How does a product feed work?

A product feed allows an e-commerce site to transfer its catalogue to comparison shopping engines, marketplaces, affiliate platforms, retargeting networks, etc. This process not only saves time (eliminating the need to adapt product listings to the destination sites) but also optimises the selection of listings to export to these channels, as the catalogue retains the specificities of each product.

Product feed: what does it look like?

A product feed is based on a source XML file that structures the information transferred. This file contains all of the information required by the sites where the product catalogue will appear, including:

• images;
• product names;
• product descriptions;
• prices;
• information on availability.

Product feed: what does it do?

A product feed allows e-retailers to:

• optimise the product characteristics as needed;
• highlight the desired products;
• optimise the search ranking of product description listings;
• publish information on promotions and discounts.

Through a product feed, marketing networks can pick up the seller’s catalogue with all of its specificities and adapt it to their presentation style.  What matters most is that the seller’s information is regularly updated to reflect any changes (in pricing or availability, for example). Sometimes affiliate sites (such as Google Shopping) accept two types of feeds:

• the main data feed (once a month);
• a daily update feed for making quick changes.

Ultimately, the aim of a product feed is to transmit high-quality information (relevant and precise) in order to facilitate the purchasing process.