> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://api.basedock.us/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Managing Products in Base.com: Sync Approaches Guide
> Choose between feed import, full API control, or a hybrid approach for syncing product cards, prices, and stock levels with Base.com.
Base distinguishes between **product data** (names, descriptions, images, categories) and **prices/stock** — they're typically synced at very different frequencies. Understanding this split is the first step to choosing the right integration path. Three basic approaches exist, and the one you pick determines which API methods you'll actually use.
## Three sync approaches
**1. Everything via feed or e-commerce integration**
Product cards and prices/stock both flow through an XML feed (Heureka or Shoptet specification) or a supported e-commerce integration. This is the fastest approach to deploy, but stock is effectively read-only from Base's perspective. If your source feed can't reduce stock quickly enough after a new order, Base may re-upload the same unreduced stock to the marketplace.
**2. Hybrid approach** *(most common)*
Product cards come from a feed or integration, but stock and prices are synced via API. This gives you Base's native inventory with reservations and real-time stock deduction on new orders — even before your ERP has processed them. See [Prices & Stock](/products/prices-and-stock) for the implementation details.
**3. Everything via API**
You control product creation, categories, and price/stock sync entirely through the API. This requires the most integration work but gives you full control over every aspect of the catalog. See [Uploading Product Data](/products/uploading-product-data) for details.
Combining options 1 and 2 — feed for product cards, API just for stock and prices — is the most common practical compromise between deployment speed and stock reliability.
## How the catalog is structured
Before making API calls, it helps to understand the four building blocks of the Base catalog:
* **Inventory** — a single product catalog. You can have several inventories in Base, but they aren't linked to each other. Retrieve your available inventories with [`getInventories`](https://api.baselinker.com/index.php?method=getInventories).
* **Price groups** — multiple price groups can be attached to a single inventory, each in a different currency. You then choose which price group feeds each sales channel. This lets you maintain, for example, a CZK retail price and a EUR export price in the same catalog.
* **Warehouses** — similarly, you can have multiple warehouses and choose which stock totals feed which channel. List your warehouses with [`getInventoryWarehouses`](https://api.baselinker.com/index.php?method=getInventoryWarehouses).
* **Categories and manufacturers** — each category and manufacturer has its own numeric ID, which you must reference when creating or updating a product. See [Categories & Manufacturers](/products/categories-and-manufacturers) for how to create and manage them.
If you need to fine-tune any of these concepts — multi-currency price groups, multiple warehouses feeding different channels, or delivery time sync — contact the implementation team before you start building.
## What to read next
Create and update product cards via XML feed, the `addInventoryProduct` API method, or a hybrid approach.
Bulk-update prices and inventory levels with up to 1 000 products per call.
Manage the category tree, manufacturer list, and tags that products reference by ID.