D&H Distributing provides connections for both U.S. and Canadian markets, supporting businesses with automated inventory updates and pricing synchronization. Through its integration with Etilize, a leading provider of product content and data, businesses can access enriched product information and specifications. This partnership ensures that businesses operating in the U.S. or Canada can efficiently leverage D&H's product catalog for accurate inventory management and streamlined order automation.
In this guide you'll set up D&H with Etilize as a Source in Flxpoint — connect the integration, configure inventory and order operations, and map your data. To enable the Etilize content feed for your account, contact support@flxpoint.com.
How To Connect
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Log into your Flxpoint account.
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Navigate to the Connections tab.
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Click on Fulfillment Sources.
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Click on + Add Source, name it, and select the source type.
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Click FLX Supplier Directory, then click Continue.
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Select D&H Distributing US with Etilize or D&H Distributing Canada with Etilize based on your needs.
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In the D&H Connection screen, select the appropriate Etilize Package from the dropdown:
- Etilize SpexBasic
- Etilize SpexFLX
- Etilize SpexFLX with images Add-on
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Enter the Etilize Agreement Number provided by Etilize, and specify if you want to import thumbnails as the primary product image. If you do not have your credentials, contact support@flxpoint.com.
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Click Save Connection to finalize the configuration and proceed to mapping templates.
Product Operations
The primary operation handles the bulk of your inventory management needs, while the secondary operation allows for more detailed control, such as focusing on specific products or updates.
Get Inventory and Pricing & Quantity
- Simply choose the integration type (e.g., D&H US with Etilize), and you're set to go. No additional connection information is required for this integration.
Decide how inventory data is managed:
- Archive/Un-Archive Inventory: Automatically archive items not found in the source feed to keep your catalog clean, and unarchive them if they return. (Tip: this setting is optional but can help with stock management.)
- Image Resolution: Choose your preferred image size (e.g., 650x650, 300x300) to display products on your platform optimally.
- Primary Product Image: Decide if you want to use Etilize's thumbnail image for your main product image — perfect if your sales platform doesn't handle image optimization.
- Enter your Etilize Package details, including the package type and agreement number.
Pricing & Quantity automates cost and on-hand updates for the D&H with Etilize integration. A separate connection is required specifically for pricing and quantity operations — it cannot share the same connection used for sending orders.
- Provide your D&H API credentials (the username and password assigned to you for this operation). You may optionally reuse the same connection settings as Send Orders, depending on your setup.
- Select the warehouses to include in the inventory calculation. The system sums the quantities from the warehouses you choose — such as Harrisburg, California, Chicago, or Atlanta — to determine total available inventory.
- Advanced settings let you enable the creation of product variants during the secondary inventory operation, which is useful if you handle products with variations.
- Map fields from D&H's inventory feed to your platform using a customizable mapping template. This ensures your product data, quantities, and pricing flow correctly.
- Enable scheduling to automate inventory updates. You'll receive notifications when the process runs, ensuring you are always informed.
Map fields from D&H's inventory feed to your Flxpoint fields. At minimum, map your variant identifier (SKU), quantity, and pricing so the catalog imports cleanly. The Etilize package you selected determines how much enriched content is available to map.
To verify and correct the SKU field binding used by the inventory feed:
- 1Open your D&H source and edit the Get Inventory (Secondary) mapping template.
- 2Find the field that the inventory match uses for the variant identifier. The variant SKU is mapped to D&H Item NO, and inventory is matched against the compact itemId (no-dash item number).
- 3Confirm the SKU field supplies the no-dash item number (itemId) and not a dashed SKU. If a dashed value is bound, change the binding so the match value is the compact item number.
- 4Save the template and re-run the inventory job. Items that previously had no inventory match should now be found and un-archived on the next run.
| Field | D&H Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SKU (variant identifier) | D&H Item NO | Bind to the compact itemId (no dashes) so inventory matches. |
| Quantity | On-hand Quantity | Summed across selected warehouses. |
| Cost | Dealer Price | Account-specific pricing on the Pricing & Quantity connection. |
| UPC | UPC | Used by the product re-builder to merge duplicate SKUs. |
| Enriched Content | Etilize fields | Available based on your Etilize package. |
| Images | Etilize image | Choose resolution and whether to use the thumbnail as primary. |
- The correct integration type (e.g., D&H US with Etilize) is selected.
- Your Etilize Package type and Agreement Number are entered.
- Archive/Un-Archive Inventory is enabled on only one D&H inventory integration — not on both Primary and Secondary at once.
- The SKU field binding in your inventory template supplies the no-dash item number (itemId), so inventory matches the products you built.
| Enriched Content (Etilize) | SUPPORTED | Product specifications and content from your Etilize package. |
| Images | SUPPORTED | Choose resolution and whether to use the Etilize thumbnail as primary. |
| Pricing & Quantity | SUPPORTED | Imported and kept current on each scheduled run (separate connection). |
| Quantity Logic | SUM | Sum of selected warehouses. |
| Archive / Un-Archive | SUPPORTED | Items absent from the feed are archived; re-activated when they return. Enable on one integration only. |
- Most products show as Archived: This is primarily caused by SKU mismatches in the source integration — the inventory match expects the compact no-dash item number (itemId), but products were built with a dashed SKU. Verify the SKU field binding (see Mapping Template & Configuration) and re-run.
- Duplicated SKUs after correcting the binding: Run the product re-builder using UPC to merge the duplicated SKUs in your channel listings.
