Why the labels need care
Procurement products and catalog standards do not always use the same terminology. Some buyer documentation calls the choices Level 1 and Level 2; cXML catalog guidance can describe store, aisle, shelf or product-level PunchOut. Treat the buyer's stated level and examples as the source of truth for the connection.
Do not promise item-level deep linking simply because the buyer says "PunchOut." Confirm whether the buyer catalog can pass the required destination context and whether the supplier connection supports the expected flow.
What to test at each level
- The buyer can see the intended catalog entry.
- The session opens the correct Shopify store and catalog scope.
- The buyer sees the expected category or item context.
- The buyer can add the intended item and return the cart.
- The approved PO contains the expected item references.
How this relates to PunchOut Central
PunchOut Central connects the buyer workflow to the existing Shopify or Shopify Plus store and assigns buyer-specific catalog access. The exact entry level remains a buyer-specific compatibility question that should be confirmed during onboarding and testing.
Use this page to clarify the buyer vocabulary; use the integration and documentation pages to plan the actual connection.
Reference material
These primary-source references explain the general protocol or catalog concepts. Buyer-specific implementation requirements still take precedence.