What is Tradedoubler and why merchants use it
Tradedoubler is a performance marketing network that connects merchants with publishers and affiliates across Europe and beyond. Merchants use Tradedoubler to distribute product data to a network of publishers, comparison shopping sites, and affiliate partners who then promote those products to consumers.
Unlike some platforms that focus solely on direct advertising, Tradedoubler operates as a feed-based affiliate and publisher network. Your product feed serves as the central source of truth for all product information shared across the network. Publishers and affiliates pull data from your feed to create product listings, comparison tables, and promotional content.
Merchants choose Tradedoubler for several reasons: access to a large network of performance-based partners, cost-per-action (CPA) pricing models that reduce risk, and the ability to reach consumers through multiple channels simultaneously. The quality of your product feed directly affects how many partners promote your products and how effectively they do so.
Tradedoubler feed format and structure
Tradedoubler accepts product feeds in XML format. Your feed must be well-formed XML that includes a root element containing individual product records. Each product is represented as a single entry with child elements for each data field.
The feed structure follows this pattern:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<products>
<product>
<product_id>ABC123</product_id>
<name>Product Name</name>
<description>Full product description</description>
<productURL>https://example.com/product</productURL>
<imageURL>https://example.com/image.jpg</imageURL>
<price>29.99</price>
<availability>In stock</availability>
<brand>Brand Name</brand>
<category>Category Name</category>
</product>
</products>
Your feed must be accessible via a publicly available URL that Tradedoubler can reach. Feeds are typically updated daily or at intervals you define. Tradedoubler will fetch your feed at regular intervals and distribute the data to network partners.
Core product feed fields and requirements
| Field | Required | Format | Purpose | Impact on visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| product_id | Yes | String (unique) | Unique identifier for each product | Without this, Tradedoubler cannot track products or process orders correctly |
| name | Yes | String (max 255 chars) | Product title | Publishers use this as the primary product listing title; affects search relevance |
| description | No | String (HTML allowed) | Full product description | Helps publishers create detailed product pages; improves conversion rates |
| productURL | Yes | Full URL | Link to product on your website | Essential for traffic routing; broken URLs prevent sales |
| imageURL | Yes | Full URL (JPG/PNG) | Primary product image | Image quality directly affects click-through rates; missing images reduce visibility |
| price | Yes | Decimal (e.g. 19.99) | Current product price | Must match your website price; discrepancies cause customer complaints and order cancellations |
| availability | Yes | Text (e.g. 'In stock', 'Out of stock') | Stock status | Out-of-stock products waste publisher resources; accurate status improves partner trust |
| brand | No | String | Manufacturer or brand name | Enables filtering and comparison; important for brand-conscious shoppers |
| category | Yes | String | Product category | Tradedoubler uses this for taxonomy mapping; incorrect categories reduce discovery |
| condition | No | String (e.g. 'New', 'Refurbished') | Product condition | Required for non-new items; missing data can trigger compliance issues |
| delivery_time | No | String (e.g. '2-3 days') | Expected delivery timeframe | Publishers highlight this in listings; fast delivery is a competitive advantage |
| ean | No | String (13 digits) | European Article Number | Enables product matching across systems; required by some publishers |
| inStock | No | Boolean (true/false) | Alternative stock indicator | Some publishers prefer boolean format over text availability |
| model | No | String | Product model number | Helps customers identify specific variants |
| previousPrice | No | Decimal | Original price before discount | Shows savings; increases perceived value and conversion rates |
| shippingCost | No | Decimal | Cost to ship product | Affects total cost calculation; transparency improves trust |
| size | No | String | Product size or dimensions | Critical for apparel, footwear, and furniture; missing data increases returns |
| shortDescription | No | String (max 160 chars) | Brief product summary | Used in search results and preview text; should be compelling and keyword-rich |
| techSpecs | No | String (structured) | Technical specifications | Helps differentiate products; important for electronics and technical items |
| upc | No | String (12 digits) | Universal Product Code | Alternative to EAN; used primarily in North America but useful for matching |
| warranty | No | String (e.g. '2 years') | Warranty information | Builds confidence; differentiates products in competitive categories |
| weight | No | Decimal (with unit) | Product weight | Required for accurate shipping cost calculation |
| promoText | No | String (max 100 chars) | Promotional message | Draws attention to special offers; increases click-through rates |
| sku | No | String | Stock keeping unit | Internal identifier; helps with inventory management and order tracking |
| isbn | No | String (10 or 13 digits) | International Standard Book Number | Required for books; enables accurate product matching |
Field mapping best practices
Critical fields that affect approval and visibility
Product feed approval depends on accurate completion of core fields. Tradedoubler performs automated validation on every feed submission. Missing or malformed data in required fields will cause feed rejection or partial product exclusion.
The product_id field must be unique across your entire feed. Duplicate product_ids cause data conflicts and prevent accurate order tracking. Use your internal product identifier, SKU, or a concatenation of attributes if needed, but ensure no two products share the same ID.
