Requirements for import files

If you want to import your product information into Channable, you can use an import file/data feed such as an XML, CSV, TXT, Google Spreadsheet, or JSON. We have several tips and requirements for using an import file, which can be read in this article.

This article is a reference for creating import files. Most export channels may require additional or different fields.

General requirements

• The data feed must be available at an online URL so it can be downloaded at any moment.

• The data feed must be updated at the same URL (preferably at least once a day) with the latest product information (stock, prices, etc.).

• The data feed must be in one of these formats: XML, CSV, TXT, Google Spreadsheet, or JSON.

Important: We only support flat XML and JSON structures. We don’t import values from XML attributes. (e.g. for <color attribute="color">pink</color>, the attribute="color" part can’t be imported.)

Limits

• The number of imports per project is, by default, limited to 50.

• Each imported file may contain at most 10 million items.

• Each imported file may be no larger than 10 GB.

Contact support if you run into these limits so we can help you think about a solution.

Fields

If you're building your own file (XML, CSV, or TXT) without experience, it can be hard to imagine which fields to include. Below is a standard overview of fields categorized by example/extra information and status.

Field	Example / extra information	Status
additional_image_link	Links to extra images, separated by commas	Recommended
age_group	Adult/kids	Recommended
availability	In stock / out of stock	Mandatory
brand		Mandatory
color		Recommended
condition	New / used	Recommended
description		Mandatory
delivery_time	2-3 days	Recommended
gender	Male/female	Recommended
google_product_category		Optional
gtin/ean	EAN13-code	Recommended
id	012608-BLUE-XXL (unique id preferably with color and size)	Mandatory
image_link	Main image link	Mandatory
item_group_id	012608-BLUE (variant ID preferably with color)	Recommended
link	http://www.onlinestore.com/item	Mandatory
material	Material of the item, e.g. 100% cotton	Recommended
mpn	Manufacturer product number	Recommended
price		Mandatory
product_type	Breadcrumb of the item, e.g. men/sweaters	Mandatory
sale_price	Discounted price	Mandatory
shipping_price		Recommended
size		Mandatory
stock	Amount in stock, e.g. 12	Recommended
title		Mandatory
percentage_variant_sizes	Percentage of available sizes per color (variant)	Recommended
percentage_product_sizes	Percentage of available sizes per article	Recommended

Important: This article is to be used as a reference only as most export channels will require you to import additional/different fields.

Structuring your file

• Learn about delimiters

• Learn about quoting

• Learn about encoding