Awin XML product feed specifications and field mapping guide

Overview of Awin XML product feeds

The Awin XML product feed is a structured data format used by merchants to syndicate product information to the Awin affiliate network. Awin is a global affiliate marketing platform that connects merchants with publishers and affiliates who promote their products. By providing product data in Awin's XML format, merchants enable affiliates to access accurate, up-to-date product information for promotional activities.

Merchants use Awin XML feeds to:

• Distribute product catalogues to thousands of affiliated publishers and content creators.
• Ensure affiliates have current pricing, availability, and product descriptions.
• Improve affiliate conversion rates by providing rich product data (images, ratings, specifications).
• Maintain compliance with Awin's data quality standards, which directly affect approval rates and visibility in affiliate marketing campaigns.
• Support multi-currency and multi-language product syndication across international markets.

The XML structure allows Awin to parse, validate, and distribute your product data reliably across its network. Feed quality directly impacts how often your products appear in affiliate promotions and how effectively affiliates can market them.

Core product identification fields

These fields uniquely identify and locate each product in your catalogue.

Pricing and availability fields

These fields control how your products appear in price comparisons and affiliate campaigns.

Product description and content fields

These fields provide the detailed information affiliates use in their marketing materials.

Image and media fields

Product images are critical for affiliate marketing performance. Affiliates use these images in blog posts, social media, and product listings.

Ratings and reviews fields

Social proof significantly impacts affiliate conversion rates.

Categorical and organisational fields

These fields help Awin and affiliates organise and filter your products.

Operational and metadata fields

These fields manage feed updates, tracking, and integration logistics.

Feed structure and XML format

Awin XML feeds follow this basic structure:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<products>
  <product>
    <pid>12345</pid>
    <name>Example Product</name>
    <purl>https://example.com/product/12345</purl>
    <price>29.99</price>
    <currency>GBP</currency>
    <brand>Example Brand</brand>
    <category>Electronics > Accessories</category>
    <desc>Detailed product description here.</desc>
    <imgurl>https://example.com/images/product-12345.jpg</imgurl>
    <instock>Y</instock>
    <ean>1234567890123</ean>
    <delcost>4.99</delcost>
    <deltime>2-3 days</deltime>
    <condition>New</condition>
  </product>
  <product>
    <!-- Additional products -->
  </product>
</products>

Each <product> block represents one product. Fields are nested as XML elements. Omit fields with no data rather than leaving them empty.

Required versus optional fields

Awin mandates the following fields for feed acceptance:

• pid
• purl
• name
• price
• currency
• brand
• instock

All other fields are optional but strongly recommended. Including optional fields like desc, imgurl, reviews, and average_rating improves product visibility and affiliate conversion rates.

Practical implementation guidance

Setting up your feed

1. Export your product catalogue from your e-commerce platform or product information management (PIM) system.
2. Map your internal product fields to Awin XML fields. Use the field reference above to determine which of your data maps to each Awin field.
3. Validate the XML structure using an XML validator or Awin's feed validation tool. Check for missing required fields, invalid URLs, and malformed XML.
4. Set up an automated feed generation process that exports your catalogue on a regular schedule (daily or weekly, depending on how often your product data changes).
5. Host the feed at a stable, publicly accessible URL. Awin fetches the feed from this location on a schedule you define.
6. Submit the feed URL to Awin via your merchant dashboard. Awin will test the feed and notify you of any errors.
7. Monitor feed health regularly. Check Awin's feed status dashboard for rejection reasons, missing fields, or data quality issues.

Data quality and validation

Feed quality directly affects approval rates and affiliate performance. Follow these practices:

• Validate all URLs before including them in the feed. Test that purl, imgurl, and basket_link are accessible and return HTTP 200 status codes.
• Ensure price and currency are always populated and match your website. Mismatched prices cause affiliate systems to reject or ignore products.
• Keep product names concise (50 - 100 characters) and descriptive. Avoid generic names like 'Product' or 'Item'.
• Include high-quality images at least 400 x 400 pixels. Blurry, low-resolution, or placeholder images reduce affiliate engagement.
• Update instock status immediately when inventory changes. Out-of-stock products should be marked with instock='N' within hours of selling out.
• Maintain consistent brand names across your feed. Variations (e.g. 'Sony' vs. 'SONY') fragment your product data.
• Use standard category names from Awin's category taxonomy. Custom or misspelled categories reduce discoverability.

Multi-currency and multi-language feeds

If you sell internationally, create separate feed instances for each currency and language:

• Use the lang field to indicate the language of text fields (name, desc, keywords).
• Generate a separate feed file for each currency (e.g. awin_feed_gbp.xml, awin_feed_eur.xml).
• Ensure currency codes match the actual selling price in that market. Do not convert prices within a single feed.
• Submit each feed URL to Awin separately. Awin will distribute the appropriate feed to affiliates in each market.

Handling product variants

For products with multiple variants (colours, sizes, materials), you have two options:

1. Create a separate product entry for each variant with a unique pid. Link them using parentpid or item_group_id to show they are related.
2. Include all variants in a single desc or spec field and note 'Available in multiple colours' or 'Multiple sizes available'.

Option 1 is preferred because it allows affiliates to promote specific variants and track sales by variant.

Optimising for affiliate performance

Beyond data accuracy, these practices improve how often affiliates promote your products:

• Include detailed descriptions (500 - 1000 characters). Affiliates use these in blog posts and product reviews. Keywords in descriptions improve organic search visibility when affiliates publish content.
• Populate all image fields. Affiliates with multiple product images generate 30 - 50% higher click-through rates.
• Include reviews and average_rating. Products with ratings above 4.0 and 10+ reviews convert significantly higher.
• Use the promotext field for limited-time offers or unique selling points. Examples: 'Free shipping on orders over £50', 'Award-winning design'.
• Set validfrom and validto for time-sensitive promotions. Affiliates can schedule campaigns around your offer windows.
• Include the saving field for discounted products. Highlighting savings increases affiliate promotion frequency.
• Populate warranty information for high-value or technical products. Warranty details reduce purchase hesitation.

Feed refresh frequency

Update your feed based on how often your product data changes:

• Daily refresh: Recommended for retailers with frequent price changes, inventory fluctuations, or seasonal products.
• Weekly refresh: Suitable for stable catalogues with infrequent updates.
• Monthly refresh: Acceptable for slow-moving or non-perishable product categories.

More frequent updates keep affiliate data current and improve conversion rates. However, excessive updates (every hour) provide diminishing returns and may trigger Awin's rate-limiting policies.

Common issues and troubleshooting

Summary

The Awin XML product feed is a critical channel for syndicate your products to thousands of affiliates. By providing accurate, detailed, and frequently updated product data, you enable affiliates to promote your products effectively and drive conversions.

Focus on the core required fields first (pid, purl, name, price, currency, brand, instock), then progressively add optional fields like images, descriptions, ratings, and promotional details. Validate your feed regularly, monitor Awin's health dashboard, and refresh your data frequently to maintain data quality.

A well-maintained Awin feed directly improves affiliate performance, visibility, and revenue. Invest time in feed setup and optimisation to maximise the return on your affiliate partnerships.