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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.

The sm_channel field groups orders for reporting based on:
  • Sales channel — Online DTC, Amazon, Retail, TikTok Shop
  • Integration path — direct integration (Amazon) vs flowing through Shopify (Amazon via Shopify)
  • Acquisition source — Partners / Affiliates (e.g., GRIN)
  • Special order types — Exchanges, Draft Orders, Excluded
This is one of the most important dimensions for segmenting your business performance.

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Standard Channel Values

ChannelDescription
online_dtcDirect-to-consumer orders from your online store
amazonOrders from Amazon Seller Central (direct integration)
amazon_via_shopifyAmazon orders flowing through Shopify
amazon_multi_channel_fulfillmentAmazon MCF fulfillment orders (when present)
retailPoint-of-sale and physical retail orders
wholesaleB2B and bulk orders
partners_/_affiliatesGRIN and affiliate platform orders
exchangedExchange and replacement orders
draft_ordersManually created draft orders
excludedOrders tagged with sm-exclude-order

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Channel Determination Hierarchy

SourceMedium evaluates each order through this priority sequence:

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Priority 1: Exclusion Tag

Orders with the sm-exclude-order tag are always assigned to the Excluded channel, regardless of any other signals. 
-- This tag takes absolute precedence
SELECT
  sm_order_key,
  sm_channel,
  order_tags_csv
FROM `your_project.sm_transformed_v2.obt_orders`
WHERE is_order_sm_valid = TRUE
  AND REGEXP_CONTAINS(LOWER(order_tags_csv), r'(^|,\\s*)sm-exclude-order(\\s*,|$)')
LIMIT 50;
Excluded orders won’t appear in Executive Summary metrics or LTV calculations. Use this tag for test orders, internal orders, or any orders that shouldn’t count in analytics.

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Priority 2: Source System Override

Orders from direct platform integrations (not flowing through Shopify) are assigned based on their source:
Source SystemAssigned Channel
tiktok_shopTikTok Shop
amazonAmazon

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Priority 3: Shopify Marketplace Detection

For Shopify orders, marketplace signals derived from the order source trigger specific channel mappings:
ConditionAssigned Channel
Order source contains amazonAmazon via Shopify
Sales channel is TikTok ShopTikTok Shop via Shopify

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Priority 4: Config Sheet Rules

Your custom channel mapping rules are evaluated next. These rules can match on:
AttributeDescriptionExample
sourceUTM sourceutm_source=influencer
mediumUTM mediumutm_medium=affiliate
source_mediumCombined source/mediumfacebook / cpc
campaignUTM campaignutm_campaign=wholesale_q1
discount_codesApplied discount codesWHOLESALE50
order_tagsShopify order tagswholesale, b2b
skusProduct SKUs in the orderBULK-*
shopify_sales_channelShopify app/sourceShop App

Create Custom Channel Mappings

Step-by-step guide to setting up your own channel mapping rules

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Priority 5: Default Logic

If no config sheet rules match, these defaults apply based on order attributes:
ConditionAssigned Channel
GRIN app ordersPartners / Affiliates
Tags contain wholesale, faire, wholesalerWholesale
Tags contain exchange, returnly_exchange, ex-###Exchanged
POS or Leap app ordersRetail
Draft order sourceDraft Orders
Tags contain miraklMirakl
Everything elseOnline DTC

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Sub-Channel (sm_sub_channel)

The sm_sub_channel field provides additional granularity within a channel. The value is determined by:
  1. For Amazon orders: Derived from fulfillment channel:
    • Fulfilled by Amazon — FBA orders
    • Fulfilled by Merchant — Merchant-fulfilled orders
  2. For all other orders: Uses your config sheet sub_channel if set, otherwise falls back to the channel name, or Unknown as a last resort
Sub-channels are most commonly used to segment Online DTC orders by marketing source (e.g., separating influencer orders from general paid social).

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Debugging Channel Assignment

To understand why an order landed in a specific channel, start by pulling the mapping outputs and the most common inputs that influence mapping (sales channel + UTMs). 
SELECT
  sm_order_key,
  sm_channel,
  sm_sub_channel,
  sm_default_channel,
  sm_order_sales_channel,
  source_system_sales_channel,
  sm_utm_source_medium,
  sm_utm_campaign
FROM `your_project.sm_transformed_v2.obt_orders`
WHERE is_order_sm_valid = TRUE
  AND order_processed_at_local_datetime >= DATETIME_SUB(CURRENT_DATETIME(), INTERVAL 30 DAY)
ORDER BY order_processed_at_local_datetime DESC
LIMIT 200;
If the inputs don’t line up with your expectations, that typically points to missing UTMs or an override rule that needs to be added/updated.

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Best Practices

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Use Tags for Non-UTM Segmentation

For orders that don’t have reliable UTM data (wholesale, B2B, exchanges), use Shopify order tags and set up config sheet rules to match them.

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Set Up Shopify Flow Automation

Automate consistent tagging with Shopify Flow: 
IF order.customer.tags CONTAINS "wholesale"
OR order.discount_code CONTAINS "WHOLESALE-"
THEN add_tag "wholesale"

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Review Channel Distribution Regularly

Check the Orders Deep Dive module to ensure orders are being assigned to the expected channels. If you see unexpected Online DTC orders, they may need config sheet rules.

Channel Mapping Guide

Detailed explanation of the channel mapping system

Orders Deep Dive

Analyze orders by channel in your dashboard