Submit Inventory Batches With Attributes

Get Started
Functionality
Learning
Extension
Dev Tooling
APIs
Releases

How-to Guide

Author:

Fluent Commerce

Changed on:

9 Jan 2025

Key Points

Create new Inventory Batches using the Job API
Sample Inventory batch payload
Inventory batch details

Steps

API Authentication

Authenticate against the Retailer you are sending the Inventory Batch to

Please follow the Authentication API page for how to Authenticate against a Retailer.The returned token will be used to authenticate all the following API calls.

Set Up a New Job to Execute Your Batches

Using the Job API you can create a new Batch Job.
Inventory Batch Preprocessing Settings and Behavior in Job API

The `meta` object allows for the inclusion of additional metadata when creating a Job. The currently supported key within `meta` is `preprocessing`, which can influence whether the Batch Preprocessing Process (BPP) is utilized based on the account's settings.The behavior of the `meta.preprocessing` key is governed by the `fc.enable.batch.preprocessing` configuration setting. Below is a table outlining the expected behavior:

`fc.enable.batch.preprocessing `value	`meta.preprocessing` Value	Additional Info in Job Payload	Result
true	"preprocessing": "skip"	BPP should not be used	Do not use BPP
true	"preprocessing": "enabled"	BPP should be used	Use BPP
true	"meta": null or "meta": {}	BPP should be used	Use BPP
true	Omitted or previously created Jobs	BPP should be used	Use BPP
false	Any value	BPP should not be used (overridden)	Do not use BPP

When `fc.enable.batch.preprocessing` is `true`:
- "preprocessing": "skip"
  - Action: BPP should not be used.
- "preprocessing": "enabled" ( any value other than "skip" )
  - Action: BPP should be used.
- "meta": null or "meta": {}
  - Action: BPP should be used.
- Jobs without `meta`
  - Action: BPP should be used.
When `fc.enable.batch.preprocessing` is `false`:
- Regardless of the `meta.preprocessing` value (including `null` or omitted)
  - Action: BPP should not be used.

The fc.enable.batch.preprocessing setting takes precedence over the `meta.preprocessing` value. If fc.enable.batch.preprocessing is set to `FALSE`, BPP will not be used regardless of the `meta.preprocessing` value.
Ensure that when setting `meta.preprocessing`, only the supported values (`"skip"` or `"any value not skip"`) are used to avoid unexpected behavior.
A job-level override will affect only the batches containing inventory data created under the specific job, and this impact will remain in effect until the job expires.

Example URL

`POST/{{fluent.account.host}}/api/v4.1/job`

1{
2    "name": "Batch Inventory Job",
3    "retailerId": "{{retailer.id}}"
4}

1{
2    "id": "199"
3}

This ID number is the created job ID. Save this ID as we will use it in the following requests for sending a Batch. This Job ID and the created Job will be used to group subsequent Batches together.

Create and send a new Inventory Batch

Using the Job API you can create an Inventory Batch to be processed under the previously created Job.The URL is using the Job id returned by the last API call, for example 199 as per the previous response.

Example URL

`POST/{{fluent.account.host}}/api/v4.1/job/{jobID}/batch`Example:`POST/{{fluent.account.host}}/api/v4.1/job/199/batch`

Inventory Batch Model

The Inventory Batch Model consists of:

Batch-Level Fields: Define overall batch properties.
Entities Array: Contains individual inventory items to process.

Field	Type	Mandatory?	Possible Values	Default Value	Description	Notes
action	String	✅	"UPSERT"	N/A	Specifies the operation on inventory entities (e.g., "UPSERT" to insert/update).	Must be a valid action type for inventory operations.
entityType	String	✅	"INVENTORY"	N/A	Defines the type of entity being processed.	Must be "INVENTORY".
source	String	❌	Any valid source identifier	"batch"	Identifies the origin of the batch data (e.g., "ERP", "POS").	Defaults to "batch" if not provided.
event	String	❌	Any valid event name	"InventoryChanged"	Custom event name associated with the batch operation.	Defaults to "InventoryChanged" if not provided.
catalogueRef	String	❌	Any valid catalogue reference	"DEFAULT:<retailerId>"	References the catalogue associated with the inventory batch.	Influences `catalogueType` in `ref` construction.
conditions	Object	❌	Configuration object	Uses default transient settings	Configurations like transient types and statuses are used in de-duplication checks.
entities	Array	✅	List of inventory items	N/A	List of inventory items	Follows the entities object model. Nonconforming inputs are ignored.

