Overview
Distributing your product catalogue across multiple sales channels requires sending accurate, formatted product data to each destination. Vendably's DataHub lets you push your catalogue to marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, export feeds for affiliate networks such as Awin and Impact, and prepare catalogue data for social commerce platforms including Meta and TikTok Shop.
This article covers catalogue data distribution only. Managing live marketplace listings, syncing orders and inventory from marketplaces back into Vendably, and tracking marketplace-specific performance metrics are not yet available in the platform.
Where to find marketplace and affiliate destinations
All feed distribution happens in DataHub, under the Destinations section. From there, you configure which products go where, map your internal product fields to each channel's required format, and trigger exports.
Marketplace feed distribution
Amazon via Selling Partner API
Amazon's Selling Partner (SP) API allows you to push product data directly to your Amazon seller account. This approach avoids manual uploads and keeps your Amazon catalogue synchronised with your source product data.
When you connect Amazon as a destination, you authenticate using your Amazon seller credentials. Vendably then maps your product fields (title, description, price, images, SKU, GTIN, and category data) to Amazon's required schema. On export, the feed is sent to Amazon's system for processing.
Success means Amazon accepts the feed without validation errors. Amazon will flag missing required fields, invalid GTINs, or category mismatches. Before export, review your product data to ensure every item has the fields Amazon requires for your product type.
eBay catalogue distribution
eBay's feed format accepts product data in XML or CSV. Connect eBay as a destination, map your fields to eBay's requirements (title, description, price, condition, item specifics, and image URLs), and export. eBay processes the feed and either creates new listings or updates existing ones based on your SKU or item ID.
Ensure your product images are hosted on a reliable CDN and that image URLs are stable; eBay will reject feeds with broken image links. If you are using Vendably's CDN, image links are automatically included in your feed export.
Affiliate network feed distribution
Affiliate networks promote your products in exchange for commission on resulting sales. They require your catalogue in a specific format, typically CSV or XML, with fields like product name, description, price, image URL, product URL, and commission structure.
Vendably supports feed export to major affiliate networks including:
- Awin
- CJ Affiliate
- Impact
- Rakuten
- Tradedoubler
- Webgains
When you configure an affiliate network as a destination, Vendably maps your product data to that network's required schema. On export, the feed is generated and either downloaded directly or sent to the network's import system via API or SFTP.
Success means the feed is accepted by the affiliate network without validation errors. Affiliate networks check for complete product information, valid URLs, and correct pricing. If the feed is rejected, check the error report for missing fields or formatting issues, then adjust your product data or feed rules and re-export.
Social commerce feed distribution
Social commerce platforms let customers discover and buy products directly within social apps. These platforms require product feeds formatted to their specifications.
Vendably supports catalogue export to:
- Meta Commerce (Facebook and Instagram Shop)
- TikTok Shop
- Snapchat
Each platform has different field requirements and image specifications. Meta Commerce, for example, requires product title, description, price, image URL, product URL, and availability status. TikTok Shop adds fields for brand, category, and inventory. Pinterest requires product type, colour, and size attributes.
When you set up a social commerce destination, Vendably guides you through field mapping and validates that required fields are present in your catalogue. On export, the feed is formatted for that platform's ingestion system.
Configuring a marketplace or affiliate destination
- Open DataHub and select Destinations.
- Click 'Add Destination' and choose your target channel (Amazon, eBay, Awin, Meta, or another supported platform).
- Authenticate with that platform using your account credentials, or provide API keys if required.
- Map your product fields to the destination's required fields. Vendably shows which fields are mandatory and which are optional.
- Apply feed rules if you need to filter products (for example, exclude items below a minimum price or without a GTIN), transform data (for example, append text to titles), or adjust pricing.
- Review the preview to confirm data is correctly formatted.
- Click 'Export' to send the feed to the destination.
- Check the export log for any errors or warnings. If the destination reports validation failures, review the error details, correct your product data or feed rules, and re-export.
Field mapping and data requirements
Each destination has mandatory and optional fields. Mandatory fields vary by platform and product type.
| Destination | Mandatory fields | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon SP API | title, description, brand, GTIN or UPC, price, condition | Varies by product category; some categories require additional attributes |
| eBay | title, description, price, condition, image URL | Item specifics required for some categories |
| Awin | product name, description, price, image URL, product URL | Commission structure set in Awin dashboard, not in feed |
| Meta Commerce | title, description, price, image URL, product URL, availability | Supports inventory sync for real-time availability |
| TikTok Shop | title, description, price, image URL, brand, category, inventory | Inventory must be accurate for listing to remain active |
| title, description, price, image URL, product URL, product type | Rich pins require additional structured data |
If a mandatory field is missing from your product data, the feed will be rejected or that product will be excluded from the export. Before setting up a new destination, check your product catalogue to ensure you have the required data. If data is missing, either add it to your products or use feed rules to exclude those products from export.
