Build your inventory file
Cet article s'applique à la vente en : United Kingdom

Build your inventory file

Sur cette page
Which Type of Inventory File Should I Use?
Listing in Media Categories
Tips for building an inventory file
Filling the template
Populating Your Product Template
Update, Partial Update and Delete Operations
Checklist
Uploading your Inventory file
Multi-Store Listing Template
Definitions
Frequently asked questions
What is MMT?
Should I use a period (.) or a comma (,) as the decimal separator for my prices in the template?
Which currency is used for the prices I provide in my MMT for each marketplace?
How is MMT different from the single-marketplace Inventory File template?
Does MMT enable me to improve my detail page for multiple marketplaces?
Am I required to list all products in my template in every marketplace in the template?
Before I submit MMT, do I need to check whether the detail page for an ASIN exists in each of the secondary marketplaces?
How long does it take Amazon to create ASINs in secondary marketplaces?
Where can I learn more about Amazon’s listing policies for each marketplace?
Does the Processing Report on the Add Products via Upload page inform me about whether the detail page exists in each of the secondary marketplaces after submission?
After submitting MMT, where can I see the status of detail page creation in the secondary marketplaces?
What attributes do I need to provide in my template to improve the likelihood that detail page creation in secondary marketplaces will be successful?
If Amazon is not able to create a detail page for my ASIN in a secondary marketplace after I submit MMT, does this mean I am not allowed to sell the product in that marketplace?
How does Amazon choose the source content to be used for translations when creating a detail page for an ASIN in a secondary marketplace?
Can I use MMT to provide values for bullet points in my home marketplace and have Amazon translate those values to be added to my listings in the other European marketplaces for existing ASINs?
On the Add Products via Upload page, how is the list of selectable marketplaces determined?
Can I have multiple home marketplaces?
Can I use MMT to provide a unique set of product images for each marketplace?
Can I use MMT to provide my own translations for important product attributes such as Product Attribute Bullet Points?
How can I view and edit the translated content in secondary marketplaces?
What is the difference between Build International Listings (BIL) and MMT? Why should I use one or the other?
How does the submission of MMT affect the settings of my ASINs in BIL?
Do I need to request authorization to sell in my product category in each marketplace?
How can I see marketplace-specific errors for my listing submission?
Does the Update operation also delete my pre-existing product data in the secondary marketplaces and replace it with translated content from MMT?
Individual sellers: This feature is only available to sellers with a Professional selling plan. Learn more by going to Selling plan comparison.

You can use inventory file templates to create or edit your listings in the Amazon catalogue in bulk.

To learn more about matching or creating product listings in bulk, watch this Seller University video.

Which Type of Inventory File Should I Use?

If the items you want to list are already in Amazon’s catalogue in the marketplace where you want to list and you do not wish to provide information that describes the item, such as bullet points or product description, we recommend that you use one of the following three templates, which can be downloaded here:

  • Price and Quantity File: use this file to update price, quantity, handling time and fulfilment channel for your existing SKU’s. This is Amazon’s most basic listing template. This template cannot be used to create a new SKU. Use the Inventory Loader or Listing Loader to create a new SKU.
  • Inventory Loader: use this file to create SKU’s for products that are already in the Amazon catalogue. This template includes columns for the basic set of information you must provide to create a SKU: price, quantity, shipping information and compliance information.
  • Listing Loader: this file is a more advanced version of the Inventory Loader. It contains all columns found in the Inventory loader, as well as optional offer attributes such as gift wrap options and sale price, and columns to provide URLs for product images.

If the items you want to list do not yet exist in Amazon’s catalogue in the marketplace in which you want to list or you wish to provide information that describes the item, such as bullet points or product description, we recommend that you use a category-specific template. You can generate a template for the categories in which you wish to list by visiting the Add Products via Upload page.

If you want to list your items in multiple marketplaces, we recommend that you use the Multi-Marketplace Listing Template. You can generate this template on the Add Products via Upload page by selecting the marketplaces in which you want to list before you generate your template. For details on using the multi-marketplace features in this template, see the bottom of this page.

Listing in Media Categories

If the items you are listing are books and are not in the catalogue, or you don’t know the ISBN, UPC or EAN, you can use the Standard Bookloader file. You supply information about the book (such as title and author) and we will check whether it already matches a catalogue item. If it doesn’t match, we will create a new catalogue entry based on the information you supplied. Booksellers may also want to load inventory using the UIEE format. With this option, if you don’t have ISBNs, you can still load your items to Marketplace by taking advantage of Amazon’s ISBN matching. Books that don’t have ISBNs will have new detail pages created.