The conditions object has the following fields :

Field	Type	Mandatory?	Possible Values	Default Value	Description
hasRelatedInventoryQuantities	Array	❌	List of transient IQ types and statuses	Default transient types and statuses	Defines custom transient types and statuses for checking during de-duplication eg) `"hasRelatedInventoryQuantities": ``[`` {"type": "SALE", "status": "ACTIVE"}, ``{"type": "SALE", "status": "CREATED"}, ``{"type": "CORRECTION", "status": "ACTIVE"} ``]`

Each object within the `entities` array should follow this structure:

Field	Type	Mandatory?	Possible Values	Constraints	Description	Notes
locationRef	String	✅	Any valid location reference	N/A	The location reference used to match the inventory.
skuRef	String	✅	Any valid SKU reference	N/A	The SKU reference of the inventory item.
qty	Integer	✅	Any non-negative integer	N/A	The quantity to match the on-hand inventory.
correctedQty	Integer	❌	Any non-negative integer	Defaults to 0 if not provided	The current outstanding correction quantity to be saved.
type	String	❌	Any valid type identifier	N/A	Specifies the type of inventory operation (e.g., "LAST_ON_HAND").	Defaults to "LAST_ON_HAND" if not provided.
ref	String	❌	Any valid reference	Must follow `<skuRef>:<locationRef>:<catalogueType>:<type>`	A reference identifier for the inventory entity.	If not provided, constructed using `skuRef`, `locationRef`, `catalogueType`, and `type`.
status	String	❌	Any valid status value	N/A	The status of the inventory entity (e.g., "ACTIVE").
retailerId	String	✅	Any valid retailer ID	N/A	The retailer ID for which the inventory is uploading.
attributes	Object	❌	Any complex key-value pairs	Keys must be strings; values can be any valid JSON type	Additional attributes for flexible metadata storage.

1{
2    "action": "UPSERT",
3    "entityType": "INVENTORY",
4    "source": "SAP_ERP",
5    "event" :"InventoryChanged",
6    "catalogueRef": "FUTURE:2",
7      "conditions": {
8    "hasRelatedInventoryQuantities": [
9      {"type": "SALE", "status": "ACTIVE"},
10      {"type": "SALE", "status": "CREATED"},
11      {"type": "CORRECTION", "status": "ACTIVE"}
12    ]
13  },
14    "entities": [
15        {
16            "locationRef": "LOC_MEL",
17            "skuRef": "D45",
18            "qty": 350,
19            "correctedQty": 0,
20            "retailerId": 2,
21            "type": "FUTURE",
22            "ref": "24-MG02:LOC_MELB_RET2:FUTURE",
23            "status": "ACTIVE",
24            "attributes": {
25                "expectedOn": "2024-10-31T00:00:00.00Z", // ISO 8601 format
26                "storageAreaRef": "LOC_MELB_RET2-SR1",
27                "condition": "NEW",
28                "countryOfOrigin": "China",
29                "expiryDate": "2025-12-31T23:59:59.00Z", // ISO 8601 format
30                "supplierId": "SUP12345",
31                "unitOfMeasurement": "PCS",
32                "serialNumber": "SN123456789",
33                "purchaseOrderNumber": "PO987654321",
34                "transferFrom": "STORE01",
35                "inventoryPurpose": "For Sale",
36                "manufacturingBatchInfo": {
37                    "batchNumber": "BATCH001",
38                    "productionDate": "2024-01-15T00:00:00.00Z" // ISO 8601 format
39                }
40                    }
41
42            }
43        
44    ]
45}

1{
2  "id": "331"
3}

The returned id will be used to check the Batch status in a following call. If you needed to send multiple groups of updates you would run this call for each group of Batches that you are running. If you needed to send 15,000 updates, you would run this 3 times for every 5,000 records( for illustration ) , all under the same Job, using the same job ID.

For a more technical deep dive into how Batch processing works when BPP is enabled, check out this document

Check Job status

You can use the Job API again to check the status of an existing Job

Example URL

`GET/{{fluent.account.host}}/api/v4.1/job/199`

1{
2  "jobId": "199",
3  "status": "OPEN",
4  "batch": [
5    {
6      "batchId": "331",
7      "status": "COMPLETE",
8      "createdOn": "2022-10-06T00:31:08.104+0000"
9    }
10  ],
11  "createdOn": "2022-10-06T00:31:08.104+0000"
12}

Check Inventory Batch status

You can view the status of a specific Batch as well, this provides a few more details than the previous Job status check.The URL uses the Job id and the Batch id returned by previous APIs.

Example URL

`GET/{fluent.account.host}/api/v4.1/job/199{jobID}batch/{batchID}`Example:`GET/{fluent.account.host}/api/v4.1/job/199/batch/331`

1{
2  "batchId": "331",
3  "entityType": "INVENTORY",
4  "status": "COMPLETE",
5  "start": 1,
6  "count": 10,
7  "total": 0,
8  "results": [],
9  "createdOn": "2022-10-06T00:36:09.344+0000"
10}

Fluent Commerce

Copyright © 2024-2026 Fluent Retail Pty Ltd (trading as Fluent Commerce). Unless otherwise expressly stated in a current written agreement with Fluent Commerce or any of its affiliates or on any single page of the docs.fluentcommerce.com site, use of the materials on this site is strictly limited to viewing by individuals over 18 years old for legitimate commercially appropriate reasons; and any downloading, copying or other actions or uses of any kind or by any means of the materials on this site, including by artificial intelligence tools, is strictly prohibited. All other rights reserved.

