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Products – manual

The following article explains the individual fields that appear in the file products_CAT-ID_LANGUAGE. Complete product information is essential for finding and selling your products and reduces the cancellation rate.
The products are created line by line in the file products_CAT-ID_LANGUAGE.ls.

Because each catalogue consists of products and a group system an additional file containing the categorisation is needed. How to create this file is described in the article Categories – manual.

Excel templates for the products and categories file are available here:

Important notes on the Excel template:

→ Please do not change the order of the columns
→ The first two rows are important for the processing and must not be changed or deleted
→ The spelling of the headings must be retained
→ The columns, which are marked as mandatory fields, must be filled in
→ There must be no blank lines between the articles
→ For a line break ‚Carriage Return + Line Feed‘ (CRLF or \r\n) has to be used
→ The overview of mandatory fields may also be helpful

In the items below you find the requirements and more information on the columns in the Excel template. The order corresponds to the order within the Excel file.

SUPPLIER_AID

The item number, which you use in your system as a supplier, is stated in the column A „SUPPLIER_AID“. This is an alphanumeric mandatory field, under which a unique item number must be saved. Items without a SUPPLIER_AID are not processed and are not shown in the shop.

Requirements
→ Mandatory field
→ Maximum amount of characters: 29
→ Important: The item number may only be used once in the catalogue
→ Duplicates will be ignored and lead to an item not being displayed
→ No use of special characters such as & # comma (,)
EAN

The globally valid GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is stated in the EAN column. The name EAN (European Article Number) was used until 2009.

The GTIN is a unique identification number managed and awarded by GS1. An EAN can also represent a GTIN when preceded by a 0. If you state 13-digit EAN codes in the catalogue template, these are automatically converted into GTINs in the Mercateo system. It is of great importance to state EAN or GTIN codes for all products. The completeness of the information has a positive influence on the search result and enables similar times to be grouped as a duplicate.

Requirements
→ Mandatory field (conditional)
→ Important: An EAN or GTIN is product-specific and may only appear once in the catalogue
→ Both EAN and GTIN are supported by the Mercateo system
→ The EAN contains 13 or, in exceptional cases, 8 digits
→ The GTIN contains 14 digits
DESCRIPTION_SHORT

The item brief description or the item name is stated in the column C „DESCRIPTION_SHORT“. This is a unique and explanatory designation of the offered product, which is also displayed in the search results.

Requirements
→ Mandatory field
→ Minimum amount of characters: 10
→ Maximum amount of characters: 80
→ Please enter the precise item designation in the item name
→ Distinctive distinguishing features such as size, colour, width, material etc. should also be added
→ No HTML formatting
→ No use of packing or order units
Example: Office Paper A4 80 g/m² plain paper white
DESCRIPTION_LONG

The column DESCRIPTION_LONG contains a clear description of the item with precise information that explains the item in more detail. This includes, e.g., product characteristics, such as colour, dimensions or scope of delivery. On the Mercateo platform, the long description is displayed below the images.

Technical requirements
→ Mandatory field
→ Maximum amount of characters: 64,000
→ Structuring takes place via HTML formatting (e.g. paragraphs or lists)
→ Please do not use any HTML tags that actively influence the layout of the product detail page. This means: tables, body tags, font colours, etc.
→ Please do not use external links / hyperlinks (a href)
→ Please avoid line breaks in Excel
Content-related requirements
→ Please ensure correct spelling and punctuation
→ Use engineer standards, DIN- and ISO- information and belongings
→ Be aware of completeness, a self-explaining description is important
→ Please give no information about packaging unit. The accordant values are to be put in ORDER_UNIT and CONTENT_UNIT
→ Please do not specify any return conditions here. To provide us with this information please contact your supplier manager at Mercateo
→ To specify characteristics of the product it is recommended to use the ARTICLE_FEATURES (see columns FNAME (1-10))

Use the following HTML tags to structure your detailed product information:

HTML formating Description
<b> </b> text in bold
<i> </i> text in italic
<p> </p> used for paragraphs
<br> used for line breaks
<ul>
<li> Text1 </li>
<li> Text2 </li>
<li> Text3 </li>
</ul>		 used for lists

  • Text1
  • Text2
  • Text3
Example:

<p><b>BOSS Original Highlighters in Orange</b></p>
<p><b>Product characteristics:</b></p>
<ul>
<li>Brighter colours</li>
<li>Longer lasting and better value</li>
<li>Wedge tip draws broad lines for highlighting and fine lines for underlining</li>
<li>Anti Dry-Out ink technology for up to 4 hours cap off time</li>
</ul>

Display on the product detail page:
en_long_description_18

MANUFACTURER_AID

The MANUFACTURER_AID states the unique item number issued by the manufacturer. The manufacturer’s number may deviate from the supplier’s item number (SUPPLIER_AID). The completeness of the information has a positive influence on the search result and enables similar times to be grouped as a duplicate.

