- Overview
- What is Shopify Collective?
- How Synder Processes Orders with Collective Products
- Configure Your Shopify Settings
- Next Steps
Overview
This guide explains how Synder processes products from Shopify Collective when syncing orders. It explains how Synder assigns product types (inventory vs non-inventory) and why Shopify Collective items do not receive special treatment during sync.
This guide does not cover how to configure Shopify Collective in Shopify or how to change product settings in Synder.
Use this guide if:
- You are using Shopify Collective and syncing data via Synder
- You notice that Collective products are created as inventory or non-inventory unexpectedly
Do not use this guide if:
- You need help setting up Shopify Collective in Shopify
- You want to change product sync settings (see product settings guide instead)
What is Shopify Collective?
Shopify Collective is a feature that allows Shopify store owners to sell products sourced from other Shopify stores.
In a Collective setup:
- A supplier provides products
- A retailer lists and sells those products in their store
From Synder’s perspective, these products appear in orders just like regular Shopify products.
How Synder Processes Orders with Collective Products
When Synder syncs a Shopify order, it first receives the order data from Shopify and evaluates each product included in the order. If a product does not exist in the connected accounting system, Synder creates it automatically.
During this process, Synder assigns a product type based on your Products & Services settings. The type can be either Inventory or Non-inventory.
After evaluating and creating the products, Synder syncs the order with the assigned product settings.
Important
Shopify Collective products follow the same product creation logic as any other Shopify product.
They are not automatically treated as non-inventory items.
If your setting is:
- “Create products as Inventory” → Collective products will be created as inventory
- “Create products as Non-inventory” → Collective products will be created as non-inventory
Why This Happens
Shopify does not provide information via its API indicating whether a product is part of Shopify Collective.
Because of this:
- Synder cannot identify Collective products separately
- Synder cannot apply any special logic to them
- All products follow the default product creation settings configured in Synder
Configure Your Shopify Settings
Since Synder applies the same product creation logic to all Shopify products — including Collective items — you can control how they appear in your accounting system by adjusting your Shopify integration settings.
Change the Default Product Type
- In Synder, go to Settings and select your Shopify integration.
- Open the Products & Services tab.
- Find the “Create new products as” setting.
- Choose Non-inventory if you want all new products (including Collective items) to sync as non-inventory by default.
- Click Update to save your changes.
Keep in mind: This setting applies to all new products created during sync, not just Collective items. If you sell a mix of your own inventory and Collective products, consider using Product Mapping instead.
For a complete overview of all available Shopify settings in Synder, refer to the guide for your accounting platform:
- Customize Your Synder Shopify Settings (QuickBooks Online)
- Customize Your Synder Shopify Settings (Xero)
Next Steps
- Review and adjust your product settings as described in the Configure Your Shopify Settings section above
- (Optional) Manually update specific products in your accounting system
- Contact our Support to see options for a Custom Development
Reach out to Synder Team via online support chat or email with any questions you have – we are always happy to help you!
