Short answer
The "When?" setting on a Product Push mapping (Create & update (both), Create only, or Update only) does not decide whether Luminous creates or updates a product in Shopify. It only decides which mapping's field settings are used for each kind of push.
Whether a push creates or updates comes from the SKU's link to Shopify:
- The SKU is already linked to a Shopify product (Luminous has the Shopify product ID for it). The push is an update of that product.
- The SKU is not linked yet (it has never been published to that Shopify store). The push creates a new product. New products are created in Shopify as drafts.
I found no setting in Luminous that makes a push "update only". An Update only mapping does not stop new products from being created.
What the "When?" setting does
Go to Manage > Mappings and click Create Mapping. When you choose Push products under What are you sending?, a When? dropdown appears. It has three options. The choice is made when you create the mapping. Existing mappings show it as a badge next to the mapping name (for example, BOTH).
| Option | Used when |
|---|---|
| Create & update (both) | Both new-product pushes and updates. This is the default. |
| Create only | Only when a new product is being created in Shopify. |
| Update only | Only when an existing Shopify product is being updated. |
- Each push looks for an active mapping that matches its type. An update uses an Update only mapping. A create uses a Create only mapping.
- If there is no match, it falls back to a Create & update (both) mapping.
- If you only have Create & update (both) mappings, they apply to every push.
- If there is no usable mapping for that type, Luminous sends the standard product details without custom field mappings.
Which mapping is used when several are active for the same Shopify account
- Only active mappings for that Shopify account are considered.
- Luminous prefers the mapping whose type matches the push, then a Create & update (both) mapping.
- If you have more than one active mapping of the same type for the same account, there is no priority rule between them. To keep results predictable, keep one active mapping per type for each Shopify account. Deactivate the others.
Tips
- You can use two mappings on one account: a Create only mapping for the fields a new product needs, and an Update only mapping to limit what updates send.
- To avoid creating new products, push only SKUs that are already published. In Inventory > Product Publishing, use the Needs Push tab. It lists SKUs already published to a channel that have changed since. You can also uncheck connections in the confirmation dialog, or Dismiss the pairs. See How do I use the Product Publishing queue to push catalog updates to my channels?.
- If a SKU is unlinked or its link was lost, a push will create a new product, not update the old one.