If the items you are listing belong in the Music category, you can use the Music Loader File. If your product is already in Amazon’s catalogue, Amazon will add your listing to the existing page. If your product is not already in the catalogue, Amazon will create a new catalogue page based on the information you supplied.

Tips for building an inventory file

Backups

We recommend that you keep a backup copy of your completed template on your computer hard drive so that you can use it later to make updates to your listings.

SKU

The SKU is the key field in every inventory file and should not be altered or reused The SKU is the key field in every inventory file and should not be altered or reused within a single marketplace. Amazon uses the SKUs in your inventory file to associate your product listings (the product page ASIN and your offering) with your individual inventory level records in the Amazon catalogue. This means:

  • Every product in your inventory file must have a unique SKU.
  • Every new SKU you upload to Amazon results in the creation of a new record in the Amazon catalogue.
  • Because each record is unique, an existing SKU cannot be changed. It remains in the catalogue until you delete it.
  • If you upload an inventory file with data for a SKU that already exists, the most recent data replaces data from previous feeds.

Standard product identifier

We recommend that you always provide the UPC, EAN, JAN, or ISBN when creating a new listing on Amazon. For more information, go to Product UPCs and GTINs. For the requirements for each category, including exceptions and exemptions where available, go to Product ID (GTIN) requirements by category .

Search terms

Customers primarily use search terms (keywords) to find products on Amazon. Good search terms go a long way toward increasing product visibility. Most products can support five keywords. Think like customers do and use search terms that are popular on your own website or for your product line. For more information, go to Optimize your product discoverability .

Note: Standard Book Loader files do not support search terms (keywords). Amazon assigns search and browse information for products listed in the Books category. However, you can use the Add a Product tool to increase the number of search keywords for your Books products.

Variation relationships

Some categories support variation relationships that include a single parent product and multiple child products.

Parent products are non-sellable products that you list in your inventory file so you can create relationships between products.

Child products are unique, sellable products linked to a parent product. The child product is similar to other child products (or siblings) linked to the same parent product. However, the child varies from its siblings according to specific criteria. These criteria are described in the variation-theme section of the Data Definitions tab on the inventory file template. Acceptable variation themes differ by category, but might include attributes such as size, colour and flavour.

Set up parent-child relationships in your inventory file whenever possible. This makes search and browse results much more manageable for customers because related child products are grouped together. When you set up parent-child relationships, distinguish each child product in the title. For example, if you sell shirts and some are red and some are blue, use "Shirt, Red" and "Shirt, Blue."

Note: You must set up a parent-child relationship if an appropriate variation theme exists for your products and category.

You can view the child ASINs for each parent ASIN in the Amazon catalogue on the Manage Inventory page in your seller account.

For more information, go to Variation relationships.

Filling the template

You should use the Product template to add products that are not currently in Amazon’s catalogue. The template shows the required, conditionally required, and recommended attributes. Conditionally required attributes become required based on your inputs on the required attributes, optional attributes are collapsed in each attribute group. To expand the optional attributes, click the "+/-" signs on top of the column. Alternatively, on top left corner of the sheet, you can select "1" or "2" to expand or collapse all the optional attributes. The "1" button shows the default view and "2" button shows the advanced view with all the attributes. In the default view, first attribute in the group is not hidden so you can find the specific attribute group. For further information, download and read the instruction in the template.

Populating Your Product Template

When you open the product template in Microsoft Excel, you see several tabs along the bottom of the product template workbook. These tabs include the following:

Tab Description
Instructions An overview of how to use the product template.
Data Definitions A detailed review of each field in the inventory file. This tab provides a label name, definition, use case, accepted values and example for each field.
Template The sheet where you provide your listing information. You can modify the order of the columns, but do not modify the order of the top three rows. The first row of this sheet contains information about the version of the template you are using. The second row of this sheet contains attribute labels that describe the information being requested in each column. The third row contains the attribute identifier that Amazon’s systems use to associate your listing data with the correct attribute.
Examples Examples of how to accurately format the data for different products.

As you enter your listing information on the Template tab, follow the instructions provided on the Data Definitions tab. Some fields require you to choose from a set of values. Refer to the Data Definitions tab for these sets of valid values.

Before you start

Use this information to help you build your inventory file:

My product information adheres to the Data Definitions tab

The Text File template includes a Data Definitions tab containing a detailed review of each field in the inventory file. This tab provides a label name, definition, use case, accepted values and example for each field. You will need to refer to this tab to successfully upload your products. The Data Definitions tab is located at the bottom of the Text File template.

