Mercateo Catalogue Tool

On this page you will find all necessary files, tutorials and hints for creating your catalogue with the help of Mercateo templates.

Catalogue Tool – the basic process

Basically, the process to create and update a catalogue by TXT-files is divided into 4 steps:

Below all steps are explained in detail.

Step 1 - Download the templates

Besides pictures (JPG or GIF), data sheets and / or safety data sheets (PDF), a catalogue always consists of two files. One for the product information and one for the categorisation. You can download a template for these two files here:

Example Files as ZIP (20 KB)

Step 2 - Fill in the templates

Here you find detailed information about the single fields of the two TXT-files.

Categories - manual

The following explains the individual fields that appear in the file „categories_CAT-ID_LANGUAGE_UTF-8“. These are essential for the presentation of your items.

GROUP_ID

GROUP_ID is the unique ID that classifies product groups. It is used to show „father-son-relationships“. Requirements:

Row 3 always has GROUP_ID 1
Use each GROUP_ID only once
Assignment of products to GROUP_ID via CATALOG_GROUP_ID

GROUP_NAME

Here you enter the name of each category. Row 3 always has the name “catalogue”. From row 4 on you enter the names for all categories and sub-categories.

GROUP_DESCRIPTION

Here you enter a long description for each category. This column is only applicable for manufacturer catalogues (Mercateo Brand World). For a logistics catalogue, leave the column empty. You can use paragraphs or lists to structure the description. Please use HTML tags.MIME_SOURCE.

Both colums („MIME_SOURCE“ and „MIME_PURPOSE“) are directly linked. You can add images for product categories. This column is only applicable for manufacturer catalogues (Mercateo Brand World). For a logistics catalogue, leave the column empty. If an image is available, please enter “normal” in column.

CATALOG_STRUCTURE type

CATALOG_STRUCTURE type indicates the position of the product group within the catalogue.Requirements:

Do not delete or change row 3. It forms the root for all other (sub-)categories
For categories that contain sub-categories enter: node
For categories that contain no sub-categories enter: leaf
Products can only be allocated to categories labelled as: leaf

PARENT_ID

PARENT_ID indicates the GROUP_ID of the superordinated category. For row 3 the PARENT_ID is always 0.GROUP_ORDER.

Here you can enter a numerical value to indicate in which order sub-categories should appear within their category.

Products - manual

The following explains the individual fields that appear in the file „products_CAT-ID_LANGUAGE_UTF-8“. These are essential for the presentation of your items.

SUPPLIER_AID

SUPPLIER_AID, also called item number, is a unique product ID for each product.Requirements:

Maximum amount of characters: 12
The item number may be used only once in the catalogue. Duplicates will be ignored and lead to an item not being displayed.
No use of special characters such as & # comma (,)

EAN

EAN/GTIN is the combination of several code schemes, e.g. EAN codes, GS1 codes or GS1. GTIN (14 characters) is formed by prefixing leading zeros from the previous EAN code. Mercateo supports both codes. EAN/GTIN must be unique within the file.DESCRIPTION_SHORT

DESCRIPTION_SHORT is a clear and illustrative description or the name of the productRequirements:

Minimum amount of characters: 10
Maximum amount of characters: 80
Should include distinctive properties such as size and colour

DESCRIPTION_LONG

DESCRIPTION_LONG is a clear description of the product with precise information that define the product. Information could be item properties, product contents and further attributes.

Requirements:

Maximum amount of characters: 64,000
Include information of standards such as DIN or ISO
Pay attention to completeness
A structured description in lists and paragraphs improves legibility
For product features us FNAME (1-10)
HTML tags that influence the Mercateo layout, e.g. tables, links or <BODY> tags are prohibited
Do not use line breaks in Excel

HTML-Tags
Use the following HTML tags to structure your product data:
… for text in bold
… for text in italics
… for paragraphs
 for line breaks
<UL><LI>…</LI></UL> for lists

MANUFACTURER_AID

MANUFACTURER_AID is the unique product ID provided by the manufacturer. It must occur only once within a catalogue. The indication of the manufacturer number has positive effects on the search result and allows the mapping of same products to duplicates.

