What is CJ Affiliate and why use product feeds
CJ Affiliate is a performance marketing network that connects merchants with publishers and affiliates who promote products across multiple channels. To participate, merchants submit product data via structured feeds that populate affiliate storefronts, comparison sites, and promotional channels.
Product feeds on CJ Affiliate serve as the single source of truth for your product catalogue. When you submit accurate, complete feed data, your products appear in more affiliate-driven sales channels, reach wider audiences, and qualify for better promotional placement. Poor feed quality results in rejected products, suppressed visibility, or account restrictions.
The CJ Affiliate feed accepts product data in multiple formats. Most merchants use XML or CSV files submitted via SFTP, API, or the platform's web interface. The network validates feeds daily and flags products that fail data quality checks.
Core product identification fields
Every product in your CJ Affiliate feed must have unique, consistent identifiers. These fields prevent duplicate listings and ensure proper tracking when the same product appears across multiple channels.
The id field is a required, unique identifier for each product variant. Use the same id value consistently across all submissions. CJ Affiliate uses this to match incoming feed updates to existing products. If you change the id, the system treats it as a new product, creating duplicates and breaking historical performance data.
The gtin field holds the Global Trade Item Number (barcode). For most retail products, this is the 12 or 13-digit code printed on the packaging. Include this when available because many affiliate channels and comparison sites require gtin values for approval. Products without gtin often fail compliance checks or receive lower visibility. If your product has no barcode, leave this field blank rather than inventing a value.
The mpn field contains the manufacturer's part number. This identifier comes directly from the brand or supplier and uniquely identifies a product design or specification. Use mpn alongside gtin when both exist. Some products have mpn but no gtin (industrial goods, custom items), while others have both. The combination of gtin and mpn helps affiliate channels match your products to competitor listings and prevent duplicate entries.
The identifier_exists field tells CJ Affiliate whether your product has a valid gtin or mpn. Set this to 'true' if either identifier is present, 'false' if neither exists. This flag helps the network understand whether your product can be matched to external catalogues. Products lacking identifiers may be flagged as non-compliant depending on your vertical.
Product description and categorisation
The title field contains the product name displayed in affiliate listings. Keep titles concise, accurate, and under 150 characters. Include key attributes like colour, size, or material only if space permits. Avoid keyword stuffing, promotional language, or duplicate information. A clear title improves click-through rates because shoppers quickly understand what they are viewing.
The description field provides detailed product information. Use this space to explain features, benefits, materials, dimensions, and care instructions. Write for human readers, not search algorithms. Include information that helps buyers make purchasing decisions: 'Water-resistant nylon with reinforced stitching' is more useful than 'best bag ever'. Descriptions typically range from 100 to 500 words depending on product complexity. Affiliate sites often display descriptions in full, so quality matters for conversion.
The google_product_category field assigns your product to a standardised category recognised by Google and most affiliate networks. Use the official Google product taxonomy, which contains thousands of categories organised hierarchically. For example, 'Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Shirts' or 'Home & Garden > Furniture > Bedroom Furniture > Beds'. Incorrect categorisation causes products to appear in wrong search results or fail approval. Always verify the exact category path from Google's official taxonomy before submitting.
The product_type field is optional but recommended. Unlike google_product_category which follows a fixed taxonomy, product_type can contain your own category labels. Use this to reflect how you organise products internally. For example, 'Winter Coat' or 'Office Chair - Ergonomic'. This field helps affiliate partners understand your product structure and can improve filtering on their platforms.
The brand field contains the manufacturer or brand name. Always match the official brand name exactly as registered with the trademark office or manufacturer. Misspelled or inconsistent brand names cause matching failures in affiliate systems and confuse shoppers. If your product is a private label or own-brand item, use your company name or the exact label that appears on the product.
Pricing and availability
The price field contains the standard retail price. Express this as a decimal number with the currency code, for example '29.99 GBP' or '49.95 EUR'. This is the regular selling price, not discounted or promotional. CJ Affiliate uses this price as the baseline for comparing your offers against competitors. If price is missing or invalid, the product fails validation and does not appear in feeds.
