TecDoc for Shopify: the complete guide.

What is TecDoc?

TecDoc is the catalogue standard of the independent automotive aftermarket in Europe, run by TecAlliance. Parts manufacturers publish their articles in it, and distributors, workshops and online stores use it to know which part fits which vehicle.

For each article, TecDoc provides the brand and article number, technical criteria (dimensions, materials, positions), images and documents, OE and cross-reference numbers, and the list of vehicles it fits.

• Vehicles are identified by a KType: one number per vehicle type (model, engine, power, build years).
• Linkages connect each article to the KTypes it fits.
• OE numbers link aftermarket parts to the manufacturer's original part numbers.

Why selling parts on Shopify is hard without it

Shopify's standard product model has no built-in way to say which vehicles a part fits, or to let a buyer filter a catalogue by their car. Auto parts stores need that more than anything: uncertainty about fitment is what stops a sale and causes returns.

Most fitment apps fill the gap with year-make-model tables that you build and maintain yourself. With thousands of parts and tens of thousands of vehicle types, that work never ends — and every mistake becomes a wrong order.

What you need

Three things: a Shopify store, a TecDoc data licence from TecAlliance with API access (an API key and a provider ID), and an app that connects the two.

• Your licence decides what your store can show — for example VIN lookup, the number of brands, images.
• TecAlliance sets the licence price according to your profile; Mecaparts does not resell TecDoc data.
• No licence yet? Book a call and we'll explain the options.

How customers find their car

A good parts store offers several ways in, because buyers don't all know the same things about their car.

• Make · model · engine: the universal method, built on KTypes.
• VIN: the 17-character vehicle identification number, decoded to the exact vehicle when your licence includes VIN search.
• KBA (HSN/TSN): the codes in fields 2.1 and 2.2 of the German registration certificate — the most precise method for German customers.
• OE number: customers search by the number printed on their old part.

Fitment on every product page

Once a vehicle is selected, every product page should answer “will it fit my car?” before the buyer has to ask.

• A “fits / doesn't fit” badge checked against the saved vehicle.
• The full compatible-vehicles list, down to engine code, power and build years.
• OE and cross-reference numbers, so a buyer or their mechanic can double-check.
• Technical criteria, images and PDFs mapped from TecDoc.

Building and maintaining the catalogue

With Mecaparts you upload a CSV or Excel file of article numbers with your prices and stock, or pick parts directly in TecDoc. Each row is matched to TecDoc and published as a Shopify product with its fitment, specifications and images.

Categories are assigned by rules and kept in sync, prices and stock can be updated in bulk, and fitment stays current with TecDoc instead of a spreadsheet you maintain.

What it costs

Two costs to plan for: your TecDoc licence, priced by TecAlliance, and the app. Mecaparts plans start at $99/month with 2,500 products included (Start), then $199 (Grow, 25,000 products) and $399 (Enterprise), billed through Shopify every 30 days with a 3-day free trial.

Getting started in three steps

• Install Mecaparts from the Shopify App Store and enter your TecDoc API key and provider ID.
• Import your range from a file or straight from TecDoc.
• Add the vehicle finder to your theme — customers can now shop by car.

Frequently asked questions.