File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used for the transfer of computer files between a client and server on a computer network. More secure FTP derivatives include SSH File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) and FTP-SSL (FTPS). Zentail users can leverage Zentail users can leverage SFTP or FTPS support to transfer data between their own (or an externally hosted) server and Zentail. You can schedule transfers to occur on a monthly, weekly, or daily cadence, making this a powerful tool to build automation into your ecommerce workflow.

This article covers how to set up imports into Zentail. For information about FTP exports from Zentail, check out this article.

A seller who uses an outside system such as an ERP to manage pricing could set up an FTP to regularly import into Zentail the prices from a file which is updated by the ERP.

A seller who has a drop-ship supplier that provides files with quantity for their products once per day could set up an FTP to import the quantity from this location at the beginning of each day.

In order to transfer data into Zentail using FTP, you'll need the following:

External server: You will need to have access to an externally hosted server on which to store the file and use as the source of the import.

Credentials: This includes the username and password that Zentail can use to access files on the external server.

Address: The IP or DNS address

Custom Product Report Template: See step 2 below

Step 1: Go to your Zentail Settings > FTP Servers, and create a New FTP Server by adding a unique Label to identify the server, its IP address, your username and password, and the correct protocol for your server (FTPS or SFTP). Click "Submit" to save your changes.

Step 2: Go to Import and select the tab to Create Custom Template and create a custom product report template that includes columns from Zentail's data dictionary. The data in the file you import will need to match exactly, column for column, with the template. The custom template can include space holder or "N/A" columns where appropriate. Be sure to click on "Submit" to save your template!

Step 3: Set up your import. Return to Import and under the Import Data tab select the custom template you created in Step 2. Choose the option to "Import from FTP".

From the drop-down that appears, select the correct FTP Server that you've created in the Step 1 as the source for your import. Add the full path to the file on that server to the Filename field.

Note: At this point you can run the report or schedule it to run repeatedly. To schedule the report, open the Advanced Options and check the option "Schedule this report". Use the scheduling tool that appears to set up your desired cadence, such as daily, weekly, or monthly.

Creating a Custom Report Template

How to Set Up FTPS and SFTP Transfers

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