The Ultimate Guide to WooCommerce Product Feed

Do you want to hear something interesting? 

From 2009 to 2023, in around 15 years the number of ecommerce sites grew from 9.2 million to around 26.5 million. Shocking right? Even more surprising, over 6 million of these ecommerce sites use WooCommerce. And the number keeps rising every single day. 

Now, in this highly competitive world of ecommerce, ensuring your very own WooCommerce site drives enough traffic and gets sufficient sales is a must. But hey, how do you do that? 

Well, there are different methods. However, one of the most effective ways to do that is to promote your WooCommerce products on different marketing channels. Now, to do that, you would always need one essential thing – A WooCommerce Product Feed! 

And this guide is all about that. Here, you will get everything you need to know about Product Feeds for WooCommerce. From setting up one to optimizing it properly, I will cover everything. Let’s Get Started! 

What is a WooCommerce Product Feed and How Does it Work? 

A product feed or a product data feed is a comprehensive file that encompasses all the necessary product data required for creating detailed and informative product listings.

To put it more simply, it is a structured file that contains all the important data on a store’s products. 

It includes different important information like-

• Title 
• Description
• Id
• Category
• Images
• Availability etc. 

Similarly, A WooCommerce Product Feed is a structured file that contains all the relevant details of a WooCommerce store’s products. Now let’s get an idea of how these product feeds work.  

WooCommerce Product Data Feeds: How Do They Work? 

Product data feeds are really helpful and they can be used to upload, show, and sell your products on various marketing platforms like Google Shopping, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram Shop, etc. But how? Have a look. 

When you create a product feed for your WooCommerce store, this feed contains all the essential details about your products. 

So, once you upload this product catalog feed for WooCommerce to a marketing platform, the platform gets all the product data from the feed. It then uses this information to list your products directly on the platform.

Let me make it more clear for you.

Take Google Shopping for example. When you submit your WooCommerce store’s product feed to Google, it pulls key information from your feed to display your products on the Google Shopping platform. 

This means that when someone searches for a product, Google uses the details from your product feed to show relevant ads. If they’re interested, they can click on the ad and be taken directly to your website to view the product. This can get you more traffic and increase your WooCommerce sales a lot. 

If you want to learn more about WooCommerce product feed and how it works check it out. 

Necessary Attributes for WooCommerce Product Feed 

Before learning how to generate a product feed you should get a solid understanding of the necessary attributes of a product feed file for WooCommerce.  

What is the Product Feed Attribute? 

In terms of a product feed, an attribute refers to a specific piece of information or characteristic about a product. They describe the products’ different specifications and information.

Not just that! These attributes provide detailed data about each product and help online platforms accurately represent and categorize the items for sale. So, you should always try to make sure that you include the important attributes or data in your feed file. 

Here are some of the most common and important attributes in a product feed for WooCommerce:

Attributes	What Does it Do
Title [title]	This refers to the name given to the product
ID [id]	A unique identifier of your product
Description [description]	A description of your product that includes what the product is all about, providing key details, features, benefits, and any relevant information that aids in the buyer’s decision-making process.
Category [category]	Every product falls into a specific department or category, which helps with organizing and structuring the product catalog.
Condition [condition]	Describes whether the product you are selling is new, refurbished or used
Price [price]	Shows the price of the product
Product URL [link]	The URL where your product’s landing page can be found.
Image link [image_link]	The URL of your product’s primary or main image
Availability [availability]	Knowing whether a product is in stock or not is essential for potential buyers.

How to Create a WooCommerce Product Feed Using a Plugin 

You have got a solid understanding of the product feed and its necessary attributes. It’s time for the main stuff. Let’s learn how to generate a WooCommerce product data feed. Remember, the process is really easy and beginner-friendly. So hopefully, you will be able to do it in one go. 

You can mainly generate a product feed for WooCommerce in two ways-

• Manually 
• Using a Plugin 

However, I would always ask you NOT TO GO for the first option. Why? Because creating a product feed manually has some major drawbacks. Like what, you ask?

Well, you can always create a CSV file in a spreadsheet and include the attributes & data in it. But hey, it will undoubtedly cost you a lot of time, right? Also, every time you need to change something, you would need to manually update it. 

That’s not it! If you have a lot of products in your WooCommerce store then there’s a high possibility of making errors.

So, you should use a plugin to generate your product feed. But hey, which plugin should you use?

The moment you have been waiting for. Let me introduce CTX Feed – Best WooCommerce Product Feed Manager Plugin.

Why You Should Use CTX Feed

Create Unlimited Feeds Upload Unlimited Products Shortest Amount of Time to create a feed Supports any type of feed file Supports all types of products  User-Friendly Interface Auto-Update Feature 100+ pre-configured templates Multilingual and Multi-Currency Feed ( Pro Version) Attribute Mapping ( Pro Version)

Generating the Product Feed 

Now, the first thing you need to do is to install and activate the plugin. So, to do that, from your WordPress Dashboard go to “Plugins > Add New Plugin”. 

