In this article
Talk to our experts- Fitment
- Fitment, in auto parts, is the data that records which vehicles a part fits: the year, make and model, plus any further configuration detail the part depends on. The automotive aftermarket exchanges it in the Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard (ACES), so catalogs and web lookups can find the right part for a vehicle.
Also called: fitment data, product fitment data
How it works
This page covers the catalog sense of the word: the record that ties a part to the vehicles it fits.
The Auto Care Association calls ACES the aftermarket industry data standard for the management and communication of product fitment data, and says most companies in the North American automotive aftermarket use ACES and PIES to do business. A company sends its fitment to trading partners as machine-readable XML, built from standardized, codified data held in supporting reference databases. ACES is used by light, medium and heavy duty, powersports, off-highway and equipment companies. The current version is ACES 5.0, and the Auto Care Association manages the standard under the guidance of its Technology Standards Committee, made up of volunteer leaders from member companies.
Fitment travels with product data. ACES carries which vehicles a part fits, and its companion standard, the Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES), carries the product information itself: descriptions, pricing, attributes, interchanges and digital assets.
What a fitment record contains
ACES draws its coded values from Auto Care reference databases:
- Vehicle (VCdb). The Vehicle Configuration database holds vehicle, powersports, off-highway and equipment configurations sold in the USA, Canada, Mexico and Latin America. A company can describe a vehicle with as much or as little detail as it needs to catalog and sell the part.
- Part type (PCdb). The Product Classification database standardizes product terms, such as brake pads, spark plugs and headlight bulbs.
- Qualifiers (Qdb). Coded fitment notes replace free-form text, which makes them easier to parse into catalogs and to validate.
- Brand (Brand Table). Parent companies, brands and sub-brands, stored as codes.
Using the reference databases requires an annual paid subscription. The Auto Care Association lists reduced returns among the benefits of the standard, and says coded qualifiers help both shoppers and store sales associates find the correct product the first time.
Example
A distributor stocks one set of rear brake pads. The brand's ACES file says it fits one sedan model for model years 2022, 2023 and 2024, with two engine options each year. That is 3 x 2 = 6 vehicle configurations, so 6 fitment records point at one SKU.
One record also carries a coded qualifier that limits the fit to cars with rear disc brakes. A buyer who selects a 2023 sedan with rear drum brakes does not see the pads, even though year, make and model all match.
On Shopify
Shopify's metafields extend the product data model with your own custom data, and part numbers are one of Shopify's own examples. The Search & Discovery app turns product, variant and category metafields into storefront filters on collection pages and search results.
The filters have limits that matter for fitment catalogs:
- A filter can display a maximum of 100 values on your store. Past that, some values aren't displayed to customers.
- A store can have up to 25 filters.
- Collections with more than 5,000 products don't display filters.
As general practice, catalogs that outgrow these limits load fitment through an app or a custom build that reads ACES data.
How Uncap helps
Uncap Garage is fitment, built for automotive on Shopify. Shoppers save their vehicle once and see only the parts that fit. Merchants import ACES/PIES or their own data and map every product to the vehicles it fits.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What does "fitment" mean in the context of cars?
In parts catalogs, fitment is the record of which vehicles a part fits, by year, make, model and configuration. The Auto Care Association's ACES standard exists to manage and communicate that data between trading partners.
What do fitment issues mean?
In catalog terms, a fitment issue is a part that doesn't fit the vehicle it was sold for. The Auto Care Association lists reduced returns among the benefits of its fitment standard, ACES, and says coded qualifiers help buyers find the correct product the first time.
