Create a Data File
A data file is a comma-separated values (CSV) that maps product data to its images for indexing. This file is used for bulk importing data into the system for initial set up, or for medium to large sets of changes.
File Format
Your data file should start with a header row, with data rows following beneath the header. The following table describes the supported header columns:
| Column Header | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ID* | 10001 | Required The unique identifier of the product. This may also be the part number. |
| PARTNUMBER | SKU-ABC123 | Optional The part number of the product used for informational purposes only. |
| NAME | Quick Dry T-shirt | Optional The name of the product. This is used to help search relevancy. |
| DESCRIPTION | Moisture-wicking performance top. Blue. Polyester-blend. | Optional The description of the product. Use sentences or keywords that help describe the product. This is used to help search relevancy. |
| DELETE | true or false | Optional Whether or not to delete the product from the index, instead of adding/updating it. Default is false. |
| IMAGEPATH1* | clothing/tops/10001_front.jpg | Required The relative path to the image file uploaded to the SFTP server. |
| IMAGEPATH2 … IMAGEPATHX | clothing/tops/10001_back.jpg | Optional Additional paths to the images uploaded to the SFTP server to associate with this product. The maximum number of images is limited by the subscription plan. |
Optional columns do not need to appear in the CSV if they are not being used.
Example File
ID,PARTNUMBER,NAME,DESCRIPTION,IMAGEPATH1,IMAGEPATH2,IMAGEPATH3,IMAGEPATH4,IMAGEPATH5
10001,BD-BEDS-0001,Twin Bunk Bed,A functional and space-saving twin bunk bed that helps extend the sleeping space in your child's bedroom.,bedroom/beds/bed1_a1_600.jpg,,,,
10002,BD-BEDS-0002,Sleepy Head Elegant Queen Bed,Elegant queen bed for your master bedroom.,bedroom/beds/bed2_a1_600.jpg,bedroom/beds/bed2_a2_600.jpg,,,
10003,BD-BEDS-0003,Sleepy Head Storytime Double Bed,Kids low double bed made of wood.,bedroom/beds/bed3_a1_600.jpg,bedroom/beds/bed3_a2_600.jpg,,,
10004,BD-BEDS-0004,Sleepy Head Low Key Double Bed,Very low design double bed.,bedroom/beds/bed4_a1_600.jpg,bedroom/beds/bed4_a2_600.jpg,,,
10005,BD-DRSS-0001,Style Home Large Ash Wood Chest of Drawers,"Color: Brown, Grey, Warm Brown. Large 4 drawer chest of drawer made of ash wood.",bedroom/dressers/beddress1_a1_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress1_a2_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress1_b1_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress1_b2_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress1_c1_600.jpg
10006,BD-DRSS-0002,Stonehenge Closet Chest of Drawers,"Color: Blonde, Light Grey, Warm Brown, Brown. Medium width chest of drawer with 7 drawers.",bedroom/dressers/beddress2_a1_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress2_a2_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress2_b1_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress2_b2_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress2_c1_600.jpg
10007,BD-DRSS-0003,Style Home Intree Chest of Drawers,"Color: Blonde, Light Grey, Toffee, Brown. A modern chest of drawer with 6 split width drawer made of Maple wood.",bedroom/dressers/beddress3_a1_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress3_a2_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress3_b1_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress3_b2_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress3_c1_600.jpg
10008,BD-DRSS-0004,Stonehenge Large Elegant Wardrobe,"Color: Honey, Light Grey, Brown. A very large beautifully designed wardrobe with 2 drawers and 2 compartments.",bedroom/dressers/beddress4_a1_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress4_a2_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress4_b1_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress4_b2_600.jpg,bedroom/dressers/beddress4_c1_600.jpg
10009,BR-ACCE-0001,Makeup Mirror,Color: Chrome. A modern makeup mirror that sits elegantly on any bathroom counter.,bathroom/accessories/bathacc1_a1_600.jpg,bathroom/accessories/bathacc1_a2_600.jpg,bathroom/accessories/bathacc1_a3_600.jpg,,
10010,BR-ACCE-0002,Bender Wall Toothbrush Holder,Modern toothbrush holder that mounts to any wall.,bathroom/accessories/bathacc2_a1_600.jpg,bathroom/accessories/bathacc2_a2_600.jpg,,,
If special characters like commas appear in any of the fields, the value should be surrounded by double quotes. Double quotes can be escaped with an additional double quote.
For example, "Available in colors blue, red, purple." or "The ""BEST"" Product".
Using spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel to help create and manage large data files are great, but make sure you review the output CSV when saving changes. Numeric identifiers and dates commonly get formatted incorrectly.
Data File Considerations
When creating a data file with product information, be aware of the following considerations
Row Limit
A data file has a limit of 10,000 rows, excluding the header row. As a result, if you have more than 10,000 products to process, split the data into multiple files.
Full vs. Delta Files
During the initial setup, you would want to create a data file with your entire (full) product data. This ensures that the system captures your entire catalog.
However, for ongoing updates, you should consider creating data files with only changed (delta) product data. Using delta files provides two main benefits:
- Processing of the data file occurs faster and therefore, search results are reflected faster.
- Your monthly API request budget is not wasted on data that has not changed. For example, let's say you have a product catalog of 5,000 products and images. Indexing the full data file would use 5,000 requests from your monthly budget. If only 10 products change, using a delta file with those 10 products would use 10 requests from your monthly budget. No need to waste 4,990 requests for products that remain the same.
Next Steps
Once your data file is created,