What is the Awin Product Feed?
The Awin product feed is a structured data format that merchants use to distribute product information across the Awin affiliate network. Awin is one of the largest performance marketing networks, connecting merchants with thousands of publishers and affiliates who promote products in exchange for commission. Your product feed is the foundation of this distribution. It contains all the product data that affiliates need to create compelling promotions, and it directly affects whether your products appear in affiliate campaigns, price comparison tools, and publisher content.
Merchants submit their product data via feed to Awin's platform. Awin then validates, processes, and makes that data available to affiliates. The quality and completeness of your feed directly impacts approval rates, visibility in affiliate campaigns, and ultimately conversion performance. A poorly structured feed can result in products being rejected, incomplete listings, or reduced publisher interest.
Why Merchants Use Awin Product Feeds
Affiliates cannot promote products effectively without accurate, detailed product information. Your feed provides the single source of truth for all product attributes, pricing, availability, and categorisation. This matters because:
Affiliates use your feed data to create product listings on their own websites, blogs, and comparison platforms. If your feed is missing key details like colour options or stock status, affiliates cannot create complete listings, which reduces their ability to drive conversions. Publishers need product images, descriptions, and pricing to write compelling content. Incomplete feeds result in lower-quality affiliate content and fewer promotional opportunities.
Awin uses feed data to validate product eligibility against network policies and merchant agreements. Fields like condition, brand name, and category determine whether products meet approval criteria. Missing or incorrect data can trigger rejection.
Price and stock synchronisation keeps affiliate listings current. When you update your feed regularly, affiliates see real-time pricing and availability, which reduces customer friction at checkout and improves trust.
Product categorisation in your feed determines which affiliate publishers see your products. Incorrect or vague categories limit discoverability among relevant publishers.
Core Feed Fields and Implementation Requirements
Product Identification Fields
The aw_product_id is Awin's internal unique identifier for your product within their system. This is assigned by Awin when your product is first processed and approved. Do not generate or alter this value yourself. It remains constant across all updates and is used by Awin to track product history, performance metrics, and affiliate data associations. If you resubmit a product with the same merchant_product_id, Awin will match it to the existing aw_product_id and update the record rather than create a duplicate.
The merchant_product_id is your internal product identifier. This must be unique within your catalogue and consistent across every feed submission. This field is critical because Awin uses it to match incoming feed data to existing products. If you change your merchant_product_id for a product that is already live in Awin, the system will treat it as a new product and create a duplicate listing. Duplicates confuse affiliates, fragment performance data, and can trigger approval issues. Use a stable identifier like your internal SKU or product management system ID.
Product Naming and Description
The product_name field is the primary title displayed to affiliates and end customers. Keep this concise, descriptive, and keyword-rich. Include the brand, product type, and key variant information if space allows. For example: 'Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones, Black' is more useful to affiliates than 'Headphones'. Product names that are too generic, too long, or missing key details reduce affiliate engagement and may trigger quality checks.
The description field provides detailed product information. Use this space to explain product benefits, key features, materials, dimensions, and use cases. Affiliates use this content to write product reviews and comparison articles. A description that is too short or vague limits publisher creativity and reduces conversion potential. Aim for 150 to 300 words. Include relevant keywords naturally, but avoid keyword stuffing, which can trigger feed validation warnings. Ensure the description matches the actual product and does not make unsubstantiated claims.
The specifications field holds structured technical details. Include measurements, weight, power requirements, compatibility information, and other attributes that customers need to make purchase decisions. Format this clearly, using line breaks or structured notation. Affiliates often extract specifications directly into comparison tables, so clarity and accuracy are essential. Incomplete or incorrect specifications lead to customer complaints and reduced affiliate confidence.
Pricing Fields
The search_price is the price that Awin uses for product matching, filtering, and price comparison. This is typically your current selling price. Awin's price comparison tools and affiliate price feeds rely on this field to position your products competitively. If search_price is significantly higher than competitors, your products may be filtered out or deprioritised in affiliate listings. Keep this field updated with your active selling price, not a list price or recommended retail price.
The display_price is the price shown to end customers on affiliate websites. In most cases, this matches search_price. However, some merchants use display_price to show a promotional or formatted price while maintaining a different search_price for backend matching. Ensure display_price is always equal to or lower than search_price to avoid customer confusion at checkout.
The product_price_old is the previous or recommended retail price. Use this to show discounts and create urgency. Affiliates display this alongside current price to highlight savings. If you include product_price_old, ensure it is genuinely higher than your current price and was your actual previous price. Awin may flag inflated old prices as misleading. This field is optional but recommended for promotional products.
