Question: What’s the difference between syncing FBA vs FBM in ToolE, and how should I set it up?
Answer: In ToolE, FBM and FBA differ mainly in who fulfills the order and how inventory is synced. ToolE supports both workflows: it can import both FBM (MFN) and FBA (AFN) orders into Shopify, and it can sync inventory for each as long as you map them to the correct Shopify Locations.
Quick definition (what Amazon means)
FBM (MFN / Merchant Fulfilled Network): You fulfill the order yourself (your warehouse/3PL).
FBA (AFN / Amazon Fulfillment Network): Amazon fulfills the order from Amazon fulfillment centers.
What’s different in ToolE?
A) Order import (FBM vs FBA)
ToolE can retrieve all types of Amazon orders into Shopify, including:
FBM/MFN orders
FBA/AFN orders
You can also choose to import:
only MFN (FBM)
only AFN (FBA)
both
What this changes: Which orders appear in Shopify and get pushed through your Shopify workflow (notifications, reporting, fulfillment workflows, etc.).
B) Inventory sync behavior (FBM vs FBA)
ToolE treats FBM and FBA inventory as two separate “sources of stock” and expects you to represent that separation using Shopify Locations.
FBM inventory sync (Shopify → Amazon)
Setting: Location to sync FBM stock
You select a Shopify Location (your warehouse).
ToolE uses that location’s available inventory to update your Amazon FBM stock.
If no location is selected, ToolE uses the default location available inventory.
FBA inventory sync (Amazon → Shopify)
Setting: Location to sync FBA stock
You map a Shopify Location to represent your Amazon FBA inventory.
ToolE updates that Shopify location’s inventory based on what Amazon currently holds in fulfillment centers.
Key difference:
FBM: Shopify location inventory is the “source of truth” for what you can fulfill → pushed to Amazon FBM.
FBA: Amazon’s FC inventory is the “source of truth” → pulled into a dedicated Shopify “FBA” location.
Common setup patterns
If you do FBM only
Import MFN orders only
Map FBM stock to your warehouse Shopify Location
(Optional) Don’t configure an FBA location
If you do FBA only
Import AFN orders only
Map a Shopify Location as FBA
Let ToolE keep that location updated based on Amazon’s inventory
If you do both (recommended to keep clean reporting/inventory)
Create/choose two separate Shopify Locations:
“Warehouse (FBM)”
“Amazon FBA”
Map each setting to the correct location
Import both AFN + MFN orders if you sell both fulfillment methods
Troubleshooting (symptoms → likely cause)
FBM stock on Amazon looks wrong: FBM stock location not selected, or Shopify default location isn’t the warehouse you intended.
FBA stock in Shopify doesn’t match Amazon: FBA location not mapped, or you’re viewing inventory at the wrong Shopify location.
Orders missing in Shopify: You may be importing only MFN or only AFN, not both.
Reach out to [email protected] for more information.