The CatalogRack by DCi integration allows you to use CatalogRack as a catalog provider for your X-Cart store.
Before you start: Requirements and setup
Before you can start using CatalogRack, make sure your store meets the general requirements:
X-Cart Automotive add-ons: Verify that your store has the key X-Cart add-ons for auto parts commerce enabled (Make/Model/Year, Shop by Brand, Auto Catalog Import, SEMA Data, etc.). If any required add-ons are missing, install them via the X-Cart App Store before proceeding.
CatalogRack by DCi integration add-on: Install the CatalogRack by DCi integration add-on from the X-Cart App Store. This add-on enables the connection between your store and CatalogRack by DCi.
CatalogRack account and credentials. Connection instructions are available.
Vehicle list (Fitment data)
CatalogRack by DCi provides product-level fitment data that associates products with compatible vehicles. The integration does not import or maintain a standalone vehicle list in X-Cart.
Vehicle records (Make/Model/Year) must already exist in the store before CatalogRack-based products are imported. Fitment data received from CatalogRack by DCi is applied to existing vehicle entries and used by the Make/Model/Year system to enable vehicle-based navigation and filtering on the storefront.
Before importing products, be sure to configure your store's MMY configuration and
import vehicles into your store's database. More info:
Import CatalogRack categories, brands, and products
Follow the standard procedure for auto integrations:
Import categories: Bring in information about CatalogRack product categories to your store. Please note that the initial import of categories is informational only; this step does not create any categories in your store or change your store's category structure in any way. Actual changes to your storefront category structure happen only when products are imported (according to your mapping rules set at the next step and only for products that were successfully imported).
Map categories: After the initial category import, X-Cart lets you map the imported CatalogRack categories to your existing store categories if desired.
Import brands: Next, import information about brands (manufacturers). During the brand import step, X-Cart will fetch a list of available brands from CatalogRack by DCi. Please note that the initial import of brands is informational only; this step does not create any brands in your store. Actual changes to your store's brands list happen only when products are imported, and only brands of successfully imported products are added. Note that before importing products, you will be able to select specific brands from which to import products.
Customize brand settings: Before importing products, adjust the settings that will define how certain data is handled on a per-brand basis.
Import products: Now the main event – importing the products themselves. Choose the brands whose products you want to import and start the import process.
X-Cart will retrieve all product data for the selected brands from CatalogRack and create those products in your store’s catalog. The integration supplies rich catalog data that forms the content foundation of product listings in X-Cart. This includes, at a high level:
Product names and descriptions
Specifications and attributes
Images and additional media
Vehicle fitment information
Reference pricing data (depending on brand configuration)
You can find a summary of the data types that can be imported from CatalogRack in the section Data types imported from CatalogRack by DCi.
Depending on how many products are available through the brands you selected, the import can take some time. (It runs in the background, so you don’t have to keep the browser open the whole time.) Once done, you’ll see the new products in your catalog products list, each assigned to the appropriate categories and brands.
Price and inventory considerations
CatalogRack by DCi is typically used as a source of catalog and fitment data; is not a source of live prices or inventory availability.
Products imported from CatalogRack typically require another data source to manage inventory.
Pricing and availability behavior depends on your store’s configuration and any additional integrations you use.
For detailed information on how pricing and inventory are handled in X-Cart, refer to the relevant price management, inventory management, location management, and backorder management documentation for your X-Cart version.
Keeping CatalogRack–based catalogs up to date
Once your catalog is built using CatalogRack by DCi, ongoing maintenance focuses on keeping product information current:
Updates can be performed manually or on a schedule, depending on your configuration.
Re-imports refresh catalog content, fitment data, and other supported fields.
General recommendations for data updates apply equally to CatalogRack by DCi and are covered in the shared maintenance documentation.
In the Import Options settings for CatalogRack by DCi, you can specify what types of data should be updated during re-import.
Using CatalogRack by DCi together with other integrations
CatalogRack by DCi is commonly used in combination with one or more warehouse distributor integrations.
CatalogRack provides categories, brands, product content, and fitment.
Warehouse distributors provide live pricing, inventory levels, and order fulfillment.
X-Cart merges data from multiple sources to present a unified product catalog.
This approach allows merchants to build a comprehensive automotive catalog while relying on distributors for real-time availability and shipping. CatalogRack by DCi is typically connected before warehouse distributor integrations, so that catalog structure and product identifiers are already in place.
Our page with installation links for popular X-Cart's auto integrations can be found here.
Can't find answers you're looking for?
Email us at support@x-cart.com. We will be happy to help!
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