When managing your product adverts in Marketplacer, it’s important to understand how each variant of a product is created and maintained. This helps clarify why certain attributes—such as price and stock levels—may behave differently across variants.
Why Variant Sources Matter
Since a single product can have multiple variants (e.g., sizes or colors), it’s possible for these to be created through different methods. Without visibility into how each variant was created, sellers may experience confusion about:
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Why some variants update automatically.
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Why others require manual updates.
To address this, the "Source" column in the advert editing interface indicates how each variant was created.
Types of Variant Sources
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External: These variants are created via an integration—such as MConnect or a direct API integration (e.g., with Shopify or WooCommerce). Variants with an "External" source are controlled by the system that created them and will typically have their stock levels and prices synced automatically.
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Internal: These variants are created manually in the Marketplacer seller portal. They are not synced with external systems, and any changes to them (e.g., stock or pricing) must be made directly in the portal.
Example
Below is a screenshot showing an advert with four variants:
In this example:
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Three variants (Black / M, Black / L, Black / XXXL) are marked as External — they were imported from a Shopify store and will stay in sync with Shopify.
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One variant (Green / L) is marked as Internal — it was created manually and must be updated manually through Marketplacer.
Best Practices
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Avoid editing External variants manually in the seller portal to prevent sync conflicts.
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Review the Source column when troubleshooting variant updates or inconsistencies.
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If you want all variants to be synced from your eCommerce platform, ensure they are created and maintained through your integration (e.g., MConnect).
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