How to create a new project in Mergado?#

Have you decided to enter a new advertising platform with your online store (e.g. Heureka, Sklik, Google, Kaufland, or ChatGPT) and chosen Mergado as your helper? We will show you that creating a new project is something you can easily and quickly do yourself.

What is the difference between an online store and a project?#

An online store in Mergado groups individual projects together. Under one online store, you can have as many projects as you need.

Think of an online store in Mergado as your own online store (example: My-eshop.com) and projects as the individual platforms where you want to advertise products from that store (e.g. Heureka, Allegro, ChatGPT, Facebook, etc.)

If you have multiple online stores, create a separate online store in Mergado for each one and then create the corresponding projects under it. Each online store will be billed separately.

ℹ️ According to the Mergado Terms of Use, it is not allowed to have multiple different online stores within a single online store. So if you have two online stores, each on its own domain, you need to create two online stores in Mergado as well, under which you create the corresponding projects for individual advertising platforms.

What is a product feed?#

A product (or data) feed is a structured data file containing so-called elements. These elements carry information about the products you sell. They include, for example, product names, descriptions, prices, availability, categories, and much more.

To create a project, you need to provide Mergado with this structured information about your products. The feed you put into Mergado is called the input feed.

In Mergado, we also use the term output feed. This is a feed containing all your data plus the modifications you have made in Mergado Editor, and is therefore tailored for the advertising platform you are creating the project for.

                     input feed → Mergado → output feed

What is a product feed format?#

Just as you can save your notes in a Word document (.docx) or an Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx), a product feed can also be stored in various formats. The most common ones are XML, CSV, JSON, or Google Sheet. Mergado supports all of these formats and it is up to you which one you use for your input feed.

During project creation, you will also choose the format for the output feed. You choose this based on which platform your data in the specific project is intended for (e.g. Heureka, Google, Zboží.cz, Kaufland Marketplaces). If you want to use the project solely for editing existing data (e.g. within your own online store), you choose the same format for input and output.

How to get the input feed URL?#

To upload the input feed, you need to enter its URL in Mergado (in other words, a link to where the feed is stored). This is not the address of your online store, but the direct address where the data about individual items in your online store is stored. You can usually get the feed URL from the admin panel of your online store platform or from your online store administrator. It might look something like this: https://eshop.com/feed.xml

If your online store runs on platforms like Prestashop, WooCommerce, or Opencart, you can use our free plugin Mergado Pack, which helps you create an XML file with data for uploading to Mergado.

If you do not have a feed URL available because your feed is stored on an FTP server, our extension Mergado Drive will help by converting the inaccessible FTP data to a public URL.

ℹ️ Mergado will download your input feed from IP address 81.31.39.112. If you use an IP address whitelist to secure your feeds, you need to add Mergado’s IP address to it.

How to create a new project?#

  1. After logging into your Mergado account, click the New project button, which will take you to a page where you can create the project in a few steps.

→ If you are completely new to Mergado, we recommend first going through the Mergado Editor Guide, from which you can also get to project creation by clicking the Create project button.

  1. In the first step, click the Online store field, where you select the online store under which you want to create the new project.

a. If this is your first time in Mergado (you don’t have any online store yet) or you want to create the project under a brand new online store, click Create online store. Enter the name of your new online store and click Confirm.

b. If you already have online stores in Mergado and want to create the project under one of them, select the desired online store from the list.

  1. Click Continue.

  2. In the next step, select your input feed source (the location where your product data is stored). You can choose from the following data source options.

a. Product feed (URL) — if your product feed is stored at a URL address, click Use feed URL

b. Shopify — if your online store runs on the Shopify platform, click Connect via Shopify

c. Malfini supplier feed — if you want to connect a Malfini supplier feed to your project, click Connect Malfini

d. UNAS — if your online store runs on the UNAS platform, click Connect via UNAS

  1. The exact steps for connecting your input feed using each method are described in the following section of this article. After connecting your data using the chosen method, click Continue.

  2. In the next step, select your output feed format (i.e. the target recipient of your data). Simply put, select the platform where you want to start advertising or for which your data is intended (e.g. Heureka, Google, Facebook, supplier application, website, marketplace, and others) and click Continue.

→ Mergado pre-selects the output format based on an analysis of your input feed (it selects the format most similar to the input). However, you can of course choose any format you want.

