How StoreAutomator's Custom Fields Revolutionize Multichannel Selling

Custom fields in StoreAutomator are powerful, user-defined data points that help merchants go beyond basic product attributes like SKU, price, or description. By adding unique, channel-specific details—such as marketplace-specific keywords or specific attributes like manufacturer, country of origin, and material type—custom fields provide the flexibility needed for precise product data management across multiple marketplaces.

The ability to create rule-based dynamic custom fields is even more impactful. Values are automatically calculated or adjusted in these fields using logical conditions and formulas. This allows sellers to automate pricing, fulfillment logic, or conditional attributes, reducing manual updates and ensuring accurate, channel-compliant listings at scale.

Why Custom Fields Matter in Multichannel Selling

In multichannel e-commerce, each platform—Amazon, eBay, Walmart, or Etsy—has distinct requirements for product listings. Custom fields in StoreAutomator facilitate mapping specific product attributes to meet these varied standards. For instance, eBay mandates certain item specifics like style, material, etc., which can be managed through custom fields. This flexibility ensures consistent and compliant listings across all sales channels.

StoreAutomator's Custom Fields: More Than Static Text

Beyond serving as placeholders for static information, StoreAutomator's custom fields can be dynamic, adapting based on predefined rules and formulas. This dynamic capability allows for real-time calculations and adjustments, such as computing prices based on cost, markup, and shipping factors. By leveraging dynamic custom fields, merchants can automate complex pricing strategies and maintain consistency across their product catalog.

StoreAutomator achieves this through its template function syntax, which supports arithmetic operations, conditional statements (if logic), and field referencing. This allows sellers to build sophisticated pricing models, apply channel-specific logic, or automatically generate data for other product attributes.

From Static to Dynamic: Powering Custom Fields with Rules

Dynamic custom fields in StoreAutomator utilize the platform's template function syntax to perform calculations and logic-based operations. For example, a dynamic field can calculate a product's price using the formula.

For instance, consider the following formula used in a dynamic custom field:

eval:{Product.Cost.Multiply({Product.CustomFields[base_markup]}).Add({If({Product.IsFba},{Product.CustomFields[commission_rate]},{Product.CustomFields[shipping_cost]})})}

Let’s break down what this rule does:

• Product.Cost is multiplied by a base markup stored in another custom field (base_markup)
  
  
• Then it adds either a commission rate or a shipping cost, depending on whether the product is fulfilled by Amazon (FBA)
  
  
• The If statement checks {Product.IsFba} and applies the appropriate additional cost based on the fulfillment method
  
  

This dynamic approach allows merchants to automate complex pricing logic, tailor product data for specific channels, and respond quickly to business changes without manually editing individual listings.

Use cases for dynamic custom fields include:

• Adjusting prices based on cost, margin, or fulfillment method
  
  
• Tagging products conditionally (e.g., mark as “Heavy” if weight > 50 lbs)
  
  
• Creating fallback rules (e.g., use a default brand if no brand is defined)
  
  
• Generating SEO-optimized titles using attributes like brand, model, and category
  
  

By leveraging dynamic custom fields, merchants can:

• Automate repetitive tasks like price adjustments or fulfillment-based conditions
  
  
• Ensure consistency across a multichannel catalog without manual edits
  
  
• React quickly to the changes by updating a single rule within a custom field instead of creating many separate custom fields. 

In short, dynamic custom fields help sellers move from static data entry to smart, scalable automation, saving time, minimizing errors, reducing manual intervention, eliminating inconsistencies, and streamlining product data management across multiple marketplaces.

Practical Examples

1. Automated Pricing Adjustments

By setting up dynamic custom fields, merchants can automatically adjust prices based on factors like cost, markup, and fulfillment method. This ensures competitive pricing across different channels without manual recalculations.

For example, for the pricing rule,

eval:{Product.Cost.Multiply({Product.CustomFields[base_markup]}).Add({If({Product.IsFba},{Product.CustomFields[commission_rate]},{Product.CustomFields[shipping_cost]})})}

2. Channel-Specific Data Mapping

Custom fields allow for the creation of channel-specific data mappings. For instance, a custom field can be used to store eBay-specific item specifics, or custom fields can be used in the template field mapping, ensuring that listings meet platform requirements.

3. Bulk Data Management

StoreAutomator supports the bulk import of custom fields, streamlining the process of updating product information across large catalogs. This feature is handy for businesses managing extensive inventories.

4. Business Rules in Custom Fields

The rules in the custom fields can reflect broader business policies. For example:

• Calculating pricing in the custom field by using the cost if the cost has a value. This custom field can be used in the channel by mapping it to the price in the channel settings.  

eval:{If({Product.Cost},{Product.Cost.Multiply(2.00)},{Product.Price})}

• Using a lookup list (replacement list) in the custom field dynamically.
  

eval:{If({lookup(color lookup,{Product.CustomFields[sheincolor]})},{lookup(color lookup,{Product.CustomFields[sheincolor]})},{Product.CustomFields[sheincolor]})}

So, if you use the color-rule field in any marketplace, the result will depend on the rule.

These fields can drive automation in other parts of StoreAutomator, such as filters, exports, channel mappings, and pricing strategies.

In summary, StoreAutomator's custom fields—both static and dynamic—offer a robust solution for managing complex product data across multiple sales channels. By leveraging these features, merchants can enhance their operational efficiency, maintain data consistency, and adapt swiftly to the evolving demands of ecommerce platforms.