Online Metals Integration Guide
Integrate your Online Metals account with Helm to automate order imports, maintain real-time inventory visibility, and streamline fulfilment for metals, alloys, and raw material sales
What is Online Metals
Online Metals is a leading eCommerce platform for small-scale and industrial buyers of raw materials, offering cut-to-size metals and plastics in various grades and finishes. It supports both B2C and B2B orders across the manufacturing, fabrication, and engineering sectors
Connecting Online Metals to Helm allows you to synchronise stock, centralise order fulfilment, and manage diverse product variants from a single platform
PROS ✅ | CONS ❌ |
Direct access to a specialised marketplace for industrial metals and raw materials | Requires a valid API URL and API Key issued by Online Metals or parent platform |
Supports real-time stock and order syncing for high-volume SKUs | Product listings may require detailed specifications (e.g. alloy type, thickness, tolerance) |
Ideal for just-in-time fulfilment and custom product configurations | Complex SKUs may require careful mapping for cut-to-size or customised orders |
Step-by-Step Setup
From your Helm dashboard:
Navigate to Settings > My Store
Click Add New Sales Channel
Select Online Metals from the list of available integrations
Click Install
Enter the required details:
FIELD | DESCRIPTION |
Sales Channel Name | Enter a name such as Online Metals US or Online Metals B2B Orders |
Sales Channel Logo | Upload the Online Metals logo or your own branded icon |
API URL | Enter the full API endpoint provided by Online Metals |
API Key | Paste the API key issued through your Online Metals account or developer portal |
Click Continue
Interaction Settings
Configure how Helm interacts with Online Metals:
INTERACTION SETTINGS | DESCRIPTION |
Sync Inventory | Import your product catalogue including material types and variants |
Sync Stock Levels | Keep inventory quantities aligned between Helm and Online Metals |
Use Channel Names | Show material names or grades from Online Metals in order summaries |
Max Stock Levels | Cap the amount of stock shown for selected products (e.g. rare alloys) |
Stock Buffer | Reserve inventory to avoid overselling or delays in production runs |
Auto Merge Orders | Automatically combine multiple orders from the same buyer or plant |
Order Importing Type | Set the date and time to begin downloading new orders |
Final Steps
Click Save once all settings are configured
Set the channel to Is Active at the top of the screen
Your Online Metals integration is now live - and you’re ready to Take the Helm
Common Issues
ISSUE | SOLUTION |
Invalid API URL | Ensure the URL includes HTTPS and the correct path/version |
Invalid API Key | Confirm the API key is active and linked to your Online Metals seller account |
Orders Not Importing | Check the channel status and review date filters and sync configuration |
Stock Not Syncing | Make sure SKU mapping and stock sync settings are correctly enabled in Helm |
If you experience issues and need assistance, contact Helm Support
