XML feed FAQs

XML provides a structured format that supports global localization and handles complex product relationships more robustly than text files. It eliminates common data errors by allowing you to safely include special characters and commas without risking file corruption.

The feed acts as a master identity card that allows the system to match customer transactions to specific products. When a match is found, it triggers automated review request emails (RRE) to your customers.

Your feed must include all of the following elements: Feed, Brands, Categories, and Products. For more details, refer to XML schema and data requirements.

• Full feed: Contains your entire product catalog. When processed, any products in the Bazaarvoice database not included in the full feed are marked as inactive.
• Incremental feed: Includes only new or updated data. It provides faster updates, but it does not change the status of products already in the database that are missing from the incremental file.
  
  

  Tip: Upload one complete full feed daily and use incremental feeds for updates throughout the day.

UPC, EAN, and ISBN are the most commonly used product identifiers. Product matching and review syndication highly rely on these identifiers.

To successfully match products across the retail network (syndication), you must provide at least one of the following: UPCs, EANs, or ISBNs. Providing multiple values or manufacturer part numbers significantly improves the matching rate.

The XML format supports global localization by allowing multiple <Name>, <Description>, and <ImageUrl> elements within a single product entry. Each localized element must include a locale attribute (e.g., locale="fr_CA") to specify the language and region. 

Starting in schema v14.3, length and numerical constraints for UPC, EAN, and ISBN attributes are no longer enforced at the schema level. However, if an incoming value doesn't match the expected format, ingestion will fail for that invalid GTIN—it is not accepted or stored.

For valid GTINs, downstream systems normalize the value to 14 digits for matching purposes, but the catalog does not store this normalized version; clients will continue to see the raw value they originally provided in the Portal.

Yes, both can be provided together; manual changes in the Product Catalog application in Portal take priority and generally aren't overwritten by the next feed for the same attribute.

Product/ExternalIDsare case-insensitive in Bazaarvoice's system. To perform a bulk case correction, please contact Bazaarvoice Support.

Yes. Attributes is limited to 32 characters.

Yes, you can use product families to share user-generated content (UGC) across related items like different colors or sizes. This helps increase your overall review coverage and average ratings across your catalog.

Product variants are nearly identical items that typically share reviews in all directions, while bundles are groups of products where reviews usually flow from the individual components to the main bundle. Variants are best managed as a family if they each have a unique display page. For more details, refer to Type of product families.

You can define custom attributes in your XML feed to capture unique details like material or region. Once added to the feed, these must be enabled in the Portal configuration to appear in your dashboards and reports. For more details, refer to Filter catalog data based on custom attributes.

Brands and categories must have unique, stable ExternalId values that do not change, even if the display name changes.

• Brands: Can be declared in a global <Brands> block or within individual <Product> elements.
• Categories:  Required to establish your site's organizational structure. You can create a hierarchy by using the <ParentExternalId> element to nest subcategories. For detailed instructions refer to Define a product category hierarchy.

1. The recommended approach is to use the separate <Categories> block with <CategoryExternalId> on products.
2. <CategoryPath> is a valid alternative, but do not specify both of these attributes on the same product.

Category hierarchy is viewable in the Portal under Product Catalog > Categories, but there isn't a built-in report showing all products against the full category/subcategory hierarchy in one view for large catalogs.

Ensure the Category column value, category name attribute, and CategoryID column value are strictly aligned. Any mismatch among these three values will result in row-level import failures.

Upload a single, complete full feed once per day, followed by incremental feeds to reflect updates throughout the day. Avoid sending multiple full feeds daily to prevent unnecessary system load and performance issues.

Feeds are processed starting at 2 AM Central Time (CST/CDT). Because processing and syndication can take time, Bazaarvoice recommends adding new products to the feed at least 24 hours before a product launch to ensure review links are active.

Yes, Bazaarvoice performs automated catalog cleanups for data that has been inactive and unused for 12 months. This mandatory process helps maintain reporting accuracy and system performance.

You can view the import summary and error counts in the Portal by selecting More > Product Catalog > Feed > Validate Product Feed.

• Full feed: incremental="false" marks anything omitted as inactive.
• Incremental feed: incremental="true"does not deactivate omitted items.
• For clients using incremental feeds, the recommendation is to send a single clean full feed where possible; if truly split, use the multi-source catalog approach with incremental feeds plus Bazaarvoice Managed Inactivity (with a grace period) and feed monitoring/alerts.

Product catalogs change frequently, often creating discrepancies between your system of record and your Bazaarvoice product catalog. Bazaarvoice Managed Inactivity automates catalog maintenance:

• Automatic status updates: Automatically marks products as inactive if they are missing from incoming product feed imports.
• Bazaarvoice-managed timelines: The inactivity threshold period is set and managed directly by Bazaarvoice.

1. A single clean daily full feed is the recommended long-term default for simplicity and a clear source of truth.
2. Multi-source is meant for genuinely separate PIM/e-commerce systems, not as a workaround for a badly configured single feed; if you use a multi-source feed, pair it with Bazaarvoice Managed Inactivity and monitored feed alerts.

Large full feeds are not recommended (slower processing, higher stale-data risk); the standard approach is adding removed="true" to items in an incremental feed rather than uploading an oversized full feed.