The imageURL field must point to a valid image file. Tradedoubler and network partners cache images, so broken image links result in missing product visuals. Test every image URL before feed submission. Use standard formats (JPG, PNG) and ensure images are at least 500 pixels wide for quality display.
Price must be a decimal number without currency symbols or text. Use a full stop as the decimal separator (19.99, not 19,99). Prices should reflect your current selling price, not list price. If you include previousPrice for discount comparison, ensure it is genuinely higher than the current price or publishers may reject the data as misleading.
Taxonomy and categorisation
Tradedoubler uses a standardised category taxonomy for product classification. Your category field must map to Tradedoubler's approved category list. Using generic or incorrect categories reduces product discoverability because publishers filter by category when sourcing products.
Common top-level categories include Electronics, Fashion, Home and Garden, Sports, Books, and Beauty. Within each category are subcategories. For example, Electronics might include Computers, Mobile Phones, Cameras, and Audio Equipment.
Map your internal product categories to Tradedoubler's taxonomy during feed setup. If your category structure differs significantly, create a mapping table that translates your categories to Tradedoubler equivalents. Test this mapping with a sample of products before full feed deployment.
Availability and stock status
The availability field should use clear, consistent text values. Acceptable values include 'In stock', 'Out of stock', and 'Pre-order'. Some publishers accept numeric indicators (1 for in stock, 0 for out of stock), but text is more reliable.
The inStock boolean field (true/false) provides an alternative to text-based availability. Use one or the other consistently. If you provide both, ensure they match. Conflicting stock signals confuse publishers and damage trust.
Update availability status frequently, ideally in real-time or daily. Publishers rely on this data to prevent promoting out-of-stock products. If you allow pre-orders, indicate this clearly so publishers can market accordingly.
Pricing and promotional data
Price synchronisation is critical. Your feed price must match your website price at all times. When you run promotions, update the price field to reflect the discounted rate and populate previousPrice with the original price. This shows savings without misleading customers.
PromoText can highlight limited-time offers, bundle deals, or other incentives. Keep this field concise (max 100 characters) and update it when promotions change. Publishers use this text in product listings and emails.
ShippingCost should reflect your standard shipping charge for the product category. If shipping is free, use 0 or omit the field. Some publishers highlight free shipping as a competitive advantage, so accuracy here matters.
Product identifiers and matching
EAN (European Article Number) is a 13-digit barcode standard used across Europe. If your products have EAN codes, include them in the feed. This enables Tradedoubler and publishers to match your products against external product databases, improving data quality and reducing duplicates.
UPC (Universal Product Code) is the 12-digit North American equivalent. Include both EAN and UPC if available.
ISBN is essential for books. The field accepts both 10-digit and 13-digit ISBN formats. Ensure the ISBN matches the exact edition you are selling, as publishers use this to verify product identity.
SKU is your internal stock keeping unit. This is optional in the feed but useful for your own inventory management and order reconciliation.
Technical implementation and feed delivery
Setting up your Tradedoubler feed account
- Create a Tradedoubler merchant account and log in to the partner dashboard.
- Navigate to the Feed Management section and select 'Create New Feed'.
- Choose XML format and specify your feed update frequency (daily is standard).
- Provide the publicly accessible URL where your feed will be hosted.
- Define field mappings by selecting which fields you will include and how they correspond to Tradedoubler's required fields.
- Submit a test feed with 5-10 sample products for validation.
- Review any validation errors and correct field formatting or missing data.
- Approve the test feed and schedule the live feed for daily updates.
Feed hosting and accessibility
Your feed must be hosted on a server that Tradedoubler can access 24/7. Use HTTPS for secure transmission. Ensure your server responds quickly; slow feed delivery delays product updates across the network.
Tradedoubler typically fetches feeds at a scheduled time each day. Provide a consistent, predictable feed URL. If you change the URL, update it in your Tradedoubler account immediately to prevent feed interruptions.
Implement proper HTTP headers to support caching and conditional requests. Use a 200 OK response for successful feed delivery and appropriate error codes (4xx or 5xx) if the feed is unavailable.
Feed validation and error handling
Before submitting your feed to Tradedoubler, validate the XML structure locally. Use an XML validator to check for syntax errors, unclosed tags, and malformed elements.
Tradedoubler provides a feed validation report after each submission. Review this report carefully. Common errors include:
- Missing required fields (product_id, name, productURL, imageURL, price, availability, category).
- Invalid price format (text instead of decimal, currency symbols, thousand separators).
- Broken image URLs or non-standard image formats.
- Duplicate product_ids.
- HTML entities not properly escaped in description fields.
- Non-UTF-8 character encoding.
Fix errors and resubmit. Tradedoubler will not distribute products with validation errors.
Feed update frequency and scheduling
Tradedoubler recommends daily feed updates to keep product data current. If you run frequent promotions or have rapid inventory changes, consider twice-daily updates.
Schedule feed generation during off-peak hours to minimise server load. Early morning (e.g. 2:00 AM) is typical. Ensure your feed generation completes within 30 minutes to avoid timeout issues.
Monitor feed submission logs to confirm successful delivery. Set up alerts if a feed submission fails, as this prevents product data from reaching the network.
