> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tetherdata.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Channels Overview

> Managing sales channels in Tether

# Channels Overview

Channels represent where you sell your products. Tether allows you to manage multiple sales channels, track performance by channel, and configure channel-specific settings.

## What is a Channel?

A channel is a sales avenue for your products. Each channel has a name, a type, a currency, and an active/inactive status. Channels are the foundation for organizing sales orders, demand forecasting, and performance analysis.

<Note>
  Currently, Shopify is the only supported channel type. Additional channel types will be added in future releases.
</Note>

## Why Track Channels?

| Benefit                    | Description                      |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **Demand Forecasting**     | Forecast by channel for accuracy |
| **Inventory Allocation**   | Know where demand comes from     |
| **Performance Analysis**   | Compare channel performance      |
| **Hierarchy Organization** | Group channels for reporting     |
| **User Access**            | Control who sees what data       |

## The Channels Dashboard

Navigate to **Channels** in the sidebar to view the channels dashboard.

### Summary Cards

The dashboard displays three summary cards at the top:

| Card                | Description                                  |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| **Total Channels**  | Count of all configured sales channels       |
| **Active Channels** | Count of channels currently accepting orders |
| **Channel Types**   | Count of distinct channel types in use       |

### Channels Table

The main table displays your channels with the following columns:

| Column               | Description                                     |
| -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**             | Channel display name (links to detail page)     |
| **Currency**         | Channel currency (e.g., USD)                    |
| **Hierarchy Fields** | Dynamic columns for each active hierarchy field |
| **Actions**          | Archive button to deactivate a channel          |

Hierarchy field values can be assigned directly from the table using inline dropdown selectors. See [Channel Hierarchy](/channels/hierarchy) for details.

## Creating a Channel

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Channels">
    Go to **Channels** in the sidebar
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Add Channel">
    Click the **Add Channel** button in the top right
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter Details">
    Fill in the channel creation form:

    | Field              | Required | Description                                             |
    | ------------------ | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Channel Name**   | Yes      | A descriptive name (e.g., "Shopify US", "Amazon Store") |
    | **Channel Type**   | Yes      | Currently only Shopify is available                     |
    | **Currency**       | Yes      | Currently only USD is supported                         |
    | **Active Channel** | No       | Toggle to set initial active status (defaults to on)    |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create">
    Click **Create Channel** to add the channel
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Channel Status

Channels have an active or inactive status controlled by the `is_active` flag:

| Status                  | Behavior                                                                 |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Active**              | Channel is visible in active lists, available for orders and forecasting |
| **Inactive (Archived)** | Channel is hidden from active use, historical data is preserved          |

You can archive a channel from the channels table by clicking the delete icon and confirming the action. Archiving sets the channel to inactive but preserves all historical data.

## Channel Detail Page

Click on a channel name in the table to open its detail page. The detail page shows:

* **Channel header** with the channel name, type badge, currency badge, and active status
* **Summary cards** showing total orders, manual orders, and integration orders
* **Sales orders table** listing all orders for that channel with columns for order number, source (Manual or Integration), order date, warehouse, external ID, and creation date

You can also create a manual sales order directly from the channel detail page by clicking **Create Manual Order**.

## Channels and Forecasting

Channels are essential for demand forecasting:

### Forecast by Channel

* Each SKU/channel combination can have its own forecast
* Different channels may have different demand patterns
* Promotions can be channel-specific

### Channel Performance

Track metrics per channel:

* Sales volume
* Forecast accuracy
* Growth trends

## Access Control

Channel pages require the **Sales Rep** role or higher:

| Role          | Access                                         |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **Admin**     | All channels and settings                      |
| **Sales Rep** | Channel dashboard, detail pages, and hierarchy |

See [User Access](/administration/user-access) for configuration.

## Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Consistent Naming">
    Use clear, consistent channel names:

    * Include region: "Shopify US", "Shopify EU"
    * Include purpose: "Wholesale B2B", "DTC Website"
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Match Business Structure">
    Create channels that match how you manage the business:

    * Separate channels for separate P\&Ls
    * Group similar channels if managed together
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Use Hierarchy Fields">
    Organize channels with hierarchy fields for better reporting:

    * Label fields by business dimension (e.g., "Region", "Business Model")
    * Assign values consistently across channels
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Plan for Growth">
    Design for scalability:

    * Room for new channels
    * Consistent naming structure
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Managing Channels" icon="gear" href="/channels/managing">
    Configure channel settings
  </Card>

  <Card title="Channel Hierarchy" icon="sitemap" href="/channels/hierarchy">
    Organize channels with hierarchy fields
  </Card>

  <Card title="Demand Forecasting" icon="chart-line" href="/demand-forecasting/dashboard">
    Forecast by channel
  </Card>

  <Card title="Integration Setup" icon="plug" href="/integrations/setup">
    Connect channels to external platforms
  </Card>
</CardGroup>