Create a Product Catalog Dataset Schema

The first step of uploading a new product catalog to Monetate is creating a product catalog schema. A schema is the organization or structure of the data in the product catalog and must be present in the platform before you send a full catalog file. It can consist of two or three lines of sample data and does not need to be a full product catalog file.

Follow these steps to create a product catalog schema.

  1. Click DATASETS in the top navigation bar, and then, if necessary, select Product Data.
  2. Click CREATE DATASET.

    Callout of the 'CREATE DATASET' button on the All Datasets list page

  3. Select Product Catalog and then click NEXT.

    Step 1 of the 'Create Dataset Schema' wizard, with the 'Product Catalog' option selected and a callout of the NEXT button

  4. Name the product catalog and then click NEXT.

    The name must begin with a letter and can contain only letters, numbers, and underscores.

    Step 2 of the 'Create Dataset Schema' wizard, with a product catalog name input in the appropriate field and a callout of the NEXT button

  5. Drag and drop the file into the upload area, and then wait for the platform to validate the data.

    The file must be in the CSV or TSV format. All the attributes required by the product catalog specification must appear in the file header, with the attribute name matching the exact spelling and case. Each row must include a value for each required attribute. Optional attributes that you don't want to include can remain blank. See the product catalog specification for more information.

    • If no errors are detected, then click NEXT.

      Step 3 of the 'Create Dataset Schema' wizard for a product catalog dataset, with a validation success message that reads, 'Looks good. Ready to upload!'

    • If the file is missing information, an error message appears stating what data is missing. Revise the file, click RE-UPLOAD, and then drag and drop the revised file into the upload area.

      Step 3 of the Create Dataset Schema wizard, with a validation error message that reads, 'Whoops! There was an error processing your file. Missing required fields: item_group_id' An arrow calls out the 'RE-UPLOAD' button

  6. Confirm that any custom attribute that you included in the file appears in the table and that the data type selected is correct, and then click CONFIRM AND CREATE.

    Step 4 of the 'Create Dataset Schema' wizard, with a callout of the data type selector for each custom attribute and a callout of the CONFIRM AND CREATE button

Once the product schema and catalog upload to the platform, the new product catalog's details page loads. The PENDING status appears to the right of the detail page's tabs table until the platform finishes processing the dataset.

Callout of the PENDING status on the Update History tab of a product catalog dataset's details page

Once processing is complete, the status changes to show how much time has elapsed since the product catalog was updated. In the UPLOAD DATE column of the Update History table appears the exact date and time.

The 'Update History' tab of a product catalog dataset's details page, with a callout of the dataset update status, which reads, 'LAST UPDATED 14 MINUTES AGO.' Also called out is 'UPLOAD DATE' column of the 'Update History' table, in which appears the exact date and time of the last update.

The number of rows in the processed file also now appears in the table. The number of products in the dataset appears next to the status.

When you need to modify the product catalog, you can upload full or partial updates using one of these three methods:

You can download a file from a product catalog's Update History tab. You can download files successfully uploaded to the platform as well as files that resulted in one or more upload errors.

Monetate retains dataset files for 180 days from the date it was uploaded. Once a file is out of this retention period, it still appears on the dataset's Update History tab, but you cannot download it.

If a file is available for download, its filename appears in purple in the Update History table.

The Update History tab of a product catalog dataset details page. Two entries in the Update History table have filenames in purple font, indicating those files are available for download.

Click the filename and then save it to a location on your computer.

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