Connecting Your Distributor & Catalog

Slingshot uses two types of data to build and maintain your products:

Distributor data generally provides available products, stock, cost, and pricing.

Catalog data provides product content such as titles, descriptions, images, categories, and vehicle fitment.

In many cases, your distributor provides both. For more information, see What's a Data Catalog?

Step 1: Connect your distributor

Find your distributor below and follow its connection guide.

Once your distributor is connected, move on to your catalog.

Step 2: Connect your catalog

If your distributor provides a catalog

Use your distributor's own catalog whenever one is available.

This is normally the simplest setup because the catalog is intended to work with that distributor's product feed.

Distributors that currently provide catalog data include:

• ATD

• Automatic Distributors

• CTP

• Elite Wheel and Tire

• FastCo

• Grandwest

• Importations Thibault

• Motor State

• Parts Unlimited

• SSF

• Thibert

• The Wheel Group

• Western Power Sports

• Wheel Pros

When a distributor has its own catalog, use the matching catalog.

For example:

Motor State distributor → Motor State Catalog

Where a dedicated catalog guide is available, follow the matching instructions:

• Connecting ATD Catalog

• Connecting CTP Catalog

• Connecting FastCo Catalog

• Connecting Grandwest Catalog

• Connecting MotorState Catalog

• Connecting SSF Catalog

• Connecting Thibert Catalog

• Connecting The Wheel Group (TWG) Catalog

• Connecting Western Power Sports (WPS) Catalog

• Connecting Wheel Pros Catalog

If your distributor does not provide a catalog

Some distributors, such as Keystone, do not provide their own catalog.

In this case, choose an independent catalog based primarily on the brands you want to sell and the catalog services you have access to.

Common options include:

• ASAP Network: Connecting ASAP
  Need an API key? See Acquiring an API Key for ASAP Network

• DCi / Catalograck: Connecting DCi
  See also Setup Brand Downloads for DCi (Catalograck)

• SEMA Data: Connecting SEMA Data Coop (SDC)
  See also SEMA Data Coop Brand Approvals

• Paramount Data Management (PDM): Connecting PDM
  See also PDM Data Feed Setup

• Slingshot Catalog: Connecting the Slingshot (DH2T) Catalog

For example, a Keystone customer may use SEMA Data, DCi, ASAP, or another compatible catalog depending on where the brands they want to load are available.

How do I choose an independent catalog?

Start with the brands you want to sell.

Consider:

1. Does the catalog contain the brands you want to load?

2. Are you approved to access those brands?

3. Does it provide the product information you need, such as images, descriptions, categories, and vehicle fitment?

4. Does it require a separate subscription, API access, or data-feed setup?

There is no single independent catalog that is best for every store. The best fit depends largely on your brands and the data available from each provider.

Can I use more than one catalog?

Yes, but most stores do not need to.

An additional catalog can be useful when you need access to brands or product data that your primary catalog does not provide.

Because multiple catalogs add complexity, we recommend starting with:

• Your distributor's catalog, if one is available, or

• One independent catalog if your distributor does not provide one

Add another catalog only when there is a specific need.

If you're unsure which catalog to use or whether you need more than one, contact Data Here to There support before adding additional connections.

Once you're connected

Once your distributor and catalog are connected in Slingshot, you're finished with this step.

We can then continue setting up the product data for your Shop-in-a-Box.