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How to build a posting template

Connect your catalog to a marketplace category's listing requirements.

An Acenda posting template connects your product catalog to one marketplace category's exact listing requirements, such as a Target Plus or Walmart category. Once a template is built for a category, every product you map into it is formatted the way that marketplace expects — automatically, every time your catalog syncs.

Setup takes five steps: open the integration, create a category-specific template, apply Commonality to it, map whatever fields are left, and save.

Before you start: You need an active sales channel integration for the marketplace you're building a template for. Posting templates live inside that integration's own settings, so connect the channel first if you haven't already.

Tip: Before building your first category template, set up your Commonality template. It establishes default field mappings you can instantly apply to every category template that follows, so you're not mapping the same fields over and over. If Commonality is already set up, skip ahead to Step 1.

Video Tutorial

Prefer to learn by watching? The step-by-step walkthrough covers the steps below:

Watch: Setting Up Posting Templates (Vimeo)

Step 1: Open the integration

  1. Log into your Acenda Admin Tool.

  2. Click CHANNELS > Integrations in the sidebar.

  3. Select the marketplace integration you want to configure (e.g., Target+, Walmart, etc.).

  4. Click Edit for that integration.

Step 2: Create a new posting template

  1. Click the Posting Templates tab within the integration.

  2. Find the Create New Template section.

  3. Select the category from the dropdown and click Create.

  4. Find your new category template — usually at the top of the list — and click Edit.

Can't find your category? If it's not in the dropdown, you may need the marketplace's approval to list in that category first. For Target+, see How to request new category approvals on Target+; other marketplaces have a similar approval process through their own seller support.

Step 3: Apply Commonality

Reuse the work from your Commonality template to auto-fill the basics:

  1. Scroll to the footer menu of the template.

  2. Open the COMMONALITY tab.

  3. Click Uses (Count) in the footer.

This instantly maps the default fields from Commonality into the matching fields on this category template.

Step 4: Map the remaining required fields

After applying Commonality, map whatever's left. Required fields that still need attention won't have a blue COMMON badge next to them.

Tip: Click Unmapped Req'd in the footer menu to filter the view down to only the required fields you still need to map.

For each field, choose one of three mapping types:

Option

Description

Best use case

1) String

A static value applied to all products in this template.

Constant values (e.g., setting "Adult" for an Age Group field).

2) Property

A direct mapping to an existing Acenda field.

When your product data already matches the marketplace field (e.g., Brand, Title).

3) Twig

A formula for dynamic content, logic, or conversions.

Conditional formatting or unit conversions. See the How to use Twig markup in Acenda Admin tools for more examples.

How do unit conversions work?

Many marketplaces (Target+, Walmart US, and others) require Imperial values — pounds, inches — even if your Acenda catalog stores Metric (kilograms, centimeters). When that's the case, use a Twig formula to convert the value; don't map the property directly, or you'll send the wrong number with the wrong unit (e.g., "5 kg" sent as "5 lbs").

Example — kilograms to pounds:

{{ variant.weight * 2.20462 }}

Multi-value fields

Some attributes accept more than one value (shown by a "Max" greater than 1):

  • Check the box: Check Delimited to allow multiple values.

  • Use a pipe, not a comma: Separate values with a pipe (|). Commas often show up inside the data itself (e.g., "Red, Blue"), so a comma delimiter will split it in the wrong place.

Step 5: Save your template

Once every Required field is mapped, click Save to finish the template. Acenda re-renders your catalog against the new mappings, so give it a few minutes before you check how items look on the channel.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

  • Why does a required field still show as missing after I mapped it? Confirm you clicked Save on the template — unsaved mappings don't take effect. Also check the field is mapped on this specific category template, not only on Commonality; some fields are category-specific and won't inherit automatically.

  • Why were my measurements sent in the wrong unit? You likely mapped a Metric field directly instead of converting it with a Twig formula. See How do unit conversions work? above.

  • Why does my multi-value field look jumbled or cut off? Check that Delimited is checked and that you're separating values with a pipe (|), not a comma.

  • Why isn't my category in the dropdown? You likely need marketplace approval for that category before Acenda can offer it — see the note under Step 2.

  • Why don't I see my changes on the channel yet? Give it a little time to re-sync, then check CHANNELS > Item Status for the item's current state on that marketplace.

Related articles

Still stuck? Contact Acenda Support and tell Acenda support the marketplace and category you're building a template for.

Related: The Acenda platform

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