Index:
1. Overview
2. File Formats/Delimiters
3. File Header
4. Field Definitions
5. Example Product Feed
6. System Upload
7. Rules
1. Overview
Product feeds are an important piece of your affiliate marketing lifecycle, giving publishers access to the most up-to-date information on your products and inventory. This document provides you with step-by-step instructions to uploading your advanced product feed into the platform. Please note that our platform accepts numerous feed formats and can convert a feed that you might currently have into our preferred format.
This document assists advertisers in uploading an advanced product feed to Ascend.
2. File Formats/Delimiters/Encoding
The tab delimiter is the preferred way to delimit fields within a product feed. The supported file encoding type is ISO 8859-1/Latin-1.
Example:
field1\Tfield2\Tfield3\T...
\T represents the tab character
3. File Header
The feed header must contain a list of the available columns in the order submitted.
Example:
name\Tsku\Tbuy_url\Timage_url\Tdescription_short\Tdescription_long\Tprice_sale\Tprice\Tkeywords\Tmanufacturer\Tcategory_network
\T represents the tab character
4. Field Definitions
Name | Requirement | Description | Example | Data Type (Length) |
---|---|---|---|---|
age_range | Suggested age range | 10-14 | character(32) | |
artist | Media artist | The Beatles | character(128) | |
aspect_ratio | Screen aspect ratio | 16:9 | character(16) | |
author | Media author | John Steinbeck | character(128) | |
battery_life | Battery life | 3 | character(32) | |
binding | Book binding | hardcover | character(32) | |
buy_url | Required | Destination URL | http://site.com/product | character(2000) |
category_network | Ascend specific category (sub categories optionally delimited by '') | apparel pants | character(256) | |
category_program | Recommended | Merchant specific category (sub categories optionally delimited by '') | apparel pants | character(256) |
color | Color of item | green | character(32) | |
color_output | Whether output is color or not | yes | enum('yes','no') | |
condition | Recommended | Condition | new | character(64) |
description_long | Required | Long description | Computing device that makes direct use of quantum mechanical phenomena. The fundamental building block of this computer is the qubit. | character(2000) |
description_short | Short description | Computing device that makes direct use of quantum mechanical phenomena. | character(512) | |
director | Movie director | Steven Spielberg | character(128) | |
discontinued | Whether product is discontinued or not | yes | enum('yes','no') | |
display_type | Display type | LCD | character(32) | |
edition | Media edition | collectors | character(32) | |
expiration_date | Expiration date | 2009-04-04 | YYYY-MM-DD | |
features | Special features | machine washable | character(128) | |
focus_type | Focus type | manual | character(128) | |
format | Format | DVD | character(64) | |
functions | Functions | photo capability | character(64) | |
genre | Genre | Rock and Roll | character(64) | |
heel_height | Heel height | 1.5 inches | character(32) | |
height | Height | 28 inches | character(32) | |
image_thumb_url | Recommended | Thumbnail image URL | http://site.com/thumb/image.jpg | character(2000) |
image_url | Required | Standard image URL | http://site.com/image.jpg | character(2000) |
installation | Installation type | free standing | character(64) | |
in_stock | Whether product is in stock or not | yes | enum('yes','no') | |
isbn | Book ISBN | 0123456789 | character(64) | |
keywords | Recommended | Space separated list of keywords | quantum qubit computing | character(256) |
length | Length | 3 feet | character(32) | |
load_type | Load type | top | character(32) | |
location | Shipping location | Dallas, TX | character(64) | |
made_in | Manufacturing country | USA | character(64) | |
manufacturer | Recommended | Manufacturer or brand | Sony | character(128) |
material | Construction material | graphite | character(128) | |
megapixels | Megapixels | 7.2 | decimal(9,2) | |
memory_capacity | Memory capacity | 8 gigabytes | character(64) | |
memory_card_slot | Memory card slot type | bluetooth | character(32) | |
memory_type | Memory type | flash | character(64) | |
model_number | Model number | 442244 | character(128) | |
mpn | Manufacturer part number | HMC4415AA | character(128) | |
name | Required | Name or title | cutlery set | character(128) |
occasion | Recommended usage occasion | Thanksgiving | character(128) | |
operating_system | Operating system | Linux | character(128) | |
optical_drive | Optical drive type | CD-RW | character(64) | |
pages | Number of pages | 425 | integer(11) | |
payment_accepted | Accepted payment methods | cash/check | character(128) | |
payment_notes | Additional payment notes | POD | character(256) | |
platform | Platform | Nintendo Wii | character(64) | |
price | Required | Selling price | 15.00 | decimal(9,2) |
price_retail | Manufacturer suggested retail price | 17.50 | decimal(9,2) | |
price_sale | Discount price | 12.50 | decimal(9,2) | |
price_shipping | Shipping price | 2.50 | decimal(9,2) | |
processor | Processor type | Intel | character(64) | |
publisher | Publisher | Pinnacle Publishing | character(128) | |
quantity_in_stock | Number of items in stock | 144 | integer(11) | |
rating | Rating | G | character(32) | |
recommended_usage | Recommended usage | home | character(128) | |
resolution | Screen resolution | 1080p | character(64) | |
screen_size | Screen size | 52 inches | character(32) | |
shipping_method | Shipping methods | ground | character(64) | |
shoe_size | Shoe size | 12 | character(32) | |
shoe_width | Shoe Width | wide | character(32) | |
size | Size | large | character(32) | |
sku | Recommended | Stock keeping unit | 45588977 | character(128) |
staring | Staring actors | Big Bird | character(128) | |
style | Style | formal | character(64) | |
tech_spec_url | Technical Specifications URL | http://site.com/specs/product | character(2000) | |
tracks | Total number of tracks | 12 | integer(11) | |
upc | Recommended | Universal product code | 434724479304 | character(128) |
weight | Weight | 10 pounds | character(32) | |
width | Width | 2 feet | character(32) | |
wireless_interface | Wireless interface | bluetooth | character(32) | |
year | Year of manufacture - YYYY | 2001 | integer(4) | |
zoom | Maximum zoom | 3x | character(32) |
5. System Upload
In order to upload a product feed to Ascend, the feed must be available via HTTP GET. The Ascend data-transfer system will constantly refresh product data by downloading from the advertiser-specified URL.
6. Rules
- The buy_url field must be unique.
- All data within the product feed must be plain text format. HTML tags, CSS, and Javascript are NOT permitted.
- The file header must be present as the first line of the product feed.
- The product feeds must reside on a web accessible location via HTTP GET.
- No blank rows (records) are allowed.
- Every column (field) of each product record must be present if it is specified in the header. If there is not any data available for a field, it must be left blank.
7. Example Product Feed
Check out an example product feed below as a resource for building your own feed. Note: The file below is in .xlsx format. However, the must be converted into a .csv file before making it available for upload into Ascend.
- Sample Feed.xlsx10 KB