Requirements
→ Both the manufacturer’s number and the corresponding manufacturer’s name (see column F) must be indicated
→ A manufacturer’s number may only occur once for the same manufacturer in the catalogue
→ The manufacturer’s numbers must differ for product variants
MANUFACTURER_NAME

The name of the manufacturer without the corporate form is stated under column F „MANUFACTURER_NAME“. The indication of the manufacturer’s name and the related number has positive effects on the search result and allows the mapping of same products to duplicates.

Requirements
→ Both the manufacturer’s number (see column E) and the corresponding manufacturer’s name must be indicated
→ Please do not use the corporate form (Ltd, PLC etc.)
ARTICLE_PRICE price_type

The price type is a mandatory field and may only contain one of the two pre-defined values „net_list“ and „net_customer“.

Requirements
→ Mandatory field
→ For Mercateo catalogues please insert „net_list“
→ For exclusive catalogues the price type applied is „net_customer“
→ For sales prices and reverse auction prices „net_customer“ has to be used
→ Please use only „net_list“ or „net_customer“. Other designations do not work

Note: If you state two prices or auction prices in your catalogue, please inform your supplier manager at Mercateo at first.
To supply a second price in the Excel template, please fill in column I „Price type 2“ and column J „Price 2“.

Example: net_list or net_customer
PRICE_AMOUNT

In column H you enter the price as a decimal value without VAT. To supply a second price (e.g. selling price and reverse auction price), please fill in column I (Price type 2) and column J (Price 2).

Requirements
→ Mandatory field
→ Maximum of 2 decimals
→ Decimal separator: point or comma
→ Do not use thousands seperator or currency symbols (e.g. €)
→ The price is to be saved without VAT
Example: 175.23 or 0.95
How to enter price breaks

In case of quantity discounts it is possible to state staggered prices. Please use column PRICE_AMOUNT for this purpose. The example below shows how to enter the prices in detail.

Example: 1:100.99 5:98.70 10:95.50 100:90.00

Explanation:

→ The number to the right of the colon indicates the related price amount
→ Use a space character to separate scales
→ A price scale may only appear once within the price quotation
→ The value (price) must be differ and decrease from one price scale to the next one

Additional prices

To supply a second price (e.g. selling price and reverse auction price), please fill in column I (Price type 2) and column J (Price 2).
The technical requirements are the same as for the first price.
To activate the second price, please contact your supplier manager or support@mercateo.com.

Eco tax

The eco tax is only applicable to catalogues for the French Mercateo platform.
In the catalogue template, the eco tax is indicated in the columns for the second price (column I and J). You will find an example in the illustration below:

en_eco_tax1

Column Explanation
ARTICLE_PRICE price_type → Column I
→ For eco tax please us eco_tax
PRICE_AMOUNT → Column J
→ Maximum of 2 decimals
→ Decimal separator is point or comma
→ Do not use thousands seperator or currency symbols (e.g. €)

To activate the eco tax, please contact your supplier manager at Mercateo or support@mercateo.com.

PRICE_QUANTITY

The PRICE_QUANTITY states to what number of order units the stated price refers. If you enter a value in this column, the individual unit price will be calculated by dividing the PRICE_AMOUNT by the PRICE_QUANTITY.

Requirements
→ Please enter only positive integers
→ Please do not use any negative values, 0 or thousands separator
DATETIME type=valid_start_date

Is the date from when the price is valid. This is not a mandatory field.
Note: At this time, this information is not supported by Mercateo.

DATETIME type=valid_end_date

Is the date until when the price is valid. This is not a mandatory field.
Note: At this time, this information is not supported by Mercateo.

PRICE_CURRENCY

In column N you enter the currency for your prices. Only abbreviations from the following list may be used: ISO_4217

Requirements
→ Mandatory field
→ The currency must be indicated as an abbreviation (ISO 4217)
→ The currency and tax in the catalogue belong together
→ Please do not use currency and tax for different countries within a catalogue
→ The currency must correspond to the country the catalogue is activated in
Example: EUR or GBP
TAX

In column O you state the factor for the value-added tax (VAT). Please take care of the correct spelling. Only decimal numbers may be used.

