Sandbox 101: Catalog API Explained

The Catalog API lets you programmatically manage a seller's Square catalog. You can use the Catalog API to create, view, update, or delete catalog entries and have them ready and available for constructing or updating a seller's inventory using the Inventory API, or for creating or completing customer orders using the Orders API.

The Catalog API exposes catalog entries as generic CatalogObject instances. CatalogObject serves as a generalized wrapper class for any types of Square catalog objects. Each instance must also be of a particular type. A particular CatalogObject instance has a unique type associated with it and the associated data format is defined by the corresponding Catalog API type.

We cover the basics of how the Catalog API works, how it is modeled, and a basic workflow for using the Catalog API webhooks.

0:00 - Introduction
0:11 - Catalog API Overview
0:30 - What is Polymorphism?
0:57 - Catalog Resource Object Types
1:19 - Catalog Object Endpoint Demo
1:45 - Creating Items and Variations
2:04 - Understanding Polymorphism in Variations
2:25 - Handling Catalog Object IDs
2:45 - Setting Up Item Variations
3:04 - Pricing and Finalizing Items
3:37 - Web Hooks in Catalog API
4:00 - Tracking Catalog Updates with Web Hooks
4:21 - Search Catalog Endpoint Usage
4:43 - Conclusion and Feedback Request

[MrBigdogtim]

I am building a mobile app using the .NET SDK (dotnet Maui project). My goal is to provide a shelf label printing solution. I would like to see samples/examples of retrieving a list of items (along with item variations, price and UPC code). Can you point me to examples using the .NET SDK to 1.) Authenticate, 2) retrieve list of items from catalog along with the properties of item-variations, price and UPC? Thanks!

[brotherralph]

I’m trying to integrate my products to meta via a pixel, but there are missing ‘microdata’ tags the pixel can’t find such as ‘price’ ‘availability’
Can I add the missing meta data to my online products using this catalog API?

[mikehamilton]

Hi, thank you, this video is so helpful!! So I tried this, but it does not put a "category" to my product. The run went perfect but there is no category for that item. Is there a way to do this?

[stevesommers]

I have a decent understanding of how a catalog is built, where I am lacking knowledge is the why. Why would I want to build a Square catalog? Where is it used?

[rohanfalcon]

This is very complicated implementation on the part of square but the video doesnt help much because there is too much going up and down on the screen and last minute updates. it should be presented top down one shot