The sale_price field holds a reduced price for limited-time promotions. Only populate this when you are running an active discount. Include the currency code and ensure sale_price is lower than price. When sale_price is present, affiliate channels display both prices and highlight the saving. Remove sale_price when the promotion ends, otherwise your product appears to always be on sale, reducing perceived value.
The availability field indicates stock status. Use one of these standardised values: 'in stock', 'out of stock', 'preorder', or 'backorder'. CJ Affiliate and its affiliate partners use this to decide whether to display your product. Out-of-stock products are typically hidden from most channels. Preorder and backorder items may be shown with special badges. Update availability daily if your inventory changes frequently. Incorrect availability causes customer frustration and abandoned orders.
The condition field describes the product state. Use 'new' for standard retail items, 'used' for second-hand goods, 'refurbished' for restored items, or 'certified refurbished' for professionally reconditioned products. Some vertical markets accept only 'new' condition. If you sell mixed condition items, use separate product entries with different id values for each condition.
Product attributes and variants
The item_group_id field groups related product variants under a single parent product. For example, if you sell a shirt in multiple colours and sizes, each variant gets its own id and price, but all share the same item_group_id. This tells affiliate systems that variants are related, allowing them to display a single product with colour or size selectors rather than many individual listings. Without item_group_id, each variant appears as a separate product, cluttering search results.
The color field specifies the product colour. Use standard colour names: 'red', 'blue', 'black', 'white', 'navy', 'forest green'. Avoid vague terms like 'multi-colour' unless the product genuinely has multiple colours. If a product has only one colour, you may leave this blank. Colour is critical for apparel and home goods because shoppers filter by this attribute. Incorrect or missing colour values reduce visibility in filtered searches.
The size field contains the product size. Format depends on product type: clothing uses 'XS', 'S', 'M', 'L', 'XL' or numeric sizes like '8', '10', '12'. Shoes use '5', '6', '7' or '5.5', '6.5'. Furniture uses dimensions like '120cm x 80cm'. Be consistent within your product category. If you sell multiple sizes, create separate product entries with different id values for each size, then link them with item_group_id.
The material field describes what the product is made from. Examples include 'cotton', 'polyester', 'leather', 'stainless steel', 'ceramic'. Include material composition for apparel (e.g., '100% cotton' or '80% polyester, 20% spandex'). This attribute helps shoppers with allergies or preferences find suitable products. Material information is especially important for home goods, furniture, and apparel.
The gender field indicates the intended audience. Use 'male', 'female', 'unisex', or 'all'. This applies to clothing, accessories, and personal care items. Leave blank for products with no gender focus. Correct gender classification improves targeting on affiliate channels and helps shoppers filter results.
The age_group field specifies the intended age range. Use 'newborn', 'infant', 'toddler', 'kids', 'teen', 'adult', or 'all'. This is essential for clothing, toys, and children's products. Incorrect age group classification can cause compliance issues, especially for products with safety regulations tied to age.
Images and links
The image_link field contains the URL of the main product image. Use a high-quality photograph showing the product clearly against a clean background. The image should be at least 300x300 pixels, preferably 800x800 or larger. Avoid watermarks, logos, or text overlays. CJ Affiliate and affiliate channels display this image in search results and product listings, so quality directly impacts click-through rates. If image_link is missing or broken, the product appears without a photo, drastically reducing visibility.
The additional_image_link field holds URLs for extra product images. Provide multiple images showing the product from different angles, in use, and with size or colour variations. Separate multiple URLs with commas. Affiliate platforms that support additional images display these in product detail pages, helping shoppers make purchase decisions. Products with multiple images typically have higher conversion rates than those with a single image.
The link field contains the URL to the product page on your website. This is where affiliate customers land when they click through from an affiliate channel. Ensure the link points directly to the product, not a category page or homepage. The page must load quickly, display accurate product information, and have a clear purchase path. Broken or incorrect links break the affiliate conversion chain and waste affiliate traffic.
