# Dropshipping with supplier XML feeds: a practical setup guide

A field guide for Shopify dropshippers with a supplier XML feed: what to import, how to set margins, sync stock, handle several suppliers and avoid the classic mistakes.

Canonical: https://productxmlimport.com/blog/dropshipping-with-supplier-xml-feeds
Last updated: 2026-09-05

## The setup, in order

### 1. Get the right feed link

Ask the supplier for a direct XML URL that includes stock. Some suppliers give a catalogue feed without quantities and a separate stock feed; both can be connected as one composite feed by support.

### 2. Decide the pricing rule before importing

Set the price multiplier once. It applies to every product now and to every price change later, so your margin is protected without a spreadsheet. If the feed has a recommended retail price, use it as the compare-at price for a visible discount.

### 3. Import as drafts

Turn on draft mode, run the import and look at the catalogue in Shopify admin. Publish the categories you will actually promote. Everything else stays as a draft, still synced, ready to publish later.

### 4. Enable stock and price sync

Pick the highest frequency your plan allows. Eight runs a day means a sold-out size is closed within three hours. Set Shopify to stop selling at zero stock unless the supplier reliably restocks.

### 5. Watch the first week

Open the feed tab daily for a week and read the run history. Missing counts that jump indicate a supplier feed problem; the 70 percent rule will have stopped the run, but you want to know.

## Common mistakes

- **Importing everything and publishing everything.** Search engines and customers both prefer a focused store.
- **Ignoring the supplier's feed schedule.** If the feed regenerates at 06:00 and your run happens at 05:50, you sync yesterday's stock. Align the schedule with support.
- **Editing products by hand and expecting them to stay.** The feed overwrites synced fields. Use exclusions for fields you manage yourself.
- **Forgetting shipping weight.** If the feed has weights, the app writes them; if not, set a default shipping rate that does not depend on weight.

## Adding a second supplier

A multi-feed plan gives each supplier its own tab with separate multipliers and switches. Products stay attached to their feed, so a failing supplier feed never touches another supplier's products. Read [multi-supplier stores](/use-cases/multi-supplier-store).

## Checklist

- [ ] Direct XML URL with stock
- [ ] Price multiplier and compare-at multiplier set
- [ ] Draft mode on for the first import
- [ ] Stock and price sync on, highest frequency
- [ ] Stop selling at zero configured in Shopify
- [ ] Run history reviewed after the first week

## FAQ

### How many products should I import?

Fewer than you think. A curated 300-product store converts better than a 30,000-product dump. Import as drafts and publish the categories you can actually market.

### What margin multiplier should I use?

Work backwards from the price customers expect and include your shipping cost, payment fees and returns. Multipliers between 1.3 and 2.0 on wholesale prices are common; the feed's recommended retail price, if present, is a useful ceiling.

### How do I handle two suppliers with the same product?

Use a multi-feed plan and let each supplier's products live separately, or ask support to give one feed priority for overlapping SKUs.