Preparing your product data for distribution
Before exporting to any destination, ensure your product data is complete and accurate.
Product titles and descriptions: Each channel has character limits and formatting rules. Amazon limits titles to 200 characters; eBay to 80. Descriptions should be clear and free of special characters that may not render correctly. Use feed rules to truncate titles or reformat descriptions if needed.
Images: Product images must be hosted on a reliable server with stable URLs. Vendably's CDN automatically hosts images you upload and provides URLs that work across all channels. If you host images elsewhere, ensure URLs are HTTPS and images are at least 500 pixels wide.
Pricing: Ensure prices are accurate and in the correct currency for each destination. If you sell in multiple currencies, use feed rules to convert prices or create separate feeds per currency.
Identifiers: Most marketplaces require a unique identifier per product, such as SKU, GTIN, or UPC. Ensure every product has at least one of these. If you do not have GTINs, some channels allow you to use your internal SKU instead.
Attributes: Affiliate networks and social commerce platforms often require product attributes such as colour, size, brand, or category. Map these during destination setup. If attributes are missing, use feed rules to populate them from your product data or add them manually to your catalogue.
For detailed guidance on importing and maintaining product data, see Importing product data from a file or an ecommerce platform.
Using feed rules to optimise exports
Feed rules let you filter, transform, and customise product data at export time without changing your source catalogue.
Common use cases:
- Filter by price: Exclude products below a minimum price or above a maximum, useful if some products are not profitable to promote via affiliate networks.
- Filter by availability: Only export products currently in stock, preventing affiliate partners from promoting out-of-stock items.
- Filter by category: Export only specific product categories to each destination, for example, only 'Electronics' to Amazon and 'Fashion' to Pinterest.
- Transform titles: Append brand name or product type to titles for clarity on social commerce platforms.
- Adjust pricing: Add a margin or apply a discount for affiliate promotions.
- Set availability status: Mark products as 'in stock' or 'out of stock' based on inventory levels.
For complete guidance, see Feed rules: filtering and transforming products at export.
Handling export errors and validation failures
When you export a feed, the destination platform validates the data. Common errors include:
- Missing mandatory fields: The destination requires a field you did not map or that is empty in your product data. Add the field to your product data or use a feed rule to populate it.
- Invalid format: A field value does not match the expected format, for example, a price with text or a date in the wrong format. Review the error details and correct the data.
- Invalid identifier: A GTIN, UPC, or SKU is malformed or not unique. Verify identifiers in your product catalogue.
- Image URL error: An image URL is broken, returns an error, or is not HTTPS. Check image URLs and re-upload if needed.
- Category mismatch: The product category you provided does not match the destination's category taxonomy. Map to the correct category.
After correcting errors, re-export the feed. Most destinations accept incremental updates, so you can export again without re-submitting unchanged products.
Scheduling regular exports
Many merchants export feeds on a schedule to keep product data fresh across channels. Vendably allows you to set up automated exports at intervals you choose (daily, weekly, or monthly).
Scheduled exports are useful if your product data changes frequently (prices, inventory, descriptions). Set a schedule that matches your update frequency. If you update products daily, export daily. If changes are weekly, export weekly.
Automated exports reduce manual work and help prevent stale data on external channels.
What happens after export
Once a feed is exported, the receiving platform processes it. Processing time varies:
- Amazon: Usually processes within a few hours; large feeds may take up to 24 hours.
- eBay: Processes within minutes to a few hours depending on feed size.
- Affiliate networks: Usually process within 24 hours; some may take longer.
- Social commerce: Meta and TikTok typically process within a few hours.
After processing, the platform will either accept the feed or return validation errors. Check the platform's dashboard or the export log in Vendably to confirm acceptance. If errors occur, Vendably will show the error report so you can correct data and re-export.
Note that exporting a feed does not automatically create or update live listings on the destination. For Amazon and eBay, the feed data is used to create or update listings, but you manage those listings in the marketplace's own dashboard. For affiliate networks and social commerce, the feed is imported into the platform's product catalogue; affiliate partners and shoppers then discover and interact with those products on the respective platform.
Image hosting and channel compliance
Images are critical for product visibility across channels. Vendably's CDN automatically hosts images you upload and ensures they meet each channel's technical requirements (size, format, HTTPS).
For detailed information on image hosting and compliance, see Product image hosting and channel compliance via the CDN.
Summary
Distributing product data to marketplaces and affiliate networks through Vendably's DataHub simplifies multi-channel selling. Configure each destination once, map your product fields, apply feed rules to optimise data, and export. The feed is then processed by the receiving platform and used to create or update listings.
Success requires accurate, complete product data in your catalogue and correct field mapping for each destination. Use feed rules to filter and transform data as needed. Monitor export logs for errors, correct any issues, and re-export. Regular, scheduled exports keep your product information fresh across all channels, supporting consistent brand presence and sales performance.