MANUFACTURER_NAME

MANUFACTURER_NAME is the manufacturer name without any legal information. The indication of the manufacturer number has positive effects on the search result and allows the mapping of same products to duplicates.

ARTICLE_PRICE price_type

There are two different price types. Inform your supplier manager at Mercateo which price type you are going to provide.1. net Mercateo PP: use „net_list“

net Mercateo SP: use „net_customer“.
3. net Mercateo reverse auction price: use „net_customer“.

To supply 2 price types, use the 2nd column „ARTICLE_PRICE price_type“.

PRICE_AMOUNT

Here you enter the price as a value. If you supply 2 types of prices (e.g. selling price and reverse auction price), use the 2nd column „PRICE_AMOUNT“.Requirements:

Maximum of 2 decimals
Do not use thousands seperator
Enter staggered prices as follows: 1:100.99 5:98.70 10:95.50 100:90.00
Hint: Use a space to separate scales. The number before the colon indicates the scale

PRICE_QUANTITY

Here you enter the amount of order units that the PRICE_AMOUNT applies to. If you enter a value in this column, the individual unit price will be calculated by dividing the PRICE_AMOUNT by the PRICE_QUANTITY.

DATETIME type=valid_start_date

Is the date from when the price is valid. This is not a mandatory field.

Note: At this time, this information is not supported by Mercateo.

DATETIME type=valid_end_date

Is the date until when the price is valid. This is not a mandatory field.

Note: At this time, this information is not supported by Mercateo.

PRICE_CURRENCY

Requirements:

Must be indicated for each product
Must be according to ISO 4217.

TAX

Is the factor for the value-added tax. Please take care of the correct spelling, e.g. 0.19 for 19% VAT.

DELIVERY_TIME

DELIVERY_TIME indicates the expected delivery time in working days for each product.

Requirements:

Use integer (e.g. 2 for a delivery time of 2 days)
False statements will be punished by Mercateo

ORDER_UNIT

ORDER_UNIT is the smallest unit of a product that can be ordered. It is possible to order multiples of the order unit.

Must be indicated for each product
Order unit and content unit must be different
Must be according to UN/CEFACT code (see table below)
Price refers to order unit or multiple of order unit

Unit	Description	Unit	Description
4G	microlitre	KMT	kilometre
AA	ball	KST	canister
BE	bundle	KT	kit
BG	bag	LBR	pound
BJ	bucket	LTR	litre
BL	bale	M4	value
BLI	blister	MC	microprogramme
BND	bundle	MGM	milligramme
BO	bottle	MLT	millilitre
BX	box	MMT	millimetre
C4	card	MTK	square metre
C62	piece	MTQ	cubic metre
CA	can	MTR	metre
CG	card	OP	two pack
CH	container	PA	packet
CL	coil	PAD	pad
CLT	centilitre	PD	pad
CMK	square centimetre	P	pallet (lift)
CMQ	cubic centimetre	PK	pack
CMT	centimetre	PR	pair
CQ	catridge	QR	quire
CS	case	RD	rod
CT	carton	RL	reel
CV	cover	RM	ream
D64	block	RO	roll
D97	pallet	SA	sack
DAY	day	SCH	box
DI	dispenser	SET	set
DPC	dozen piece	SPD	dispenser
DZN	dozen	SR	strip
EA	each	ST	sheet
ETI	label	STK	sign
EV	envelope	TAB	tab
FOI	foil	TN	tin
FOT	foot	TU	tube
GRM	gramme	TUC	cloth
HUR	hour	WEE	week
JR	jar	WP	watts/peak
KGM	kilogramme	Z3	cask
KIS	case

CONTENT_UNIT

CONTENT_UNIT is the smallest unit within an order unit. It is a mandatory field (except for C62, SET, ST and PR). Requirements:

Order unit and content unit must be different
If order unit and content unit are identically, leave this column empty
Must be according to UN/CEFACT code (see table at chapter ORDER_UNIT)

NO_CU_PER_OU

NO_CU_PER_OU is the amount of CONTENT_UNITs in an ORDER_UNIT.