The mobile_link field provides an alternative URL optimised for mobile devices. If your website automatically detects device type and serves mobile-optimised versions, you may leave this blank. If you have a separate mobile domain or subdomain, include the mobile URL here. CJ Affiliate sends affiliate traffic from both desktop and mobile devices, so mobile optimisation matters for conversion.
Shipping and special attributes
The shipping_weight field specifies the product weight for shipping calculation. Express this as a decimal number with the unit, for example '2.5 kg' or '5 lbs'. Accurate weight helps affiliate partners estimate shipping costs and display them to customers. Incorrect weight causes shipping cost surprises and cart abandonment. Include packaging weight if your fulfilment system charges for it.
The multipack field indicates how many units are in a single product. Use a number like '3' for a three-pack, '12' for a dozen. Leave blank for single items. This helps affiliate channels understand product quantity and price per unit. A three-pack at £9.99 has a different value than a single item at £9.99, so multipack information prevents customer confusion.
The is_bundle field marks products that combine multiple items into one offer. Set to 'true' if the product is a bundle, 'false' or leave blank if it is a single item. Bundles are common in electronics (e.g., laptop plus case plus software) and home goods (e.g., bedding sets). Marking bundles correctly helps affiliate channels apply appropriate promotional rules and prevents mismatched pricing.
The adult field flags products with adult content or age restrictions. Set to 'true' only for products explicitly marketed to adults (e.g., adult entertainment, alcohol, tobacco-related items, weapons). Most affiliate networks restrict promotion of adult products, so incorrect flagging can cause account issues. When in doubt, set to 'false'.
Custom labels and feed optimisation
CJ Affiliate provides three custom label fields: custom_label_0, custom_label_1, and custom_label_2. These fields allow you to add your own metadata to products for internal tracking and affiliate partner filtering. Use custom labels to mark products by margin level, promotional status, seasonal category, or internal SKU grouping.
For example, you might use custom_label_0 to mark 'high margin', 'standard margin', or 'clearance'. Affiliate partners can then filter by these labels to promote only high-margin products. Custom labels help you control which products appear in which affiliate channels and under what terms.
Practical feed submission and maintenance
Before submitting your first feed to CJ Affiliate, validate all data against the platform's requirements. Check that every product has a valid id, title, description, price, and link. Verify that google_product_category values match the official Google taxonomy exactly. Test all image_link and link URLs to confirm they return valid images and product pages.
Submit your feed via SFTP, API, or the web interface. CJ Affiliate processes feeds daily, usually overnight. After submission, check the validation report in your account dashboard. The report highlights errors, warnings, and rejected products. Common issues include missing required fields, invalid URLs, incorrect category paths, and duplicate ids. Fix these issues and resubmit.
Update your feed regularly, ideally daily or weekly depending on how frequently your inventory and pricing change. Stale feed data leads to out-of-stock errors, incorrect pricing, and customer complaints. Affiliate partners rely on accurate, current data to promote your products effectively.
Monitor your feed performance metrics in CJ Affiliate's reporting dashboard. Track which products generate the most clicks and conversions. Use this data to optimise product descriptions, images, and pricing. Products with high click-through but low conversion rates may need better descriptions or clearer pricing. Products with no clicks may need category or attribute adjustments.
When you discontinue products, remove them from your feed entirely rather than leaving them with zero availability. This prevents confusion and ensures affiliate channels do not promote unavailable items. If you plan to restock, update availability to 'backorder' or 'preorder' instead.
Summary
A well-structured CJ Affiliate product feed is the foundation of successful affiliate marketing. Each field serves a specific purpose: identification fields prevent duplicates, description fields drive conversions, categorisation fields improve visibility, and attribute fields enable filtering. Accurate, complete feed data results in product approval, higher visibility across affiliate channels, and better conversion rates.
Invest time in understanding each field and how it affects listing quality. Validate your feed before submission, monitor performance after launch, and update regularly as your inventory changes. When you treat your product feed as a strategic asset rather than a technical obligation, you unlock the full potential of affiliate distribution and reach customers you would not reach through owned channels alone.