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Import Feeds

Overview​

42feeds provides three flexible ways to import your product data. Once imported, your feed becomes the foundation for transformations, enhancements, and multi-channel exports.

Import Methods​

1. Import from URL​

Import a feed file directly from any publicly accessible URL.

How it works:

  • Paste the direct link to your feed file (e.g. https://example.com/products.csv)
  • 42feeds fetches the file automatically and handles format conversion
  • The feed is parsed, stored, and ready for use

Supported formats: CSV, TSV, JSON, XML

Auto-refresh: Enable the Auto-refresh option to schedule automatic re-imports. This keeps your data up to date by periodically fetching the latest version from the URL.

2. Import from Google Sheets​

Import product data directly from a Google Sheets spreadsheet.

How it works:

  • Make your Google Sheet publicly accessible (Share → "Anyone with the link can view")
  • Paste the full Google Sheets URL or the Sheet ID
  • 42feeds exports the first sheet as CSV and imports it automatically

Requirements:

  • The sheet must include a header row (column names in the first row)
  • The sheet must be publicly accessible (private sheets cannot be imported)

Auto-refresh: Enable Auto-refresh to schedule automatic re-imports. When your Google Sheet data changes, 42feeds fetches the latest version automatically.

3. Local File Upload​

Upload a feed file directly from your computer.

How it works:

  • Drag and drop your file into the upload area, or click to browse
  • The file is uploaded, parsed, and stored in your account

Supported formats: CSV, TSV, JSON, XML

Managing Your Feeds​

The Feeds page provides a centralized view of all product data sources in your current project.

URL: /feeds

Feeds List​

The feeds list shows all your active imports in a table format, allowing you to quickly monitor their status and size.

  • Search: Use the search bar at the top to find feeds by their display name or original filename. This is particularly useful as your project grows and you have multiple secondary feeds.
  • Filtering: Use the type dropdown to filter the list by feed role:
    • All Feeds: Show everything.
    • Primary: Show only your project's main data source.
    • Secondary: Show only supplementary feeds used for enhancement.
  • Feed Information: The table displays:
    • Name & Original Filename: The names given during import.
    • Source Type: Indicated by icons (Globe for URL, Spreadsheet for Google Sheets, Upload for File).
    • Products: The total row count extracted from the file.
    • Size: The physical file size.
    • Updated: How long ago the feed was last refreshed or uploaded.
  • Primary Badge: Your primary feed is highlighted with a distinct "Primary" badge for easy identification.

Actions​

  • Settings (Cog Icon): Navigate to the detailed view of a specific feed to manage its configuration, mappings, and enhancements.
  • Delete (Trash Icon): Permanently remove a feed from your project. Note that deleting a primary feed will also affect any linked secondary feeds and active exports.

Feed Detail Page​

Clicking on any feed in the list takes you to its Detail Page, where you can inspect data and manage configuration.

Page Overview​

  • Name & Status: View the feed name, filename, and total row count.
  • Source Info: See where the feed is coming from (URL, File, or Google Sheet).
  • Primary Indicator: A star icon and "Primary" badge if the feed is your project's main data source.

Data Preview​

The Preview section displays the first few rows of your imported data in a scrollable table.

  • Verifying Parsing: Use this to ensure that columns (headers) and row values were parsed correctly (e.g., checking that CSV delimiters worked as expected).
  • Inspecting Values: Quick check of the raw data before you apply field mappings or transformation rules.

Enhancing Primary Feeds​

The Feed Enhancer UI allows you to merge data from secondary feeds into your primary feed without modifying source files.

