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Connect your Shopify store to Cernel for seamless product enrichment with automatic synchronization, metafield management, and bi-directional updates.

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Benefits of Shopify Integration

Automatic Sync

Products automatically sync from Shopify to Cernel—no manual exports needed

Metafield Support

Map enriched attributes directly to Shopify metafields for theme integration

Bi-Directional Updates

Changes in Cernel push back to Shopify automatically

Real-Time

New products appear in Cernel within minutes of creation in Shopify

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Connecting Your Shopify Store

1

Log in to Cernel

Go to platform.cernel.com and log in
2

Navigate to Settings → Sites

Click Settings in the sidebar, then Sites
3

Click 'Add Site'

Select “Connect Shopify”
4

Enter Store URL

Provide your Shopify store URL: yourstore.myshopify.comDon’t include https:// or trailing slashes—just the store name
5

Authorize Cernel

You’ll be redirected to Shopify. Click “Install” to authorize CernelPermissions requested:
  • Read products
  • Write products
  • Read metafields
  • Write metafields
6

Initial Sync Starts

Cernel immediately begins syncing your product catalogSync time: ~5-10 minutes for 1,000 products, ~30-60 minutes for 10,000+
7

Sync Complete

Once finished, all products appear in Cernel ready for enrichment
Cernel only accesses product data and metafields—never customer data, orders, or payment information. Your sensitive data stays private.

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What Gets Synced

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From Shopify to Cernel

  • Products: All published products and variants
  • Collections: Product categories and hierarchies
  • Attributes: Title, description, vendor, product type, tags
  • Images: All product images with existing alt text
  • Metafields: Existing custom metafields
  • Pricing: Prices and SKUs (used for context, not modified)

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From Cernel to Shopify

After enrichment and review:
  • Product fields: Description, title (if enriched)
  • Metafields: All enriched attributes mapped to metafields
  • Image alt text: Updated alt tags for SEO
  • Meta title/description: SEO metafields
Cernel never modifies: Pricing, inventory, variants structure, or published status. Only content and metafields are updated.

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Metafield Mapping

Metafields are custom data fields in Shopify that can be displayed in your theme or used by apps.

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Standard Metafields

Cernel automatically maps these enriched attributes to standard Shopify metafields:
Cernel AttributeShopify Metafield
Meta Titleglobal.title_tag
Meta Descriptionglobal.description_tag
Product DescriptionProduct description field
Short Descriptioncustom.short_description

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Custom Metafields

Map any Cernel attribute to custom Shopify metafields:
1

Open Attribute Configuration

In Cernel, click the configuration icon on any attribute
2

Go to Metafield Mapping

Navigate to the “Shopify Metafields” section
3

Create or Select Metafield

  • Existing metafield: Select from dropdown
  • New metafield: Click “Create New” and define namespace + key
4

Map Attribute

Link the Cernel attribute to the Shopify metafield
5

Save

Mapping is saved and applied to all future enrichments
Example Mappings:
  • Cernel “Material” → Shopify custom.material
  • Cernel “Care Instructions” → Shopify custom.care_instructions
  • Cernel “Brand” → Shopify custom.brand
Once mapped, enriched attributes automatically populate metafields in Shopify, making them available to your theme for display on product pages.

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Sync Behavior

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Initial Sync

When you first connect your Shopify store:
  1. All products are imported to Cernel
  2. Existing data is preserved (descriptions, images, etc.)
  3. Collections are imported as Cernel collections
  4. Metafields are imported if they exist

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Ongoing Sync

After initial connection: Shopify → Cernel:
  • New products added in Shopify appear in Cernel within 5-10 minutes
  • Product updates (title, price, images) sync to Cernel
  • Deleted products are removed from Cernel
Cernel → Shopify:
  • Enriched attributes push back when you click “Apply”
  • Metafields update automatically
  • Changes appear in Shopify within 1-2 minutes
Sync is incremental—only changed products are synced, not the entire catalog each time.

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Multi-Language Shopify Stores

If you have Shopify stores in multiple languages/regions: Connect each Shopify store as a separate site in Cernel:
  • US Store (English)
  • French Store (French)
  • German Store (German)
Enrich products independently for each language. Learn more about multi-language →

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Option 2: Shopify Markets

If using Shopify Markets (single store, multiple languages):
  • Connect once
  • Enrich for primary language
  • Use Shopify’s translation features for other languages

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Troubleshooting

Check:
  1. Is the Shopify app still installed? (Shopify Admin → Apps)
  2. Are products published (not draft)?
  3. Is the site connection active in Cernel? (Settings → Sites)
Solution: Reinstall the app or trigger a manual sync in Settings → Sites.
Check:
  1. Did you click “Apply” after reviewing enriched content?
  2. Are metafields correctly mapped?
  3. Does your theme display metafields?
Solution: Verify metafield mappings and check theme code to ensure metafields are rendered.
Normal sync times:
  • 1,000 products: 5-10 minutes
  • 5,000 products: 20-30 minutes
  • 10,000+ products: 30-60 minutes
If sync is stuck for >2x expected time, contact support.
Check:
  1. Are missing products published in Shopify?
  2. Do they have required fields (title, SKU)?
Solution: Publish products in Shopify and wait for next sync cycle (automatic within 10 minutes).
Check:
  1. Does Cernel have permission to write metafields?
  2. Is the metafield definition valid (namespace + key)?
Solution: Reauthorize the app or manually create the metafield definition in Shopify Admin first.

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Disconnecting Shopify

To disconnect your Shopify store:
1

Settings → Sites

Navigate to site settings
2

Select Shopify Site

Click on the store you want to disconnect
3

Click 'Disconnect'

Confirm disconnection
4

Choose Data Handling

  • Keep products: Products remain in Cernel (read-only)
  • Delete products: Remove all products from Cernel
5

Uninstall from Shopify

Go to Shopify Admin → Apps → Cernel → Uninstall (optional)
Disconnecting stops automatic sync. Enriched data won’t push to Shopify anymore. You can reconnect anytime to restore sync.

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Best Practices

Make product changes (adding products, changing collections) in Shopify, not Cernel. Cernel syncs from Shopify, not vice versa for structural changes.
Don’t overwrite core Shopify fields (like product description) if your theme relies on them. Use metafields for enriched content instead.
Before bulk enrichment, test with a few products to ensure:
  • Metafield mappings work correctly
  • Content displays properly in your theme
  • Sync behaves as expected
Check Settings → Sites periodically to ensure sync is healthy and no errors are occurring.

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What’s Next?

Quickstart

Run your first enrichment

Product Enrichment

Start enriching products

Sites Settings

Manage connected sites

Multi-Language

Enrich in multiple languages
Next: Learn about Feed Integration for platforms without direct Cernel support.