Definition: Product Data Syndication

What is product data syndication?

Product data syndication is the process of distributing product information to various marketing or sales channels, such as retailers, distributors, and eCommerce platforms, in a standardized format that can be easily consumed and displayed by these channels. The product information can be data such as product descriptions, specifications, images, videos, and pricing information.

Product data syndication is a key feature of a Product Information Management (PIM) solution. With a PIM solution, product data can be automatically distributed to all channels with little to no need for human intervention.

What problems does product data syndication solve?

Product data syndication is essential due to the various challenges associated with managing and distributing product information across multiple channels and platforms. In the past, before the advent of automated solutions, product data syndication was predominantly done manually, which presented the following problems:

• It is time-consuming. If each channel requires individual attention and there are many channels to manage, it can become an overwhelming and resource-intensive task. This can result in delays in getting products listed or updated, affecting the speed and accuracy of information reaching potential customers.
• It is prone to human errors. With numerous data points to manage, the likelihood of typos, incorrect formatting, or missing information is high. These errors are what cause inconsistent or incomplete information to be displayed on a product detail page.
• It is hard to maintain consistency across all channels. Each platform may have different formatting requirements, data fields, or categorization structures. Manually adapting the product information to meet each platform's specifications was not only time-consuming but also increased the risk of discrepancies or inconsistencies in the listings.

Product data syndication helps businesses save time and money by automating the data entry process and the distribution of product information across all channels. It also ensures that the product information is always accurate and up-to-date, as any updates to the information in the main database will be automatically synced across all channels.