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Synchronization Methods

LZ SKU Sync offers two powerful ways to keep your WooCommerce products synchronized with Zoho Inventory.

Choose Your Sync Method

Method 1: Manual Sync (One-Time)

Best for initial setup, occasional bulk updates, or when you prefer full control over when synchronization occurs.

Method 2: Real-Time Webhook Sync (Always)

Best for continuous operations where Zoho Inventory is your primary product management system and you want instant updates in WooCommerce.

Method 1: Manual Sync

When to Use Manual Sync

  • ✅ Initial product import from Zoho to WooCommerce
  • ✅ Periodic bulk updates
  • ✅ Testing sync settings before enabling webhooks
  • ✅ When you prefer to control sync timing

How Manual Sync Works

  1. Navigate to LZ SKU Sync > Sync Status
  2. Configure your sync preferences (see Product Settings)
  3. Click the Start Sync button
  4. Monitor real-time progress
  5. Review recently synced items as they complete

Manual Sync Interface

Sync Process Flow

graph TD
    A[Click Start Sync] --> B[Fetch Inventory from Zoho]
    B --> C[Compare SKUs]
    C --> D[Prepare Sync Queue]
    D --> E[Process Products in Batches]
    E --> F[Download Images]
    F --> G[Create/Update Products]
    G --> H[Optimize Images]
    H --> I[Sync Complete]

Understanding the Progress

During manual sync, you'll see:

  • Total Products: Number of products queued for sync
  • Synced: Successfully processed products
  • Failed: Products that encountered errors
  • Pending: Products waiting in queue
  • Progress Bar: Visual representation of completion

Sync Progress

Sync Controls

⏸️ Pause

  • Temporarily stops the synchronization
  • Products in queue remain saved
  • Click Resume to continue from where you left off
  • Useful when you need to update settings mid-sync

▶️ Resume

  • Continues a paused sync
  • Processes remaining products in queue
  • No products are re-synced

❌ Cancel

  • Stops the sync permanently
  • Clears the product queue
  • Cannot be resumed (you'll need to start a new sync)
  • Already synced products remain in WooCommerce

Background Processing

Manual sync uses WordPress Action Scheduler to process products in the background:

  • ✅ Products processed one at a time
  • ✅ Prevents timeouts and server overload
  • ✅ Continues even if you close the browser
  • ✅ Full logging for troubleshooting

Tip

You can check detailed logs at LZ SKU Sync > Sync Log in WordPress admin. See the Sync Log Guide for search and filtering features.

Method 2: Real-Time Webhook Sync

When to Use Webhook Sync

  • ✅ Zoho Inventory is your primary product management system
  • ✅ You need instant updates in WooCommerce
  • ✅ Products are frequently created or updated in Zoho
  • ✅ You want a "set and forget" solution

How Webhook Sync Works

Webhooks provide real-time synchronization triggered by changes in Zoho Inventory.

sequenceDiagram
    participant Zoho as Zoho Inventory
    participant Webhook as Zoho Webhook
    participant WP as WordPress Site
    participant AS as Action Scheduler
    participant WC as WooCommerce

    Zoho->>Webhook: Item Created/Updated
    Webhook->>WP: POST to WordPress REST API
    WP->>WP: Verify HMAC Signature
    WP->>Zoho: Fetch Full Item Details
    WP->>AS: Enqueue Sync Job
    AS->>WC: Create/Update Product
    AS->>WC: Download & Attach Images

Enabling Webhook Sync

  1. Go to LZ SKU Sync > Sync Status
  2. Find Sync Frequency setting
  3. Change from "One-Time" to "Always (Real-time webhook)"
  4. Click Save Preferences

What Happens Automatically

When you enable webhook sync, the plugin:

  1. ✅ Creates a webhook in Zoho Inventory
  2. ✅ Creates a workflow rule to trigger on item changes
  3. ✅ Registers a REST API endpoint in WordPress
  4. ✅ Configures HMAC signature verification

Note

You don't need to manually configure anything in Zoho. The plugin handles everything automatically!

Webhook Status Indicator

The webhook status is shown with a visual indicator:

  • 🟢 Active (Green): Webhook is receiving updates
  • 🔴 Inactive (Red): Webhook is paused or disabled

Webhook Status

Toggling Webhook Status

To pause or resume webhook sync:

  1. Click the webhook status indicator
  2. Webhook will toggle between active and inactive
  3. When inactive, Zoho events are ignored
  4. When active, sync resumes automatically

Tip

Use this to temporarily pause real-time sync without deleting the webhook configuration.

Security & Validation

Every webhook request is secured with:

  • 🔒 HMAC SHA256 Signature: Verifies request is from Zoho
  • 🔐 License Validation: Active license required
  • ✅ Frequency Check: Only processes if webhooks are enabled

Important

Your license key is used as the HMAC secret. Keep it confidential!

Monitoring Webhooks

Track webhook activity:

  1. Go to LZ SKU Sync > Sync Status
  2. Scroll to Webhook Sync Log
  3. Webhook-triggered syncs log shows all the recent webhook syncs
  4. Timestamp shows when the webhook was received

You can also check: - Last Received: Timestamp of last successful webhook - Webhook Sync Log: 30-day history of all webhook events

Comparing Sync Methods

Feature Manual Sync Webhook Sync
Trigger Manual button click Automatic (Zoho changes)
Timing On-demand Real-time (within seconds)
Best For Initial setup, bulk updates Ongoing operations
Control Full control over timing Automated
Batch Size All queued products Single product per event
Pause/Resume ✅ Yes ⚠️ Toggle active/inactive
Requires Setup Minimal One-time enable
API Calls Batch (efficient) Per event

Combining Both Methods

You can use both sync methods:

  1. Initial Setup: Run a manual sync to import all existing products
  2. Ongoing: Enable webhook sync for real-time updates
  3. Periodic: Run manual sync occasionally to catch any missed items

Tip

Best Practice: Start with a manual sync to establish your product catalog, then enable webhooks for continuous updates.

Sync Frequency Recommendations

High-Volume Stores (100+ SKUs)

  • Use webhook sync for real-time updates
  • Run manual sync weekly to verify consistency

Low-Volume Stores (< 100 SKUs)

  • Manual sync may be sufficient
  • Run sync when making product changes in Zoho

Seasonal/Event-Based

  • Manual sync before major sales or catalog changes
  • Enable webhooks during peak seasons

What Gets Synchronized?

Both sync methods sync the same product data based on your Product Settings:

  • ✅ Product name and description
  • ✅ SKU
  • ✅ Price (regular price)
  • ✅ Stock quantity and status
  • ✅ Low stock threshold
  • ✅ Weight and dimensions
  • ✅ Product images (featured and gallery)
  • ✅ Product variations and attributes

Next Steps

Now that you understand both sync methods:

Troubleshooting

Manual Sync Stuck

Webhooks Not Receiving

Problem: Changes in Zoho don't appear in WooCommerce

Solution:

  • Check webhook status indicator (should be green)
  • Verify license is active
  • Test webhook endpoint: https://yoursite.com/wp-json/lz-sku-sync/v1/webhook
  • Review webhook logs at Sync Status > Webhook Sync Log

Duplicate Products Created

Problem: Webhook creates duplicate instead of updating

Solution:

  • Verify SKUs match exactly between Zoho and WooCommerce
  • Check that "Create Missing Products" is configured correctly
  • Review recently synced items for conflict patterns

Support

Questions about sync methods?