How to prepare one catalogue for PrestaShop and Shopify at the same time
Variant axes, per-channel attributes, images with a naming convention and publishing statuses: the order that works.
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Selling on PrestaShop and Shopify at the same time is increasingly common. The classic mistake is keeping two catalogues, one per platform, which drift apart until nobody dares touch them. The alternative is to build one well-structured catalogue and let each channel receive its own format.
1. Decide the variant axes first
PrestaShop talks about combinations built on attributes; Shopify talks about options (Option1, Option2, Option3, three at most). Define no more than three axes per product and keep values consistent: "Navy blue" and "navy-blue" are two different colours to any importer.
Every combination needs its own stable SKU. The SKU is the key that ties together the PIM, the stores and the ERP.
2. Separate what belongs to the product from what belongs to the channel
Some data doesn't change between channels (composition, dimensions, brand) and some does (commercial title, long description, even price). Structure the catalogue with attributes by channel and language from the start.
3. Images: name them with intent
Name files SKU_1.jpg, SKU_2.jpg… The first image is the main one and the rest follow the suffix order. With that discipline, attaching thousands of photos stops being manual work.
4. Consistent publishing statuses
Define three statuses: visible, draft and invisible. In Shopify, visible maps to active and the rest to draft; in PrestaShop, to enabling or disabling the product.
5. Define "ready to publish" and measure it
Agree on the minimum for a publishable product record and measure it by channel and by language. That number is what turns "we'll launch the season next week" into a real commitment.
More detail on our PrestaShop PIM and Shopify PIM pages.