Wholesale Partners Only - Pilot Mode

This documentation is relevant only to Wholesale partners and the Product Onboarding API is currently in pilot mode. The API specification and functionality are still under development and may change without notice.

Product Onboarding

Overview

The Product Onboarding API enables you to manage and automate the product onboarding process in the Zalando Catalog. This API provides streamlined workflows for handling product submissions, validations, and status tracking throughout the onboarding lifecycle.

The onboarding process includes:

  1. Initiating product onboarding requests
  2. Managing onboarding workflows and statuses
  3. Tracking validation progress
  4. Monitoring product publication
  5. Handling onboarding state transitions

Info

This documentation is currently work in progress and will be updated with additional details, examples, and best practices in the coming weeks.

Product Onboarding API Specification

  • Product Onboarding API reference: Information on scopes, rate limiting, and sandbox behavior.

  • OpenAPI reference for the Product Onboarding API.

Before You Start

Before using the Product Onboarding API, ensure you have:

  • Understanding of Products and Product Onboarding concepts
  • A valid Merchant ID
  • Appropriate API scopes configured in your application (Products/products/write)
  • Familiarity with the product onboarding workflow

Product Onboarding Workflow

The Product Onboarding API supports the following key operations:

Initiating Onboarding

Start the onboarding process for products using the Product Onboarding API endpoints.

POST /merchants/{merchant_id}/product-onboarding

Tracking Onboarding Status

Monitor the status of your onboarding requests and receive real-time updates on validation progress.

GET /merchants/{merchant_id}/product-onboarding/{onboarding_id}

Managing Onboarding Requests

Update and manage your onboarding requests throughout the lifecycle.

PATCH /merchants/{merchant_id}/product-onboarding/{onboarding_id}

Work in Progress

Complete endpoint specifications and detailed examples are currently being documented and will be available soon.

Validation

When you use the Product Onboarding API, requests are subjected to:

  1. Structure Validation: Ensures the request follows the correct format
  2. Business Logic Validation: Verifies compliance with onboarding rules
  3. Workflow Validation: Checks valid state transitions

Sandbox vs Production

The sandbox environment performs validation similar to production. However, additional manual validation may be applied in production before products are published.

Sandbox Testing

When you submit onboarding requests in the sandbox environment, they are validated the same way as in production. Requests in sandbox are never persisted or propagated - you will not be able to view sandbox operations in your Product Status Report or catalog.

For more information on sandbox testing, see Sandbox Testing in our Getting Started Guide.

What's Coming

The following documentation is currently work in progress and will be available soon:

  • Detailed onboarding workflow specifications
  • Complete endpoint reference guide
  • Best practices for product onboarding at scale
  • Troubleshooting common onboarding issues
  • Integration patterns with other APIs
  • Webhook notifications for onboarding events
  • Batch onboarding operations

Next Steps

Work in Progress

For detailed instructions on products and product onboarding, see Products and Product Onboarding in our Developer Guide. This documentation is still being updated with comprehensive guidance.

Support

For issues or questions regarding the Product Onboarding API, please contact support@merchants.zalando.com.

Info

This is a pilot feature. Feedback and feature requests are welcome and will help shape the final product.

Contact Support