→ If none of the offered output formats matches the format you want for your output, click Define custom format and set up the desired output format.

  1. In the final step, review (and if needed, change by clicking the pencil icon) whether all settings are configured as you want them.

→ The project name will automatically be filled in based on what you selected as the output format. You can also change the name by clicking the pencil icon.

→ You will also see the option to change the Matching elements. These elements contain unique information and help distinguish individual products from the input feed. Mergado always suggests the most suitable elements automatically, and changing them is an advanced feature that you probably won’t need to modify for your first project.

  1. Click Finish.

Mergado will begin downloading and importing data. The import speed depends on the feed size (for a small feed it’s quick, for a feed with tens of thousands of products it may take a few minutes).

After the project is completed, the output feed URL will be created. You then enter this URL in the platform for which you created this project.

You can access all information about the created project at any time via the User Details page in your Mergado account. Here you will find a list of all your online stores. Clicking on a selected online store will show you a list of all projects in that online store. Clicking on a selected project will display all information about it, including the output feed URL.

ℹ️ If you have been working with Mergado for some time and are creating a new project under an existing online store that already has active project(s), it may happen that the new active project causes you to exceed the limit of your currently prepaid plan. If you do exceed your current plan and move to a higher tier, you will receive an email notification. If you are creating a new project under a newly created online store, a new billing item with the corresponding plan will be added. More information about plan changes can be found in this article.

How to connect various product data sources?#

Product feed (URL)#

Choose this option if you have the URL of your product feed, which you obtained from the admin panel of your online store platform or from your online store administrator. Or if you are already using Mergado and want to use, for example, one of the output feeds from your other projects as the input feed.

  1. After selecting/creating the online store under which the project will be placed, click Use feed URL.

  2. Enter the input feed URL here.

a. In the Enter the input feed URL field, paste the URL of your product feed.

b. If you are already using Mergado and want to use an existing feed from one of your other projects as the input feed for this project, select the desired feed in the Existing URL field.

  1. Click Continue.

  2. In this step, Mergado automatically recognizes the format of your input feed. Simply click Continue.

a. If Mergado did not recognize the format correctly, click Select a different format. In the Input format field, select the correct format of your input feed and click Continue.

b. If the format of your input feed does not match any of the offered formats (e.g. you have a very specific supplier feed), click Define custom format, where you set up the format of your source yourself. After setting it up, click Save and continue.

  1. Then complete the project creation following the instructions in the How to create a new project section of this article.

Shopify#

We recommend this connection method for everyone who runs their online store on the Shopify platform. You may have already discovered that this platform does not allow product feed export. It does technically allow it, but you would need to use a paid app from the Shopify Store to generate a product feed. The direct integration between Shopify and Mergado simplifies connecting your online store to Mergado. The connection works via API, so Mergado does not need a feed and takes the information about your products directly from your online store.

  1. After selecting/creating the online store under which the project will be placed, click Connect via Shopify.

  2. Enter the Shopify Store URL for Admin API in the format name.myshopify.com. You can find it in your online store admin under Settings, listed under your online store name (e.g. my-shop.myshopify.com).

  3. Enter the Client ID and Client Secret.

→ How to obtain Shopify API Credentials (Client ID and Client Secret) can be found in this guide.

  1. Click Continue.

  2. Then complete the project creation following the instructions in the How to create a new project section of this article.

Malfini supplier feed#

We recommend this connection for online store owners whose supplier is Malfini and who want to easily get their products into their online store with just a few clicks. You can import their products in the language of your choice, edit names, prices, or anything else you need, and the data in your online store will always be up to date.

An additional benefit is that if your online store runs on a platform like Shoptet, Shopify, or WooCommerce, Mergado will pre-configure some rules for you — for example, for calculating the selling price, hiding selected categories, or editing product names.

  1. After selecting/creating the online store under which the project will be placed, click Connect Malfini.

  2. Choose the Malfini source file, i.e. the language version of the data you want to import.

  3. Click Continue.

  4. Choose the output data format (your online store platform or another format) and click Continue.

  5. Then complete the project creation following the instructions in the How to create a new project section of this article.

FAQ#

What is a “project” in Mergado?#

A project in Mergado represents a specific data configuration that you send to a certain platform. For example, when you want to send data from your online store to an advertising platform (Heureka, Google, Facebook, Kaufland, etc.) and edit it in Mergado specifically for that platform’s needs in between. You also create a project when you don’t want to send data to another platform but want to edit it in Mergado. For example, you have your online store send data to Mergado, edit it to your needs here, and the edited data flows back to your online store.

What is an “online store” in Mergado?#

An online store in Mergado groups together the individual projects related to one of your online stores. Think of an online store in Mergado as your own online store (example: My-eshop.com) and the projects under it as the individual platforms where you want to advertise products from that store (e.g. Heureka, Allegro, ChatGPT, Facebook, etc.). If you have multiple online stores, create a separate online store in Mergado for each one.

Can I have multiple projects under one online store?#

Yes, you can have as many projects under one online store as you need. Each project is intended for a different platform — for example, one for Heureka, another for Google Ads, and a third for Facebook. However, according to the Mergado Terms of Use, it is not allowed to have multiple different online stores within a single online store. So if you have two online stores, each on its own domain, you need to create two online stores in Mergado as well, under which you create the corresponding projects for individual advertising platforms.

When should I create a new online store and when just a new project?#

Create a new online store when it is a completely different online store (with a different domain). Create a new project when you want to advertise products from the same online store, for which you already have an online store in Mergado, on an additional platform.

What is a product feed?#

A product feed is a structured data file containing all information about your products, e.g. names, prices, descriptions, availability, and other details.

What is the difference between an input and output feed?#

The input feed is the one you send to Mergado (source data from your online store). The output feed is the one Mergado creates. It contains your source data plus all the modifications made in Mergado.

What format can a feed be in?#

The most common formats are XML, CSV, JSON, or Google Sheet. Mergado supports all of these formats, and if needed, you can also define a custom format in Mergado.

Do the input and output feed formats need to be the same?#

No. It depends on which platform you are sending the feed to. However, if you are using the project only for internal data editing (e.g. within your own online store), you can choose the same format for both input and output.

What is a feed URL?#

It is a link to the location where the file with your product data is stored (i.e. where your product feed is stored). A feed URL might look like this: https://my-eshop.com/feed.xml. It is not the address of your online store, but a specific link to the product data file.

Where do I get my feed URL?#

You can usually find it in the admin panel of your online store platform, or your online store administrator can provide it. If needed (e.g. if your online store runs on Prestashop, WooCommerce, or Opencart), you can use our free plugin Mergado Pack, which helps you create an XML file with data for uploading to Mergado. If your feed is stored on an FTP server and you don’t have its URL, our extension Mergado Drive will help.

What if my feed is stored on an FTP server and I don’t have its URL?#

Use the Mergado Drive extension, which converts inaccessible FTP data to a public URL so Mergado can work with it.

What is Mergado Pack?#

It is a free plugin for platforms like Prestashop, WooCommerce, or Opencart that helps you easily create a feed in the correct format for Mergado.

What if my feed is secured? Can Mergado access it?#

If you use an IP address whitelist to secure your feed, add Mergado’s address (81.31.39.112) to it so the system can download your feed.

How do I create a new project in Mergado?#

  1. After logging into your Mergado account, click the New project button, which will take you to a page where you can create the project in a few steps.

→ If you are completely new to Mergado, we recommend first going through the Mergado Editor Guide, from which you can also get to project creation by clicking the Create project button.

  1. In the first step, click the Online store field, where you select the online store under which you want to create the new project.

a. If this is your first time in Mergado (you don’t have any online store yet) or you want to create the project under a brand new online store, click Create online store. Enter the name of your new online store and click Confirm. b. If you already have online stores in Mergado and want to create the project under one of them, select the desired online store from the list.

  1. Click Continue.

  2. In the next step, select your input feed source (the location where your product data is stored). You can choose from three data source options.

a. Product feed (URL) — if your product feed is stored at a URL address, click Use feed URL b. Shopify — if your online store runs on the Shopify platform, click Connect via Shopify c. Malfini supplier feed — if you want to connect a Malfini supplier feed to your project, click Connect Malfini d. UNAS — if your online store runs on the UNAS platform, click Connect via UNAS

  1. After connecting your data using the chosen method, click Continue.

  2. In the next step, select your output feed format (i.e. the target recipient of your data). Simply put, select the platform where you want to start advertising or for which your data is intended (e.g. Heureka, Google, Facebook, supplier application, website, marketplace, and others) and click Continue.

