etc. In addition, the extension offers a dedicated category import from CSV files, import of attribute values and new attributes on the fly, import job scheduling with cron jobs, and other features.

Besides, you get advanced export capabilities, including order export and export jobs, with attribute and table field mapping.

The Ultimate Guide to the Future of E-Commerce

June 9, 2021 - E-Commerce, Magento 2, Magento tips & tricks

ecommerce trends; digital sales; online shopping

E-commerce has seen steady growth for years, but after COVID-19 hit the world, online retails faced both new challenges and possibilities in developing their business. As a year after the start of the pandemic passed, the online sales landscape has changed dramatically. The avoidance of face-to-face contacts, store closures, and numerous coronavirus-related restrictions has forever changed customer behavior patterns. While the economy and society are undergoing a crucial shift, e-commerce merchants need to adjust their business strategy according to the new requirements.

Since more consumers turn to online shopping, digital transformation becomes inevitable for sellers who want to keep their business going and meet new customer demands. By adopting the latest technologies, implementing personalization techniques into the marketing strategy, and switching to more efficient supply chain practices, companies can achieve success in the upcoming years. To help you better understand in which direction to move and which activities to focus on, we’ve compiled a list of emerging e-commerce trends that are changing the business environment in 2021 and are expected to stay for the years to come. By understanding the expectations of a modern buyer and taking appropriate strategic actions a few steps ahead, it is possible to turn crisis times into an opportunity and ensure consistent business growth.

Imported Resource (Image) Could Not Be Downloaded: How To Fix Error During Magento 2 Import

June 8, 2021 - E-Commerce, Magento 2, Our extensions

Magento 2 Development; Magento 2 tutorial

In the following article, we explore a problem that prevents Magento users from importing images. You may be familiar with the ‘Imported resource (image) could not be downloaded from external resource’ issue. If not, below, we provide two StackExchange cases and a possible resolution. Besides, our team developed a dramatically improved way of importing images into Magento 2 which is also described in this article. So, what is the ‘Imported resource (image) could not be downloaded from external resource’ error, and how to fix it? Continue Reading

How to migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2 with Improved Import and Export extension

June 6, 2021 - E-Commerce, Fire development, Magento 2, Magento tips & tricks, Our extensions

Migrating from Magento 1 to Magento 2 is not an ordinary routine. Using the standard Magento data import tool for that may be a difficult task if you are not familiar with coding and working from the command line. Even Magento 2 developers rarely rely on the standard instruments since the migration may prove difficult because of the difference between entities stored in M1 and M2.

That’s why having a tool that simplifies the procedure and leaves you with only mechanical tasks is a great time savior. In this article, we will talk about how to migrate to Magento 2 using the Improved Import and Export extension. Firstly, we will introduce you to the module. After that, you will find out how to import products, customers, and orders to your ecommerce website when you migrate from Magento 1 to Magento 2. The article sheds light on such nuances as getting an export table with a corresponding entity, preparing attributes for import, and transferring everything into your brand new storefront.

How to import Magento 2 product and custom attributes

June 4, 2021 - E-Commerce, Magento 2

In this article, we talk about how to import product attributes, attribute groups, and attribute sets to a Magento 2 store. Besides, we discuss how the attributes behave and which values Magento 2 understands in the import tables. The topic is extremely important since transferring products to Magento 2 is impossible without product attributes. They dictate which values the products have and which options and variations exist. That’s why having the ability to import product attributes is a must. Since Magento 2 doesn’t let you import product attributes by default, we use the Improved Import & Export extension to manage all the processes. Below, you will find how the module works when it comes to the Magento 2 product attribute import. We provide a table with product attributes, offer tips on importing attributes to your e-commerce website, and highlight several more important aspects.

How to solve Specified URL key already exists error during Magento 2 import

June 2, 2021 - E-Commerce, Magento 2

When creating or importing categories and products some may encounter Magento 2 error message ‘URL key for specified store already exists’. It may be the URL rewrites, database issue, or other things not considered.

Anyways, if there is an error there will also be a solution. In this article, we will talk about how to solve Magento 2 ‘URL key for specified store already exists’ error when importing products and categories to your store.

Below, we describe when the error occurs, exploring specific conditions that cause it. This article mentions three different cases that usually lead to ‘URL key for specified store already exists’. Next, we focus on the most frequent reason – duplicate URLs. You will find out how to get rid of duplicate URLs when importing data to Magento 2. The article provides separate examples for products and categories. After that, we put an emphasis on other features related to the Improved Import & Export extension – the solution that we use to address the ‘URL key for specified store already exists’ issue.

Magento 2 import and export guide list

May 26, 2021 - E-Commerce, Magento 2, Uncategorized

Since Magento 2 import and export are complex processes that require additional knowledge and skills, it is hard to cover all their nuances in a single article. Therefore, you can find dozens of materials dedicated to Magento 2 data transfers in our blog. To simplify your interactions with all these publications, we’ve gathered them in this guide list. Below, you will find articles related to Magento 2 import and export processes divided into the following groups: General import instructions, Magento 2 product import, Additional import entities, other articles. We describe the native data transfer solutions as well as shed light upon the core alternatives. You will find out how to automate import/export processes, transfer data from external systems, use Google Sheets and other platforms to move data files from, leverage APIs in import and export processes, etc. By default, Magento 2 offers quite scarce data transfer solutions, especially when it comes to the Open Source version. However, you can easily enhance the basic functionality. Read the corresponding materials listed below to discover the most reliable ways to get fully featured import/export instruments.