FTP Integration – Feature & Process Guide

FTP integration is a file exchange between a client's own system and Pentagon Connect, typically in CSV or a similar flat-file format, carried over the FTP (or SFTP) protocol. It's the fallback integration method for retailers whose order management system can't connect via a native API: inventory, price, and stock updates flow in as files, orders flow out as files, and shipping confirmations flow back in — all on an agreed schedule, dropped into and picked up from a dedicated FTP location that Pentagon provisions.

This is a different thing from FTP File Mover, which moves files between two FTP locations a client already has. This page covers the client-facing data-feed integration itself — the feeds, formats, and schedule a client's own system needs to produce and consume.

Quick Reference

* XLS/XLSX can only be used for a feed if the fields it requires are available in that feed's layout.

Getting Set Up

An FTP or SFTP account is required for automated file exchange, and is provisioned by We Are Pentagon as part of onboarding. During project scope, the frequency and timing of each automatic file exchange is discussed and agreed with the client.

Supported file extensions across all feeds: .csv, .txt, .xls, .xlsx. Supported delimiters for CSV/TXT files: comma (,), tab, space, pipe (|), and semicolon (;).

Inventory

Inventory doesn't need to be automated — it's provided by the client ad hoc, whenever new items are to be added to the store. The exact layout is agreed during the implementation phase. Pentagon fully optimizes the raw product data the client provides against each marketplace's best practices, and fully manages the resulting listings.

Price Update

The price update file must contain at minimum two columns — SKU and Price. A client wanting different prices per marketplace provides a separate file per marketplace. Adding a third RRP column enables eBay's strike-through pricing; RRP should only be sent for products where it's genuinely higher than Price.

Stock Level Update

Sales Order Export

Orders export automatically on the agreed schedule. This feed is often used for fulfilment by external suppliers, or to generate daily sales reports. Every field on the order is available to export, and both the field selection and their order in the file are customized per client and agreed before the feed is set up. One export file can contain more than one order.

As a best practice, the client's system should rename the file (e.g. to a .old extension) once it's been picked up successfully, so it isn't processed twice.

Shipping Update

Importing a shipping update marks the order as shipped, and — where configured — sends a confirmation email to the buyer and notifies the sales channel the order came from. This is an important step for maintaining positive marketplace ratings.

Take note: if an order has multiple items and only some of them can be shipped, don't include that order in the Shipping Update feed — doing so marks the whole order as dispatched, which can create a poor customer experience. Instead, inform Pentagon's CS team directly (a flat file can be used for this if needed).

Returns & Refunds

Returns and refunds are handled manually, not through the FTP feeds. Pentagon's Customer Service team covers the specifics of each marketplace's process during implementation and agrees the returns/refunds process with the client directly.

Integration Testing

Before any items are listed on sales channels, the integration is tested end-to-end:

Once the setup runs cleanly through this checklist, the integration is ready to go live.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Is my order management system able to integrate via FTP?
It needs to support inbound and outbound file transfers, with customizable import/export layouts.

Can Pentagon send FTP files to a customer's email address instead?
No — files are only made available via FTP, so that only people with the correct username and password can retrieve them.

I can't connect to the FTP server.
Check with your IT department that you have permission to use FTP and that no firewall rule is blocking the protocol.

I've lost my login details.
Contact your Implementation Manager for a reminder.

I haven't received any sales orders in a day.
Connect to the FTP and check the SalesOrders directory for files your system hasn't processed yet. If files are sitting there unprocessed, contact your own support team; if there are no files at all, contact your Implementation Manager.

Can I change the Sales Order file layout?
Yes — submit the new requirements to your Implementation Manager, who can add, remove, or reorder the columns.

How long does the integration process take?
It depends on project complexity — anywhere from a couple of weeks to over a month if custom scripting is involved.

Can orders be cancelled and refunded automatically?
No — this is currently a manual-only process, and automating it isn't recommended.

Known Limitations

• No partial shipments via feed — a partially-shipped order must not go through the Shipping Update feed; it has to be handled directly with Pentagon's CS team instead.
• Sales Order Export has a 15-minute floor — it cannot be scheduled more frequently than that.
• Returns, refunds and cancellations are manual-only — there's no FTP feed for these; they go through Pentagon's CS team.
• Shipping Update is CSV-only — unlike the other feeds, it doesn't support XLS/XLSX.

Source Materials

This guide was built from Pentagon Commerce's "FTP Integration – Information and User Guide" PDF.