> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sourcemedium.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How does channel mapping work in the SourceMedium Dashboard?

> How SourceMedium assigns orders and spend to reporting channels and how to customize those mappings.

## Overview

Channel mapping is a core feature that helps categorize orders and marketing spend into specific channels for better analysis and reporting. This documentation explains how orders are mapped to channels and how you can customize this mapping for your brand.

## Channel Determination Process

Orders are mapped to channels using a combination of your configured rules, platform-provided order details, and SourceMedium's standard reporting categories.

### 1. Brand Configuration Rules

* Custom rules from your brand's **"Channel Mapping"** tab in configuration sheets.
  * For more information on how to create order channel and sub-channel rules, [please see our guide here](/data-inputs/configuration-sheet/how-can-i-create-order-channels-and-subchannels).
* Channel mapping can be based on order details such as UTM parameters, order source, tags, discount codes, and SKUs.

### 2. Platform and Sales Channel Signals

* SourceMedium can use platform-provided sales channel and order source details when those values are available.
* These signals help separate channels such as retail, marketplace, wholesale, subscription, exchange, and standard ecommerce activity.

### 3. Standard Reporting Categories

If no custom rule applies, SourceMedium assigns the order to the most appropriate standard reporting category.

<Info>
  If you see a channel that you did not manually create, it usually came from SourceMedium's standard mapping logic or from source platform data. Review the channel definitions below before changing your Configuration Sheet.
</Info>

## Standard Channel Definitions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Online DTC">
    * Primary ecommerce sales channel.
    * Includes:
      * Standard Shopify online store orders
      * Performance marketing channels (Meta, Google, etc.)
      * Email marketing
      * SMS marketing
      * Any orders not matching other criteria
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Amazon">
    * Amazon Seller Central orders
    * Amazon Advertising
    * Amazon DSP (Display advertising)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Retail">
    * Physical retail store sales
    * Point of sale transactions
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Wholesale">
    * B2B orders
    * Bulk orders
    * Faire marketplace orders
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Mirakl">
    * Marketplace sales through Mirakl platform
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Partners / Affiliates">
    * Influencer collaborations
    * Partnership orders
    * GRIN platform orders
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Exchanged">
    * Order exchanges
    * Reshipments
    * Replacement orders
    * These orders are separated so exchanges and replacements do not look like ordinary Online DTC demand.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Excluded">
    * Orders explicitly marked to be excluded from standard reporting
    * Not included in standard reporting
    * Not calculated in LTV models
    * Still visible when filtering by Channel
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## When rule changes appear

Configuration Sheet changes are picked up during regular refreshes. Recent sheet edits may not be visible until the dashboard or warehouse table using those rules has refreshed.

If a rule is still not reflected after the expected refresh window, work through [Troubleshooting a mapping issue](/help-center/core-concepts/data-definitions/channel-mapping#troubleshooting-a-mapping-issue) to confirm the rule inputs, then escalate with a concrete example.

### Automated Channel Tagging with Shopify Flow

Shopify Flow can help automate order tagging to ensure consistent channel mapping. Here's how to set it up:

### Common Flow Triggers

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Order Created">
    * Tag orders based on:
      * Order source
      * Payment gateway
      * Shipping method
      * Customer tags
      * Product collections
      * Discount codes used
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Order Tagged">
    * Add additional tags based on existing tags
    * Remove conflicting tags
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Example Flow Scenarios

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Wholesale Orders">
    Tag orders when they use wholesale customer tags, discount codes, or other wholesale-specific signals.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Exchange Orders">
    Tag orders when they represent exchanges, replacements, or reshipments.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Exclude Test Orders">
    Tag test, staff, or internal orders consistently so they can be separated from normal reporting.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Best Practices for Flow Automation

* Create flows for each major channel type.
* Use consistent naming conventions for tags.
* Document your Flow logic.
* Test flows with sample orders.
* Regularly audit flow effectiveness.

## Sales Channel Attribution

The system also tracks specific sales platforms and integrations, including:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Ecommerce & Apps">
    * Shopify online store
    * Shop App
    * TapCart
    * Mobile apps (iOS/Android)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Subscription Platforms">
    * Shopify Subscription Contract
    * ReCharge
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Marketplaces">
    * Amazon via Shopify
    * Facebook/Meta
    * TikTok
    * Walmart
    * Instagram
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="B2B Platforms">
    * Fermat
    * Convictional
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Order Management">
    * Draft Orders
    * Global-e
    * Gorgias
    * ParcelLab
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Marketing & Affiliate Platforms">
    * GRIN
    * LTK
    * CartHook
    * AfterSell
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Best Practices

### 1. Using Exclusion Rules

* Mark test, internal, or otherwise non-reportable orders consistently.
* Set up Shopify Flow to apply the right order labels when needed.
* Confirm excluded orders are still available for review when filtering by Channel.

### 2. Configuration Sheet Rules

* Use for brand-specific channel mapping needs.
* Create rules based on your unique business requirements.
* Rules can combine multiple conditions (UTMs, tags, etc.).

### 3. Channel Analysis

* Use channel mapping for:
  * Performance analysis by channel
  * Channel-specific ROI calculations
  * Customer acquisition analysis
  * Marketing effectiveness measurement
  * Budget allocation decisions

### 4. Automated Tagging

* Use Shopify Flow to maintain consistency.
* Regularly review and update automation rules.
* Monitor tag application for accuracy.

## Important Notes

* Excluded orders will still be visible when filtering by Channel.
* Most orders are assigned to a standard ecommerce category if no more specific rule matches.
* Channel mapping affects both order attribution and marketing spend attribution.
* Automated tagging through Shopify Flow helps maintain data consistency.

> For specific questions about your brand's channel mapping configuration or help setting up Shopify Flow automations, please reach out to your SourceMedium representative.

## Related Resources

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Sales Channel (sm_channel)" icon="store" href="/data-transformations/order-segmentation/sales-channel">
    Learn how channels are used in reporting
  </Card>

  <Card title="Order Segmentation Overview" icon="layer-group" href="/data-transformations/order-segmentation/index">
    Learn about all order segmentation dimensions
  </Card>
</CardGroup>