→ Mergado pre-selects the output format based on an analysis of your input feed (it selects the format most similar to the input). However, you can of course choose any format you want.

→ If none of the offered output formats matches the format you want for your output, click Define custom format and set up the desired output format.

  1. In the final step, review (and if needed, change by clicking the pencil icon) whether all settings are configured as you want them.

→ The project name will automatically be filled in based on what you selected as the output format. You can also change the name by clicking the pencil icon.

→ You will also see the option to change the Matching elements. These elements contain unique information and help distinguish individual products from the input feed. Mergado always suggests the most suitable elements automatically, and changing them is an advanced feature that you probably won’t need to modify for your first project.

  1. Click Finish.

What input data source should I choose?#

You can choose one of the following options:

  • Product feed (URL) — if you have the URL of your feed available.
  • Shopify — if your online store runs on the Shopify platform.
  • Malfini supplier feed — if your supplier is Malfini and you want to import their data into your online store or advertising platform.
  • UNAS — if your online store runs on the UNAS platform.

How do I choose the input feed format?#

Mergado automatically recognizes the format of your input feed. If it recognizes it incorrectly, you can manually change it during project creation by clicking Select a different format (you select the format based on which platform the input feed comes from). If your format is not in the list, click Define custom format and set it up yourself.

How do I choose the output feed format?#

You choose the output feed format based on the target recipient of your data, i.e. which platform your data in the specific project is intended for (e.g. Heureka, Google, Zboží.cz, Kaufland Marketplaces). If you want to use the project for internal data editing (e.g. within your own online store), you choose the same format for the output as you entered for the input.

What are matching elements?#

Matching elements are contained in your feed and carry unique data by which Mergado identifies individual products (e.g. product ID). Usually, you don’t need to change them — Mergado selects them automatically.

How do I know the project was created correctly?#

After the input feed import is complete, you will see the output feed URL. You enter this address in the platform for which you created the project.

How do I connect a feed using a URL?#

In the second step of project creation, click Use feed URL, simply enter the feed address in Mergado, and continue to the final step of project creation.

If you are already using Mergado and want to use an existing feed from one of your other projects as the input feed, select the desired feed in the Existing URL field and continue to the final step of project creation.

How do I connect my Shopify online store to Mergado?#

In the second step of project creation, click Connect via Shopify and enter the Shopify Store URL for Admin API, Client ID, and Client Secret, then continue to the final step of project creation. How to obtain the required Shopify API Credentials (Client ID and Client Secret) can be found in this guide.

Where do I find the Shopify Store URL for connecting Shopify to Mergado?#

You can find it in the Shopify admin of your online store under the Settings section, listed under your online store name. It will be in the format name.myshopify.com (e.g. my-shop.myshopify.com).

What is the Malfini connection for?#

This connection is ideal for online store owners whose supplier is Malfini and who want to easily get their products into their online store with just a few clicks. You can import Malfini products into Mergado in the language of your choice, easily edit names, prices, or anything else you need, and the data flowing from Malfini through Mergado to your online store will always be up to date.

An additional benefit is that if your online store runs on a platform like Shoptet, Shopify, or WooCommerce, Mergado will pre-configure some rules for you — for example, for calculating the selling price, hiding selected categories, or editing product names.

How do I set up the Malfini connection?#

In the second step of project creation, click Connect Malfini, choose the language version of the feed, click Continue, select the output format (e.g. your online store platform), and continue to the final step of project creation.

What if creating a new project causes me to exceed my current prepaid plan?#

If you have multiple active projects within an online store and the newly created project causes you to exceed the limit of your currently prepaid plan, Mergado will notify you of the plan upgrade by email.

What should I do if Mergado reports an error during feed import?#

Check whether your feed URL is publicly accessible. If, for example, your feed is protected by an IP address whitelist, you need to add Mergado’s IP address (81.31.39.112) to it. If the problem persists, contact our technical support at mergado@mergado.com.

What should I do if I didn’t save the output feed URL during project creation?#

Don’t worry, the output feed URL is not lost. You can find it directly in your Mergado account:

  1. Log in to Mergado and go to the User Details page.
  2. In the list of your online stores, select the one under which you created the project.
  3. A list of all projects created under the selected online store will appear. Click the project you are interested in.
  4. In the project details, you will see the output feed URL, which you can copy and paste into the target platform at any time.

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