Cleaning Up Abandoned or Out-of-Sync Products in Retail Portal
When using CSV-based inventory sync, it’s important to regularly review your product data to catch and clean up products that are no longer syncing properly. This guide walks you through:
1. What is Inventory Sync by CSV?
Most stores sync their product and inventory data to Retail Portal (RP) and their eCommerce site via CSV file uploads. These CSVs may be:
Manual exports from POS systems
Automated hourly/daily reports
Full product data, inventory-only files, or both
Each CSV update helps keep your online store current with pricing and stock levels.
2. Why Product IDs Matter (And When They Change)
Each product is tracked by its Item ID or SKU. Changing a SKU in your POS:
Breaks the sync link
May create duplicates in RP
Can result in outdated listings staying live on your site
That said, stores do occasionally change POS IDs or accidentally duplicate items. This is normal—what matters is how you resolve it downstream in your sync system.
3. Your Cleanup Strategy Depends on Your Upload Behavior
How you manage sync health depends on how often and consistently you upload data.
| Upload Style | Impact on Cleanup |
|---|---|
| Hourly micro sync + nightly full sync | Very predictable—ideal for structured cleanup |
| Manual uploads (daily or weekly) | More variability—requires extra review steps |
4. Using Filters in Retail Portal’s Store Products Table
To identify potentially problematic SKUs, use a combo of filters:
SYNC DATE → Filter by items older than your last known upload
SITE CREATION DATE = “Any” → This keeps only products that were pushed to your website
STOCK > 0 → Focus first on items that are in stock and potentially for sale online
These filters help you narrow in on products that are active online but may be disconnected from your current POS data.
5. Tagging Problem Products for Review
Use the “Push Custom Tag to Selected Products” command in RP to group flagged items:
Tag in-stock abandoned items:
SYNC_CHECK_high priorityTag out-of-stock abandoned items:
SYNC_CHECK_low priorityOr use a date-based tag:
SYNC_CHECK_2025-10-15
This creates a reference in Shopify, helping you locate and manage products more easily.
6. Review Tagged Items in Shopify
Once tags sync to Shopify:
Log in and filter products by tag
Visually review listings
Decide whether to archive, hide, or delete based on status
7. Final Cleanup in Retail Portal & Shopify
After cleanup in Shopify:
Go back to RP, use the same filters, and delete stale product records.
If needed, return to Shopify and permanently delete the matching products.
🔁 IMPORTANT: Always back up your Shopify product list before bulk deleting anything.
Final Tip
Regular data maintenance is much easier if your uploads are consistent and structured. The more predictable your data syncs, the fewer abandoned SKUs you’ll have to chase down later.