Examples:

QUANTITY_MIN

QUANTITY_MIN indicates the minimum amount of order units that must be ordered. If not minimum order quantity is indicated, the default value is one order unit.

Examples:

QUANTITY_INTERVAL

QUANTITY_INTERVAL indicates the interval amount at which the product can be ordered. The counting of the scale always starts with the minimum order quantity. The unit of the quantity scale is the order unit.

Examples:

KEYWORD

Column KEYWORD contains catchwords and synonyms that help to find the product. We recommend a maximum of 10 keywords. The main term should also be added as keyword, e.g. “Copy paper”.

Please avoid:

Manufacturer names
Manufacturer numbers
EAN codes
Personal names
Verbs or linking words, e.g. with, or, and, for, from, at
Product features, e.g. white, transparent, round (For product features us FNAME (1-10)

CATALOG_GROUP_ID

Here you enter the GROUP_IDs of the category that the product belongs to. You define the categorisation of the catalogue in file “categories_CAT-ID_LANGUAGE_UTF-8”.

Note: Separate multiple GROUP_IDs with pipe symbol (|), e.g.

100-1000|200-1001REFERENCE_FEATURE_SYSTEM

The columns REFERENCE_FEATURE_SYSTEM_NAME and REFERENCE_FEATURE_GROUP_ID are directly linked. You can enter the name of the classification system you are using. Please indicate the version of the classification system. Mercateo supports the following classification systems:

eCl@ss one product can be assigned to multiple eCl@ss versions.
ETIM for products in the category electronics
UNSPSC an international classification system

eCl@ss

eCl@ss is offered as standard for exchanging product data between suppliers and customers. This standard is characterised by a four-level hierarchical classification key with a variety of terms from a key word register. The eCl@ss key must always consist of 8 characters. Mercateo supports eCl@ss versions 5.1.4, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0.

REFERENCE_FEATURE_SYSTEM_NAME	REFERENCE_FEATURE_ GROUP_ID
ECLASS-5.1.4	19-02-02-02
ECLASS-5.1.4	19-02-02-02\|23-04-01-02

ETIM

ETIM is a standard for the exchange of product information between supplier and customer for electronic products. Mercateo supports versions ETIM 2.0 to ETIM 6.0.

REFERENCE_FEATURE_SYSTEM_NAME	REFERENCE_FEATURE_ GROUP_ID	FNAME1	FVALUE1
ETIM-3.0	EC000240	EF000010	EV002973

UNSPSC

Classification according to UNSPSC is analogous to eCl@ass. Use REFERENCE_FEATURE_SYSTEM_NAME to enter the UNSPSC version and Group-ID to enter the category. Mercateo supports UNSPSC versions 7 and 13.

Customs tariff number

Customs authorities need proofs for goods that are delivered cross-border. Defined merchandise groups must be transmitted to Mercateo. Unfortunately, these IDs cannot be processed within the CSV workflow. Please contact our catalogue management to discuss the transmission of the information via an additional file.

MIME_SOURCE(1-6)

These columns are for images, graphics and videos. The columns are directly linked. Images are displayed in a size of max. 600 x 600 pixels.

MIME_SOURCE: Enter the file name of the image and transmit the image via FTP to Mercateo
MIME_PURPOSE: Enter „normal“, if an image is available
MIME_DESCR: Describe the image as follows:

Product A, front view
Product B, detailed view

Requirements:

Minimum one clear image is required
The first image must be a representative image of the product
The image should show the product without additional features
Same images must have the same name
Send each image only once
File name must contain lower case letters only, without spaces and symbols
No logos (except for manufacturer logos as second image)
Do not use placeholders („no image“)

MIME_SOURCE(7)

These columns are for product data sheets. The colums are direlctly linked.

MIME_SOURCE: Enter the file name as in your system
MIME_PURPOSE: Enter „data_sheet“, if a data sheet is available
MIME_DESCR: Enter a description of the product data sheet

Requirements:

Mercateo supports product data sheets in PDF format
The product data sheet must be in the language of the respective market
The product data sheet should represent value adding information
Same product data sheets must have the same name
File name must contain lower case letters only, without spaces and symbols
The product data sheet must be up to date
Default is one product data sheet per product
Use product name in MIME_DESCR, e.g. Product data sheet Printer XYZ

MIME_SOURCE(8)

These columns are for safety data sheets. The columns are directly linked. Safety data sheets are required for all chemicals and biological products to inform the customer. The requirements are the same as for product data sheets.

