Publisher Quick Start Guide

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Global Product Access is a product catalog network that allows suppliers and brands to publish product information once and share with multiple retailers, marketplaces and trading partners.

Global Product Access allows publishers to:

• Maintain a single source of truth for product data
• Share product catalogs with multiple partners
• Send structured catalog data via EDI
• Connect to marketplaces and other digital commerce platforms

Onboarding Workflow

Registration and First Login

How to get access to Global Product Access and log in for the first time.

• Register your email address on Global Product Access using your service provider’s unique link, or via a service provider who will register on your behalf.
• You will receive a welcome email containing your temporary password and a link to set your permanent password. Click the link and follow the prompts to create your new password.
• Return to the Global Product Access login page, enter your email address and new password, and click Log In.

Dashboard Overview

The dashboard provides an overview of your activity on the platform. From the dashboard you can access product catalog status, subscriber activity, recent messages, and data synchronization updates. The navigation menu allows you to manage products, catalogs, and integrations.

After logging in, you will arrive at your Dashboard. Summary widgets display key information such as catalog activity, subscriber counts, recent messages, and synchronization status. The main navigation menu on the left allows you to easily access all platform features.

Settings

Configure your company profile, account preferences, and platform integrations. Access Settings from the main navigation menu.

User Roles and Authorization Levels

Global Product Access uses a tiered role structure. Your assigned role determines what features and data you can access. Publisher accounts operate at the Company Admin or Company User level.

Company Admin vs. Company User

The primary differences between a Company Admin and a Company User are around configuration and management tasks. Company Users can create and manage products and catalogs day-to-day but cannot configure integrations, manage attributes, invite subscribers, or administer other users. Company Admins have full control over all platform settings and user management within their account.

Product Upload

Three methods are available for adding products to Global Product Access.

Manual Entry

• Navigate to Products in the main menu and click Add Product.
  
• Fill in the primary product information (name, SKU, description, etc.) and click Save.

• After saving, the full product detail view opens. From here you can add additional properties, attributes, and assign the product to one or more catalogs.
• Upload product images directly or provide URLs to hosted images.
• Set a Start date on which the product becomes active and visible to subscribers. Optionally set an End date for automatic archiving.
• Many products come in multiple versions, such as different sizes, colors, or styles. Instead of creating separate standalone products for each option, the platform allows you to group them using Variants.

• Use the Share button to generate a virtual product showcase that can be sent to prospective buyers. The showcase displays product images and key information without requiring the recipient to have a Global Product Access account.

CSV Import Wizard

• Navigate to Products and click Import to open the CSV Import Wizard. The wizard is AI-powered so you can use your own CSV format. You are not required to use our standard import format. However, a template is available should you choose to use it.

• Upload your CSV file. The wizard uses AI to automatically map your column headers to the corresponding Global Product Access fields.

• The mapping screen shows your CSV fields on the left and the GPA fields on the right. Review each mapping carefully.
• To change a GPA field mapping, click the X next to the field name and select the correct field from the dropdown.

• To set a fallback source field, click the CSV field name and select a secondary option. For example: use Short Marketing Description as the primary source and fall back to Extended Marketing Description if the primary field is empty.

• Once all mappings are confirmed, click Import to complete the upload.

If there are any errors encountered, the wizard will display the errors during the preview screen. You can click the back button to return to the mapping screen to adjust anything as needed.

API

For automated or high-volume product loading, the Global Product Access REST API supports full product creation, update, and management operations. Refer to the API documentation for authentication details, endpoint references, and payload schemas. The interactive Swagger UI allows you to test endpoints directly in your browser.

Product Attributes

Attributes allow you to capture additional product information beyond the standard fields — such as material, dimensions, certifications, or any other data relevant to your trading partners. There are two types of attributes in Global Product Access.

System Attributes

System attributes are defined by the Global Product Access network administrator and are available across the entire GPA network. They represent standardized fields that retailers and marketplaces commonly require.

