What is Kelkoo and why merchants use it
Kelkoo is a European price comparison and shopping platform that aggregates product listings from multiple merchants. It operates across several markets, helping consumers find products and compare prices whilst driving qualified traffic to merchant websites.
Merchants use Kelkoo to reach price-conscious shoppers actively searching for products in their category. The platform indexes product data via structured feeds, which means feed quality directly affects visibility, click-through rates, and conversion performance. A well-optimised Kelkoo feed ensures your products appear in relevant searches, display correctly with all necessary details, and compete effectively on price and presentation.
Core identification and structural fields
These fields establish the identity and location of each product in your feed.
offer-id is a unique identifier for each product offer you submit. This must be distinct within your feed and consistent across feed updates. Kelkoo uses offer-id to track inventory changes, price updates, and availability shifts. If you submit the same product at different prices or from different stock locations, each variant requires its own offer-id. Duplicate or missing offer-ids cause feed validation errors and prevent products from being indexed.
product-url is the direct link to the product page on your website. This field must be a valid, working URL that leads directly to the product (not a category page or search result). Kelkoo crawls this URL to verify product details and validate claims in your feed. Broken or incorrect product-urls result in disapproved listings because Kelkoo cannot confirm the product exists or matches the feed data. The URL should be stable and not redirect through multiple hops.
merchant-category is the product category you assign within your own taxonomy. This helps Kelkoo understand your internal organisation and can improve matching accuracy. Use consistent, descriptive category names that reflect your site structure. Vague or inconsistent categories (such as 'misc' or 'products') reduce the likelihood of accurate category mapping on Kelkoo's platform.
sku is your internal stock keeping unit identifier. This is optional but useful if you manage multiple variants or need to track inventory by SKU. It helps you reconcile Kelkoo data with your backend systems.
Product identification and descriptive fields
These fields describe what the product is and how customers will find it.
title is the product name displayed in Kelkoo search results and listings. Keep titles clear, accurate, and under 150 characters. Include the brand and key variant details (size, colour, model number) if space permits. Titles with excessive keywords, special characters, or misleading information are often rejected or de-ranked by Kelkoo's quality filters. A good title balances searchability with readability: 'Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones, Black' works better than 'SONY HEADPHONES BEST PRICE CHEAP BUY NOW'.
description provides detailed product information beyond the title. Use this field to explain features, specifications, materials, and use cases. Kelkoo's systems analyse descriptions to validate product claims and improve search relevance. Descriptions should be factual and avoid marketing hyperbole. Include dimensions, weight, warranty information, and any restrictions (such as region-specific availability). Missing or thin descriptions reduce click-through rates because shoppers cannot assess the product before clicking through to your site.
brand is the manufacturer or brand name. This must match the actual brand of the product. Incorrect or missing brand data causes filtering problems because many Kelkoo users search by brand. If you sell own-brand products, use your company name consistently.
mpn (manufacturer part number) is the official part or model number assigned by the brand. This field helps Kelkoo deduplicate listings across merchants and match variants accurately. For electronics, fashion, and appliances, a valid mpn significantly improves matching and visibility. If the product has no mpn, leave the field empty rather than inventing a value.
ean (European Article Number, also known as barcode or UPC in other regions) is a 13-digit standardised product code. Kelkoo uses ean to match your listings with the same products from other merchants and to validate product authenticity. Providing a correct ean is one of the highest-impact optimisations you can make because it enables accurate product matching, reduces duplicate listings, and improves your competitive position. Incorrect or missing ean codes mean Kelkoo may fail to match your product, resulting in isolated listings that do not benefit from cross-merchant visibility.
condition indicates whether the product is new, used, refurbished, or open-box. Most Kelkoo shoppers filter for new products by default, so if you are selling used items, this field must be accurate. Misrepresenting condition violates platform policies and can result in account suspension.
