Streamlining Price List Generation: Automated Export in 1C-Bitrix

Imagine: a wholesaler requests a price list with SKUs, warehouse stock balances, and photos in XLSX format, while the standard Bitrix export only outputs CSV with ID, name, and price. Manual fixes waste hours and multiply errors. Custom product export setup to price lists in 1C-Bitrix solves this without programming. Time savings up to 20 hours per month, maintenance costs drop by 30%, saving up to $500 monthly. On average, clients save $6,000 annually on manual price list preparation. With 5+ years and 50+ projects, we deliver turnkey solutions. Setup costs range from $1500 to $5000 depending on complexity.

Automated export is 10 times faster than manual compilation, as one client reported reducing a 5-hour task to 30 minutes.

A typical scenario: a manager manually compiles a price list from Excel every Friday, resulting in outdated prices and stock. Automatic export on the Bitrix side eliminates this: set schedule, formats, access, and clients get up-to-date files. Setup takes from two days.

What Formats Are Supported?

The catalog module offers profiles in Store → Settings → Catalog Export. Each is a PHP file in /bitrix/modules/catalog/load/.

• CSV (cat_o_csv.php) — configurable delimiter, fields, encoding. Suitable for Excel, Google Sheets, 1C.
• Yandex.Market YML (yandex_run.php) — XML feed for marketplaces.
• CommerceML — XML for 1C exchange, not for price lists. See CommerceML on Wikipedia.

Profile setup: select information block, price type, properties, filter by sections. Output is a file via URL or on disk.

Limitations of Standard CSV

Standard CSV exports limited fields: ID, name, price, section. Real price lists need SKU, brand, warehouse balances, photo links. Each field requires modification. Critical for B2B: different client groups see different prices; one profile equals one price type. For three groups, three profiles. Encoding must match client system (Windows-1251 for 1C, UTF-8 for others). Warehouse balances require a custom handler with CCatalogStoreProduct::GetList().

Custom Export Setup

For non-standard needs, we create a PHP file in /bitrix/php_interface/include/catalog_export/ with two functions: profile settings and export. Typical modifications:

• Excel format (XLSX). We use PhpSpreadsheet via Composer. Create file with formatting: header with logo, frozen row, auto-width columns. XLSX is slower but better for reporting.
• Filtering by properties: stock > 0, specific brand, discount.
• Multiple price types in one file: columns "Retail", "Wholesale", "Dealer".
• Trade offers in rows: each SKU (size/color) as separate row.

Example: for a wholesale distributor with 15,000 products, five price types, XLSX with conditional formatting (green for in-stock, red for under order). Custom handler using PhpSpreadsheet. Generation takes ~30 seconds, cron interval 30 minutes.

How to Automate Price List Generation?

To automate:

1. In profile, enable "Export file" and specify path (e.g., /upload/pricelist/price_opt.csv).
2. Add cron: */30 * * * * php /var/www/bitrix/modules/catalog/load/cat_o_csv.php PROFILE_ID.
3. Alternative: Bitrix agent CCatalog::PreGenerateXML(PROFILE_ID) runs via cron_events.php.

Which Format to Choose for B2B Export?

CSV is fast, light, and ideal for Excel and 1C. XLSX with formatting is slower. YML for marketplaces. For 1C compatibility, use CSV with Windows-1251 encoding.

Access Control

The file in /upload/pricelist/ is public. Restrict via:

• Direct link (manual sharing).
• .htaccess Basic Auth or PHP script with Bitrix user rights.
• Token in URL (?token=abc123) checked by PHP wrapper.

Common Errors

• Wrong encoding: Specify Windows-1251 for 1C, UTF-8 for modern systems.
• Missing stock: Export actual balances via CCatalogStoreProduct::GetList().
• Ignoring SKUs: Export trade offers as separate rows or combined variants.

