Using the Connect Link popup
Summary
The Connect Link popup is where you tell Infigo how each of your records maps to the matching record in a connected MIS or external system. This is the go-to guide for the Connect Link popup: what it is, when to use it, where to find it, and how to map a record step by step. It applies to every MIS plugin that uses the standard Connect Link (external reference) popup, including Connect: printIQ, Connect: CERM, Tharstern, PrintOS Site Flow, Google Merchant, PunchOut, EasyPost and Direct Response.
What the Connect Link popup is for
For many of Infigo's MIS integrations to work, Infigo needs to know how each of your records maps to the matching record in the external system, so it can pass the correct information to the third party. For example, an Infigo Product Variant may correspond to a product in printIQ, or an Infigo Department may correspond to a customer in CERM. The Connect Link popup is the single place where you create, view and change that link - the external reference - for a record. A customer that places an order, for instance, usually must also exist in the target MIS; the external reference you set is then used in every interaction that customer has with the MIS, whether fetching a live price, adding an address, or placing an order.
This is an administrator task. You use the Connect Link popup when you first set up an integration, and whenever you add new records that need to be mapped. It is not part of everyday storefront use.
Before you start
At least one MIS plugin must be enabled in Admin > Configuration > Settings > Connect Settings (for example Connect: printIQ).
You need administrator access to open the record and save from the popup.
Have the external system's reference (the ID or code of the matching record) to hand, or be ready to look it up from inside the popup where the plugin supports it.
Enabling a Connect plugin so the button appears
The green Connect Link button only appears once at least one MIS (Connect) plugin is enabled. To enable one, go to Admin > Configuration > Settings > MIS Plugin Settings (shown as Connect Settings). In the Enabled Connect Plugin list, tick the plugin or plugins you use - for example Connect: printIQ - and click Save. You can also choose which plugin the popup pre-selects by default; see the related article Choosing the default MIS plugin in the Connect Link popup.
Where the Connect Link button is and how to open it
Once a plugin is enabled, the Connect Link button appears throughout Infigo, on any element that can be linked to an external system: Product Variants, Product Variant Attributes and Attribute Combinations, Specification Attributes, Customers, Departments, Addresses, Categories, Delivery Methods, Checkout Attributes and more. It is the green Connect Link button. Beside it, the small list ("hamburger") icon lets you view what the record is currently mapped to. Click the green button to open the Connect Link popup; click the list icon to view the current mappings. You can hold one mapping per enabled Connect plugin.
On a Product Variant, open the product, go to the Product Variants tab and edit the variant; the Connect Link button is on the variant edit page.
On a Customer, open the customer record; the Connect Link button is on the Customer Info tab, in the Connect row.
On a Department (and, in the same way, an Address), open the record and use the Connect Link button in the Connect row.
Check the popup title
When the popup opens, its title tells you exactly what you are mapping. It reads Connect Link: followed by the record type and the record's display name - for example Connect Link: Product Variant - A2 Posters, or Connect Link: Customer - John Smith. Where a record has no display name, the title falls back to the record ID. Use the title to confirm you are on the right record before you save anything.
Choose the MIS plugin
If you have more than one MIS integration enabled, the popup includes a Connect Plugin selector. Choose the plugin for the external system you are mapping to (for example Connect: printIQ). If a record already has an external reference, the popup keeps the plugin that link was created with, so you edit the existing mapping rather than starting a new one against a different plugin. If you have set a default plugin, it is already selected for you on records that have no existing reference.
Enter and save the external reference
Depending on the plugin, there are two ways to enter the external reference:
Where the plugin supports it, click Load Available Ids from Plugin. This lists the available records in the MIS for you to choose from, and fills the external reference field with the correct value automatically.
Otherwise, type the external ID or code manually into the external reference field.
Read any help text shown in the popup - it explains the format the plugin expects. Help text now wraps across multiple lines, so longer guidance is fully readable. When you are happy with the mapping, save it using the popup's save control (for example Save External Reference). The popup closes and the record now carries its external reference.
Mapping attributes and combinations
Beyond whole records, you can map Product Variant Attributes, Attribute Combinations and Specification Attributes to their counterparts in the MIS, using the same Connect Link button (shown under Actions on the attribute). This lets a specific combination of attribute values map to its own external ID, which is useful when a combination effectively creates its own variation of a product. The steps are the same: open the popup, select the plugin, enter or load the external reference, and save.
Change or view a mapping
To change a mapping, reopen the Connect Link popup on the same record, select the correct plugin if needed, and update the reference. To see what a record is currently mapped to across your enabled plugins, click the list ("hamburger") icon next to the Connect Link button. Some plugins also offer a Clear Cache control in the popup to refresh cached data from the external system.
Verify your mapping
Reopen the Connect Link popup (or the list view) and confirm the external reference is shown against the correct plugin.
Confirm the title shows the record type and name you expected.
Where the integration supports it, run the action that relies on the mapping (for example pushing an order or product to the MIS) and confirm it resolves to the correct external record.
Need help?
If you are unsure which external reference to use, or a mapping does not resolve as expected, contact Infigo Customer Support.