• To make a system attribute available on all products at your company level, navigate to Attributes and click Add from System. You can mark these as mandatory at the company level.
• System attributes can also be added to individual products on an ad hoc basis — useful when only certain products require a specific attribute.

Custom Attributes

Custom attributes are defined at the Company Admin level and are specific to your company. They are not visible to other companies on the network.

• To create a custom attribute, click Add Attribute and define the name, type, and whether the field is mandatory or optional.
• Custom attributes are identified by the label “Mine” in the Source column of the attributes list.
• Only Company Admins can create or modify custom attribute definitions.

Catalogs

In Global Product Access, a catalog is a curated collection of products that a publisher chooses to share with specific retailers, marketplaces, or trading partners. Catalogs allow vendors to organize their product assortments and control exactly which products each partner can access, ensuring accurate and efficient product data distribution across the network.

Creating and Configuring a Catalog

• Navigate to Catalogs in the main menu and click Add Catalog.
• Enter a catalog name and description.
• Set the visibility: Public (discoverable by other users on the GPA network) or Private (not searchable). Product prices are hidden by default on public catalogs — the “Show product prices” option is unchecked unless you explicitly enable it.
• Save the catalog, then add products to it from the product list.

Sharing and Subscriptions

Retailers access catalogs through subscriptions. Two subscription methods exist.

Inbound Requests — Retailers discover your public catalog and request access. As the publisher, you must explicitly approve each request before access is granted.

Outbound Invitations — You invite retailers directly. Click the 3-dot menu next to the Share button to invite a company already on the GPA network, or enter an email address to invite a company not yet on Global Product Access.

• Use the Share button to generate a QR code for a virtual catalog showcase — useful for sharing product availability with prospective buyers at trade events or via email, without requiring a Global Product Access account.

Compliance Requirements

Compliance engines are configured by your system administrator and define which product attributes are required for specific retailers or marketplaces (for example, Shopify, Walmart, or Amazon). Conditional requirements are supported, meaning a field may only be required when certain other conditions are met.

• When creating or editing a catalog, select a pre-defined compliance engine from the available options.
• Click Compliance Requirements within the catalog to review the rules associated with the selected retailer or marketplace.
• Click Save — the system will automatically validate all products in the catalog against the compliance rules and alert you if any required attributes or fields are missing.

EDI Integrations

The EDI Integrations section allows you to send X12 832 (Price/Sales Catalog) and EDIFACT PRICAT EDI documents directly to retailers as required by your trading relationships. Access this section from within the catalog detail view.

Marketplaces

Connect your catalog to major marketplaces — including Shopify, Walmart, and Amazon — to push product information and inventory directly to those platforms or pull updates back into Global Product Access.

Subscribers

The Subscribers section within each catalog lists all companies that currently have an active subscription to that catalog through the GPA network. You can revoke any company’s access at any time from this section — access is removed immediately upon revocation.

Messages

Global Product Access includes a built-in messaging system so you can communicate with subscribers and other companies without relying on your personal email client. All platform messages also trigger an email notification to the recipient company’s contacts, ensuring nothing is missed.

• Navigate to Messages in the main menu.
• Click New Message and select the company you want to contact.
• Type your message and click Send. The recipient will be notified by email and can reply directly within the platform.

Catalog Feed Logs

The Catalog Feed Logs section provides a complete history of all data sent to each of your catalog subscribers. It includes both successful deliveries and any errors that occurred during the process.

Use this log to:

• Confirm that specific subscribers have received the latest catalog data.
• Identify and investigate delivery errors for a specific subscriber.
• Review the exact data (file content) that was transmitted.

Sync Data Logs

The Sync Data Logs section displays feedback from all active marketplace integrations (Shopify, Walmart, Amazon) and from the transformation engine platform. Use this log to confirm that syncs completed successfully or to identify and resolve errors.