Contents
What is a product feed?
A product feed is a structured table containing information about the products available in an online store. This feed records data such as the product name, price, description, and its characteristics. The main goal of a product feed is to simplify the process of uploading product information to various online services, such as advertising accounts, marketplaces, and social media catalogs. As a result, company representatives do not have to manually add or update each item, which significantly saves time.
What information does a product feed store?
The feed contains basic information about the products in the catalog, including:
- Product name
- Unique identifier (ID)
- Current price
- Characteristics
- Description
- Category (e.g., "toys")
- Manufacturer name
- Product image
- Product availability in the online store
- Link to the product
Additionally, the feed may contain more specific data, such as information about special offers or promotions. Some platforms require certain parameters to be specified, depending on the type of products. For example, for cars, the VIN number must be provided.
Why is a product feed needed?
A product feed is necessary for:
- Quick information upload: Online stores may have a large assortment of products, and automatic data upload from the feed significantly saves time.
- Creating numerous ads: The feed allows for the automatic generation of advertising banners based on product data, which is convenient when there are many offers.
- Updating items and prices: If the store's assortment changes, updating the feed is sufficient to keep all data current.
In what formats are product feeds stored?
There are several formats in which product feeds can be stored:
- XML: A text file structured using tags. This format is supported by most systems.
- CSV: A standard tabular format, convenient for working with Google Docs or Excel, but with limited customization options.
- YML: A format based on XML, developed by Yandex for use in its services.
- GZ, TSV (ZIP): Compressed formats that reduce the size of the feed file and are useful for large volumes of data.
How to create a product feed?
Creating a product feed can be done in three main ways:
- Manually: Entering product information into a table using, for example, Google Spreadsheets.
- Automatically: Generating a table based on the product catalog on the online store's website.
- Using external generators: Utilizing third-party services to create and manage feeds.
The manual method is suitable for small catalogs, but in most cases, automation through a CMS is recommended, as it is more convenient and helps avoid errors when updating data.
What should be considered when working with a feed?
When working with a product feed, it's important to consider the following aspects:
- Data accuracy: The information in the feed must match the data in the online store to avoid confusion for users.
- Platform requirements: Each platform has its own requirements for the format and content of the feed, which must be followed; otherwise, the feed may be rejected.
- Update method: It is recommended to use automatic feed updates via API to keep information current.
- Content usefulness: The descriptions and characteristics of the products should be informative and clear for buyers.