How to : Import a product catalog

Importing via a product catalog allows for creating and updating products from a BEP using a file. Product updates are done every night. It allows for adding new products and updating existing products.

Prerequisites for the product catalog

• The product catalog must be submitted in CSV format.
• The separator and column names are freely chosen.
• An example catalog must be sent to Brand Communities
• Product photos must be in packshot format to maximize usage by users

Important considerations:

1. One line, one entry:** Each line of the CSV file must be dedicated to a single complete entry, even if some data includes newline characters.
2. Handling of newline characters:** Data that includes newline characters must be properly encapsulated, for example, by using double quotes around the relevant data. This will ensure correct reading and avoid any confusion during data import.
   Example: Consider a CSV file with the following fields: "Name", "Description", and "Price". If the description includes newline characters, the file might look like this:

"Name","Description","Price"
"Product 1","Description with\nnewline",19.99
"Product 2","Description without newline",25.50

In this example, the description of "Product 1" includes a newline, but the file remains correctly structured.

3. Special characters: files are integrated as received, be careful to handle special characters properly.

Mandatory information

The product catalog must contain at least the following information:

• Product ID (unique)
• Product name (Must not be empty)
• Product page URL (Must not be empty)
• Product image URL (Must not be empty; images must be submitted in packshot format)
• Product upload date (if the date is not provided, the current date will be automatically added. This date is then no longer updated)
• A short description of the product (Must not be empty; be careful with newlines)
• Price (without currency; if the value is empty, the price will be automatically set to 0)

Optional information

The product catalog may contain the following optional information:

• Category(ies): We accept 2 levels of categories per product, they can be:
  - In two separate columns in the CSV
  - In the same column if both categories are separated by **one** special character (example: “>”, “|”, “/”)

• Brand name of the product (When products from multiple brands are presented)
• Type of product
• Any additional attributes in separate columns (“Color”, “Size”, “Capacity”)
• Variations of the same product (SKU). Two solutions are possible:
  - Either the variations have a **common base ID**
  *For example: “123456789-XXX”, with all variations of the same product having only "XXX" as the variable part of their ID.
  The variation can be separated by a separator or the base ID can have a fixed number of characters.*
  - Or the reference product ID is provided in a separate column
• Preview of variations. The information can be:
  - A URL link to an image (PNG or JPEG)
  - The hexadecimal code of the color to be displayed

Retrieving the product catalog

Brand Communities can retrieve the product catalog in two ways:

Via FTP:

1. Compile your product catalog with all the information into a CSV file
2. Zip the file
3. Send it to the Brand Communities FTP that will be communicated to you

Via a URL:

1. The link must lead to the CSV containing all the information
2. The file must not be zipped
3. The URL link must be accessible without restriction

Additional information

If a product is removed from the product catalog, it is marked as "deleted" at Brand Communities. The impacts are as follows:

• The product is no longer visible in the product feed
• The product is no longer selectable in product tests
• The product is no longer selectable in product pairings
• Existing product pairings using this product are still visible
• The product is no longer selectable in tags of a post
• Existing posts using this product are still visible

Optional information must be provided at the initial import; they are not automatically updated.

When adding a product to a post, the search bar allows searching for a product based on its product ID, common base ID, type, name, and description.

On the channel of type "product feed," products are sorted as follows:

• If the “most recent” sorting is chosen, products are displayed according to the upload date provided in the feed (those with the most recent date being displayed first)
• If the “most popular” sorting is chosen, products are displayed according to the number of likes and comments related to the products (those with the most being displayed first)