The currency field specifies the currency code for all prices in the feed (for example, GBP, EUR, USD). This must match the currency of your merchant account with Awin. If your prices are in pounds sterling, use GBP. Awin uses this field to validate pricing data and to convert prices for cross-border affiliate campaigns. Mismatched currency codes can cause price validation failures and feed rejection.
Availability and Stock
The in_stock field is a boolean (true or false) that indicates whether the product is currently available for purchase. This is one of the most critical fields for feed quality. When in_stock is false, Awin marks the product as out of stock and many affiliates will not promote it. If you leave in_stock as true for products that are actually unavailable, customers will attempt to purchase and encounter errors, damaging trust and generating complaints.
Update in_stock accurately and frequently. Ideally, sync your feed daily or in real-time. If your inventory system allows, integrate your feed submission with your stock management system so that changes are reflected immediately.
The stock_quantity field indicates how many units are available. This is optional but valuable. Affiliates use this information to gauge product availability and urgency. If stock_quantity is very low, publishers may emphasise scarcity in their content. If stock_quantity is zero but in_stock is true, Awin's validation system will flag this as a data conflict and may reject the product or trigger a quality warning.
Product Categorisation
The category_name field is Awin's standard product category. Awin maintains a fixed taxonomy of categories (for example, 'Clothing', 'Electronics', 'Home and Garden'). You must select from Awin's predefined list. Using an incorrect or non-existent category will cause feed validation to fail. Consult Awin's category documentation to identify the correct parent category for your products. Miscategorised products may be rejected or hidden from relevant affiliate publishers.
The merchant_category is your internal product category or subcategory. This provides additional context and allows Awin to refine product matching. For example, if Awin's category_name is 'Electronics' and your merchant_category is 'Wireless Headphones', Awin can use this to match your product to affiliates specialising in audio equipment. merchant_category does not replace category_name; it supplements it. Provide a clear, specific value that describes your product type within your own taxonomy.
Product Attributes
The colour field specifies the product colour or colour variant. If your product is available in multiple colours, create a separate feed entry for each colour variant, each with its own merchant_product_id and colour value. Do not list all colours in a single entry. Separate entries allow affiliates to promote specific colours and allow customers to filter by colour. Ensure colour values are consistent and match your website (for example, 'Black', 'Navy Blue', not 'Blk' or 'dark blue'). Inconsistent colour naming fragments your product data and confuses customers.
The brand_name is the manufacturer or brand of the product. This must be accurate and match the actual brand. Awin uses brand_name for affiliate filtering, price comparison, and brand-specific campaigns. If you list an incorrect brand, your products may be excluded from brand-specific affiliate promotions and may trigger approval warnings. For own-brand products, use your company name or brand name consistently.
The product_type further specifies the product category. For example, if category_name is 'Clothing', product_type might be 'T-Shirt' or 'Jeans'. This helps affiliates narrow product selection and improves searchability. Use clear, standard product types that match industry conventions.
The condition field indicates the product state: 'New', 'Refurbished', or 'Used'. Most products are 'New'. If you sell refurbished or second-hand items, specify the condition clearly. Awin uses this field for approval checks and affiliate filtering. Misrepresenting condition (for example, marking a used item as new) violates network policies and can result in account suspension.
Product Identification and Specifications
The mpn (Manufacturer Part Number) is the part number assigned by the product manufacturer. This is used for product matching, verification, and comparison. If your product has an MPN, include it. Awin may use MPN to validate that you are selling genuine products and to match your product data with external product databases. An incorrect or missing MPN for a branded product can trigger authenticity checks.
The product_model is the model name or number assigned by the manufacturer. For example, 'iPhone 15 Pro' or 'RTX 4090'. Include this field for all products that have a distinct model designation. Affiliates use model information to create specific product comparisons and reviews. Omitting product_model for products that have a well-known model makes it harder for affiliates to write targeted content.
The merchant_image_url is the URL of the product image displayed to affiliates and customers. This must be a direct link to the image file (for example, https://example.com/images/product-123.jpg). The image should be high-quality, at least 500 pixels in width, and show the product clearly. Awin may validate image URLs and reject broken links. Ensure images are hosted on a reliable server and remain available. Poor-quality, missing, or broken images reduce affiliate confidence and decrease conversion rates. Use consistent image sizes and formats across your feed.