Step-by-Step Workflow​

  1. Add Secondary Feed: Click "Add Secondary Feed" to create a new merge configuration

  2. Select Source Feed: Choose which secondary feed to merge from the dropdown

  3. Choose Match Keys:

    • Match Key (This Feed): Select the unique identifier field in your primary feed (e.g., id, sku)
    • Match Key (Secondary): Select the corresponding field in the secondary feed

  4. Review Matching Preview: After selecting keys, a helper text appears showing the join logic, e.g.:

    Matching items where sku equals product_id in Inventory Feed

  5. Add More Sources (Optional): Repeat steps 1-4 to merge additional feeds

  6. Save Enhancement: Click Save Enhancement to apply the merge

Merging Behavior​

  • Primary Precedence: Values from your primary feed always take priority
  • Gap Filling: Secondary data only fills in missing values or adds new fields
  • Multiple Sources: Add multiple secondary feeds to combine data from various sources (e.g., one for stock, another for images)
tip

Use consistent unique identifiers across all your feeds for reliable matching.

Linked Data Sources​

Once secondary feeds are joined to your primary feed, they appear in the Linked Data Sources section.

Feed Cards​

Each linked feed appears as a collapsible card showing:

  • Feed Name: The name assigned during import
  • Match Key Summary: e.g., sku ↔ product_id showing which fields are used for matching
  • Badge: Total count of linked feeds in the section header

Expandable Actions​

Click any feed card to reveal additional options:

  • Reconfigure: Update the match keys if your data structure has changed

    • Select a new primary feed match key
    • Select a new secondary feed match key
    • Click Save Changes to rebuild the enhanced data

  • Unlink: Remove the secondary feed connection

    • A confirmation dialog warns that enhanced data from this feed will be removed
    • Click Unlink Feed to confirm
    • The primary feed is recalculated without this source
caution

Unlinking a feed removes any columns that were exclusively provided by that secondary source.

Import Scheduling​

If your feed is imported via URL or Google Sheets, the Import Schedule section allows you to configure automatic refreshes. You can see the current schedule status and last refresh time.

Quick Actions​

  • Create New Mapping: Start the field mapping process to connect this feed to a channel template.
  • Export: Quickly generate a channel-ready feed using an existing template.

Primary vs Secondary Product Feeds​

Primary Feed​

Your first import becomes the Primary Feed. This is the main data source for your project.

After importing the primary feed, you will be prompted to configure field mapping. This step standardizes your column names into consistent project fields (for example, mapping product_name → title).

Secondary Feeds​

Any additional imports are treated as Secondary Feeds. These are used to enrich your primary feed with supplementary data, such as:

  • Additional product descriptions
  • Inventory or stock levels
  • Pricing from a secondary source

After importing a secondary feed, you will link it to the primary feed by selecting matching fields:

  • Choose a unique identifier from the primary feed (e.g. id, sku)
  • Select the corresponding field in the secondary feed
  • 42feeds merges the data automatically, filling missing values without overwriting existing data

What Happens After Import​

Parsing & Validation​

Your feed is parsed to extract columns and rows. If issues are detected (for example missing required fields or empty data), alerts are shown.

Field Mapping (Primary feed only)​

Map your source column names to standardized project fields using field mapping. This enables consistent transformations and exports across channels.

Quality Alerts​

42feeds automatically checks for common issues using quality alerts, including:

  • Missing required fields (id, title, link, image_link, price)
  • Channel-specific blocking issues (e.g. Google Shopping requirements)

Ready to Transform​

Once imported, navigate to the feed detail page to inspect your data, apply transformation rules, and export to channels.

Core Required Fields​

For best compatibility with advertising channels, your feed should include the following fields:

FieldDescription
idUnique product identifier
titleProduct title or name
linkURL to the product page
image_linkURL to the main product image
priceProduct price including currency

42feeds will alert you if any of these fields are missing after import.

Import Limits​

Your plan determines how many feeds you can import. If you reach your limit, you will see an "Import limit reached" message and can upgrade your plan to increase the quota.

See scheduling for auto-refresh details.

Tips for Success​

  • Use URL imports with auto-refresh for fully automated workflows
  • Keep Google Sheets clean and structured, with a clear header row
  • Start with your most complete feed as the primary feed
  • Review quality alerts after import and fix issues before exporting

Getting Started with Import​

For a step-by-step guide on importing your first feed, check out our Import & Map Feed Tutorial which walks you through the complete process from URL import to field mapping configuration.