Requirements
→ Mandatory field
→ Please show the tax values as decimal numbers, e.g. for 20% VAT, 0.20 should be stated in the catalogue
→ A dot or comma is used as a decimal separator
→ The currency and tax in the catalogue belong together
→ Please do not use currency and tax for different countries within a catalogue
→ The tax must correspond to the country the catalogue is activated in
Example: 0.20 (for 20% VAT) or 0.07 (for 7% VAT)
DELIVERY_TIME

The DELIVERY_TIME is stated in column P and indivates the expected delivery time in working days for each product.

Requirements
→ Mandatory field
→ Please state the delivery time in days
→ Please enter only positive integers (e.g. 2 for a delivery time of 2 days)
→ Negative values, decimal places and letters are not permitted
→ Important: For items without delivery time 99 days will be displayed on the Mercateo website
ORDER_UNIT

In the column Q the unit is stated in which the item can be ordered. The price always refers to this unit.
Only abbreviations from the following list may be used: Abbreviations order units

Requirements
→ Mandatory field
→ Must be an abbreviation according to UN/ECE code
→ The order unit must be entered for each product
→ The price always refers to the order unit
→ Order unit and content unit must be different
Example: PA (for pack), C62 (for piece) or BO (for bottle)
CONTENT_UNIT

The CONTENT_UNIT is the smallest unit within an order unit. It is a mandatory field (except for C62, SET, ST and PR).
Only abbreviations from the following list may be used: Abbreviations order units

Requirements
→ Mandatory field (conditional)
→ Must be an abbreviation according to UN/ECE code
→ If a content unit is used, the column NO_CU_PER_OU (Pack quantity) must also be filled in
→ Order unit and content unit must be different
→ If order unit and content unit are identically, leave this column empty
Example: MTR (for metre), C62 (for piece) or KGM (for kilogram)
NO_CU_PER_OU

The NO_CU_PER_OU states the number of content units within the order unit. It is often referred to as a packaging quantity or pack quantity.

Requirements
→ Mandatory field (conditional)
→ If the column NO_CU_PER_OU is filled in, the content unit has also to be specified
→ Please enter only positive integers (e.g. 25, 100, 1000)
→ Do not use thousands seperator
→ The packaging quantity and the minimum order quantity are not dependent on each other and can have different values
Example: 25, 100 or 1000
QUANTITY_MIN

QUANTITY_MIN describes the minimum number of order units which must be ordered. If no minimum order quantity is specified, the QUANTITY_MIN is automatically set to 1.

Requirements
→ Please enter only positive integers (e.g. 10, 50, 100)
→ Do not use thousands seperator
→ If no QUANTITY_MIN is stated in the catalogue, a default value of 1 is set automatically
→ QUANTITY_MIN must not be smaller than QUANTITY_INTERVAL
→ QUANTITY_MIN is to be used independently of the packaging quantity (NO_CU_PER_OU)
→ The price of the item does not refer to the QUANTITY_MIN but only to the order unit
Example: 10, 50 or 100
QUANTITY_INTERVAL

QUANTITY_INTERVAL is a number indicating the quantity steps in which the item can be ordered.

Requirements
→ Please enter only positive integers (e.g. 10, 50, 100)
→ Do not use thousands seperator
→ In most cases, the values for QUANTITY_MIN and QUANTITY_INTERVAL are the same. If not, QUANTITY_MIN must be a multiple of QUANTITY_INTERVAL
→ QUANTITY_MIN cannot be larger than QUANTITY_INTERVAL
Example: 10, 50 or 100
KEYWORD

The column KEYWORD contains catchwords and synonyms that help to find the product on the Mercateo platform.

Requirements
→ We recommend a maximum of 10 search terms
→ The main term for the item should also be saved as the search term, e.g. “photocopying paper”
→ The main term for the item should also be created in the product name (column DESCRIPTION_SHORT)
→ Use a comma (without a space) to separate search terms
Please avoid
→ Manufacturer names
→ Manufacturer numbers
→ EAN codes
→ Personal names
→ Verbs or linking words, e.g. with, or, and, for, from, at
→ Product features, e.g. white, transparent, round (For product features use the columns FNAME (1-10))
Example: Highlighter,Wood marker,Tinder marker,Text marker,Paintmarker,Plastic marker
CATALOG_GROUP_ID

In column CATALOG_GROUP_ID you enter the number of the product group that the item belongs to. The associated product group system is created in the file „categories_CAT-ID_LANGUAGE_UTF-8“.

More information on creating the group Ids and categories is available under Categories – manual.

