How Image Flow Works - Matching Options
In Image Flow, six types of matching ensure seamless alignment between image names and product data.
We primarily focus on two key product data points: the product title and the product variant's SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), which we use to match with the image names.
The six types of matching are;
a) Matching Image Name with Product Title - Images are matched when the product or product variant's title is exactly the same as Image Name
b) Matching when Product Title contains Image Name - Images are matched when the product or product variant's title contains the Image Name.
c) Matching when Image Name contains Product Title - Images are matched when the Image Name contains the product or product variant's title.
d) Matching Image Name with Product Variant's SKU - Images are matched when the Product Variant's SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is exactly the same as Image Name.
e) Matching when Product Variant's SKU contains Image Name - Images are matched when the Product Variant's (Stock Keeping Unit) contains Image Name.
f) Matching when Image Name contains Product Variant's SKU - Images are matched when the Image Name contains the Product Variant's (Stock Keeping Unit).
g) Matching Image Name with Product Variant's Barcode- Images are matched when the Product Variant's Barcode (Stock Keeping Unit) is exactly the same as Image Name.
h) Matching when Product Variant's Barcode contains Image Name - Images are matched when the Product Variant's Barcode contains Image Name.
i) Matching when Image Name contains Product Variant's Barcode- Images are matched when the Image Name contains the Product Variant's Barcode.
j) Matching Image Name with Product Meta field - Images are matched when the product or product variant's Meta field is exactly the same as Image Name
k) Matching when Product Meta field contains Image Name - Images are matched when the product or product variant's Meta field contains the Image Name.
l) Matching when Image Name contains Product Meta field- Images are matched when the Image Name contains the product or product variant's Meta field.
On the Uploads page of the Image Flow application, after you connect to your chosen Cloud Storage Provider, and selecting the Folder, you can see the types of Matching, on the Step 3 of the Upload process.
Let's discuss each one of them in detail;
a) Matching Image Name with Product Title
The matching, gets all the images which are exactly the same as the Product or Product Variant's Title,
Lets assume the image name is "The Example Product", it will be matched to the products or product variants which has the title "The Example Product", while the letter case is ignored, which means product titles like "the example Product" are also matched.
Image Name - Product/ Product Variant's Title
"The Example Product" - "The Example Product" => Matched
"The Example Product" - "the example Product" => Matched
"THE EXAMPLE PRODUCT" - "the example Product" => Matched
"The Example Product" - "the_example_product" => Unmatched
On the uploads page, select the Folder, from the step 2,
and select the matching type form the dropdown, "Match if image name is same as product name (products)".
And configure some additional settings on Step 4, where you can
- Choose to either add the matched images to the product's existing images or replace them with the newly matched images.
- Additionally, you can enable the checkbox to generate optimized alt names for the images, a feature exclusive to "Premium Plan" users.
Click the "Match Now" button to be redirected to the Match page, where you'll see details of matched and unmatched images along with a summary.
You can review the images matched, and some unmatched images if there are any. You can click on "Upload Images", and the image upload process will be initiated.
Note: When an image is matched with a product variant, it is also added to the product's images.
First the images are matched with product variants, if there are not matching product variants, the product's title is checked.
b) Matching when Product Title contains Image Name - With this matching type, images are matched if the product title or a product variant's title contains the image name.
If title is "the example product", then the image "example" is matched.
Image Name - Product/ Product Variant's Title
"example" - "The Example Product" => Matched
"product" - "the example Product" => Matched
"THE" - "the example Product" => Matched
"Example2" - "the example Product" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if product name contains image name (Products)"
c) Matching when Image Name contains Product Title - With this matching type, images are matched if the image name contains the product title or a product variant's title.
If image name is "the example product", then the products with title "product", "example" or "THE" are matched.
Image Name - Product/ Product Variant's Title
"The Example Product" - "example" => Matched
"the example Product" - "product" => Matched
"the example Product" - "THE" => Matched
"the example Product" - "Example2" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if image name contains product name (Products)"
d) Matching Image Name with Product Variant's SKU - With this type of matching, the image is matched if the image name is exactly same as the Product Variant's SKU.
Image Name - Product Variant's SKU
"SHOP-56555" - "SHOP-56555" => Matched
"ind_4555" - "IND_4555" => Matched
"IO-78-cards" - "io-78-CARDS" => Matched
"CARDS-123" - "cards" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if image name is same as SKU (Product Variants)"
Note: Only Product Variants are checked, since only the product variants have the SKU, however, the images are also attached to the product variant's corresponding product.
You will see the matched product variants along with some unmatched images. Clicking on a matched product variant will take you to its corresponding product variant page, where you can view the SKU for that variant.
e) Matching when Product Variant's SKU contains Image Name - With this type of matching, the images are matched is the product variant's SKU contains the image name.
Image Name - Product Variant's SKU
"SHOP" - "SHOP-56555" => Matched
"4555" - "IND_4555" => Matched
"IO" - "io-78-CARDS" => Matched
"CARDS-123" - "cards" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if SKU (Product Variants) contains image name."
f) Matching when Image Name contains Product Variant's SKU - Images are matched if they contain the product variant's SKU.
Image Name - Product Variant's SKU
"SHOP-56555" - "SHOP" => Matched
"IND_4555" - "4555" => Matched
"io-78-CARDS" - "IO" => Matched
"cards" - "CARDS-123" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if image name contains SKU (Product Variants)"
g) Matching Image Name with Product Variant's Barcode - Images are matched if they contain the product variant's barcode.
Image Name - Product Variant's Barcode
"card-444" - "CARD-444" => Matched
"ind1234" - "IND1234" => Matched
"io-78-CARDS" - "io-78-CARDS" => Matched
"cards" - "CARDS-123" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if image name is same as Barcode (Product Variants)"
h) Matching when Product Variant's Barcode contains Image Name - Images are matched when the Product Variant's Barcode contains Image Name.
Image Name - Product Variant's Barcode
"card-444" - "CARD-444_444" => Matched
"ind1234" - "SHOP_IND1234" => Matched
"io-78-CARDS" - "io-78-cards" => Matched
"cards-456" - "CARDS-123" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if Barcode (Product Variants) contains image name."
i) Matching when Image Name contains Product Variant's Barcode- Images are matched when the Image Name contains the Product Variant's Barcode.
Image Name - Product Variant's Barcode
"CARD-444_444" - "card-444" => Matched
"SHOP_IND1234" - "ind12347" => Matched
"io-78-cards" - "io-78-CARDS" => Matched
"cards-456" - "CARDS-123" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if image name contains Barcode (Product Variants)."
j) Matching Image Name with Product Meta field - Images are matched when the product or product variant's Meta field is exactly the same as Image Name
Image Name - Product/ Product Variant's Meta field
"Snowboard_ice" - "Snowboard_ICE" => Matched
"mercury" - "MERCURY" => Matched
"shop-1999" - "Shop-1999" => Matched
"juicer_1p" - "juicer1p" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if Product Metafield is same as image name."
k) Matching when Product Meta field contains Image Name - Images are matched when the product or product variant's Meta field contains the Image Name.
Image Name - Product/ Product Variant's Meta field
"Snowboard" - "Snowboard_ICE" => Matched
"mercury" - "MERCURY_board" => Matched
"shop-1999" - "Shop-1999" => Matched
"juicer_1p" - "juicer1p" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if Product Metafield contains image name."
l) Matching when Image Name contains Product Meta field- Images are matched when the Image Name contains the product or product variant's Meta field.
Image Name - Product/ Product Variant's Meta field
"Snowboard_ICE" - "Snowboard" => Matched
"MERCURY_board" - "mercury" => Matched
"Shop-1999" - "shop-1999" => Matched
"juicer1p" - "juicer_1p" => Unmatched
On Step 2 after selecting the folder, you can select the option "Match if image name contains Product Metafield"
We’ve explored all 12 matching types that Image Flow offers. You can select the one that best fits your product data, product variants, and image names for a seamless image upload experience.