Shops5 min read

Input feed: connect Shopify or import a feed

Supported IRONFEED sources: Shopify, XML, CSV/TSV/TXT, JSON, local upload and Google Sheets, over HTTP, FTP, FTPS or SFTP, with login and filename pattern options.

The input feed is where IRONFEED reads your products from. You choose it in step 2 of the shop wizard and can change it later under Shop Settings → Input Feed.

Supported sources

Source	How it works	Notes
Shopify	Install the IRONFEED app from the Shopify App Store (live stores) or from the Partner Dashboard → Apps → IRONFEED → Test your app (development stores). Shopify redirects you back and the store appears in your Shops list.	The connection must start from a Shopify surface. Billing for Shopify-connected accounts goes through Shopify Billing.
XML	Paste the feed URL. Google Shopping RSS/Atom-style feeds with the `g:` namespace are read natively.	Any well-formed XML with one element per product.
CSV / TXT / TSV	Paste the URL of a delimited file. The first row must contain the column headers.	Comma, tab or semicolon delimited.
JSON	Paste the URL of a JSON document containing an array of product objects.	Nested values are kept as fields.
Local file	Switch to From Local Device and upload `.xml`, `.csv`, `.tsv`, `.txt` or `.json`.	Processed immediately; no schedule. Re-upload a new version from Input Feed at any time.
Google Sheets	Paste the full sheet URL (`https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/…`).	Share the sheet as Anyone with the link · Viewer. The first row must be the headers.

Other shopping carts (WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce, PrestaShop, Lightspeed, OpenCart, TiendaNube) appear in the picker marked Coming soon and cannot be selected yet. To import from them today, use the platform's product export URL or file.

URL protocol

For URL feeds choose one of HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS or SFTP. HTTP(S) URLs are validated as URLs; FTP-style paths are validated for allowed characters. Example values:

https://acme-outdoor.example/feeds/products.xml
sftp://files.acme-outdoor.example/exports/products.csv

Advanced options

Open Advanced options only if the feed needs authentication or filename matching.

Option	Use when
Login / Password	The feed URL or FTP server requires credentials. Use a read-only account dedicated to IRONFEED.
Regular expression for import file	The file name changes on every export (e.g. `products_2026-08-24.xml`). Enter the pattern (`products_.*\.xml`) and IRONFEED picks the matching file on the server.

Google Sheets sources ignore these options.

How fields are detected

After the first import, IRONFEED reads the attribute names from your products and offers them everywhere as source fields.

XML namespaces are stripped: g:price is offered as price (the original key also works).
Field lookup is case-insensitive.
Repeated elements (for example several additional_image_link tags) can be mapped one by one using an index suffix: additional_image_link (0) is the first, (1) the second, and so on.
Nested JSON objects and arrays are preserved; arrays are collapsed to their first element unless you use the index syntax.

Example source product (XML):

<item>
  <g:id>ACM-1001</g:id>
  <g:title>Trailhead Rain Jacket - Men's</g:title>
  <g:description>Waterproof 2.5-layer shell with taped seams.</g:description>
  <g:link>https://acme-outdoor.example/products/trailhead-rain-jacket</g:link>
  <g:image_link>https://cdn.acme-outdoor.example/img/acm-1001-blue.jpg</g:image_link>
  <g:additional_image_link>https://cdn.acme-outdoor.example/img/acm-1001-back.jpg</g:additional_image_link>
  <g:price>149.00 USD</g:price>
  <g:availability>in stock</g:availability>
  <g:brand>Acme Outdoor</g:brand>
  <g:color>Blue</g:color>
  <g:size>M</g:size>
  <g:item_group_id>ACM-1000</g:item_group_id>
</item>

Source fields detected: id, title, description, link, image_link, additional_image_link, price, availability, brand, color, size, item_group_id.

Running an import

The first import starts when you click Save and Download Products in the wizard.
Scheduled imports run at the shop's update times. See Updates schedule.
Local uploads are imported immediately after upload.
A successful first import sends a "Your feed is ready" email.
After each import every channel of the shop is regenerated so the Feed URLs reflect the new data.

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