Localize Product Catalog

Introduction

Working with customers in different countries would require considering a lot of local specifics. Such things as the language of your Product Finder and measurement units used for it are easily solved with the translation of the Product Finder's content, however, such things like prices, availability (or even legal ability to sell) some products in stock and values of the product attributes depend on the product catalog rather than on the translation. 

In this article, we will:

  • Remind you the basics of default product catalogs

    • The attributes and values of the catalogs match

    • The set of values is different for the same set of attributes

    • The set of attributes is different

  • The attributes and values of the catalogs match

  • The set of values is different for the same set of attributes

  • The set of attributes is different

1. Default Product Catalogs

There is a product catalog in your default localization. Let us remind some of the basics that are important to understand localization:

2. Localized Catalog

When you create a new localization (version for a new combination of language and country), the new product catalog is always empty. You have to create a new product catalog that matches your sales in the new country. 

2.1. Matching Catalogs

If the catalog is exactly the same (e.g. you are creating two catalogs in different languages for the same country and none of the attribute values need to be translated) it's enough to:

1. Go to the Catalog section of your Product Finder

2. Download your current default catalog

3. Switch to the new localization

4. Drop the exported file to or browse to it from the emerged message 

Once this has been done, all the product mapping will also be active for the Product Finder (whether it's been translated or not).

However, you still should think back on your Product Finder and make sure that mapping is correct and product attributes are correctly displayed in the recommendation pages. For example, if you are selling something that cannot be sold to minors and ask your customers about their age. The question is the same (or translated), and the attribute it's related to is still "the Age" BUT if the legislation is different, you need to consider it when recommending / not recommending the product to the customer in a specific country.

2.2. Catalogs With Different Values of the Attributes

This might often be the case that while the catalogs for different countries differ: some of the values are meaningful words, e.g. colors, sizes. In particular, this relates to computed attributes that rather human-language descriptions than technical attributes. This can also be the case when in different countries the products are sold at different prices.

  • Perform steps 1 and 2 above. (Go to the Products section of your Product Finder and download your current default catalog)

  • After that, open the file and translate the values, that have to be translated. For example, we've replaced the English "classic" value with its German translation. 

  ATTENTION

The product data is initially exported as a .csv file. If you want to edit it with Excel, please follow the correct procedure to open the file, as it may otherwise be corrupted.

  •  Once you've updated all the necessary values, move on to steps 3 and 4  above. (Switch to your localization and upload the file)

Once this has been done, all the product mapping has to be updated for all the answers that refer to the changed values.  

2.3. Catalogs With a Different Set of Attributes

2.3.1. Different Mandatory Attributes

You might want to use the same product catalog that has different mandatory attributes for different countries (for example, "price_US", "price_DE", "price_GB"). This is particularly important if you are already using such a product catalog and want to have it updated with an automated feed. If this is the case, you need to add these columns to the catalog.  Later, you will have to remap the value in the "Design --> Product Attributes --> Mandatory product attributes mapping" section.

2.3.2 Different Non-Mandatory Attributes

If the values of non-mandatory fields have to be different or if there are some additional attributes that must be displayed due to some legal, marketing. or other reasons, you'd need to add corresponding values to the catalog.

Later, you will have to:

2.3.4 Add New Attributes to the Catalog

To add more attributes:

  • If you've got the file that contains your localized product switch to the new localization and upload the file.

    • Perform steps 1 and 2 above. (Go to the Products section of your Product Finder and download your current default catalog)

    • After that, open the file and add the attributes and their values. 

    • Once you've updated all the necessary values, move on to steps 3 and 4  above. (Switch to your localization and upload the file).

  • Perform steps 1 and 2 above. (Go to the Products section of your Product Finder and download your current default catalog)

  • After that, open the file and add the attributes and their values. 

  • Once you've updated all the necessary values, move on to steps 3 and 4  above. (Switch to your localization and upload the file).

HINT: You cannot remove any columns of the default product catalog. (After all its a localization, not a new Product Finder). So, if you need to save data in a different column, add a new one, and then switch the mapping.

What happens to other catalogs when one of them is updated?

  • Values are changed only in the processed catalog:If you change values of any attribute in any of the catalogs of the Product Finder (whether in a default or a localized catalog), the values are changed ONLY in this catalog. This way you can update prices, translatable words, addresses, and other details of your products in a specific country, not interfering in the catalogs of other countries. 

  • If you add attributes to any of the catalogs of the Product Finder (whether in a default or a localized catalog) - the new attribute (new column) is added to all catalogs but the values are updated only in the one.  For example, you are producing meet goods and going to sell them in Israel. So, you localize the product catalog for Israel and add a new attribute "Kosher" with "yes" and "no" values. This attribute will be added to all the catalogs but the values will not be cloned (initially, in other catalogs these values will be empty).  If necessary, you can then add values to this attribute in catalogs of all countries where topical.

  REMEMBER!

Once you've added new attributes and/or changed the values, you need to check the mapping of the affected products to the answers in the Product Finder.

 3. Create an Automated Feed

You can set up and Automated Feed for the localized catalog. To do so you need to:

1. Go to the Products section of your Product Finder

2. Switch to the new localization

3. Create the Automated Data Feed (as for any other product catalog).

If the catalogs are different, you still need to update the mapping rules and displayed attributes.

4. Product Catalogs in the Localizations Section

You can also access your localized catalogs from the Settings-->Manage Localizations section.  Here you can also download the existing and upload a new localized catalog.