After configuring your catalog's general import settings, you can import brands. The brand import process has two stages:
Initial brand import — your store receives preliminary brand data from the provider’s catalog, but the brands are not displayed in the storefront.
Actual brand import — brands are created during product import.
This article explains how to complete the initial brand import.
Before you begin
Connect your Auto Integration with your API Credentials.
Ensure all product categories are imported and mapped correctly.
Adjust import rules.
💡 Also, make sure the Shop by Brand add-on is configured with a predefined brand attribute — such as Brand — in its settings. This step is essential if you've previously removed all demo attributes from your store.
Why do I need to import brands first?
While you’ll import products later, it’s important to import brands first so you can choose which product lines to bring into your store. This step helps you control which manufacturers or product types you want to work with.
💡 You can find out how brands from auto integrations are connected with your store's brands on the Catalog Import > Brand mapping page.
How to import brands
To import brands from your auto integration, follow these steps:
In your X-Cart Admin, go to Catalog › Catalog Import › Product Import.
Select your auto integration (e.g., SEMA Data).
Click the Import Brands button.
X-Cart will begin importing brand data. Progress updates will appear in the top-right corner of the screen. Refresh the page periodically until the status says "Brands data import completed."
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✅ Success! You've imported your brands.
Repeat this process for each auto integration you use. Once the import process is completed you'll find a list of imported brands in Catalog › Brands of your X-Cart Admin. Keep reading to see your next step.
Brand search and filtering
After the brand import from the data provider has been completed successfully, the Product Import page provides tools for searching and filtering brands. You can use these tools to quickly find specific brands or narrow down the list of brands displayed on the Data Import page.
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The following filtering options are available:
Keyword search — Allows you to filter brands by keywords contained in the brand name.
Brand group filters:
All brands — Displays all brands available through the current auto integration.
In-store — Displays only the brands from the current auto integration that already exist in the X-Cart store as enabled (
ON) brands on the Brands page.<integration name> (for example, SEMA Data or AutoSync) — Displays brands from the current auto integration that match brands previously imported through another auto integration. For example, if you are on the Product Import page of the Turn14 auto integration and select AutoSync in the brand group filters, the list will display only the Turn14 brands that match brands previously imported through the AutoSync integration.
Brand matching between integrations is determined primarily by the AAIA ID assigned to the brands. If one of the compared brands does not have an AAIA ID, the matching logic falls back to comparing brand names.
Import status filters — Allow you to filter brands by import status:
Any import status
In Progress
Queued
Completed
Cancelled
Failed
For example, to display only the brands that already exist in the store as in-store brands, and whose import from the current auto integration has failed, select the following filters:
In-store
Failed
Re-importing brands
Catalog providers and warehouse distributors update their category structures periodically. We recommend syncing your brands regularly to keep your store up to date:
In your X-Cart Admin, go to Catalog › Catalog Import › Product Import.
Select your auto integration (e.g., AutoSync).
Click Re-Import Brands.
The integration will start updating your brand data. You’ll see progress messages in the top-right corner. Refresh the page to check the latest status. Once finished, the message will update to "Brands data import completed."
What's next?
After importing product categories, set up each brand by standardizing names and IDs, choosing SKU formats, picking product categories, and setting pricing rules. This makes sure your products import correctly and stay updated in your store.
Can't find answers you're looking for?
Email us at support@x-cart.com. We will be happy to help!