Use case
Preview before apply on catalog changes
Use Data Sync manual preview to review creates, updates, and archives before applying Google Sheet changes to Shopify.
Highlights
What you get out of this flow
Outcomes you can expect when you run this playbook inside EShopSet on Shopify.
- See creates / updates / archives before they hit Shopify
- Catch handle collisions and blank required fields early
- Make preview a required step for anyone with sheet edit access
Why preview is non-negotiable
A single bad filter in Sheets can mark hundreds of rows missing—and sync may interpret that as archives. Preview surfaces those counts while you can still abort.
How it works in EShopSet
On manual Data Sync runs, preview the diff first. Investigate surprising archive or create spikes. Only apply when counts match the business intent (e.g., “~120 price updates, 0 archives”).
Example: avoided mass archive
Preview showed 1,100 archives after an ops intern filtered the sheet to “in-stock only” and deleted other rows. They restored the full sheet from version history, re-previewed (0 archives / 180 updates), then applied. That one preview saved a multi-hour Admin recovery.
Playbook
- Never apply on the first preview after a large sheet edit.
- Reconcile archive count with intentional discontinuations.
- Spot-check 3 create rows and 3 update rows in the preview details.
- Apply; confirm Logs.
- For scheduled jobs, re-run manual preview after structural sheet changes.
What to measure
- Preview-to-apply abort rate (healthy teams abort sometimes)
- Unexpected archive incidents per quarter (target: near zero)