Requirements
→ Mandatory field
→ A product can be allocated to several product groups
→ Different group IDs can be separated with a pipe character (|), (e.g. 101|102|350)
→ Group Ids can consist of numbers or also letters
Example: 100 or 101|102|350 or books
REFERENCE_FEATURE_SYSTEM_NAME

This column contains the name and version of the classification system. Mercateo supports the following systems:

→ eCl@ss version 6.0 to 9.0 (Standard for Mercateo: version 5.1.4)
→ ETIM version 2.0 to 7.0
→ UNSPSC-7 and UNSPSC-13

Requirements
→ Please take care of the correct spelling with capital letters and hyphen (e.g. ECLASS-5.1.4 or UNSPSC-13.1)
→ The related ID to which the item is allocated is saved in column REFERENCE_FEATURE_GROUP_ID
→ If a REFERENCE_FEATURE_SYSTEM_NAME is used, the REFERENCE_FEATURE_GROUP_ID must also be stated

For more information on eCl@ss, ETIM and UNSPSC, see:

→ eCl@ss
→ ETIM
→ UNSPSC

Example: ECLASS-5.1.4 or ETIM-7.0 or UNSPSC-13
REFERENCE_FEATURE_GROUP_ID

The column Y contains the corresponding number given for the item in the classification system.

Requirements
→ When using eCl@ss, items may only be assigned to the lowest eCl@ss category
→ The eCl@ss ID must be complete and contain all 8 digits
→ The eCl@ss ID can be entered with or without a hyphen (e.g. 76-77-45-21, 76774521)
→ If the REFERENCE_FEATURE_GROUP_ID is used, the REFERENCE_FEATURE_SYSTEM_NAME must also be stated

For more information on eCl@ss, ETIM and UNSPSC, see:

→ eCl@ss
→ ETIM
→ UNSPSC

Example: 76-77-45-21 or 76774521
MIME_SOURCE(1-6) (Images)

The columns Z to AQ are provided for the product illustrations. Up to 6 images can be used for an item. The name of the image file must be stated in the catalogue, the image file itself is to be transferred via FTP.

Image file requirements
→ Image file format: JPG, PNG and GIF
→ Minimum image size: 250 pixels (A minimum of 600 pixels is desirable)
→ Image file name: only lower case letters, no spaces, no special characters
→ Same images must have the same name
→ Send each image only once
→ The image should show the product without additional features
→ No logos (except for manufacturer logos as second image)
→ No placeholders (e.g. „no image“)
Catalogue requirements
→ At least one meaningful illustration must be indicated per item in the catalogue
→ The first image must be a representative image of the product
→ The columns MIME_SOURCE, MIME_PURPOSE, MIME_DESCR are closely related
Column Explanation
MIME_SOURCE → This column is used for the image file name including file extension
→ Example: copypaper.jpg or a123-book.gif
MIME_PURPOSE → For images please use normal
MIME_DESCR → Here you can describe the image
→ Example: Product A or Front view or Detailed view
MIME_SOURCE(7) (Data sheets)

These columns are for item data sheets. The name of the data sheet must be stated in the catalogue file, the PDF file itself is to be transferred via FTP.

Requirements
→ Mercateo supports product data sheets in PDF format
→ PDF file name: only lower case letters, no spaces, no special characters
→ The product data sheet must be in the language of the respective market
→ The product data sheet should represent value adding information
→ Same product data sheets must have the same name
→ The product data sheet must be up to date
→ Default is one item data sheet per product
→ The columns MIME_SOURCE7, MIME_PURPOSE7, MIME_DESCR7 are closely related:
Column Explanation
MIME_SOURCE7 → This column is used for the PDF name including file extension
→ Example: copypaper.pdf or data_sheet_34a_b777.pdf
MIME_PURPOSE7 → For product data sheets please use data_sheet
MIME_DESCR7 → Here you can describe the data sheet
→ Example: Product information
MIME_SOURCE(8) (Safety data sheets)

In accordance with the REACH Directive, Article 31, safety data sheets are to be provided unrequested to the customer for substances and mixtures that are classified as dangerous. The safety data sheet is to be given to the recipient at the latest with the first delivery of the substance/mixture. The law allows scope for depositing and the possibility of downloading as a PDF.

As added value for the customer, the safety data sheet is available to download at any time next to the item.

The name of the safety data sheet must be stated in the catalogue file, the PDF file itself is to be transferred via FTP.

Requirements
→ Mandatory field for items concerned
→ Important: The safety data sheet must be up to date
→ Mercateo supports the safety data sheet in PDF format
→ PDF file name: only lower case letters, no spaces, no special characters
→ The safety data sheet must be in the language of the respective market
→ The columns MIME_SOURCE8, MIME_PURPOSE8, MIME_DESCR8 are closely related:
Column Explanation
MIME_SOURCE8 → This column is used for the PDF name including file extension
→ Example: sdb_05623_2021.pdf
MIME_PURPOSE8 → For safety data sheets please use safety_data_sheet
MIME_DESCR8 → Here you can describe the data sheet
→ Example: Safety data sheet

Note: The existence of the safety data sheet is checked during catalogue processing. In case of a missing GHS labelling or a missing safety data sheet the item will not be processed and exported to the customer system.