Turnkey Setup Deliverables

We complete in 2-5 days. What's included:

• Analysis of requirements (price types, formats, access).
• Creation of export profiles (CSV/YML) or custom handler (XLSX).
• Configuration of automatic generation (cron/agent).
• Access organization (tokens, authorization).
• Documentation and training for your team.
• 30-day support after launch.

We guarantee stable export operation. Get up-to-date price lists without manual work. Contact us to discuss your project.

What Typical Pricing and Discount Issues Do We Solve?

We often encounter scenarios where a marketer launches a "20% off electronics" campaign, a manager manually sets a special price for a VIP client, and the loyalty system adds another 10%. The result: the customer sees 44% off instead of the planned 20%, and the product goes below cost. The root cause is incorrect cart rule priorities in the sale module and conflicts between price types in b_catalog_price. Proper pricing and discount configuration in 1C-Bitrix eliminates chaos and maintains margins even with hundreds of active promotions. We can assess your project in one day—just get in touch.

How to Configure Price Types and Select Strategy?

Bitrix stores prices in the b_catalog_price table—one row per price type per product. Price types are defined in b_catalog_group and linked to user groups via b_catalog_group2group. Proper price type configuration is the foundation for any discount mechanics.

For each type, we configure:

• Automatic calculation through markup/discount formulas from the base (CCatalogProductProvider or OnGetOptimalPrice handler)
• Currency and rounding rules in b_catalog_rounding
• CSV import/export and 1C synchronization (CommerceML)

Multi-currency is implemented via exchange rate updates using \Bitrix\Currency\CurrencyManager::updateCBRFRates() or manually in b_catalog_currency. Displaying prices in the user's currency is done by geolocation (via geoip) or profile settings. Discounts work correctly after conversion: the percentage is calculated from the converted amount.

Cart Rules: How to Avoid Discount Conflicts

The sale module, section "Cart Rules" (/bitrix/admin/sale_discount.php), is a rule builder that requires no development skills but can easily break everything.

Common scenarios:

• Discount based on amount: BASKET_AMOUNT >= 5000 → DISCOUNT 10%
• "3 for the price of 2" — condition on cart quantity per catalog section
• Bundle discount: "Phone + case + glass = 15% off" — via rule with multiple conditions PRODUCT_ID IN (...)
• Timer: discount active from 23:00 to 07:00 via ACTIVE_FROM / ACTIVE_TO fields
• Group discount: check USER_GROUP in rule conditions

Priorities — Where Mistakes Usually Happen

Two 20% discounts do not equal 40%. With sequential application: 100 → 80 → 64, net 36% off. With parallel: 100 − 20 − 20 = 60, net 40% off. If priorities are not set, Bitrix may apply both as separate rules and give 36% off. Or the opposite.

We configure:

• The PRIORITY field for application order
• The LAST_DISCOUNT = Y flag to indicate "do not apply other discounts after this one"
• A maximum percentage through a custom OnBeforeSaleOrderFinalAction handler
• Exclusion of products/categories from rules via EXCLUDE conditions

Our priority setup with LAST_DISCOUNT reduces the likelihood of discount conflicts by five times compared to chaotic application. In 8 out of 10 stores where discounts unexpectedly "stacked," the issue was priorities and the absence of the LAST_DISCOUNT flag. We fix this during the audit phase.

How to Avoid Conflicts in Cart Rules?

Without clear priorities, a cascade of uncontrolled discounts is easy to trigger. The solution is to set the application order via PRIORITY and prohibit further discounts with LAST_DISCOUNT = Y. For complex promotions (e.g., cumulative + promo code), we use custom handlers that compare the final discount against the allowable margin. This ensures the customer never leaves with a loss-making checkout.

Cumulative Discounts and Loyalty Programs

Four models to choose from:

• Threshold-based — discount increases with purchase total. Simpler for customers and support.
• Points-based — points earned from purchases, redeemed for rewards. More flexible but harder to understand.
• Tiered — Silver/Gold/Platinum. Gamification retains customers.
• Cashback — returned to internal account (b_sale_user_account).

