Glossary · Marketing, CRM & Growth
Product Feed
Overview
What a product feed is
A product feed, sometimes called a shopping feed or data feed, is a structured file that describes each product a store sells using a set of standardized attributes.
Typical attributes include a unique product ID, title, description, product link, image link, price, availability, brand, and identifiers like GTIN or MPN. The feed is what advertising and shopping platforms read to display accurate, up-to-date product information.
How it works
Feeds are commonly formatted as a spreadsheet (CSV or Google Sheets) or an XML file, and are uploaded or synced to a platform such as Google Merchant Center, Meta Commerce Manager, or a marketplace. Many ecommerce systems like Shopify and WooCommerce generate feeds automatically.
Each platform has its own required and recommended attributes and formatting rules. Keeping the feed accurate and fresh — especially price and availability — is essential, since mismatches between the feed and the live site can cause disapprovals or wasted spend.
Why it matters
The product feed is the foundation of feed-based advertising: Google Shopping and Performance Max, dynamic remarketing, and Meta catalog ads all draw their content from it. Ad quality and relevance depend directly on feed quality.
Optimizing titles, descriptions, images, and product types in the feed can meaningfully improve visibility and performance. Feed management tools exist to transform, enrich, and validate data when native exports fall short.
Where we use it
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How our team puts Product Feed to work in real projects.
FAQ
Product Feed — common questions
What is a product feed used for?
A product feed supplies structured product data to advertising and shopping platforms. It powers Google Shopping and Performance Max campaigns, dynamic remarketing, Meta catalog ads, and marketplace listings — anywhere ads or listings need current titles, prices, images, and availability pulled automatically.
What attributes does a product feed need?
Most feeds require a unique ID, title, description, product link, image link, price, and availability, plus identifiers like GTIN, MPN, or brand where applicable. Required and recommended attributes vary by platform, so follow each destination's specification.
How do I create a product feed?
You can export a feed as a spreadsheet or XML file, or let your ecommerce platform generate one — Shopify, WooCommerce, and similar systems can produce feeds automatically. The file is then submitted to a destination like Google Merchant Center, where it is validated against that platform's rules.
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Related terms
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