Help customers find the exact items they need
The Compatibility Check skill helps customers find products that are compatible with each other.
This feature saves customers’ time by allowing customers to research and purchase all compatible items at once, or allows customers to find the exact part needed for their item. It can also help reduce returns and unhappy customers by ensuring they’ve purchased the correct item.
When you upload compatibility files and enable the Compatibility Check skill, you expand alby's capabilities for your customers. Some of the uses of enabling the Compatibility Check skill include:
- Finding all compatible accessories for a specific device (cases, chargers, and screen protectors that work with a specific phone model).
- Matching replacement parts with existing equipment (finding the correct filter for a specific air purifier model)
- Verifying compatibility before purchase (checking if a memory card works with a particular camera)
The skill also generates relevant questions such as, "Does this fit my Honda Civic?" and "Is this compatible with a Samsung Galaxy Fold?"
By uploading a file to your SFTP, you can control which products are compatible with other products.
Prerequisites
- An SFTP connection setup with alby where you will send the file.
- The SFTP must have a folder named compatibility. if it doesn't exist, create one using this name. You will put the CSV file here.
Creating a compatibility file
To enable the Compatibility Check skill, you must provide a compatibility file in CSV format via SFTP.
The file has three fields, the base product ID, the product ID of the compatible item, and the name of the compatible item.
This file will allow alby to map one product to another and use it when the Compatibility Check skill is enabled.
Compatibility is not automatically bidirectional. When Product A is marked as compatible with Product B, this does not mean Product B is automatically compatible with Product A. To establish mutual compatibility, you must create separate entries for both products.
CSV format
The compatibility file must contain three columns in this specific order:
| Column Name | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| product_id | Product ID of the item. | Yes |
| compatibility_model_key | Product ID of the compatible item. | Yes |
| compatibility_model_name | The display name of the compatible item. | Yes |
If you're using the alby Shopify app, format your compatibility file the same way, but ensure each product_id starts with gid://shopify/Product/.
File structure
Example filename
Brand_Compatibility_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.csv
We recommend naming your file with the brand name followed by the export date and time. Use only alphanumeric characters and underscores in the filename—avoid spaces, colons, and other special characters.
CSV file requirements
While alby can auto-detect various delimiters, we recommend using standard commas. For successful processing, your CSV files must meet these requirements:
- Format: Files must be CSV format—Excel XLSX files are not supported.
- Encoding: All files must use UTF-8 encoding.
- Header Row: Files must include a header row that defines the columns.
Example CSV file
Here's a sample of the required CSV format:
| product_id | compatibility_model_key | compatibility_model_name |
|---|---|---|
| V56573UEYT898 | K97301TUEO922 | Patio Seat Cushion |
Once you follow these guidelines, your compatibility file will be properly uploaded and linked to the corresponding products on the alby platform.