My product information adheres to Amazon’s best practices for listing products

Amazon offers suggestions for listing your product information that is proven to increase both visibility and sales. For more information, see Improve product details.

My images meet Amazon's requirements

Images greatly increase sales and therefore are extremely important. Amazon offers advice on how to list the best images for your products. See Amazon’s product image requirements here .

The Search Terms for my products are the best they can be

Search terms are the primary method customers use to find products. Amazon offers tips on optimising these terms. For more information, see Using search and browse.

Update, Partial Update and Delete Operations

When using a category-specific inventory file, you should specify the operation you wish to perform on your SKU in the column labelled Update delete. There are three options:

  • 1. Update: Use this operation when creating a new SKU or when you wish to completely replace your current values for an existing SKU with a new set of values. When updating an existing SKU, the Update option removes your previous contributions to the SKU and replaces them with the content you provide in your template. This includes attributes that you leave blank. For example, when using Update, if you previously provided bullet points for your SKU and you leave bullet points blank in your template, submitting the template will cause bullet points you previously provided to be deleted. If you do not specify an option in the Update delete column, the Update option is used by default.
  • 2. Partial Update: Use this operation when you wish to change specific attributes for your SKU. If you leave an attribute blank, Amazon will retain your previous contributions for the attribute. For example, when using Partial Update, if you previously provided bullet points and you leave bullet points blank in your template, submitting the template will not change the bullet points on the detail page of your SKU.
  • 3. Delete: If you are using a single-marketplace template, this operation removes your SKU in the marketplace in which you submit your template. If you selected multiple marketplaces when generating your template and your SKU exists in multiple marketplaces, the delete operation is executed for the SKU in each marketplace for which you provide listing data in your template. For example, if your SKU exists in UK, DE, FR, ES and IT, and you submit a template with the delete operation selected and with values for price in UK and DE, your SKU will be deleted only in the UK and DE marketplaces.

Checklist

Before you upload your inventory file, check that it meets the following conditions:

  • Each required field has a value, unless you are using Partial Update and have already provided values for all required fields in a previous submission.
  • Each product has a unique SKU and Product ID.
  • Inventory Quantity: For items that are Fulfilled By Amazon, do not provide a value in the quantity column. The quantity column should be used only for seller-fulfilled SKU’s. The inventory quantity for Amazon-fulfilled SKU’s will be determined by the number of items received at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre. If you provide a value for your SKU in the quantity column, your SKU will convert to seller-fulfilled.
  • The bullet point and product description fields do not contain unapproved characters such as quotation marks, copyright symbols or trademark symbols.
  • If using the template to establish a parent/child relationship, then the following are true:
    • The relationship-type field is blank for parent products.
    • Parent products and child products both have the same variation-theme value.
    • The term used in variation-theme is valid.
    • The quantity and price are blank for parent products.
  • If you are providing platinum-keyword values, then the child products have the same platinum-keyword values as their parent products.
  • URLs used for image references are properly formatted, including the ‘http://’ protocol indicator and ‘.jpg’ or ‘.gif’ extension.
  • Appropriate products have weight and/or size dimensions.

Uploading your Inventory file

After you finish populating your inventory file, you can upload the file on the Add Products via Upload page. When uploading your file, ensure that you select the option that corresponds to the type of inventory file you are using.

Multi-Store Listing Template

If you selected multiple stores when generating your category-specific inventory file on the Download a blank template page, this section applies. Including additional marketplaces in your template will add columns for you to provide marketplace-specific offer data, including price. For each SKU, provide a price and currency for each marketplace in which you would like to list the item. The product data you provide in your template will apply to the SKU in the marketplace in which you submit your template. If you provide offer data in your template for a marketplace in which the detail page for your listing does not yet exist, Amazon will attempt to create the detail page by translating your product data into the primary language of the requested marketplace, which can take up to 48 hours to complete.

Definitions

  • Home marketplace: marketplace in which you submit your Multi-Marketplace Template (MMT)
  • These are the additional marketplaces that you select when generating MMT in Seller Central.
  • Interactive Listing Workflow (ILW): This is the interactive web form that you can use to create and manage your listings one at a time instead of using a spreadsheet. Access by choosing Add a Product from the Inventory drop-down.

Frequently asked questions

What is MMT?

MMT is an extension of the category-specific inventory file templates that you can generate on the Add Products via Upload page in Seller Central. You can generate MMT by visiting Add Products via Upload page under the Inventory menu in Seller Central. To generate MMT, select multiple marketplaces before you generate your template. The list of selectable marketplaces displayed includes all marketplaces in which you are authorized to sell and have your accounts linked.

