Custom Akeneo integration development
Appfront builds custom Akeneo integrations that make your product data centrally manageable, from Akeneo PIM to your webshop, ERP, marketplace or DAM. Using the Akeneo REST API and events, we synchronise products, families, attributes, categories and media in both directions. Your catalogue stays consistent across all your channels, and enriched content reaches the right place without manual work.
What is an Akeneo integration?
Akeneo is a leading PIM (Product Information Management) platform for centrally managing, enriching and distributing product data. Whereas a webshop or ERP keeps product information scattered across systems, Akeneo brings everything together in one place: attributes, variants, translations, categories and media. From that single source, organisations send consistent, complete product data to their webshops, marketplaces and other channels.
In practice, a custom integration means: reading products, product models and families in and out programmatically, setting up attribute mapping between Akeneo and your webshop, importing prices and stock from your ERP, synchronising media and digital assets, and passing changes in real time via events to the channels that display your catalogue. This keeps product information the same everywhere, without duplicate maintenance.
Appfront builds in line with the official Akeneo API documentation and the OWASP ASVS security standard. We tailor attribute mapping, data flows and error handling to your actual catalogue and processes, so the integration grows with your range and stays reliable even with large numbers of products.
One source for product data
You manage attributes, variants, translations and categories centrally in Akeneo instead of across your webshop and ERP. Product information is complete and consistent everywhere, with no more loose spreadsheets or duplicate work.
Enrichment & completeness
Akeneo monitors the completeness of your product data by channel and language. Missing attributes, images or translations are flagged, so products only go live once they are ready to sell.
Distribution to channels
Enriched product data flows automatically to your webshop, marketplaces and other channels. Where necessary, we connect to a feed tool such as Channable or ChannelEngine to feed marketplaces and product feeds.
Our development process for Akeneo integrations
We work to a proven methodology that removes uncertainty early and delivers a stable integration. From an initial analysis of your catalogue, attribute structure and channels through to go-live and ongoing management, every step is aimed at an integration your team can understand and trust.
We map out your product structure: which families, attributes, variants and categories you manage in Akeneo, which channels and languages you serve, and which data from your ERP or webshop needs to flow in both directions.
We design the integration architecture and attribute mapping, choose the right authentication and define an error-handling strategy.
Implementation with automated tests, structured logging and monitoring. You see working builds along the way.
Controlled go-live with data validation and a safety net, followed by ongoing management and further development.
What an Akeneo integration delivers in practice
Every Akeneo integration is set up specifically for your catalogue, channels and related systems. Below are the features we most often deliver for organisations that use Akeneo as the source of their product data.
Product data to webshop and channels
Integration with your webshop or multiple channels at once: products, product models, descriptions and prices flow automatically from Akeneo to the places where you sell. Changes at the source appear consistently across all your points of sale.
Importing ERP data (price & stock)
Prices, stock levels and logistics fields from your ERP are imported and linked to the right products and attributes in Akeneo. This keeps the source complete, so your team doesn't have to re-enter price and stock data by hand.
Enriched content & attribute sync
We keep enriched attributes, translations and marketing copy in sync between Akeneo and your channels. Attribute mapping translates the Akeneo structure into the fields your webshop or marketplace expects, correctly for each channel and language.
Media & DAM integration
We link product images, datasheets and digital assets to the right products and variants, optionally sourced from a DAM. Images and documents flow through to your channels together with the product data, without separate uploads for each webshop.
Feeding feeds & marketplaces
We prepare the enriched Akeneo catalogue to feed marketplaces and comparison sites. For distribution itself, we connect to a feed or marketplace tool, so Akeneo remains the source and the feed tool drives the channels.
Import & export automation
Scheduled imports and exports bring in supplier data and send out enriched catalogues, with validation and logging for every run. Manual CSV rounds disappear; new or changed products move through the chain automatically and in a way you can check.
Typical use cases in practice
An Akeneo integration looks very different from one organisation to the next. We often see a number of recurring patterns, and for each we have a proven setup with attention to attribute mapping, channel configuration and the right import and export logic.
Retailers with large catalogues
Retailers and webshops with thousands of products, variants and languages that manage their range centrally in Akeneo and push it consistently to the webshop. Attributes and images stay the same everywhere, and new products only go live once their data is complete. See also our Shopify integration and Lightspeed eCom integration.
Brands & manufacturers
Brands that want to communicate their product story and specifications consistently across their own webshops, dealers and retail partners. Akeneo becomes the central source from which enriched content, imagery and attributes are distributed to every channel and partner, in the right language and format.
Manufacturers
Manufacturers and wholesalers with technical product catalogues, datasheets and extensive attribute sets. Akeneo keeps specifications, variants and documentation in order and delivers them in a structured way to webshops, distributors and partner portals — with completeness validation before data goes out.
Multi-channel e-commerce
Organisations selling through multiple webshops, marketplaces and languages at once. Akeneo safeguards the source, and the enriched catalogue is prepared for distribution via a feed or marketplace tool such as Channable or ChannelEngine.
Technology we use
We build Akeneo integrations using the official REST API and events, combined with the backend stack that suits you. The exact choice depends on your webshop and ERP integration and the structure of your catalogue, so your own team can manage or further develop the implementation.
