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Import Strategies

Import Strategies

You can configure different import strategies for each type of object being imported.

Supported import strategies are:

  • Insert. This option only imports new objects. If the ID of an object being imported matches the ID of an existing object, the object is not imported.
  • Update. This option only imports objects whose IDs match existing object. The existing object is overwritten with the object being imported.
  • Insert or Update. Combines the Insert and Update options. This option imports new objects and overwrites existing objects when objects being imported have the same IDs as existing objects.

For example, the following diagram shows an Elastic Path deployment that contains two categories, A and B. Category A contains one product, product X.

The package being imported contains categories A and B, and a new category named C. It also contains a new product, product Y, which is associated with category B.

If the Insert import strategy is selected, category C and product Y are imported into Elastic Path. Category A, Category B, and Product X remain unchanged. (The stars indicate objects that have been updated after the import.)



If the Update import strategy is selected, categories A and B are imported into Elastic Path. The imported versions replace the existing categories A and B. Category C and product Y are not imported.



If the Insert or Update strategy is used, all the objects are imported. The existing objects are overwritten with the versions in the import package.



Combining Import Strategies

You can select different import strategies for products, categories, and catalogs. For example, you can select the Insert or Update strategy for categories and catalogs, and Update for products. This flexibility can be useful in some situations, but it can also cause problems.

For example, assume that catalogs are set to use Update and products are set to use Insert or Update. If the import package contains a new catalog and new products associated with that catalog, the following will occur when you import the package:

  1. The new catalog will not be imported because the Update strategy is selected.
  2. The products will fail to import because their catalog was not imported.

To prevent problems like this, do not use Update for catalog or category object types if any object types below them in the hierarchy are using Update or Insert or Update.