Practical Optimisation and Validation Guidelines
Feed Structure and Submission
Submit your feed in the format specified by Awin (typically XML or CSV). Validate your feed against Awin's schema before submission. Use Awin's feed validator tool to check for missing required fields, invalid data types, and formatting errors. Common validation failures include:
Missing required fields (product_name, merchant_product_id, search_price, in_stock, category_name).
Invalid currency codes or price formats (for example, including currency symbols in the price field).
Broken image URLs or images that are too small.
Invalid category_name values that do not match Awin's taxonomy.
Duplicate merchant_product_ids within a single feed.
Inconsistent data types (for example, in_stock as 'yes' instead of true/false).
Data Consistency and Updates
Maintain consistency across feeds. Do not change merchant_product_id, brand_name, or category_name for existing products unless absolutely necessary. Changes to these core fields can cause data mismatches and duplicate listings.
Update prices and stock_quantity frequently. If you update prices weekly but your affiliates see outdated prices, they will lose trust. Synchronise price updates at least daily, ideally in real-time.
Review your feed regularly for data quality. Check for missing descriptions, broken image links, or incomplete specifications. Use Awin's reporting tools to identify products with high rejection rates or low affiliate engagement, then investigate and correct the underlying data.
Affiliate-Friendly Data
Write product names and descriptions with affiliates in mind. Affiliates need enough detail to create engaging content. A vague product_name like 'Blue Shirt' does not help an affiliate write a comparison article. A detailed name like 'Uniqlo Airism Cotton Crew Neck T-Shirt, Indigo, Size M' gives affiliates the information they need.
Include all relevant product attributes. If your product is available in multiple sizes, colours, or configurations, create separate feed entries for each variant. Do not list all variants in a single description. Separate entries allow affiliates to link directly to the specific variant a customer wants.
Ensure prices are competitive and accurate. Affiliates compare your prices against competitors. If your prices are significantly higher without justification, affiliates will deprioritise your products. If your prices are incorrect in the feed, customers will encounter mismatches at checkout, which damages trust.
Approval and Quality Checks
Awin reviews feeds for policy compliance and data quality. Products may be rejected or flagged if:
Required fields are missing or incomplete.
Product data is inaccurate or misleading (for example, inflated old prices, false claims in descriptions).
The product violates Awin network policies (for example, restricted categories, prohibited items).
Images are broken, low-quality, or do not match the product description.
Pricing is inconsistent with the product's actual value.
Condition is misrepresented.
To avoid rejection, ensure all required fields are populated accurately, use Awin's approved category taxonomy, write honest and detailed descriptions, and verify that your images are high-quality and accessible.
Synchronising Merchant Product IDs and Awin IDs
Understanding the relationship between merchant_product_id and aw_product_id is critical for feed management. When you submit a product to Awin for the first time with a merchant_product_id of 'SKU-12345', Awin processes and approves the product, then assigns it an aw_product_id (for example, '9876543'). This aw_product_id is Awin's permanent internal reference.
When you resubmit your feed, Awin matches incoming merchant_product_ids to existing aw_product_ids. If your merchant_product_id matches a product already in Awin's system, the feed update modifies the existing product. If the merchant_product_id is new, Awin creates a new product and assigns a new aw_product_id.
If you change a merchant_product_id for an existing product (for example, renaming 'SKU-12345' to 'SKU-12345-NEW'), Awin will not recognise the match and will create a duplicate product with a new aw_product_id. The old product will remain in the system (now with no incoming feed data) and the new product will be treated as a separate listing. This fragments your performance data, confuses affiliates, and can trigger duplicate content warnings.
To avoid this, maintain a stable mapping between your internal product IDs and the merchant_product_ids you submit to Awin. If you must change an ID, contact Awin support to request a manual merge or ID update.
Summary
The Awin product feed is the core mechanism for distributing your product data to thousands of affiliate publishers. Each field serves a specific purpose in product discovery, approval, and promotion. Required fields like product_name, merchant_product_id, search_price, in_stock, and category_name must be accurate and complete. Optional but valuable fields like specifications, product_price_old, and stock_quantity enhance affiliate engagement and conversion potential.
Optimising your feed means:
Maintaining accurate, detailed product information across all fields.
Keeping prices and stock status updated regularly.
Using Awin's approved category taxonomy and consistent product identifiers.
Providing high-quality images and comprehensive descriptions that help affiliates create compelling content.
Validating your feed before submission and monitoring for rejection or quality warnings.
A well-maintained Awin feed increases affiliate confidence, improves product visibility, and directly supports revenue growth through the affiliate channel. Invest time in data quality and consistency, and your feed will serve as a reliable foundation for affiliate promotions.