Inventory Batch Preprocessing Settings and Behavior in Job API

The `meta` object allows for the inclusion of additional metadata when creating a Job. The currently supported key within `meta` is `preprocessing`, which can influence whether the Batch Preprocessing Process (BPP) is utilized based on the account's settings.The behavior of the `meta.preprocessing` key is governed by the `fc.enable.batch.preprocessing` configuration setting. Below is a table outlining the expected behavior:

`fc.enable.batch.preprocessing `value	`meta.preprocessing` Value	Additional Info in Job Payload	Result
true	"preprocessing": "skip"	BPP should not be used	Do not use BPP
true	"preprocessing": "enabled"	BPP should be used	Use BPP
true	"meta": null or "meta": {}	BPP should be used	Use BPP
true	Omitted or previously created Jobs	BPP should be used	Use BPP
false	Any value	BPP should not be used (overridden)	Do not use BPP

When `fc.enable.batch.preprocessing` is `true`:
- "preprocessing": "skip"
  - Action: BPP should not be used.
- "preprocessing": "enabled" ( any value other than "skip" )
  - Action: BPP should be used.
- "meta": null or "meta": {}
  - Action: BPP should be used.
- Jobs without `meta`
  - Action: BPP should be used.
When `fc.enable.batch.preprocessing` is `false`:
- Regardless of the `meta.preprocessing` value (including `null` or omitted)
  - Action: BPP should not be used.

The fc.enable.batch.preprocessing setting takes precedence over the `meta.preprocessing` value. If fc.enable.batch.preprocessing is set to `FALSE`, BPP will not be used regardless of the `meta.preprocessing` value.
Ensure that when setting `meta.preprocessing`, only the supported values (`"skip"` or `"any value not skip"`) are used to avoid unexpected behavior.
A job-level override will affect only the batches containing inventory data created under the specific job, and this impact will remain in effect until the job expires.

The Inventory Batch Model consists of:

Batch-Level Fields: Define overall batch properties.
Entities Array: Contains individual inventory items to process.

Field	Type	Mandatory?	Possible Values	Default Value	Description	Notes
action	String	✅	"UPSERT"	N/A	Specifies the operation on inventory entities (e.g., "UPSERT" to insert/update).	Must be a valid action type for inventory operations.
entityType	String	✅	"INVENTORY"	N/A	Defines the type of entity being processed.	Must be "INVENTORY".
source	String	❌	Any valid source identifier	"batch"	Identifies the origin of the batch data (e.g., "ERP", "POS").	Defaults to "batch" if not provided.
event	String	❌	Any valid event name	"InventoryChanged"	Custom event name associated with the batch operation.	Defaults to "InventoryChanged" if not provided.
catalogueRef	String	❌	Any valid catalogue reference	"DEFAULT:<retailerId>"	References the catalogue associated with the inventory batch.	Influences `catalogueType` in `ref` construction.
conditions	Object	❌	Configuration object	Uses default transient settings	Configurations like transient types and statuses are used in de-duplication checks.
entities	Array	✅	List of inventory items	N/A	List of inventory items	Follows the entities object model. Nonconforming inputs are ignored.

The conditions object has the following fields :

Field	Type	Mandatory?	Possible Values	Default Value	Description
hasRelatedInventoryQuantities	Array	❌	List of transient IQ types and statuses	Default transient types and statuses	Defines custom transient types and statuses for checking during de-duplication eg) `"hasRelatedInventoryQuantities": ``[`` {"type": "SALE", "status": "ACTIVE"}, ``{"type": "SALE", "status": "CREATED"}, ``{"type": "CORRECTION", "status": "ACTIVE"} ``]`

Each object within the `entities` array should follow this structure:

Field	Type	Mandatory?	Possible Values	Constraints	Description	Notes
locationRef	String	✅	Any valid location reference	N/A	The location reference used to match the inventory.
skuRef	String	✅	Any valid SKU reference	N/A	The SKU reference of the inventory item.
qty	Integer	✅	Any non-negative integer	N/A	The quantity to match the on-hand inventory.
correctedQty	Integer	❌	Any non-negative integer	Defaults to 0 if not provided	The current outstanding correction quantity to be saved.
type	String	❌	Any valid type identifier	N/A	Specifies the type of inventory operation (e.g., "LAST_ON_HAND").	Defaults to "LAST_ON_HAND" if not provided.
ref	String	❌	Any valid reference	Must follow `<skuRef>:<locationRef>:<catalogueType>:<type>`	A reference identifier for the inventory entity.	If not provided, constructed using `skuRef`, `locationRef`, `catalogueType`, and `type`.
status	String	❌	Any valid status value	N/A	The status of the inventory entity (e.g., "ACTIVE").
retailerId	String	✅	Any valid retailer ID	N/A	The retailer ID for which the inventory is uploading.
attributes	Object	❌	Any complex key-value pairs	Keys must be strings; values can be any valid JSON type	Additional attributes for flexible metadata storage.

Submit Inventory Batches With Attributes

Key Points

Steps

API Authentication

Authenticate against the Retailer you are sending the Inventory Batch to

Set Up a New Job to Execute Your Batches

Create and send a new Inventory Batch

Inventory Batch Model

Check Job status

Check Inventory Batch status

Fluent Commerce

Building Blocks

By Type

Helpful Resources

Quick Links