API & Integration
How to Build a Chinese Marketplace Product Catalog in WooCommerce
Create a WooCommerce product catalog with products from Taobao, 1688, and other Chinese marketplaces using the SetaLabs External Catalog plugin.
When building an online store with WooCommerce, one of the main challenges is populating the product catalog. If your inventory includes thousands or tens of thousands of products, traditional importing can require significant resources. Product descriptions, images, specifications, and variants must be stored in the WordPress database, and the information needs to be updated regularly.
However, there is another approach: using an external product catalog that retrieves information through an API when needed.
This approach is implemented in SetaLabs External Catalog, a plugin for WordPress and WooCommerce that allows stores to display products from external sources without creating every product in the store's database in advance.
How an External Catalog Differs from Traditional Product Importing
With traditional importing, products are created as regular WooCommerce entries. Their titles, descriptions, specifications, and other details are stored in the WordPress database.
This works well for smaller catalogs, but managing a large product range introduces additional challenges. Product information must be kept up to date, price changes need to be processed, and database performance must be maintained.
An external catalog works differently.
Product and category information is requested through an API and displayed on the store's pages. Products do not need to be created as individual WooCommerce entries beforehand.
For example, when a customer opens a footwear category, the system retrieves information from the external catalog and generates a product listing. When the customer selects a product, its details are also loaded through the API.
This allows the store to display products from an external source without importing the entire catalog into WordPress.
How SetaLabs External Catalog Works
The SetaLabs External Catalog plugin connects WooCommerce to SetaLabs API or an OT Box API-compatible service.
It creates virtual catalog pages using standard WooCommerce mechanisms to display product information.
The plugin's main features include:
Virtual product catalog. Categories and products are displayed without storing every item in the WordPress database.
Product pages. Each product has a dedicated page with information retrieved through the API.
Search and filtering. Customers can search the external catalog and use available filters.
Theme compatibility. The plugin uses standard WooCommerce template mechanisms, making it easier to integrate with the store's design.
Request caching. WordPress Transients are used to reduce repeated API requests.
One important feature is its integration with WooCommerce's order management system.
When a customer places an order, the product is created as a standard WooCommerce product (WC_Product). This allows purchased product information to be used in orders, the administration panel, and reports.
The plugin also supports HPOS (High-Performance Order Storage), WooCommerce's optimized order storage system.
When Is a Virtual Product Catalog Useful?
This architecture can be particularly useful for online stores working with large catalogs from external suppliers.
Stores with extensive product ranges. Instead of importing thousands of products in advance, the store can retrieve product information on demand and display it directly on its pages.
Chinese marketplace catalogs. Platforms such as Taobao, 1688, Alibaba, and others offer enormous product selections. With access to a compatible API, a virtual catalog makes it possible to display external product data without copying the entire catalog into WordPress.
Projects using multiple product sources. A unified API interface can simplify working with different marketplaces and suppliers.
However, a virtual catalog does not eliminate the need to consider API request costs, response times, and the characteristics of individual marketplaces. Proper caching and error handling are essential for maintaining a reliable store.
How to Connect an External Catalog to WooCommerce
To use SetaLabs External Catalog, you need a WordPress website with WooCommerce installed and access to a compatible API.
Follow these steps:
Open Plugins → Add New in your WordPress administration panel.
Search for SetaLabs External Catalog, then install and activate the plugin.
Navigate to WooCommerce → SetaLabs Catalog.
Enter the API Base URL and Instance Key.
Save the settings and verify that the catalog works correctly.
You can contact Setalabs to obtain the required API access details.
Once configured, the plugin provides virtual pages for product categories, individual products, and search results. Their URLs can be customized in the plugin settings.
The default paths are:
/otc-catalog/— category catalog./otc-product/{slug}/— individual product page./otc-search/— product search with filters.
The plugin also provides the [otc_ec_search_form] shortcode for adding a search form to your website.
If the pages return a 404 error after installation, go to Settings → Permalinks in WordPress and save the permalink settings again.
What to Consider When Using an External Catalog
Although a virtual catalog eliminates the need for bulk importing, it comes with several considerations.
API availability. Product display depends on an external service. If the API becomes temporarily unavailable, some product information may fail to load. Caching helps reduce the number of requests but cannot fully replace a functioning data source.
Performance. Page loading speed depends not only on WordPress and hosting performance but also on API response times, caching configuration, and query complexity.
Data accuracy. Product information comes from an external source, but cached results may contain previously retrieved data. Cache expiration times should therefore be configured according to how frequently prices and product availability change.
Order processing. Adding an external product to WooCommerce does not automatically mean that the product will be purchased from the supplier. Purchasing, payment, and shipping must be handled separately.
Theme and extension compatibility. The plugin uses standard WooCommerce mechanisms, but custom themes and third-party extensions may require additional compatibility testing.
Conclusion
Traditional product importing is not the only way to build a WooCommerce catalog. For stores with extensive product ranges, a virtual catalog can provide an alternative by retrieving product information through an API and displaying it without storing every product in WordPress beforehand.
SetaLabs External Catalog implements this approach by connecting external product data sources with WooCommerce's storefront and order management system.
The plugin is available in the official WordPress Plugin Directory: