View product feed using the product directory

  • Updated

Use Product Directory to understand Optimizely Data Platform's (ODP's) view of your product feed. Validate that the feed matches how you want your products represented and discover new insights about your products, such as other recommended products or average views before purchase.

To access Product Directory, go to Company > Products.

Use the Product Directory

Product data

Each product card shows the product's name, image, URL, ID, SKU, price, and quantity. Some of these fields may be blank if there is no data in ODP for the product. If these fields are consistently blank, review the mapping data fields section below.

Selecting View More shows ODP-generated insights about your products and product recommendations. These are the products that ODP would show when using product recommendations in on-site content.
On-Site Recommendations is an optional platform add-on. If you are interested in this feature, please contact your Customer Success Manager or support@optimizely.com.

Filtering and searching

View a subset of your products by filtering or searching.

  • Search on full or partial product id, name, or SKU. To remove the search, click the X in the search box.
  • Filter the product set on any or multiple product attributes using Product Filters. You can use any product feed filter but not event filters in the Product Directory. Create a new filter on the Filters page. To remove the filter, click on it again. To change the filter, choose another filter.
  • Apply the Content Shield Filter to filter the Product Directory only to products that are eligible to be displayed in messaging content and recommendations delivered through ODP. To remove the Content Shield Filter, click on it again or select All Products.

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You can combine search, filter, and Content Shield options, but you can only apply one search or filter at a time.

The search or filter returns the products that match. It does not return the parent or child/variant of matching products unless they also match the criteria.

Hierarchical and flat data views

Products can be shown as a product hierarchy with parents and variant/children or as a list. Use the toggle to change the view. The image below demonstrates a directory set up to display the hierarchy view which shows the variant/child product when the parent is expanded.

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If the parent product for a child/variant is not part of the product feed, neither that "virtual" product nor its children show in the hierarchy view. You will need to use the flat data view to see all products.

For example:

  • Product 1 references parent product A
  • Product 2 references parent product A
  • Product A does not exist in the product feed.

Use the flat data view to view Products 1 and 2 because Product A is not in the data feed.

Export

Export the Product Directory to see the set of products that meet the current filtering/searching criteria. You can export all fields on the product feed, not just the fields displayed in the application. When changes are made to the product feed, allow up to 30 minutes for those to be available in the export.

Mapping data fields

If the Product Directory consistently shows blank fields or missing links and images, you may need to identify which fields in your product data map are missing these product attributes. 

You do not need to do this step if you are using ODP's Shopify or Magento integrations. However, check that your company URL is saved in the Company Info settings. This URL precedes all product page URLs on your site, such as www.brand.com, or shop.brand.com. 

Click Manage Data Fields in the Product Directory or go to Settings > Data Mapping.

Click Edit to make updates.

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Map the product attributes to their corresponding field in your data. The Product Field drop-down shows the display names of the fields in your product schema. You can review your product schema in Objects & Fields. If an attribute does not exist in your data, choose Does not exist to skip the mapping. Once you save, you will see a preview of your data.

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Link fields (image URLs and product URLs) may require special handling. Product feeds containing the entire URL, including the protocol, do not require extra handling. Product data with a partial URL (like a product handle or key) must be transformed into a full image URL or product URL. Use the URL builder fields to construct the URL, including anything before or after the field.

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