tracking

Datafeed

Definition

A datafeed is a structured file, usually CSV or XML, that an advertiser supplies to a network or publisher containing their product catalogue – names, prices, images, categories, and tracking-enabled URLs. Publishers such as coupon and content sites use datafeeds to automatically display accurate, up-to-date product listings without manually building each link.

How does Datafeed work in practice?

A fashion advertiser publishes a datafeed of 8,000 products, refreshed daily. A coupon site imports this feed automatically, so when a product's price changes, the publisher's site updates within a day without anyone manually editing a single link.

What happens to a publisher's listings if an advertiser's datafeed goes stale?

Prices, stock levels, or product availability shown to customers can become inaccurate, leading to broken links or customer complaints. Reputable publishers monitor feed freshness and pause or flag listings from advertisers whose datafeeds haven't updated recently, since outdated feeds directly hurt conversion rate and trust.

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