MIME_SOURCE: Enter the file name as in your system.
MIME_PURPOSE: Enter „safety_data_sheet“, if a safety data sheet is available
MIME_DESCR: Enter a description of the safety data sheet ARTICLE_ORDER

Describes the order of the products within the category. Due to our search algorithm, a display cannot be ensured based on the sequence you specified ARTICLE_REFERENCE.

It is recommended to link products to other products. These references define the relationship between the products (alternative product, accessory, others). Enter item numbers in the respective column. Separate multiple item numbers with pipe symbols (|)

ARTICLE_REFERENCE type=similar	ARTICLE_REFERENCE type=accessories	ARTICLE_REFERENCE type=others
Reference - Similar products	Reference - Accessories	Reference - Other products
9876543271 \| 9876543272	9876543271 \| 9876543272	9876543272 \| 9876543273 \| 9876543274
	9876543272 \| 9876543273 \| 9876543274	4566887AA

Label	attribute	Description
alternative product	similar	The referenced product is a similar product, with similar features that can be used as an alternative.
accessory	accessories	The referneced product is an accessory and extends the functionality of the product.
others	others	This column can be used if none of the other two options adequately describes the relationship between the products.

BUYER_AID type, BUYER_AID

BUYER_AID is a customer specific product number. The attribute type defines the type of the product number with the customer. This column is only applicable when you provide a framework agreement catalogue to a customer of yours via the Mercateo platform. For a catalogue on the open platform, leave the column empty.

Requirements:

Separate multiple BUYER_AIDs with pipe symbol (I)
In case of multiple use, different values of the TYPE attribute are needed.

BUYER_AID type, BUYER_AID

Type of product; Product number definied by the customer

ABE=2345

ABC=2345 | DEF=67898

Example:

Type “Material number”, Value “12345”

BUYER_AID type, BUYER_AID

Material number=12345

ERP_GROUP_BUYER

ERP_GROUP_BUYER Indicates the merchandise group or material classes of the products as they are indexed in the ERP system of a customer (e.g. SAP R/3). For a catalogue on the open platform, leave the column empty.

Note: At this time, this information is not supported by Mercateo.FNAME (1-10)
Features are in addition to DESCRIPTION_LONG. A feature always contains FNAME, FVALUE and FUNIT.

FNAME: Name of the feature, e.g. Length, Colour, Hazardous material
FVALUE: Characteristic(s) of the feature. Multiple entries possible, e.g. 100, white
FUNIT: Measuring unit of the feature, e.g. mm

Requirements

Maximum amount of features = 10
Separate multiple characteristics of the feature with pipe symbol (I)

FNAME2	FVALUE2	FUNIT2	FNAME3	FVALUE3	FUNIT3
Feature name 2	Feature value 2	Feature unite 2	Feature name 3	Feature value 3	Feature unite 3
Colour	Red \| Blue \| Green	RAL	Length	100 \| 200 \| 300	cm
Colour	Black	RAL	Length	50	cm

Special note on hazardous materials

According to the Ordinance on Hazardous Substances, dangerous substances and preparations, must be clearly marked as such. Items with safety data sheets need to be marked clearly: GHS01, GHS02, GHS03, …, GHS09, or NONE. This indification is shown on the safety data sheet under point 2.

Several entries are possible. Should products with safety data sheets do not contain one of the hazardous substances mentioned under point 2, please enter NONE. If a hazardous substance exists and there is a signal word on the safety data sheet, both the hazardous substance as well as the signal word needs to be given. The safety data sheet also has to be provided.

Example 1:

An item is sold being marked “GHS02“ and the signal word “Danger“ (A).

FNAME1	FVALUE1	...	FNAME2	FVALUE2
GHS	GHS02		GHSSIGNAL	A

Example 2:

An item is sold being marked “GHS02“ and “GHS04“ and the signal word “Warning“ (G).

