Overview
Catalog integration is the process of syncing your product catalog and advertiser accounts with the GoWit Retail Media platform. This ensures that your latest product information (titles, images, prices, etc.) and advertiser details (seller/brand accounts) are available for ad campaigns and reporting within GoWit’s ecosystem.
In GoWit’s ad platform:
- Products represent the items you sell.
- Advertisers represent the sellers or brands (e.g., marketplace vendors or retail business units) owning those products.
Keeping these in sync is critical: once integrated, advertisers and campaigns can utilize your product data on the platform. Each product is linked to exactly one advertiser via an advertiser_id, so the advertiser must exist in the platform for its products to be ingested and used in ads.
Integration Methods: Feed vs API
GoWit supports two primary methods to integrate catalog data: Feed-based integration and API-based integration. Both achieve the same goal (ingesting your product and advertiser data) but with different mechanisms and trade-offs. The table below summarizes key differences:
| Aspect | Feed Integration (File Feed) | API Integration (Real-Time) |
|---|---|---|
| Data Sync Method | Pull-based, asynchronous fetch. The platform fetches your feed file from a URL on a schedule (e.g. every 30 minutes). Updates appear after the next scheduled fetch. | Push-based, synchronous. Your system pushes data via API calls. Changes are reflected immediately upon a successful request. |
| Update Frequency | Scheduled intervals (fixed cadence, e.g. every 30–60 minutes) – introduces some latency between when you update the feed and when GoWit sees it. Frequency is typically agreed upon (can range from 15 minutes to a few hours). | On-demand updates – no fixed schedule. You trigger updates whenever changes occur for near real-time sync. This is ideal for frequent or time-sensitive updates (price changes, inventory). |
| Data Format | Feed file (XML/CSV) – often an XML product feed (e.g. Google or Meta format) with a predefined structure and fields. GoWit can consume standard Google Merchant or Facebook (Meta) product feeds, or a custom feed with configurable field mappings. | API (JSON over HTTP) – you send JSON payloads in RESTful requests to GoWit’s endpoints. The JSON follows GoWit’s schema for products and advertisers. |
| Monitoring | Platform logs after each run – Use GoWit’s Data Source dashboard to see the result of each scheduled fetch (time run, errors, etc.). Since feed processing is batched, you check logs retrospectively after each interval. | Immediate logs – Every API call has unified logs in the Data Source dashboard (each API batch is recorded similar to feed runs), but you also know right away if an update failed. |
| Integration Effort | Low-code / no-code setup – ideal for a quick start. If you already have a Google or Meta product feed, you can reuse it with minimal changes. No custom coding is required beyond hosting the feed and providing its URL and field mapping. | Requires development – you need to implement server-to-server calls to GoWit’s API (handling HTTP requests, auth, JSON formatting). This requires developer effort but offers greater flexibility and automation. |
| Typical Use Cases | Suited for smaller or relatively static catalogs, or for initial onboarding. Useful if you lack dev resources or have an existing feed from another channel. Also acceptable if product changes are infrequent or can tolerate slight delays. | Suited for large or dynamic catalogs where prices/stock change frequently. Recommended when near real-time accuracy is important (e.g. rapidly changing inventory) or if you have the technical capability to integrate. Enables incremental updates and immediate availability of new products. |
| Key Advantages | Simplicity: Very easy to set up and maintain. Non-engineers can often manage feed config via the GoWit UI. Leverages formats (Google, etc.) you might already use. Quick start: No need to write code – just provide a URL. | Real-time sync: Updates propagate instantly – no waiting for a feed fetch. Granular control: Update single items or small batches as soon as changes happen. Scalable: Handles continuous updates without large file processing overhead. Immediate error feedback allows faster troubleshooting. |
In practice, both methods can coexist. For example, some integrators do an initial bulk load via feed and then switch to the API for incremental updates. GoWit generally recommends API integration if you have the resources, due to its superior data freshness and error handling. However, feed integration is an excellent starting point or fallback for a quick, code-free onboarding. Choose the approach that best fits your needs, knowing that GoWit supports both.