Akeneo to PostgreSQL ConnectorSync PIM Data in Minutes

Why PostgreSQL for Akeneo product data?

PostgreSQL has become the default choice for Akeneo exports for a simple reason: its JSONB column type gives you the best of both worlds. You get relational tables for structured data (categories, attribute groups, locales) alongside flexible JSONB columns that store the full product attribute payload without schema migrations.

When your Akeneo catalog evolves — new attribute groups, new locales, new product families — your PostgreSQL schema doesn't break. The JSONB payload grows automatically, while your relational indexes stay intact.

Architecture & 5-step setup

SyncPIM connects to your Akeneo instance via its REST API, fetches product data in streaming mode (no memory limits), applies your enrichment rules, and writes the results directly to your PostgreSQL database. The entire pipeline runs on SyncPIM's infrastructure — your database just needs to accept incoming connections.

1. 1

   Create your SyncPIM account

   Sign up at syncpim.com. No credit card required. You get 10 free exports to test the full pipeline.

2. 2

   Add your Akeneo API credentials

   In the dashboard, click 'New configuration'. Paste your Akeneo base URL, Client ID, Client Secret, Username, and Password. SyncPIM handles OAuth2 token management automatically — no token refresh code needed.

3. 3

   Enter your PostgreSQL connection string

   Select PostgreSQL as destination. Paste your connection string in postgres://user:password@host:5432/dbname format. Supports AWS RDS, Supabase, Railway, Neon, and self-hosted instances. For cloud databases, whitelist SyncPIM's IP ranges.

4. 4

   Configure channels, locales, and enrichers

   Select which Akeneo channel and locale(s) to export. Optionally add no-code enrichment rules: compute URL slugs, concatenate fields, apply conditional logic. Rules run during the export pipeline before data hits your database.

5. 5

   Run your first export

   Click 'Run export'. SyncPIM streams products from Akeneo and writes them to PostgreSQL in real time. Watch live row counts and progress in the dashboard. First export of 10k products typically completes in under 2 minutes.

PostgreSQL schema design with JSONB

SyncPIM creates a products table in your PostgreSQL database with a hybrid schema: core product fields as typed columns, and the full attribute payload in a data JSONB column.

CREATE TABLE products (
  id          TEXT PRIMARY KEY,        -- Akeneo product UUID
  sku         TEXT NOT NULL,
  family      TEXT,
  enabled     BOOLEAN,
  categories  TEXT[],                  -- Array of category codes
  created_at  TIMESTAMPTZ,
  updated_at  TIMESTAMPTZ,
  data        JSONB                    -- Full attribute payload
);

CREATE INDEX idx_products_sku        ON products (sku);
CREATE INDEX idx_products_family     ON products (family);
CREATE INDEX idx_products_updated_at ON products (updated_at);
CREATE INDEX idx_products_data       ON products USING GIN (data);

The data JSONB column stores all product values, localizable values, and scopable values in a structured format. You can query attributes directly with PostgreSQL's JSONB operators:

-- Get product name in French
SELECT sku, data->'name'->'fr_FR'->0->>'data' as name_fr
FROM products
WHERE family = 'clothing';

-- Filter by attribute value
SELECT sku, data->>'color' as color
FROM products
WHERE data @> '{"enabled": true}'
  AND (data->'price'->0->>'amount')::numeric > 50;

Incremental sync — update only changed products

After the initial full export, SyncPIM uses Akeneo's updated_after API filter to fetch only products modified since the last sync. This dramatically reduces API calls and database writes — a catalog of 100,000 products might only have 200 changes per hour.

Real pricing vs. custom development cost