How If/Then and Auto-Remove Rules Simplify E-Commerce Management

Rules make your system hum by itself.

 

Every time a product’s style, availability or price changes, you don’t have to make manual adjustments. That’s what Shoppingfeed Rules are for. Find out here what they’re good for, and how to manage them.

 

 

 

There are two types of rules on Shoppingfeed:

 

1) IF=>THEN rules that will allow you to modify the data of your products.

2) AUTO-REMOVE rules that will block the display of selected products when triggered by certain events.

Mastering both of these will speed up your life considerably because they automate a number of manual tasks.

 

 

 

How are rules used on Shoppingfeed?

 

Rules allow you to modify the value of a data sent to the platforms, for one or more of your products. You can define a time limit for application, set specific conditions of execution, and also choose the platforms where this rule will apply.

You can create your own rules, and also select from a list of predefined rules created by us that address the most common types of operational needs.

 

1. Rule filter: Filter your rules so that they apply to a certain channel, or will affect a certain field.

2. Create a new rule: Click here to create a new rule; it will appear on the right side of the page.

3. Organize the rules: the rules apply one after the other, in the order shown on this page. Changing the order of the rules can be useful if you have created several rules that work together to achieve a certain result. You can change their order by clicking on a rule and dragging it up or down.

4. Check a rule: Put it in the on / off position, cancel it or duplicate it.

The IF=>THEN structure of a rule

 

A rule is based on the “IF => THEN” operation.
The “IF” is a condition you choose. The “THEN” is the result you want to obtain when the IF condition is met.

IF=>THEN examples for e-commerce

IF	THEN
The product title contains the word NEW	Add $ 3.99 to its price
The price of the product is more than $ 50	The Shipping will be $ 1.99
The product has been ordered within the last 2 weeks	Lower the price by 5 %

Rule Library

 

In the Rule Library, you will find pre-filled rules that were created by Shopping Feed to meet regular requests for rules by merchants. You can click on the rule of your choice, to add or modify it, and it will be saved in your account rules.

Customize rules (if you want) to different channels.

 

By default, one rule will apply on all platforms. But you can choose to assign the rule only to certain types of platforms (Search ads, comparators, marketplaces, etc.), or even make a precise selection of platforms by checking them off.

 

Conditions

 

The conditions represent your starting “IF”. The rule will only apply to products that meet the given condition(s). If you do not enter a condition, the rule will apply to all your products. On the contrary, if you enter conditions, the rule will only apply to products that are subject to those conditions.

To complete this part, you just have to choose in the drop-down list the fields and conditions you want to set up.

 

 

The result is what you want to achieve. That’s the purpose of your rule.

You can add more results to your ruler, causing several changes. You will be able to see the effect of your rule, if it is applied correctly, and if you achieved the desired result.

The preview will take over the field and the value of the start condition, and will show you the before/after change of the field in the result.

Make sure you save the rule before you exit!

 

 

 

Auto-Remove Rule

 

Auto-Remove is a valuable tool because it avoids the dreaded “Out of Stock” result when a shopper is trying to make a purchase. You can auto-remove products that are temporarily unavailable from, say, supply chain problems. Then later add them back in from your master product listings once they’re back in supply.

The auto-remove rules will allow you to withdraw products from your exports according to several factors.

They can be found in Settings > Automatic Removal. You must start with certain protocols, and make sure these basic options are set correctly:

1. Name the rule: This is mandatory, use a name that allows you to easily understand what the rule is for.
2. Always On is the default option. If you fill in a start and end date, the rule (and the preview) will only apply during the period you have defined.
3. Affecting all platforms: Three options can be set here:

• All current and future platforms. The rule will affect all platforms you have opened or will open.
• Only to certain platform types. Platforms are grouped by type. E.g. all marketplaces.
• Only to certain platforms. The rule will only apply to the platforms you have selected. E.g. Amazon.

So therefore, if you find that one of your products is selling for an average price below your marginal cost, you can set the rule for automatic removal from your product listings.

In the automatic withdrawal rules the preview is not visible. But once you save the rule, the desired products will be removed from the desired platforms in the next update.

Shoppingfeed rules are infinitely flexible. Once you understand the required underlying protocols, managing your rules will become second nature.