Automated Stock Collection from Supplier Storefronts into 1C-Bitrix

Automated Stock Collection from Supplier Storefronts into 1C-Bitrix

Situation: the supplier provides no API, sends price lists once a week by email, but real stock changes daily. A customer places an order — the item is out of stock. We solve this by parsing the supplier's storefront and updating the CATALOG_QUANTITY field in 1C-Bitrix. Parsing isn't always HTML: often stock data sits in JSON variables on the page (window.__PRODUCT_DATA__). We use CURL and regex — faster than a headless browser and server-friendly. To avoid blocking, we apply random User-Agents and proxy rotation. Over 5 years on the market, we've automated stock collection for catalogs from 500 to 50,000 SKUs. Each project gets individual tuning — from parsing method selection to zero-stock handling logic. Request a parsing development — and we'll analyze your supplier's storefront for free.

How We Parse Stock from Supplier Websites

On the supplier's site, stock can be presented in various ways: numeric value (in stock: 47 pcs) — we directly parse the number; availability status (in stock, pre-order, none) — map to 0/1/999; multiple warehouses — we sum or take the nearest. Sometimes stock is hidden in JS variables — we search with regex in the page body, faster than a headless browser. If the supplier provides an API (rare), we connect via REST.

Why SKU Mapping Is the Tightest Bottleneck

A key stage. Without reliable mapping, parsing is useless. Options:

• Supplier SKU: add a SUPPLIER_SKU property to the infoblock. While parsing, we search for the element with that value via CIBlockElement::GetList() with a property filter.
• XML_ID: if products were previously imported from the supplier's price list, XML_ID may match their internal ID.
• EAN/barcode: a universal option for branded products.

For large catalogs (10,000+ SKUs), filtering by property via ORM is slow. Better to build a reverse mapping supplier_sku → element_id in Redis or a custom table and update it on catalog changes.

How Stock Updates Work in Bitrix

According to 1C-Bitrix documentation, updating product quantity is done via the CCatalogProduct::Update method.

CCatalogProduct::Update($elementId, [ 'QUANTITY' => $parsedQty, 'QUANTITY_RESERVED' => 0, ]); 

If the store uses warehouses (b_catalog_store), we update via CCatalogStoreProduct::Update() with the STORE_ID specified.

When updating only the quantity, do not touch ACTIVE — otherwise you'll lose manual activity edits. Perform a separate UPDATE of only the needed field.

Handling Zero Stock Without Losing Sales

Don't automatically hide a product at zero stock — the supplier might restock the next day. The correct gentle logic:

1. Quantity = 0 → product remains active, but gets a 'pre-order' flag.
2. Quantity = 0 for more than N days → notify manager, manual decision.
3. Product not found on supplier site 3+ times in a row → flag SUPPLIER_DISCONTINUED.

We implement flags via infoblock properties or Highload-block fields.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Supplier storefront analysis. Determine parsing method (HTML, JSON variables, API), prepare selectors.
2. Parser development. PHP script with CURL, regex, optionally Guzzle. For blocking protection, use random User-Agents and proxies.
3. SKU mapping setup. Link supplier SKUs to Bitrix product IDs. For catalogs 10,000+ SKUs, use Redis.
4. Bitrix integration. Agent or cron task, update stock via CCatalogProduct::Update(). Test on a sample set of products.
5. Zero stock handling logic. Automatic flags, manager notifications. Test scenarios: product disappears, appears, price changes.
6. Monitoring and support. After launch, parser runs stably; if supplier site structure changes, adaptation takes no more than a couple of hours.

What's Included in the Work

Timeline

Total: 3–5 working days for one supplier. Each additional supplier — +1–2 days (different site structures).

We guarantee that after launch the parser will run stably, and if the supplier's site structure changes, adaptation will take no more than a couple of hours. Time savings on manual stock processing: up to 80% per month. Get a free assessment of your project — just contact us. Get a consultation right now.