Should I use a period (.) or a comma (,) as the decimal separator for my prices in the template?

Use a consistent decimal separator throughout the template, including for prices in each marketplace. This should be the decimal separator that you normally use when using Amazon’s listing templates.

Which currency is used for the prices I provide in my MMT for each marketplace?

Prices must be provided in the primary currency of each marketplace. The currency for each marketplace is shown in the column header.

How is MMT different from the single-marketplace Inventory File template?

Unlike the single-marketplace template, MMT contains columns for each secondary marketplace that you can use to provide information about your offer (for example, price). These columns of the template are marked with headers indicating the marketplace to which the columns apply (for example, UK, DE). At a minimum, you must provide a price to create a listing in a secondary marketplace. If the ASIN does not already exist in the secondary marketplace, Amazon will attempt to create the listing in that marketplace for you.

  • If a detail page for the ASIN in the language of the secondary marketplace does not exist, Amazon uses detail page content from a marketplace where the ASIN already exists as the source content for the translations. In addition, Amazon uses the offer data that you provided in the MMT for the secondary marketplace to create or edit your offer in that marketplace. It is possible that due to legal and compliance reasons, Amazon may not be able to create a detail page on your behalf in a secondary marketplace.
  • If the product does exist as an ASIN in the Amazon catalogue in the secondary marketplace, Amazon does not translate your product data for use on the detail page in the secondary marketplace.

Does MMT enable me to improve my detail page for multiple marketplaces?

Yes. As you update your product data over time in the home marketplace, your updated product data is translated into the languages of the secondary marketplaces and updated on the product detail pages in those marketplaces. Note that if you provide your own translated content directly into a secondary marketplace using another listing tool, that content will take precedence over any current or future translations performed by Amazon.

Am I required to list all products in my template in every marketplace in the template?

No. For each SKU, you can provide offer data for any marketplaces in which you want to list your item. Each SKU can be listed in one or multiple marketplaces in the template. The red highlighted cells are only required if you wish to list in that marketplace.

Before I submit MMT, do I need to check whether the detail page for an ASIN exists in each of the secondary marketplaces?

No. If the detail page exists in a secondary marketplace and you provide values for the secondary marketplace for price and currency in MMT, Amazon will create the offer for the ASIN in the secondary marketplace. If the detail page does not exist in the secondary marketplace, Amazon will attempt to create the detail page on your behalf.

How long does it take Amazon to create ASINs in secondary marketplaces?

The process of creating a detail page with your offer can take up to 48 hours, but usually completes within 24 hours. When you provide values for price and currency for a secondary marketplace, you are expressing an intent to list in that marketplace and Amazon will attempt to create the listing in that marketplace for you. It is possible that due to legal and compliance reasons, Amazon may not be able to create a detail page on your behalf. We recommend that you check your secondary marketplace’s Manage Inventory directly after 48 hours to ensure your listings have been created successfully.

Where can I learn more about Amazon’s listing policies for each marketplace?

For information, go to Amazon’s Category, Product, and Content Restrictions page.

Does the Processing Report on the Add Products via Upload page inform me about whether the detail page exists in each of the secondary marketplaces after submission?

Yes. For each SKU in your MMT for which the detail page does not exist in a secondary marketplace and for which you provided a price, the processing report will contain a message to indicate that Amazon is attempting to create the detail page on your behalf. Because the processing report is generated before the detail page creation process in secondary marketplaces is completed, the processing report does not provide information about the status of listing creation in secondary marketplaces.

After submitting MMT, where can I see the status of detail page creation in the secondary marketplaces?

Go to the Inventory menu on the top navigation bar, and select Manage Inventory. Find the SKU you wish to check and click Edit in the right column. On the Offer tab, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the status of the ASIN in each marketplace. If Amazon is still translating your listing, it will show as ''in progress''. If translation cannot be completed, this will also be shown.

What attributes do I need to provide in my template to improve the likelihood that detail page creation in secondary marketplaces will be successful?

In addition to providing values for all required attributes, Amazon recommends that you provide values for compliance attributes such as power_plug_type. Note that these attributes are not applicable to all product types and marketplaces and therefore may not exist in the template for all product types.

If Amazon is not able to create a detail page for my ASIN in a secondary marketplace after I submit MMT, does this mean I am not allowed to sell the product in that marketplace?

