JTL-Wawi & Shopware 6 Integration: Practical Guide 2026

Seamlessly connecting warehouse management and online shop - that is the promise of the JTL-Wawi connection to Shopware 6. In practice, however, the devil is in the details: Which data flows where? What happens during conflicts? And what costs should you expect? In this practical guide, we explain the technical architecture, highlight common pitfalls, and provide you with a clear roadmap for a successful integration.

Why JTL-Wawi and Shopware 6 Belong Together

JTL-Software counts over 50,000 customers and more than 500 partners in the DACH region as one of the leading warehouse management systems for e-commerce (JTL-Software). With 460 employees (JTL-Software) and over 8,015 active JTL shops in Germany alone (StoreLeads), JTL-Wawi has established itself as the standard for small and medium-sized merchants.

Shopware 6, on the other hand, is one of the most powerful open-source shop platforms in Europe. The combination of both systems enables merchants to connect the centralized data management of the warehouse system with the flexible storefront of Shopware. This creates an end-to-end process from procurement to shipping.

The integration saves not only manual work but also reduces error sources significantly. Instead of manually transferring orders or reconciling inventory by hand, the entire process runs automatically. For e-commerce businesses with growing order volumes, this automation is an essential foundation for scalability.

The advantages become especially apparent in multichannel sales: Merchants who sell through marketplaces like Amazon or eBay alongside Shopware benefit from centralized inventory management in JTL-Wawi. Overselling due to unsynchronized stock becomes a thing of the past. Automatic invoice generation and shipping processing can also be controlled through JTL-Wawi, significantly accelerating the entire fulfillment process.

How the Integration Works Technically

The connection between JTL-Wawi and Shopware 6 is established through the JTL-Connector - a middleware component that acts as an intermediary between both systems. Important to understand: JTL-Wawi does not have an externally accessible REST API (Synesty). Communication therefore runs through the connector as a SaaS service.

The JTL-Connector has transitioned its licensing model to a SaaS model with order-based pricing (Qualimero). This means: Instead of a one-time license fee, merchants pay a monthly fee based on order volume. This change reflects the trend toward cloud-based integration architecture.

For merchants who want to go beyond standard functionality, custom middleware solutions are available. These can connect additional data sources, implement transformation rules, or trigger custom workflows that the standard connector does not cover.

Understanding Data Flow - What Syncs Where

A central principle of JTL-Shopware integration: JTL-Wawi is the leading system (Qualimero). This means that changes in Shopware can be overwritten by Wawi. Anyone who maintains product data directly in Shopware risks data loss during the next synchronization.

The data flow follows a clear logic (Qualimero): Master data such as products, prices, and inventory are maintained in JTL-Wawi and pushed to Shopware. Orders and customer data flow in the opposite direction - they are pulled from Shopware to JTL. This push-pull principle ensures that the warehouse management system maintains full control over product data while the shop functions purely as a sales channel.

In practice, this means: When a customer places an order in the Shopware shop, this order is automatically transferred to JTL-Wawi during the next sync cycle. There it is further processed - invoice, delivery note, and shipping label are generated. The current order status (shipped, delivered) is then pushed back to Shopware, so customers can see the current status in the shop at all times.

For B2B scenarios with customer-specific pricing or complex attribute structures, the standard data flow can be extended. Custom mappings and transformation rules come into play here, which we explain in more detail in the section on custom extensions.

Setting Up the Integration Step by Step

A successful JTL-Shopware integration can be divided into five phases. Each phase builds on the previous one and should be carried out carefully:

1. Analysis and Planning: Inventory of existing data structures in JTL-Wawi and Shopware 6. Which products, attributes, categories, and customer groups should be synchronized? This is where you lay the foundation for a clean integration - professional consulting saves significant effort later.
2. Connector Installation and Configuration: Installation of the JTL-Connector plugin in Shopware 6, setup of connection parameters, and configuration of synchronization intervals. The server configuration must provide sufficient resources for the sync process.
3. Mapping and Data Assignment: Fields in JTL and Shopware must be correctly mapped - especially tax rates, attributes, units, and category structures. This is where most configuration errors occur.
4. Initial Data Synchronization: The first complete sync of all products, categories, and customer data. Depending on data volume, this process can take several hours. Test first with a limited product selection.
5. Go-Live and Monitoring: Switch to production operation with continuous monitoring of synchronization. Faulty data records should be identified and corrected promptly.

The Most Common Integration Problems and Their Solutions

Even with careful planning, typical problems arise in practice. Here are the most common pitfalls and proven solutions:

Further common problems concern attribute display in Shopware (Qualimero). Free text fields and variant properties from JTL are not correctly mapped to Shopware properties. The solution lies in precise configuration of attribute assignment in the connector. Special characters in product names, missing required fields, or inconsistent category structures can also lead to synchronization errors. A systematic approach to data cleansing before the first sync typically saves considerable effort afterward.

• Increase PHP memory limit to at least 512 MB
• Set max_execution_time to 300 seconds or higher
• Set up cron jobs for regular synchronization
• Regularly check and archive error logs
• Run test orders after go-live
• Manually reconcile tax rates in both systems

For more complex problems that go beyond standard configuration, professional development support is advisable. Especially when custom plugins, individual fields, or multi-tenant setups are involved, complexity increases significantly.

Costs and Licensing Model Overview

With the transition to the SaaS model, the cost structure of JTL-Shopware integration has fundamentally changed. Billing is now order-based (Qualimero), which can be cheaper for smaller shops but more expensive for high-volume sellers:

The prices refer to the JTL-Connector as a SaaS service (Qualimero). Additional costs may apply for initial setup, custom mappings, and ongoing maintenance. JTL-Wawi itself is free to use in its basic version - license fees only apply for advanced features. When planning your budget, also consider the costs for professional hosting, as the sync process requires additional server resources.

Compared to custom development or manual processes, a professional JTL integration typically pays for itself within a few months. The time saved on manual inventory and order reconciliation alone usually justifies the monthly connector costs quickly. For an individual cost-benefit analysis, we recommend a personal conversation.

Custom Extensions and Automation

The standard connector covers the most common synchronization scenarios. In practice, however, many merchants require custom adjustments that go beyond basic functionality:

• Custom Field Mappings: Assigning custom fields from JTL-Wawi to Shopware properties or custom fields
• Automated Workflows: Automatic status updates, shipping notifications, or invoice generation upon order receipt
• Multichannel Extensions: Synchronizing additional sales channels such as marketplaces through the same infrastructure
• Custom Middleware: Custom transformation and validation layer between JTL and Shopware for complex business logic
• ERP Integration: Forwarding data to higher-level systems such as SAP or Microsoft Dynamics

Since JTL-Wawi does not have an externally accessible REST API (Synesty), developing custom solutions requires deep knowledge of the JTL database structure and the connector protocol. An experienced development agency can implement tailored solutions that meaningfully complement the standard connector.