Automation

Automate feed generation and updates to keep your Google Merchant Center data always current.

Overview

Max AI: Google Feed Ascend provides multiple automation options:

Scheduled Sync

Configuration

Configure automatic feed updates in Settings > Feed Settings:

How It Works

1. Scheduler Check: Every minute, the system checks for shops needing sync
2. Time Matching: Compares current UTC time with configured update time
3. Batch Processing: Up to 5 shops processed concurrently
4. Feed Generation: Each active feed is regenerated

Time Matching Logic

• Times are stored in UTC
• 1-minute window for execution (prevents duplicate runs)
• Timezone setting is for display reference only

Best Practices

• Schedule during low-traffic hours (e.g., 2-4 AM)
• Consider Google's crawl schedule
• Allow time for processing large catalogs

Webhook Updates

Product Change Detection

The app automatically receives Shopify webhooks for:

Processing Flow

Shopify Webhook → Queue Manager → Product Webhook Queue → Feed Update

How It Works

1. Webhook Received: Shopify sends product change event
2. Queue Added: Event added to processing queue (high priority)
3. Background Processing: Worker processes the change
4. Feed Update: Affected feeds marked for update

Configuration

Webhooks are automatically registered when you install the app. No manual configuration needed.

Queue Settings

Notifications

Notification Types

Configuration

Enable/disable notifications in Settings > General:

• Notifications Enabled: Toggle all notifications
• Per-type toggles coming soon

Automation Architecture

Components

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    Automation System                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                              │
│  Scheduler (feed-auto-sync-scheduler.server.ts)             │
│  ├─ Runs every minute                                       │
│  ├─ Checks update times                                     │
│  └─ Triggers shop syncs                                     │
│                                                              │
│  Queue System (BullMQ + Redis)                              │
│  ├─ product-webhook queue                                   │
│  ├─ feed-generation queue                                   │
│  └─ feed-generation-ai queue                                │
│                                                              │
│  Workers                                                     │
│  ├─ Product Webhook Worker                                  │
│  ├─ Feed Generation Worker                                  │
│  └─ AI Generation Worker                                    │
│                                                              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Concurrency Limits

Manual Triggers

Dashboard Update

Click "Update" button on any feed to trigger immediate regeneration.

API Trigger

Use the API to programmatically trigger updates:

POST /api/feeds/generate
{
  "feedId": "feed_123",
  "forceRegenerate": true
}

Monitoring

Sync Status

View sync status on the dashboard:

Job History

Check generation history:

1. Navigate to Feed Details
2. View Recent Jobs section
3. See status, duration, and errors

Logs

Detailed logs available in:

• Feed generation logs
• Webhook processing logs
• Error logs

Troubleshooting

Scheduled Sync Not Running

Webhooks Not Processing

Slow Processing

Best Practices

1. Balance Frequency and Resources

• Daily sync is sufficient for most stores
• Real-time webhooks handle urgent updates
• Avoid over-scheduling

2. Monitor Performance

• Check sync duration regularly
• Watch for failed jobs
• Review error logs

3. Plan for Peak Times

• Schedule syncs during low-traffic periods
• Consider timezone differences
• Account for Google processing time

4. Use Webhooks for Urgency

• Webhooks provide real-time updates
• Combine with scheduled sync for reliability
• Monitor webhook queue health