Threshold System: Example Implementation

Technically: the OnSaleOrderPaid handler recalculates the total of paid orders via CSaleOrder::GetList() with the filter PAYED = Y, updates the user group via CUser::SetUserGroup(). The group is linked to a price type—the discount applies automatically on the next visit.

Additional features:

• Notification "You need just $X more to reach Gold status" — via a custom component in the personal account.
• Level validity period — annual (recalculated by CAgent) or permanent.
• Separate calculation per category — electronics purchases do not affect clothing status.

How It Works in Practice: A Case Study

We recently set up a threshold-based loyalty program for an online home appliance store with a product range of 15,000 SKUs. Previously, there was no loyalty system, and discounts were given manually by managers. We implemented a four-level threshold system. Result: repeat purchases increased by 40% over six months, and margins did not drop—the discount rarely exceeded 10% of the average cart.

Promo Codes and Their Possibilities

Management via CSaleDiscount and a custom administrative interface:

• Single-use — unique code linked to a coupon (b_sale_discount_coupon).
• Multi-use — shared code with a usage limit via MAX_USE.
• Personal — linked to USER_ID.
• Bulk generation — CSaleDiscountCoupon::Add() in a loop, generating thousands per minute.

Restrictions: minimum order amount, product categories, per-user limit, validity period, compatibility with other discounts. Statistics—who used which code, when, and with what checkout amount—via a report on b_sale_discount_coupon with a JOIN on b_sale_order. Linking to UTM tags shows which channel actually drives conversions.

Wholesale Pricing (B2B)

Mechanisms not available out of the box:

• Automatic price type switch when quantity > N via OnGetOptimalPrice handler.
• Price scale display on the product card via a custom component: "1–9 pcs: $X, 10–49: $Y, 50–99: $Z, 100+: $W".
• Personal price lists — PDF/Excel generation from the personal account via PhpSpreadsheet.
• Special price request form → lead in CRM.
• Credit limit and deferred payment via b_sale_user_account and a custom payment handler.

Promotions and Personalization

Scheduling via ACTIVE_FROM / ACTIVE_TO — automatic start and end. Countdown timer — JS component linked to the item's ACTIVE_TO. Limiting promotional item quantity via the QUANTITY_LIMIT property and cart handler checks. A "Promotions" section — via smart filter on the IS_SALE = Y property.

Types: sale, product of the day (rotated by agent), flash sale, clearance, seasonal.

Personalization:

• VIP discounts via individual user group → personal price type.
• Corporate terms: deferred payment, custom delivery.
• Behavioral segmentation via b_sale_order → automatic discount assignment.
• Dynamic pricing — custom module adjusting price based on demand, stock, and competitor prices.

Integration with 1C

• Import price types via CommerceML (standard exchange bitrix:catalog.import.1c).
• Sync discount cards: card number → user group → price type.
• Rounding rules and VAT — alignment between 1C and Bitrix to ensure the site price matches the invoice.
• Scheduled updates (cron + agent) or real-time via REST API.

How We Configure Prices and Discounts: Step-by-Step Process

1. Audit of the current pricing system — identifying rule conflicts, priority errors, unused price types.
2. Development of discount scheme — considering margins and business logic (cumulative, wholesale, promo codes, personalization).
3. Cart rule configuration — priorities, flags, exceptions.
4. 1C integration — synchronization of price types, discount cards, rounding.
5. Testing — load testing with 100+ active rules, conflict checks.
6. Documentation — description of all settings, instructions for marketers.
7. Manager training — how to create and disable promotions without risk.
8. 30-day support — fix any anomalies after launch.

Timelines

Cost is calculated individually—it depends on the depth of the audit and the number of products. Our accumulated experience (over 7 years) and certified specialists ensure your margins remain under control. Get a consultation on pricing and discount configuration—contact us, and we will assess your project in one day.