Syncing ensures that your store products are properly connected to Printful so we can fulfill your orders. Understanding sync statuses helps you identify which products are ready for fulfillment and which ones need your attention.
If you create and publish products directly from Printful, they’re automatically synced and ready for fulfillment right away. However, depending on how your products are created or managed, some listings may become unsynced.
What does “syncing” mean?
When you create a product listing in your store (outside of Printful), it includes information like:
- Product title
- Description
- Images or mockups
- Size and color properties
However, this isn’t enough for Printful to fulfill the order.
To produce and ship the item, we also need to know:
- Which Printful catalog product to use
- What design file to print
- Where the design should be placed on the product
Syncing is the process of linking your store product to this fulfillment information in Printful. When you publish a product directly from Printful we'll create the product listing and link it with the fulfillment information.
What are the sync statuses?
Each product variant in your store can have one of the following statuses:
Synced
The product is fully connected to Printful. This means:
- We know exactly what to print and how
- Orders for this product will be automatically imported and fulfilled
- We’ll update the inventory levels in your store if you’ve enabled automatic stock sync
Not synced
The product listing exists in your store, but it isn’t connected to the necessary fulfillment information in Printful. This can happen if:
- You imported a product created outside of Printful
- You disconnected and reconnected your store (sync data is removed on disconnect)
- You added a new variant in your store (no print info assigned yet)
- The product’s identity changed on your platform (for example, due to edits or platform issues)
What this means:
- Orders for this product won’t be imported by default
- You’ll need to sync the product manually before it can be fulfilled
If you’ve enabled “Import unsynced orders” (Dashboard → Settings → Store settings → Orders → Sync as you go), you’ll be able to sync products while confirming incoming orders.
Ignored
The product is intentionally excluded from fulfillment. For Shopify stores, this status is called “Fulfillment disabled”. This means:
- We won’t import or fulfill orders for this product
- This applies regardless of whether the product is synced or not
You can turn this status on or off at any time, learn more about ignoring products here.
How do I check sync statuses?
To view your product sync statuses:
- Go to Dashboard → Stores (or go to My products → Published)
- Select your store
- Check the Variant column
You’ll see how many variants are:
- Synced
- Not synced
- Ignored
A “–” means none of the variants have that status.
Why does syncing matter?
Only synced products can be fulfilled automatically. If a product isn’t synced, we don’t have enough information to produce it, so orders may not be imported or processed until the issue is resolved. Keeping your products synced ensures smooth order processing and helps avoid delays.
For some integrations, all store products are imported into Printful by default. If your store includes products fulfilled by yourself or other providers, you can leave them unsynced or mark them as ignored—we won’t attempt to fulfill those items.
Still need help? Our Support Team is here for you—reach out anytime through our contact form or start a chat with us.