Optimising feed data for partner performance
Image quality and specifications
Images are the single largest driver of click-through rates in affiliate marketing. Invest in high-quality product photography.
ImageURL should point to a clear, well-lit product photo showing the item directly. Avoid generic placeholder images. Minimum resolution is 500 x 500 pixels; 1000 x 1000 pixels is preferred for high-quality display.
Use JPG format for photographs and PNG for graphics. Ensure file size is reasonable (under 500 KB) to avoid slow loading.
For products with multiple variants (colours, sizes), consider including multiple imageURLs or a primary image that represents the product family. Some publishers request variant-specific images; clarify this with your network manager.
Description and short description optimisation
The description field allows HTML formatting. Use this to structure information clearly: product overview, key features, specifications, and usage instructions.
Include relevant keywords naturally in the description. Publishers use this text for search engine optimisation, so keyword-rich descriptions improve organic visibility.
The shortDescription field is displayed in search results and preview text. Write a compelling 1-2 sentence summary that answers 'What is this product and why should I buy it?' Keep it under 160 characters.
Example:
- shortDescription: 'Wireless noise-cancelling headphones with 30-hour battery life and premium sound quality.'
- description: 'Professional-grade wireless headphones featuring active noise cancellation, 30-hour rechargeable battery, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and premium audio drivers. Ideal for travel, work, and daily listening. Includes carrying case and 2-year warranty.'
Highlighting competitive advantages
Use the warranty field to emphasise product protection. A 2-year or lifetime warranty differentiates products and builds customer confidence.
The delivery_time field should be prominent if you offer fast shipping. Publishers highlight quick delivery in listings and promotional emails.
PromoText is ideal for drawing attention to limited-time offers, bundle deals, or free gifts. Update this regularly to maintain freshness and relevance.
PreviousPrice shows the discount percentage, creating urgency and perceived value. Ensure this is genuine and higher than the current price.
Managing product variants and SKUs
If you sell products in multiple colours, sizes, or configurations, decide whether to list each variant as a separate product or group them under one product_id.
Tradedoubler recommends separate product records for each variant. This allows publishers to display size/colour options and track which variants sell best. Use a consistent naming convention: include the variant in the name field (e.g. 'T-Shirt - Blue - Large').
If you group variants under one product_id, use the size field to list available options and the techSpecs field to detail colour and material variations.
Common issues and troubleshooting
Feed rejection or partial product exclusion
If Tradedoubler rejects your entire feed, check the validation report for syntax errors. Common causes include:
- Non-UTF-8 character encoding. Ensure your feed is saved as UTF-8.
- Unescaped special characters in text fields. Use HTML entities: & becomes &, < becomes <, > becomes >.
- Missing or malformed XML declaration at the top of the file.
If individual products are excluded, review the error details. Missing required fields are the primary cause. Ensure every product includes product_id, name, productURL, imageURL, price, availability, and category.
Price mismatches between feed and website
Price discrepancies cause customer complaints and order cancellations. Implement automated feed generation that pulls prices directly from your product database in real-time. Do not hardcode prices in your feed template.
After updating prices on your website, regenerate and submit your feed immediately. Use a version control system to track price changes and identify discrepancies.
Image link failures
Broken image links prevent products from displaying correctly in publisher listings. Test every image URL before feed submission. Use automated link checking tools to validate URLs in bulk.
If you migrate image hosting or change your domain structure, update all image URLs in your feed before going live. Broken links after deployment damage publisher trust and reduce product visibility.
Slow feed generation or delivery
If your feed takes longer than 30 minutes to generate, optimise your database queries. Use indexed lookups instead of full table scans. Consider caching category mappings and other reference data.
If feed delivery is slow, check your server's network connectivity and response time. Use a content delivery network (CDN) to serve your feed from a location close to Tradedoubler's infrastructure.
Monitoring and ongoing maintenance
After deploying your feed, monitor its performance regularly. Tradedoubler provides analytics showing how many products are active, how many impressions and clicks each product receives, and conversion rates.
Review low-performing products. Check whether images are missing, descriptions are incomplete, or prices are outdated. Fix these issues to improve visibility.
Track changes in product availability and pricing. If you frequently have out-of-stock items, consider pre-populating inventory data or implementing real-time stock synchronisation.
Communicate with your Tradedoubler network manager about performance. They can recommend optimisations specific to your product category and target publishers.
Summary
Tradedoubler product feeds are the foundation of your performance marketing strategy. Accurate, complete, and well-optimised feeds drive visibility across a large network of publishers and affiliates.
Prioritise the core required fields: product_id, name, productURL, imageURL, price, availability, and category. Ensure data accuracy, especially pricing and stock status, to maintain partner trust and prevent order issues.
Optimise optional fields like description, images, warranty, and delivery_time to differentiate your products and improve conversion rates. Update your feed daily and monitor performance to identify and fix issues quickly.
By treating your product feed as a critical business asset and maintaining high data quality, you maximise the return on your Tradedoubler investment and reach customers across multiple channels simultaneously.