Pricing and cost fields
price is the current selling price of the product. This must be a valid number (decimal notation acceptable) and should match the price displayed on your website at the time of feed submission. Kelkoo crawls product pages to verify prices, so discrepancies cause disapprovals. Always update price in your feed before or simultaneously with website price changes. Dynamic pricing is acceptable as long as the feed reflects current prices.
currency specifies the currency code for the price (typically GBP, EUR, etc., depending on your Kelkoo market). Ensure this matches the currency used on your website and in your merchant account settings. Mismatched currencies cause price validation failures.
unit-price is the price per unit of measurement (such as price per kilogramme for food products). This is optional but required in some product categories where unit pricing is legally mandated or expected by consumers. Providing unit-price improves transparency and can boost click-through rates in price-sensitive categories.
delivery-cost is the shipping or delivery charge for this product. Leave this field empty if shipping is free. If delivery costs vary by location or order value, use the standard or default cost. Accurate delivery-cost information helps shoppers make informed purchase decisions and reduces cart abandonment. Omitting this field or providing incorrect data frustrates users and damages trust.
delivery-time specifies how long delivery takes (for example, '2-3 business days' or '1 week'). This field helps shoppers understand fulfillment speed. Use clear, consistent phrasing across your feed. Vague delivery times (such as 'soon' or 'varies') are less useful and may be rejected.
shipping-weight is the weight of the product including packaging. This is used to calculate shipping costs for some logistics partners and helps Kelkoo estimate delivery feasibility. Provide weight in kilograms with decimal notation (for example, 1.5 for 1.5 kg).
Visual and media fields
image-url is the primary product image. This must be a direct link to a valid image file (JPG, PNG, or WebP). The image should show the product clearly against a plain background, with no watermarks or logos obscuring the product itself. Kelkoo displays this image in search results and listings, so image quality directly affects click-through rates. Poor, blurry, or misleading images reduce engagement. Ensure the image URL is stable and does not expire or redirect.
image-url-2, image-url-3, image-url-4 are additional product images showing different angles, colours, or use cases. These are optional but strongly recommended because multiple images increase shopper confidence and click-through rates. Provide images in a logical sequence: primary image first, then alternative angles or colour variants.
video-link is a URL to a product video (typically hosted on YouTube or Vimeo). This is optional but can significantly boost engagement in categories where video demonstration adds value (such as electronics, fitness equipment, or furniture). Ensure the video is publicly accessible and relevant to the product.
Inventory and stock fields
availability indicates whether the product is in stock, out of stock, or available for pre-order. Use standard values such as 'in stock', 'out of stock', or 'preorder'. Kelkoo uses this field to filter search results, so accuracy is critical. If you mark products as in stock when they are not, customers click through only to find the product unavailable, damaging your reputation and conversion rate. Update availability in real-time or at least daily if your inventory fluctuates.
stock-quantity is the number of units available. This is optional but useful if you want to signal scarcity (low stock) or abundance to shoppers. Some Kelkoo integrations display stock quantity to encourage faster purchasing decisions.
Fashion and variant-specific fields
These fields are primarily used for apparel and footwear products.
fashion-type categorises the product within fashion (such as 'shirt', 'trousers', 'shoes', 'dress'). Use this to help Kelkoo's search and filtering systems understand the garment category.
fashion-gender specifies the intended wearer ('male', 'female', 'unisex', 'children'). This field is essential for fashion products because many shoppers filter by gender. Incorrect or missing values reduce visibility to the right audience.
fashion-size is the size of the garment (such as 'M', 'L', 'XL', or '10'). If you sell multiple sizes, create a separate offer-id for each size with its own fashion-size value. Do not combine sizes in a single listing.
color is the colour of the product. Use standard colour names ('black', 'blue', 'red', etc.) rather than brand-specific names ('midnight navy'). Kelkoo uses colour to match variants, so consistency is important. If a product is available in multiple colours, submit each colour as a separate offer with its own offer-id.
