Creating a basic Product Feed

Setting up a product feed using our feed manager plugin is incredibly simple. To demonstrate just how easy it is, I have provided a video and text tutorial below. In this tutorial, I walk you through the process of creating a basic product feed in just 4  straightforward steps. While the tutorial focuses on creating a Google Feed using the E-commerce version of our plugin, please note that the steps remain the same for other supported channels. Watch the video to learn more about setting up your product feed effortlessly.

Basic setup steps

Step 1. Choose channel template

Step 1. Choose channel template
It is quite simple to set up a product feed with the use of one of the channel templates. After activating the license, you can start adding the channel templates you want to create product feeds with.

1. In the Product feed menu select the “manage channels” link
2. Choose one channel you want to work with and click install
3. The channels you have picked will be shown under “Installed Channels”

Step 2. Setup Feed settings

At the top of the feed editor, you’ll find your feed settings. Start by giving your feed a relevant title and choosing a target country. Keep in mind, the required fields may vary based on the country you select for your feed.

Mapping Google Categories

Now, it’s time to establish your base Google category. This will apply to all the products in your feed. Using the category mapping tool, select the categories from your website that you want to include in the feed.

When you choose a category from your webshop to include, you can modify its associated Google category. By default, it’s matched to the previously selected “Default Category”. You can edit this by clicking the “edit” link next to “Map to Default Category”. Then, from the dropdown menu, start selecting the appropriate categories for your shop.

Include Product Variations

Should you wish to feature product variations, simply select this option. It will generate a feed showcasing all variations. So, instead of merely showing a product like a t-shirt, it will display all the different colors of that shirt as individual products.

Feed Title and Description

Setting a descriptive feed title and providing a useful feed description are essential – they serve as your personal reference.

Update Schedule

By default, the update schedule is set to refresh once a day at midnight. However, you can adjust this according to your preference. You can schedule updates as frequently as every hour, for a maximum of 24 updates daily.

Product Filter

Below the Category mapping tool, you’ll find the product filter. Here, you can design a filter that includes all the products chosen from your webshop categories, excluding the ones you set up in the product filter.

For example, you can create a product filter that reads “Regular Price is smaller than 100” to exclude the product with a regular price less than 100.

Step 3. Attribute mapping

Directly beneath the feed settings, you’ll come across the attribute mapping tool. Here, you’ll see all the attributes necessary for the selected channel and language. We’ve pre-mapped most attributes to their database sources. However, for certain attributes, the source may be unclear, depending on how data is managed in your WooCommerce shop. This often applies to attributes such as Brand and GTIN numbers since they aren’t inherent to the WooCommerce plugin.

Assigning Correct Data to the Attribute

On the right side of the attribute, you’ll notice the “Select a Source Field” dropdown. Click on it to reveal a list of all potential database sources we’ve identified. Choose the right source for your attribute.

The first two options in the dropdown menu are “Fill with a Static Value” and “Combine Source Fields”. Using these settings, you can assign a uniform value to an attribute for all products or blend multiple source fields. For example, the Price attribute in a Google feed typically combines the Regular Price source, a space, and the WooCommerce currency.

Optional Attributes

Located at the bottom of the feed builder, you’ll find the “Optional Attributes” section. Here, you can add any other supported attributes that are not mandatory but might enhance the data of your chosen channel. Add any suitable attributes you have data for to enrich the product data on your chosen channel.

Step 4. Feed URL and feed list table

Once you’ve configured, saved, and generated your feed, you can find it in the Feed List. To access the Feed List, simply click on the Feed Manager link or the Feed List tab.

The Feed List presents a table showcasing all your generated product feeds, complete with detailed information:

• Name: The title of your product feed
• URL: The web address of the product feed, which is necessary to submit to your chosen channel
• Updated: The date and time when your feed was last refreshed
• Products: The total number of products included in the feed
• Type: The type of your feed
• Status: The current state of your feed, whether Processing, Ready (manual), or Ready (auto)
• Actions: Links to various actions you can perform, such as Edit, View, Delete, Auto-on/off, Duplicate, and Regenerate

Among these, the “edit” link and the Auto-on or Auto-off link are used most frequently. With the Auto-on or Auto-off link, you can command the plugin to auto-generate product feeds according to the schedule you’ve set in the product feed settings.

This is how easy it is to set up a product feed in Woocommerce Product Feed Manager.