The workflow at a glance
- Audit product data
- Map XML fields
- Generate and validate a sample
- Publish and monitor
What we need before implementation
- Merchant account and feed specification
- Stable product identifiers
- Clear price and delivery policies
- Public product and image URLs
At a glance
A BestPrice connection organizes product information from an online shop into an XML feed. It aims to keep items, prices and delivery expectations accurate. This is a catalogue workflow for a comparison service, not a general marketplace order-import system. The underlying shop data needs to be coherent before a reliable export can be established and monitored.
Product identifiers must remain stable
Every product needs a unique, persistent productId. An old identifier must not be reassigned to a different item when the catalogue changes. Sizes, pack quantities and variants deserve particular attention: the feed entry must correspond to the actual product reached by the visitor. The commercial team should confirm the mapping rather than assuming that similar titles always describe an identical purchasable item.
Make titles, categories and images specific
A title describes the actual item rather than a broad family. We preserve a complete category path and the relevant manufacturer identifiers. Product URLs must open without signing in and images must be publicly retrievable. A migration can leave broken image links or outdated product destinations, so these are checked before a refreshed feed is allowed to replace an existing export.
Represent the actual price and delivery cost
Feed prices include VAT. A product shipping field can provide item-level delivery charges; when absent, the merchant platform uses its general shipping rule. We avoid exporting a price that depends on an undisclosed condition. Checkout pricing and delivery policies are reviewed alongside the export so a visitor does not reach the store and discover a materially different purchase offer.
Example: small accessories and bulky appliances
Imagine a homeware shop selling both small accessories and large appliances. One delivery charge for every item may create misleading expectations. The export uses a consistent price format while applying the agreed delivery policy by product group. Only items with a checked destination page, usable image and clear delivery estimate are published. Missing critical information produces an actionable report for staff rather than an invented value. This hypothetical example illustrates data preparation, not a customer result or guaranteed traffic increase.
Publish complete files and monitor changes
The feed is generated from the shop data and becomes public only after successful completion. A failed build should leave the last valid file available. Tests cover unavailable stock, Greek characters, decimal values and several shipping scenarios. Monitoring includes generation time and record count; an abrupt drop in products needs investigation before it is accepted as a normal catalogue change. Staff should be able to identify rejected or incomplete entries and correct the source record.
Acceptance checks before launch
- No reuse of product identifiers
- Matching feed and page prices
- Correct Greek character encoding
- No partially written public files
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