Why choose Appfront for your Akeneo integration?
Appfront has extensive experience building API integrations for a wide range of organisations in the Netherlands. We always start with a thorough analysis of your existing systems and processes. An integration should not only work technically, but also add practical value to the way you work.
For every integration, we write clear documentation and make sure your own team, or any future supplier, can understand and manage it. No black box, just transparent code and clear agreements on monitoring, alerting and maintenance.
You work with a dedicated point of contact who understands both the technical and the functional side. This keeps communication short, prevents misunderstandings and speeds up decisions when choices need to be made during development.
See also our wider services around API integrations, middleware, custom software development and web app development.
- Experience with the Akeneo REST API, families, attributes and categories
- Specialists in webshop and ERP integrations around product data
- Experienced with attribute mapping, variants and media distribution
- Secure by default — token rotation, event validation, scoped permissions
- Structured error handling and retry mechanisms
- Comprehensive logging and monitoring from day one
- Clear documentation your team can read and manage
- A fixed point of contact, no account managers passed around
- Ongoing maintenance and proactive further development
- A way of working aligned with your existing IT landscape
Security and privacy in Akeneo integrations
Product data is commercially sensitive: prices, margins, supplier agreements and range strategy should not fall into third-party hands. Appfront builds in line with the OWASP ASVS and aligns with Akeneo security best practices. This means, among other things: tokens and API credentials stored in secure vaults, validation of incoming events, scoped permissions and regular audits of the import and export flows.
Where personal data is involved, for example in supplier, contact or customer fields, we process it in line with the GDPR and apply data minimisation. We build to the OWASP ASVS and document the data flows, attribute mapping and integration points so that your record of processing activities is complete and you can demonstrate compliance.
More on our security approach: information security policy and CVD policy.
- GDPR-compliant data processing and data minimisation
- Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest
- Role-based access and least-privilege principles
- Audit logs with traceable data flows
- Automatic retries and dead-letter queues
- Monitoring and alerting for anomalies
- Secrets management in line with best practice
- Documentation for your record of processing activities
Frequently asked questions about Akeneo integrations
Answers to the questions we are asked most often about Akeneo implementations.
An Akeneo integration is a technical link between Akeneo PIM and another system, such as your webshop, ERP, marketplace or DAM. Via the Akeneo REST API, products, product models, families, attributes, categories and media are read and written programmatically. With events, Akeneo can also pass changes on to your channels in real time. An integration can be simple (pushing product data from Akeneo to your webshop) or extensive (importing ERP prices and stock, synchronising enriched attributes and feeding several channels at once).
Akeneo suits organisations with a large or complex product catalogue that want to manage, enrich and distribute product data centrally. It is strong as a source of product information: managing attributes, variants, translations and media in one place and distributing them consistently to all your channels. To distribute that product data to marketplaces and feeds, you typically use Akeneo together with a feed or marketplace tool. In an intake conversation we look at whether Akeneo is the right source for your situation.
A simple integration, such as syncing product data from Akeneo to a single webshop via the REST API, can go live within a few weeks. More complex scenarios involving importing ERP data, feeding multiple channels, attribute mapping, variants and media distribution usually take longer. After an intake meeting in which we review your catalogue and data flows, we provide a realistic estimate.
We work with the official Akeneo REST API and events, combined with the backend stack that suits you: Node.js, Python or PHP. Authentication runs via OAuth or token. We call the endpoints for products, product models, families, attributes, categories and media, and connect them to your webshop or ERP connectors. Where necessary, we also connect to a feed tool for distribution to marketplaces and feeds.
The cost depends on the complexity of the data flows, the number of systems to connect, the size and structure of your catalogue, the required synchronisation frequency and the amount of custom work in the attribute mapping and business logic. Ongoing management, monitoring and support also affect the total investment. We always provide a clear quote following a no-obligation analysis of your situation.
Yes. Appfront builds to OWASP ASVS: tokens and API credentials are held in secure vaults, incoming events are validated, permissions are scoped, and access rights are strictly separated per integration. Product data is usually commercially sensitive rather than personal, but where personal data does come through, for example in supplier or customer fields, we process it in line with GDPR. We document the data flows so your record of processing activities stays complete and you can demonstrate compliance.
Yes. Appfront regularly takes over existing Akeneo integrations, even where they were originally set up by another party. We review the API integrations, attribute mapping, event configuration and error handling, document the current setup and propose improvements. From that point on, we can handle changes, extensions and monitoring, including timely rotation of tokens and credentials.
Akeneo is a good fit for retailers, brands, manufacturers and multi-channel e-commerce organisations with large numbers of products, variants, languages and channels. Typical use cases include enriching product data centrally and pushing it to the webshop, importing ERP prices and stock, keeping media and attributes consistent across channels, and preparing the enriched catalogue for distribution via a feed or marketplace tool. For small, simple catalogues a PIM is often not yet necessary — in that case we will look with you at a lighter setup.
Ready to build your Akeneo integration?
Tell us which product data you want to manage centrally in Akeneo and which webshop, ERP or marketplace it needs to connect to. We're happy to help with attribute mapping, data flows, media and distribution to your channels. A no-obligation first conversation will give you a clear picture of what's possible within half an hour.