Smart Feed (New): Creating a General XML Product Feed (Limited Access)
This guide explains how to create a shared XML product feed that can be used across multiple channels.
Before you start, make sure you’ve completed the preparation steps outlined in Smart Feed (New): Overview and Key Features.
| Note: This feature is currently available only to whitelisted users. If you are interested in using it, please contact SHOPLINE Support to request access for your store. |
Before You Start
Before creating a product feed, please ensure the following:
- Products have been created and published in the SHOPLINE Admin > Products.
- Products are enabled for the Online Store channel.
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Notes: The following products will NOT be synced to Smart Feed
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Create a General XML Feed
Step 1: Sync Products from SHOPLINE
In Smart Feed (New), go to: Manage Product > Sync products.
The system will fetch product data from SHOPLINE via API.
Recommended usage:
After making bulk updates or changes to key products in SHOPLINE, it is recommended to manually trigger a sync.
Estimated sync time:
- Up to 10,000 variants: ~30 minutes
- Up to 50,000 variants: ~2 hours
| Note: If syncing takes longer than 2 hours, please contact your account manager. |
Step 2: Connection Setup
Go to Smart Feed (New) > Manager channels > Choose General XML, and click Add channel.
The same store can create 5 general XML feeds, used for unified field rules across multiple channels or to sync feed data to media channels not yet connected to SmartFeed.
| Note: Recommended for migrated stores with consistent product IDs. |
Setting the Product ID Format
After you click Add channel, the Set Product ID Format dialog appears.
- Choose how product IDs will be generated for this feed:
- SHOPLINE's Product ID: Uses the product ID from your SHOPLINE Admin (SPU ID or SKU ID), consistent with the existing behavior for this channel.
- Custom Product ID: Upload a file mapping your own product and product group IDs (supports .csv, up to 20MB). Any product not found in your uploaded file will use its SHOPLINE product ID instead.
| Note: A template file is available for download when setting up Custom Product ID. |
- Click Next to continue.
Media Channel Reporting Management (SHOPLINE's Product ID Only)
If you choose SHOPLINE's Product ID, you can turn on Media Channel Reporting Management for this feed. When enabled, Smart Feed syncs this feed's product IDs and product data in real time to the channels you select (for example, Google, Meta, Pinterest, TikTok, or Microsoft), making it easier to spot and troubleshoot product issues in those channels' feeds.
- Turn on Media Channel Reporting Management.
- Toggle on reporting for each channel you want to include.
| Note: Media Channel Reporting Management is available only when using SHOPLINE's Product ID. It is not available if you choose Custom Product ID. |
Step 3: Set Product Sync Scope
Product filtering rules determine which products will be synced to this channel.
Available methods:
- Specify products by SPU ID / SKU ID
Step 4: Configure Product Field Rules
- Core fields are pre-configured based on best practices
- You can customize fields like title, category, labels
Macro example:
Enter colour: system maps to product attribute (e.g., red)
Use Preview Products to validate results.
| Note: If you also set a Product ID rule in field settings, the ID from your imported Custom Product ID file takes priority. The field rule is used only as a fallback for products not found in your imported file. |
Use Preview Products to validate results.
| Note: If you save field rules for General XML while a required field still has no mapping (no macro, automation rule, or fixed value), a confirmation dialog appears: "Unconfigured required fields found — Your current configuration has required fields without a mapping rule, which may cause products to be rejected by the channel. Are you sure you want to continue?" Choose Continue Submitting to save anyway, or Return to Edit to go back and complete the missing field rule. |
Step 5: Preview Products
Check:
- Field accuracy
- Variants completeness
- Product ID consistency
Step 6: Generate XML Feed
Click XML generation to generate the XML feed.
You can:
- View XML link in Feed Management
- Check sync time and product count
Smart Feed updates the XML feed daily. You can check the updates in Feed Management.
Reviewing Missing Required Fields
After your products sync, Smart Feed checks whether any required field for General XML renders empty, and flags it directly on the Manage Products page — so you don't have to trace the issue back from a rejection on the ad platform.
Required fields for General XML: id, title, description, link, image_link, price, availability.
| Note: Unlike other XML channels, General XML does not require availability — an empty availability value will not trigger a warning for this channel. |
To review and fix missing fields:
- Go to Manage Products > Submitted tab for the General XML channel.
- If any product has an empty required field, you'll see a banner: "Some products have required fields left empty. Please complete them on the main site.”
- Click into a product row to see field-level detail. Any field still missing is marked Required field is empty.
| Note: If the warning is caused by a missing field rule rather than missing product data, the banner instead prompts you to complete the field rule, with a link directly to the Field Rules page for this channel. |
FAQs About Creating a General XML Product Feed
Q1: Why do some of my products show a "Required field empty" warning even though the feed has already generated successfully?
A required field can still render as empty even after your field rules are set up correctly — usually because the underlying product data is missing on the main site (for example, a blank product description). Smart Feed flags this directly on the Manage Products page so you can fix it before the channel rejects the product, rather than finding out later from an error on the ad platform.