Then, search for ‘CTX Feed’ and activate the plugin. 

The installation process was pretty smooth and simple, right? Now let’s make a feed for your desired platform. 

Don’t you worry! This product data feed management tool CTX Feed will make the process a lot easier for you and let you create feeds in just a couple of minutes. 

Access the CTX Feed plugin settings by navigating to “CTX Feed” on the left-hand menu in the WordPress admin dashboard. And then click on “Make Feed”.

It will take you to a new window where you can fill out some fields and make your product feed. 

There, you have to select your country. Also, from the template section, select the marketing channel where you want to upload your WooCommerce products. There are around 130 popular pre-configured templates available and you can select any of them. 

In my case, I have selected ‘United States’ as the country. Now, for this example, let’s select ‘Google Shopping’. 

After that, remember to give your file a name and select your file type that is suitable for the marketing channel. 

As you can see, I have given the file name ‘ABC Business Product Feed’ and selected the file type as ‘CSV’. 

Note: 
This product data feed management plugin – CTX Feed supports all major file types such as CSV, XML, TXT, etc. So, when you select the template, you will have an option to select from all the supported file types. 

It’s time for the best part! Once you select your template, it automatically generates the required attributes for you.  Sounds awesome right? Well, it actually is. You will be able to save a lot of time and effort because the plugin will do almost all the work for you.

Once you’re done with the attributes, scroll down and select ‘Update and Generate Feed’. This will finalize and generate your feed.

Customizing the Product Feed 

There are often times when WooCommerce store owners need to customize their product feeds. It can be adding different attributes or filtering out different products. Luckily, this plugin comes with all the handy features to get these kinds of jobs done for you in the easiest way. 

If you want, you can add or delete any attributes you want to in your product feed. But how, you ask?

Simply go down below and at the bottom, you will find an option to add new attributes. 

Click on it and you will find an extra attribute option.

Now, suppose you are running a sale or discount campaign. So, it’s essential to include the sale start and end dates. 

Because if you don’t then it can cause customers to see a lower sale price on Google and then find a higher regular price on your product page. If it happens, it will definitely hamper the trust a customer has in your brand.

To include the sale campaign start and end dates, you need to add the “sale_price_effective_date” attribute.

After that, you need to choose the ‘value’ of the attribute. 

So, from there, select the ‘Sale Price Effective Date’ value from the value dropdown. 

It would look like this: 

CTX Feed – The WooCommerce product feed manager plugin will automatically collect your campaign start and end dates from your WooCommerce sale campaign and include them in the feed. 

However, if you want to add the date manually, then you can select the ‘Text’ option from the Type field and add the date manually as well. 

Bonus Tip:

Always try to keep in mind that you should not delete any pre-configured attributes from any template. Because those are required attributes recommended by the channel.

What if you want to filter your products in the product feed? 

Well, CTX Feed gives you that option too. Simply, go to the ‘Filter’ or ‘Advance Filter’ option in the make feed window.

There, you will find all the options for filtering your products the way you want. You get to remove the backorder or out-of-stock products. Again, there are options available to include or exclude products that do not have descriptions, images, or prices. What else?

There are options available to select the shipping or tax country as well if you want to. So, go to this feature, and make changes according to your needs. 

Once you are done filtering, go down below and click on the ‘Update and Generate Field’. 

You are almost done here. You are done generating the feed, but where will you find it now? 

In order to find and manage the feed, go to the ‘Manage Feeds’ option from the ‘CTX Feed’ menu. In there, you will find the newly generated product feed for the WooCommerce store.

From there you can ‘copy’ the feed file and there’s also a ‘settings’ option available as well. 

In the ‘Settings’ option you will get to view, download, or delete it. 

AND THAT’S ALL! Copy the link and export this WooCommerce Product Feed to Google Shopping to show your products on the platform. 

How do you Create a WooCommerce Product Info Feed for Other Marketing Channels? 

You can create your product feed for other marketing channels as well. The steps are almost similar, you just have to change the platform. This time, let’s quickly create one for Facebook. 

So, go to the CTX Feed Menu again and click on the ‘Make Feed’ option. 

It will take you to the feed window where you’ll need to fill out some information. So, select your desired country once again, and remember, for the ‘Template’ option, choose ‘Facebook Catalog/ Instagram’ this time. 

Do not forget to choose the file name and type either. 

What do you see? Yes, this time the plugin will generate the required attributes for Facebook this time. 

You can click on ‘Update and Generate Feed’ to make the feed for Facebook. And IT’s DONE! See? The plugin really does almost all the work and you can actually make a feed in a couple of minutes with its help. 

Now, with this feed, you can easily add your WooCommerce products to Facebook Shop. 

Hopefully, you will be able to create the product feed for any platform. Now, have a look at the benefits and the optimization methods of Product Feeds in WooCommerce. 

