BooksCloud's catalog management has two distinct modes: the dynamic Auto-Add that runs continuously in the background, and the option to run a fresh bulk sync which re-processes your category parameters from scratch. Understanding the difference helps you manage your catalog deliberately.
Auto-Add: Ongoing and Automatic
When you set up a bulk sync, Auto-Add is the feature that keeps your catalog current over time. It monitors BooksCloud's catalog for new titles that match your sync parameters (category, keyword, filters) and adds them to your store as they become available — without any action from you.
What Auto-Add does:
- Adds new books that enter the catalog matching your parameters.
- Removes books that go out of print (hides them from your store).
- Updates prices when publisher costs change.
What Auto-Add does not do:
- Re-add books you've manually deleted from your store.
- Change your sync parameters.
- Re-import the entire category from scratch.
Auto-Add is the passive, always-on engine that keeps your synced catalog current day to day.
Running a Manual Bulk Sync: A Fresh Pass
Running a new bulk sync — or re-running your existing sync parameters — initiates a fresh full pass over BooksCloud's catalog based on your current parameters. This is useful when:
- You've changed your sync parameters (new keyword, new filter settings) and want to apply them to the full category, not just new additions.
- You suspect books are missing from your catalog that should be there based on your parameters.
- You want to rebuild your catalog after making significant changes.
A manual re-sync takes 10–15 minutes (same as the original), and it adds all qualifying books that aren't already in your store.
Which Should You Use?
For most merchants running a steady-state store, Auto-Add handles everything. You set your sync parameters once, and the catalog stays current automatically.
A manual re-sync is useful in specific situations: after a parameter change, after a large-scale catalog cleanup, or if you're troubleshooting missing titles.
The Bottom Line
Auto-Add is your everyday catalog manager. A manual re-sync is a reset button for when you want to start fresh or apply new parameters to the full category. For hands-off operation, trust Auto-Add and only re-sync when you have a specific reason.
Install BooksCloud free → https://apps.shopify.com/bookscloud