FNAME1	FVALUE1	...	FNAME2	FVALUE2
GHS	GHS02 \| GHS04		GHSSIGNAL	G

Should products with safety data sheets do not contain one of the hazardous substances mentioned under point 2, please enter NONE as FVALUE1.

Items marked with GHS01 (exploding bomb), GHS03 (flame over circle) und GHS06 (skull with crossed bones) are excluded from sale at Mercateo. These are not allowed to be offered at Mercateo and will lead to delays during catalogue processing.

Regarding the general hazard safety guidelines, there are special requirements for marking the following product groups:

Construction foams
Adhesives
Biocidal products
Pesticides

Please refer to the documentation on the Mercateo support portal for further information.

List of mandatory fields

The following shows necessary fields you must fill to create a valid catalogue version.

attribute	mandatory field
SUPPLIER_AID	yes
EAN	yes, for products that have one
DESCRIPTION_SHORT	yes
DESCRIPTION_LONG	yes
MANUFACTURER_AID	yes
MANUFACTURER_NAME	yes
ARTICLE_PRICE price_type	yes
PRICE_AMOUNT	yes
PRICE_QUANTITY
DATETIME type=valid_start_date
DATETIME type=valid_end_date
PRICE_CURRENCY	yes
TAX	yes
DELIVERY_TIME	yes
ORDER_UNIT	yes
CONTENT_UNIT	yes, for products that have one
NO_CU_PER_OU	yes, for products that have any
QUANTITY_MIN
QUANTITY_INTERVAL
KEYWORD
CATALOG_GROUP_ID	yes
ARTICLE_REFERENCE
REFERENCE_FEATURE_SYSTEM_NAME / REFERENCE_FEATURE_GROUP_ID	yes, for products that have any
MIME_SOURCE (1-6) / MIME_PURPOSE (1-6)	yes, for products that have any
FNAME (1-10)
MIME_SOURCE (7)
MIME_SOURCE (8) / MIME_PURPOSE (8)	yes, for products that have one
ARTICLE_ORDER
ARTICLE_REFERENCE
BUYER_AID type, BUYER_AID
ERP_GROUP_BUYER
FNAME (1-10)

Step 3 - Save them as TXT-files

Please make sure that the files meet the following requirements:

Encoding is UTF-8 or UTF-16
Delimiter is TAB or semicolon (;)
For a line break ‘Carriage Return + Line Return’ (CRLF or \r\n) must be used

Naming of the files

product-file:

products_CATALOGUE-ID_LANGUAGE_UTF-8.txt
e.g.: products_4321_eng_UTF-8.txt

category-file

categories_CATALOGUE-ID_LANGUAGE_UTF-8.txt
e.g.: categories_4321_eng_UTF-8.txt
e.g.: categories_B1234_fra_UTF-8.txt

Note:

The CATALOGUE-ID will be provided by Mercateo.
Use the LANGUAGE code according to ISO-639-2

Step 4 - Transmit both TXT-files

The TXT files are transmitted via FTP to Mercateo. Therefore you can use a client (e.g. FileZilla) or special websites.
Information how the transfer itself works can be found on this page.

Hints:

both files must be deployed at the first transmission (later on you can transmit only the file you want to update)
both files must have the same delimiter (TAB or semicolon)

Please insert the files properly named into the corresponding FTP subfolder “Catalogue ID/catalog“. Each catalogue has its own FTP directory.
The Catalogue ID in the file name should match to the name of the FTP directory.

Images and data sheets are transmitted in the FTP directories “images” and “pdf”.

After transmitting the files via FTP, Mercateo will technically check and convert them to a BMEcat automatically. This might take between 30 and 60 minutes. Afterwards, you can check your data either in the Catalogue Management Tool or the Mercateo platform.

Mercateo Catalogue Tool

Catalogue Tool – the basic process

Step 1 - Download the templates

Step 2 - Fill in the templates

Categories - manual

Products - manual

Step 3 - Save them as TXT-files

Step 4 - Transmit both TXT-files

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