- Catalog not importing: Confirm your Etilize Package and Agreement Number are correct. To enable or troubleshoot the Etilize feed for your account, contact support@flxpoint.com.
Order Operations
It submits orders to vendors for fulfillment and subsequently imports the shipment details, ensuring an integration between order processing and shipment tracking.
Send Orders
- Enter your Username and Password to authenticate the connection.
- You may use the same connection as Pricing & Quantity, but it's optional.
- No advanced settings are required for this operation.
Properly configure the shipping carrier mapping to avoid errors:
- Add the carrier name in the "Name" field of the mapping template.
- Ensure that all carrier codes match D&H's specified formats for seamless fulfillment processing.
D&H enforces a strict 20-character limit for FR numbers. To prevent errors:
- Always use the Flxpoint-generated internal order number, as it complies with the limit.
- Avoid using long order numbers from channels like Amazon.
113-1582479-0930653-1 with a shorter internal number like 113-1582479.
If you encounter "ERROR: This user cannot submit XML requests", this usually indicates that XML permissions are not active in D&H's system. Steps to resolve:
- Confirm with D&H support that XML permissions are enabled.
- Ensure your D&H account credentials in Flxpoint are correct.
- Retry sending the request once permissions are confirmed.
To avoid the error "429 TOO MANY REQUESTS: API limit exceeded":
- Adjust job schedules to run every two hours instead of at shorter intervals.
- Monitor API usage through logs and adjust schedules if limits are frequently hit.
- Always adhere to the cooldown period specified in the error message before retrying requests.
Get Shipments
- Enter your Username and Password to authenticate the connection.
- You may use the same connection as Pricing & Quantity, but it's optional.
- No advanced settings are required for this operation.
- Enable scheduling so tracking imports automatically as orders ship.
- Carrier & Methods: Includes shipping carriers and methods.
- Shipment Item Association: Associates items with respective shipments by SKU.
- Partial Shipments: Supports multiple tracking numbers for a single order.
- Custom Fields: Enables further customization in shipment data.
Limitations:
- Invoice Information: Not retrieved by this integration.
- The D&H connection is established and selected.
- Tracking number and SKU fields are mapped in your shipment template.
- A schedule is enabled so tracking imports as orders ship.
- Tracking not importing: Confirm the connection is valid and the tracking/SKU fields are mapped. Orders that haven't shipped yet on D&H's side won't return tracking.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Common issues and solutions for the D&H with Etilize integration. Expand each item to learn more.
What's happening
Most D&H with Etilize products can appear Archived. This is primarily caused by SKU mismatches in the source integration. The inventory feed that drives Archive/Un-Archive matches against the compact, no-dash D&H item number (itemId), and the variant SKU is mapped to D&H Item NO.
- When products are built with a dashed SKU but inventory is fetched against the no-dash item number (itemId), the values never match.
- Items with no inventory match aren't found in the feed, so the Archive/Un-Archive logic archives them.
- A SKU mismatch between the SKU used to build products and the SKU used for the inventory match is the root cause.
How to fix it
- Open your Get Inventory (Secondary) mapping template and verify the SKU field binding. Confirm the inventory match uses the compact no-dash item number (itemId), not a dashed SKU.
- If a dashed SKU is bound, change the binding to the no-dash item number, save, and re-run. Items that previously had no match should be found and un-archived on the next run.
- A backend fix now fetches inventory using the variant SKU instead of the parent SKU, aligning the match with how products are built.
- For SKUs that were duplicated by earlier mismatches, run the product re-builder using UPC to merge the duplicated SKUs in your channel listings.
What's happening
The inventory job is running but quantities aren't updating, or the logs show invalid item number errors.
- The SKU field binding may not supply the no-dash item number (itemId).
- An item number in the build may not exist in the current source inventory feed.
- Archive/Un-Archive may be enabled on more than one D&H inventory integration.
How to fix it
- Verify and, if needed, correct the SKU field binding so it uses the compact itemId.
- Enable Archive/Un-Archive on only one D&H inventory integration.
- Re-run and review the job log to confirm items are now matched.
What's happening
An order fails to submit to D&H with a specific error.
- FR number too long: D&H enforces a strict 20-character limit for FR numbers.
- XML permissions error: "ERROR: This user cannot submit XML requests" means XML permissions are not active in D&H's system.
- Rate limit: "429 TOO MANY REQUESTS: API limit exceeded" indicates jobs are running too frequently.
- Shipping carrier mapping: Carrier name or codes don't match D&H's expected formats.
How to fix it
- Use the Flxpoint-generated internal order number to stay within the 20-character limit; avoid long channel order numbers (e.g., from Amazon).
- For XML permission errors, confirm with D&H support that XML permissions are enabled and that your D&H credentials in Flxpoint are correct, then retry.
- For rate limits, adjust job schedules to run every two hours and respect the cooldown period specified in the error message.
- For carrier errors, add the carrier name in the "Name" field of the mapping template and ensure all carrier codes match D&H's specified formats.
What's happening
Orders show no tracking updates from D&H.
- The order may not have shipped yet on D&H's side.
- Tracking number or SKU fields may not be mapped in the template.
- The D&H connection may not be valid.
How to fix it
- Confirm the connection is valid and the tracking/SKU fields are mapped.
- Confirm a schedule is enabled so tracking imports as orders ship.
Still need help? If you're experiencing issues not covered here, contact our support team.
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