PrestaShop integration with price comparison sites and marketplace. How to export XML product feed?

What is XML?

XML is the most popular and widely used data storage format. The XML file is the successor to the CSV (Excel) format. The data columns in a CSV file became objects in an XML file. The structured layout of an XML file allows you to save the same data, but with more complexity, while keeping the file light, transparent and versatile.

XML files can carry information about a store, products, or customers. XML is used to transfer data between different platforms - most systems allow to export and import data in XML format.

Example of an XML file

Before you start working with an XML file, it's worth familiarizing yourself with its contents. Getting to know the structure and data that are in the file will make it easier for you to import or export it to your PrestaShop store.

You can freely view each XML file. You can freely open files of up to a few tens of MB in a web browser. Larger files are worth opening in Notepad or Notepad++.

Below is an example of an XML feed that was exported from a PrestaShop store for uploading product information to Google Merchant Center. You can download the entire file by clicking here.

An XML feed is a structured XML file that contains up-to-date data from your store. You can share feeds for others and upload information about your products in them.

A well exported file will make your store available to the world and save you a ton of time! In this post, we will discuss exporting data from your PrestaShop store to Google Merchant Center XML format,

Feed XML for Google Merchant Center

Feed XML can carry a variety of data and have different structures. For example, the feed that you upload to Google Merchant Center advertising tools has a slightly different format than the feed for Facebook Marketplace or Ceneo advertising tools.

Google describes in its documentation what an XML feed supported by their sales tools should look like and what data it should have. The structure of such a feed can be variable depending on the specifics of your store and industry, such as what products you sell, what forms of delivery you offer, or what currency you want to communicate prices in.

An XML feed for Google Merchant Center can consist of up to dozens of different fields describing a product:

• Mandatory fields, e.g. "ID", "title" "image_link", "price", etc.
• Optional fields, e.g. "additional_image_link" or "sale_price"

To save time and speed up the process of store integration, it is worth using a ready-made module that supports the GMC format, but also allows you to easily manipulate the data you want to export.

Feeder XML is a module for exporting products from PrestaShop

XML export modules are plentiful. Why does Feeder stand out from the rest?

1. You can have many different XML files in Feeder. Feeder has ready integrations for Google Merchant Center, Facebook, Ceneo, Skąpiec and many other platforms that support importing XML product data.
2. You can export any products with any parameters. It all depends on your needs and what you want to pass on.
3. Feeder is a module for professionals, with which you will build your own XML feed to, for example, start dropshipping with your contractors.
4. Feeder exports not only product information, but also customer and order information
5. Feeder works with PrestaShop 1.6, 1.7 and 8, supports PHP from 7.1 to 8.1 and receives regular updates to guarantee stable integration of your store with the latest solutions for which it has been prepared.

Feeder is a powerful tool and ready for your every move

The Feeder module uses your database intelligently and securely, and only when it is needed. This is very important, because a huge product database from which you need to generate several or a dozen different XML feeds requires a lot of computing power. With Feeder, you will make full use of the server's power, but only when the store is not loaded with, for example, user traffic. Thus, you can create multiple feeds - the module processes information in an efficient and optimized way.

Two methods of providing XML feeds

Depending on your needs, generate XML feeds in two ways:

1. XML read-only (ReadOnly URL) - an XML file stored on the server and automatically refreshed by CRON . The file is ready for download at any time without generating any CPU or RAM load.
2. XML on-demand (Main URL) - XML file generated when a URL link is called.

Feed XML "read-only"

Feeder generates XML file according to CRON schedule (e.g. at night) and keeps XML on the server until the next refresh by CRON. If you provide large XML files to multiple entities (e.g. Ceneo, Facebook, Google, etc.) - give them a read-only XML feed. Downloading such a file will only generate network traffic and will not load the CPU and RAM of the server.

Feed XML "on demand"

A feeder can generate a file when a URL is called. If you want, for example, to share an XML file with current data (prices, stocks, etc.) - use the XML feed on demand. The XML file will be generated when the link is called. You can set the time for which once generated XML feed will be available for download (for example, for 30 minutes). After that time, a fresh file will be generated. This way you will avoid generating files at the same moment or in short intervals at the same time. You will provide your audience with always up-to-date data. Feed XML will be refreshed only when it is needed by the recipient.

Ready-made templates that you can modify

In the Feeder you will find ready-made integrations for the most popular sales platforms. As part of the update, we added two new ready-made XML feed configurations:

• "Full standard products.xml" contains all product data found in the store.
• "Full combinations.xml" contains all data about combinations and attributes of products.

The structure of both files allows you to completely export the product catalog from PrestaShop. Both configurations can be freely modified. All you need to do is duplicate the finished feed and change its configuration.

Both configurations are fully compatible with our Smart Import Manager module for PrestaShop. This means that with Feeder and Smart Import Manager you can integrate any two PrestaShop 1.6 and 1.7 stores between each other.

One module for all integrations that use your products. Feeder once configured will let you forget about yourself for a long time. And you'll be able to focus, for example, on rocking international sales.