The products that viewers see in your videos come from the product feeds you provide. To build a good foundation for your video commerce experience, follow each part below:
1. Requirements - Review the acceptable product feed data formats
2. Import a Product Feed - Map product fields and save them as a template
3. Schedule a Product Feed - Edit the update schedule
Requirements
Product Feed Data Formats
TVPage accepts the following files:
- Google Shopping XML or CSV
- Custom CSV
- TSV
- Pipe-delimited
- Commerce Platform generated files (eg. Oracle, Demandware, IBM, Magento, Hybris, etc.)
We can receive data via:
- FTP (TVPage provides credentials)
- SFTP (TVPage provides credentials)
- HTTP (URL required)
- HTTPS (URL required)
FTP/SFTP Product Feed Update Methods
Product feeds that are provided via FTP/SFTP can be received and processed in 2 different methods:
- Time Based (Every 24 Hours): Our system will check for new files added to your account every 24 hours. When a new file is detected, a job is triggered and an import job is performed. Any new or updated product data is then reflected within the TVPage Dashboard. This method has the potential for a product update "lag" time of up to 24 hours.
- Single File: Our system will "watch" a specific file within your FTP/SFTP account for changes/updates. When a change is detected, a notification is sent to our API to trigger a product import job. This is a near realtime process with minimal latency to processing the update.
Note: These 2 methods are specific to FTP/SFTP imports. If you choose to utilize the HTTP/HTTPS method, your product feed will be accessed and imported directly into TVPage on a 24 hour schedule by default and can be adjusted as needed for greater frequency.
Product Data Feed Columns
The following fields are required within the product feed:
- title (Name of the product)
- referenceId (SKU or unique identifier)
- linkUrl (Absolute URL to the product)
- imageUrl (Absolute URL for the product image)
- category (Product category)*
- description (Product description)
- upc (Universal Product Code) or gtin (Global Trade Identification Number)
- mpn (Manufacturer's Part Number)
Additional recommended fields within the product feed:
- brand (Product brand)
- price (Current product price)
- in stock (Product availability)
- tags (Product keywords)
*Product Category needs to contain the full path. For example: Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Outerwear > Coats & Jackets. It is preferable to also send each category level in individual fields separate from the full path field. For example:
- Category_1:Apparel & Accessories
- Category_2:Clothing
- Category_3:Outerwear
- Category_4:Coats & Jackets
Scheduling
In addition, product feeds need to be imported and updated regularly to ensure correct stock & inventory status. To meet this requirement, a product feed has a default update schedule after it is created. You can change the update schedule at any time in the Schedule Manager.
Import a Product Feed
1. Go to CONTENT > PRODUCTS > ADD PRODUCT > Upload Product File. This launches the product file import wizard.
2. Click Browse Files to select your file, then click Upload.
Field Mapping
1. Once you import the file, you are directed to DATA CONFIGURATION interface. Make sure you set the appropriate:
- Delimiter - Sets the delimiter of the CSV file (comma, tab, and pipe)
- Enclosure - Sets the field enclosure character (single_quote, double_quote, and none)
- Data Source - Choose the preexisting default data source or a custom one
2. 'Map' or match the product fields according to the ones in your feed (items marked with * are required).
Certain optional fields enable more robust TVPage functionality, such as attribute matching, Merchandising Engine, and VCE Display Logic. For this reason, the best approach is to map as many relevant product data fields as possible, because you can leverage these fields in the future without having to revisit the product feed configuration and field mapping process.
Field Templates
1. Name and save the mapping configuration before importing the feed. This is so you can use the mapping configuration as a template in case you have to re-upload a feed.
2. Once you are done, click Confirm and Import. An import job is launched and your products will be available within a few minutes on the dashboard depending on the product quantity.
Schedule a Product Feed
Go to Schedule Manager to customize the sync schedule of your product feed.