Keep your product catalog up to date by adding, updating or removing products directly in a CSV file that is automatically synchronized every night.
Why use a product catalog?
The product catalog is an optional but highly practical tool for managing products on your community. Using a CSV file allows you to create, update and remove products automatically, with several benefits:
- Faster product selection for product testing campaigns: select product directly from your product catalog instead of creating one for each campaign.
- More dedicated product channels: without a catalog, certain important channels in your community can't be used (routine, product feed or product pairing channel).
- Automatic updates: any changes made in the CSV file are applied automatically every night. This means you don't need to recreate products manually each time you add or update them.
There are some prerequisites to check before setting up a product catalog:
- The file must be in CSV format.
- Column names and separators are free to choose.
- An example of the catalog must be shared with Brand Communities.
- Product images must be provided in packshot format to ensure optimal display and reuse.
CSV file structure rules
To avoid import errors, the CSV file must respect these rules:
- One line, one product: Each line of the CSV file must represent one complete product entry. Even if some fields contain line breaks, the product must remain on a single CSV row.
Handling line breaks: If a field contains line breaks, the value must be encapsulated properly by using double quotes. This will ensure correct reading and avoid any confusion during data import. For example: consider the following CSV file. If the description of "Product 1" includes line breaks, the file might look like this:
"Name","Description","Price" "Product 1","Description with\\line breaks",19.90 "Product 2","Description without line breaks",25.50- Special characters: Files are integrated as received. Make sure special characters are encoded correctly to avoid display issues.
Mandatory information
The product catalog must contain at least the following information:
| Information | Specification |
Product ID | Must be 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 not provided, the current date is automatically applied Once set, this date is no longer uploaded |
Short product description | Must not be empty Be careful with line breaks |
Price | Without currency If empty, the price is automatically set to 0 |
Optional information
Additional fields can be included to enrich the product with the following optional information:
| Information | Specification |
Categories | 2 levels of categories are accepted per product, they can be:
All product must have the same number of category levels (0, 1 or 2) We recommend using 2 categories for better user experience |
Brand name | Required if multiple brands are displayed |
Product type | Must not be empty |
Any additional attributes | You can add them in separate columns, for example: "Color", "Size", "Capacity" |
Product variations (SKU) | Two methods are supported:
|
Variation preview | Variation previews can be defined using:
|
Optional information must be provided during the initial import. It is not updated automatically afterward.
Retrieving the product catalog
Brand Communities retrieves the product catalog using one of the following methods:
Method 1 - Via FTP:
- Compile your product catalog with all the needed information into a CSV file
- Zip the file
- Upload it to the Brand Communities FTP provided to you
Method 2 - URL:
- Provide a direct link to the CSV containing all the information
- The file must not be zipped
- The URL link must be accessible without restriction
Specific behavior
Product removal
If a product is removed from the product catalog file, it is marked as "deleted".
Here are the impacts:
- 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 remain visible
- The product is no longer selectable in post tags
- Existing posts using this product remain visible
Product search
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.
Product feed sorting rules
On channels using product feed type, products are sorted as follows:
- Most recent: Products are displayed according to the product upload date provided in the file. The most recent dates appear first.
- Most popular: Products are displayed according to the related number of likes and comments. The products with the most likes and comments appear first.