More information under Labelling in accordance with GHS.

ARTICLE_ORDER

The ARTICLE_ORDER describes the order of the products within the category. Due to our search algorithm, a display cannot be ensured based on the sequence you specified.
The order is optional. Without this specification, the products are sorted alphabetically.

Requirements
→ A positive integer must be used as a value
→ Please do not state any negative values, 0 or decimal places
ARTICLE_REFERENCE

Using the information for reference items in the field ARTICLE_REFERENCE, you can refer to alternative items, accessories and other products you want to link.
The table below gives an overview of the most common values for ARTICLE_REFERENCE type=“…“:

Column Explanation
ARTICLE_REFERENCE type=similar → Alternative item
→ The referenced product is a similar product, with similar features that can be used as an alternative
ARTICLE_REFERENCE type=accessory → Accessory item
→ The referenced product is an accessory and extends the functionality of the product
ARTICLE_REFERENCE type=others → Other item
→ This column can be used if none of the other two options adequately describes the relationship between the products
Requirements
→ Enter the item number in the respective column
→ Multiple item numbers can be specified
→ Separate multiple item numbers with pipe symbol (|)
→ Referencing is only possible for items within a catalogue
Example: 970092|970095|98202
BUYER_AID type, BUYER_AID

The BUYER_AID is a customer specific product number. This column is only applicable when you provide a framework agreement catalogue to a customer of yours. For a catalogue on the open platform, please leave the column empty.

Requirements
→ Separate multiple BUYER_AIDs with pipe symbol (I)
→ In case of multiple use, different values of the TYPE attribute are needed
→ The BUYER_AID can be used to mark products of the standard assortment, products of the core assortment or to transmit a customer-specific merchandise group for an item

Please ask your customer which customer specific information is required.

Example: buyer_specific=45002AB|Standard=s|Contract=001EWWG|Material=23
ERP_GROUP_BUYER

Indicates the merchandise group or material classes of the products as they are indexed in the ERP system of a customer (e.g. SAP R/3).

Note: At this time, this information is not supported by Mercateo. For a catalogue on the open platform, leave the column empty.

FEATURES (1-10)

The element FEATURE describes a feature of an item, i.e. the name of the feature and the feature value together with further information about the feature. This is a supplement to the DESCRIPTION_LONG.

A feature is always comprised of both the fields FNAME and FVALUE. If it concerns a feature, e.g. length, volume, weight, etc. that also requires a unit, this unit is stated as FUNIT. Features are searchable. The FUNIT is not mandatory because some characteristics do not have a unit, e.g. colour or material.

→ FNAME (feature name), mandatory information, should be unique within an item
→ FVALUE (expression of the referenced features), mandatory information, multiple use is possible
→ FUNIT (unit of measurement for the feature), standard units should be used

Requirements
→ The feature columns with the same number belong together, e.g. FNAME2, FVALUE2 and FUNIT2
→ Maximum amount of features = 10
→ Separate multiple values of the feature with pipe symbol (I), e.g. the values of colour can be red and green (red|green) or material leather and metal (leather|metal)

Example:

FNAME1 FVALUE1 FUNIT1 FNAME2 FVALUE2 FUNIT2 FNAME3 FVALUE3 FUNIT3
Colour red Material Plastic Length 100 cm
Colour yellow silver Weight 55 g Length 85 cm
Labelling in Accordance with GHS

For products containing hazardous substances a valid GHS labelling (GHS = hazardous substance indication) and a safety data sheet are required. It is not sufficient to simply label it in a PDF. There must be a clear indication for the customer or in the customer’s system. The hazardousness has to be pointed out in the item description.

The item description must contain the following information:

→ Hazardous substance indication (GHS), not as an image, but as a tag in the electronic catalogue
→ Signal words
→ Hazard statements
→ Safety data sheet
→ Item data sheet
→ Precautionary sentences, indication that each package includes disposable gloves and a Statement for re-sellers and professional users

Please note: You can find information on the labelling of individual items / mixtures / substances on the safety data sheet (SDS). Under point 2 (classification in accordance with Regulation (CE) 1272/2008), the labelling (hazard symbol) is stated.

More information under Labelling in accordance with GHS.

The illustration below shows how to specify GHS in Excel:

GHS in Excel

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