Quality and social proof fields
user-rating is the average rating of the product (typically on a scale of 1 to 5). Provide this if you collect customer reviews on your website. Ratings improve shopper confidence and can increase click-through rates. Ensure ratings are current and based on a meaningful sample of reviews.
nb-reviews is the number of customer reviews. This adds credibility to the rating and helps shoppers gauge the reliability of feedback. A product with a 4.5-star rating from 200 reviews is more trustworthy than one with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
Offer type and special products
offer-type specifies the type of offer (such as 'buy', 'rental', 'subscription'). Most merchants use 'buy'. Use other values only if you offer alternative purchase models.
Practical feed optimisation and submission guidance
Feed format and structure
Kelkoo accepts product feeds in CSV, XML, and other structured formats. Check your specific Kelkoo account settings for the supported format and required field list for your region. Ensure your feed includes all mandatory fields and as many optional fields as possible. A feed with title, product-url, price, currency, availability, image-url, brand, description, ean, and mpn will perform significantly better than one with only mandatory fields.
Data quality and validation
Before submitting your feed, validate it against Kelkoo's specifications. Check that:
- All URLs (product-url, image-url, video-link) are valid and accessible.
- Prices match your website and are formatted correctly (no currency symbols or text, just numbers).
- offer-id values are unique and do not change between feed updates (unless the product is genuinely replaced).
- ean and mpn codes are accurate and match the product.
- Descriptions are factual and free of spelling errors.
- Images are high-quality, show the product clearly, and are at least 200x200 pixels (larger is better).
- Availability values match your actual inventory.
Feed updates and frequency
Submit your feed at least weekly, but daily updates are recommended if your prices or inventory change frequently. Kelkoo's systems crawl your product pages to verify feed data, so consistency between feed data and website content is essential. If a product page is unavailable or shows different information than the feed, Kelkoo may disapprove or de-rank the listing.
Handling rejections and troubleshooting
Kelkoo provides feedback on rejected products. Common rejection reasons include:
- Missing or invalid product-url: Ensure the URL is correct and the page is publicly accessible.
- Price mismatch: Verify that the feed price matches your website price.
- Image issues: Check that image-url links are valid and images are visible.
- Duplicate offer-id: Ensure each product has a unique identifier.
- Missing ean or mpn: Add these identifiers if available.
- Misleading title or description: Avoid keyword stuffing or false claims.
Review Kelkoo's feedback regularly and correct issues promptly. Resubmit corrected products to speed up approval.
Competitive positioning
On Kelkoo, products are ranked by price, rating, and relevance. To improve visibility:
- Ensure your prices are competitive. Kelkoo users are price-conscious, so high prices without clear value proposition reduce clicks.
- Collect and display customer ratings and reviews. Products with strong ratings appear higher in results.
- Optimise your title and description for search. Use keywords that shoppers actually search for, but keep language natural.
- Provide complete product information. More details reduce shopper uncertainty and increase click-through rates.
- Use high-quality images. Clear, well-lit product images significantly boost engagement.
- Offer free or low-cost delivery if possible. Delivery cost is a key decision factor for many shoppers.
Category mapping
Kelkoo maps your products to standardised categories within its platform. Accurate merchant-category values help this process, but Kelkoo also analyses product data to determine the correct category. Ensure your category names are descriptive and consistent. If you sell products across multiple categories, use Kelkoo's category guidelines to assign each product correctly.
Summary
A high-quality Kelkoo product feed requires accurate, complete data across identification, pricing, descriptive, and visual fields. The most impactful optimisations are providing correct ean and mpn codes, maintaining price accuracy, uploading multiple high-quality images, and writing clear, searchable titles and descriptions. Regular feed updates, validation against Kelkoo's specifications, and monitoring of rejection feedback ensure your products remain visible and competitive. By treating feed data as a core part of your Kelkoo strategy rather than a one-time submission, you maximise the return on your Kelkoo investment and capture price-conscious shoppers actively searching for your products.