You must comply with all applicable laws when listing and selling products on Amazon, including applicable laws in each jurisdiction in which your products are sold. If you determine that you are allowed to sell a product in a marketplace for which MMT did not result in successful detail page creation, you can create the detail page by using another listing tool, such as a single-marketplace listing template or the Interactive Listing Workflow.

How does Amazon choose the source content to be used for translations when creating a detail page for an ASIN in a secondary marketplace?

If the detail page for your product does not exist in any Amazon marketplace worldwide prior to your submission of MMT, Amazon will use the content you provide in MMT for the home marketplace as the source for translations when attempting to create the Detail Page in the secondary marketplace. If you have already created the ASIN in multiple marketplaces and have linked your accounts across those marketplaces, Amazon will use listing contributions from one of the marketplaces in which you have a listing for ASIN as the source content for the translations.

Can I use MMT to provide values for bullet points in my home marketplace and have Amazon translate those values to be added to my listings in the other European marketplaces for existing ASINs?

No. Product data provided in MMT is not translated and contributed to the ASIN in a secondary marketplace if the detail page already exists in the secondary marketplace at the time that you submit MMT. Translation and contribution of product data to a secondary marketplace occurs only in the scenario that the ASIN does not exist in the secondary marketplace at the time of MMT submission.

On the Add Products via Upload page, how is the list of selectable marketplaces determined?

The list includes all marketplaces in which you are registered and are able to create listings in. You must have linked your accounts to access marketplaces outside of a region such as Europe or North America.

Can I have multiple home marketplaces?

Yes, you can download and submit MMT in any marketplace in which you are authorized to list products in bulk. The home marketplace is not determined by an account setting, but rather determined by the marketplace in which you download and submit your MMT.

Can I use MMT to provide a unique set of product images for each marketplace?

No, MMT does not provide this capability. The product images that you provide in MMT will be used for all marketplaces.

Can I use MMT to provide my own translations for important product attributes such as Product Attribute Bullet Points?

No, MMT does not provide this capability. To provide your own translated product content for secondary marketplaces, use a single-marketplace template for each marketplace or the Interactive Listing Workflow for each marketplace.

How can I view and edit the translated content in secondary marketplaces?

Select the marketplace for which you want to view the translated content using the marketplace switcher at the top of the Seller Central page. You can then view and edit the translated content by visiting the Manage Inventory page under the Inventory menu, and clicking Edit for the SKU you want to change. If you would like to overwrite the translation with your own content, you can submit content in the text box for the attribute.

What is the difference between Build International Listings (BIL) and MMT? Why should I use one or the other?

  • BIL is typically used to synchronize all listings in an account from one marketplace to another. MMT attempts to create offers in secondary marketplaces only for ASINs that you have expressed an intent to list in that marketplace by providing a price for the marketplace in MMT.
  • BIL sets prices based on rules (e.g. same as source marketplace), while MMT uses the marketplace-specific prices you provide for each SKU.
  • BIL continuously updates prices in secondary marketplaces based on changes in the currency exchange rate, while the prices provided in MMT are static.
  • BIL requires you to define a source marketplace, from which your catalogue is replicated, and a target marketplace. MMT can use as the source marketplace any marketplace in which you are authorized to list products in bulk.

How does the submission of MMT affect the settings of my ASINs in BIL?

You can use both BIL and MMT. However, if you have an SKU whose price for a particular marketplace is defined using a BIL price rule, the BIL price rule will be turned off for that SKU in the target marketplace if you provide a price in MMT or other listing tool for that marketplace and SKU. If you want to revert to using the BIL price rule, remove this ASIN from the BIL exclusion list for that marketplace using the Build International Listings page in Seller Central. Conversely, if you previously provided the price for an ASIN in a marketplace using MMT, and you subsequently create a BIL connection with that marketplace as the target marketplace, the BIL price rule that was defined when setting up the BIL connection will take precedence over the price previously provided in MMT.

Do I need to request authorization to sell in my product category in each marketplace?

You must request approval separately in each marketplace for most approvals.

How can I see marketplace-specific errors for my listing submission?

Marketplace-specific errors for offer data that you provide in MMT will appear in the processing report that Amazon provides after you submit your template. If the errors do not prevent SKU creation, you can also view the errors by signing in to Seller Central for the marketplace you want to check and then viewing your SKU in Manage Inventory.

Does the Update operation also delete my pre-existing product data in the secondary marketplaces and replace it with translated content from MMT?

No. The product data for your listing in the secondary marketplaces is not deleted. The submission of MMT affects only the offer data (for example, price) for your listing in the secondary marketplace.

Haut de la page