Note: If you are looking to use other platforms, You can have a look at our in-depth articles on- 

• How to Add WooCommerce Products to Instagram Shop
• How To Generate A WooCommerce Pinterest Product Feed
• How to Generate a Kelkoo Product Feed for WooCommerce

How to Optimize Your WooCommerce Product Feed: 5 Key Tips 

You won’t just create a product feed for your WooCommerce store and upload it. It needs to be properly optimized. So, have a look at these 5 key tips and best practices in order to optimize your product feed properly:

1. Use Detailed and Eye-Catchy Product Titles

Let me ask you something, what are the first two things you see while shopping online? Yes, it’s the title and image of the product. 

So, Product titles are really crucial for search engine indexing. Ensure your titles are detailed and include important keywords that describe your product. Also, try to avoid keyword stuffing, but make sure to include relevant information such as brand, product type, color, size, and key features.

Example – Gildan Men’s Heavy Cotton Classic Short Sleeve Green T-Shirt

2. Make Compelling Product Descriptions

Around 87% of consumers consider product content to be extremely or very important in their purchasing decisions. So, you can understand how important WooCommerce product descriptions are. 

Your WooCommerce product descriptions should provide clear, concise, and compelling information about your products. Try to use rich, descriptive language and include keywords naturally. It should be easy to read and always contain the unique selling points, features, and benefits of the product. 

Example – ⁦This t-shirt is soft, comfortable, and 100% cotton which makes this the perfect shirt to personalize or to simply wear as is.⁩

3. High-Quality Images 

Product images are one of the first things (if not the very first) your customers will see while buying your product. 

 High-quality images are essential for attracting customers and improving conversion rates. Ensure your product images are clear and well-lit, and show the product from multiple angles. Also, try to follow the WooCommerce Product Image Size.

4. Include Other Comprehensive Product Attributes

Remember when I talked about the most common and important attributes? Well, there are different other attributes as well such as such as size, color, material, weight, and any other relevant specifications. And you should always try to include them as much as you can. But, why exactly?

This information can really help customers make informed decisions. It also enhances the searchability of your products on various platforms. Make sure all attributes are accurate and up-to-date.

Example –  Attributes for a t-shirt could include: Size (S, M, L, XL), Color (Blue), Material (100% Cotton), and Weight (200g).

5. Regularly Update Your Feed

Keeping your product feed up-to-date is crucial for maintaining accuracy and relevance. That’s why make sure to regularly update your feed to reflect changes in inventory, pricing, and product details. 

This ensures customers always have access to the most current information, reducing the risk of misinformation and abandoned carts.

Bonus Tip: If you use the CTX Feed- Product Feed Manager for WooCommerce then you can use the auto-update feature. This will enable you to automatically update your product feed after a specific time interval.

Why Should You Use a WooCommerce Product Data Feed: 6 Key Benefits 

When you use product feeds for WooCommerce, it can benefit you in numerous ways. Like what, you say? Well, see for yourself. 

1. Increased Visibility

Product feeds allow you to expand your reach across multiple platforms and thus tap into a larger customer base. By listing products on popular marketplaces and shopping engines, you can reach customers who may not have discovered your store otherwise.

2. Enhanced Accuracy

With product feed management tools, you can ensure that your product information remains consistent and accurate across various platforms.

One more thing is that by centralizing the product data and distributing it through feeds, you minimize the risk of errors and discrepancies that could lead to customer dissatisfaction.

3. Streamlined Updates

Product feeds provide a streamlined way to update product information in real-time. Whenever there are changes in pricing, availability, or other attributes, you can update the feed. 

And the changes will be automatically reflected across all platforms where the feed is distributed. This saves you the time and effort of manually updating product information on each platform.

4. Time and Cost Savings

Automating the product feed management process saves you valuable time and resources. Instead of manually entering and updating product data on different platforms, you can use a single product feed management tool like CTX Feed to manage your product feeds.

 This allows you to focus on other critical aspects of your business, such as marketing and customer service.  

5. Improved Advertising Performance

By optimizing product feeds with relevant keywords, attributes, and high-quality images, you can improve the performance of your online advertising campaigns. 

With well-optimized product feeds, you can achieve higher conversion rates and maximize your return on ad spend (ROAS).

6. Increased Sales and Conversion Rates

With enhanced visibility, accurate product information, and efficient inventory management, a product feed directly contributes to higher sales and can increase your WooCommerce conversion rates.

Potential customers are more likely to purchase from a store that offers a seamless and reliable shopping experience. Again, you capture a broader audience and increase your chances of making a sale by presenting your products effectively across multiple channels. 

Final Thought 

A WooCommerce Product Feed can turn out to be a game changer for your store in terms of getting more traffic and sales. So, keep the marketing channel in mind and make the best possible product feed for your WooCommerce store. 

Also, try to implement the tips and best practices as much as you can. It will not only improve search engine rankings but also enhance the shopping experience for customers. I believe by generating and using your product feed properly, you will be able to take your WooCommerce store to the next level. Till then, take care!