How to choose the correct catalog and data source for your Facebook product feed
If you already had Facebook feeds created by other applications, then it is important to choose the correct catalog and data source when you create a new one using our app. In this article, we will list the possible scenarios that can lead to data duplication or overlapping data. We will also guide you how to avoid these scenarios.
A catalog is a container that holds information about the items you want to advertise or sell across Facebook and Instagram. You can upload feeds to your catalog, then connect your catalog to different types of ads and sales channels to promote your products.
The platform to create and manage catalogs is Commerce Manager.
After you upload a data feed to your catalog, you can access it in the Data Sources tab in Commerce Manager. Here, you can see an overview of your data feed, check its last upload status, view the items it contains, update it and edit its settings.
When you create a feed using FBE (Facebook Business Extension) or Facebook Catalog, first, you have to choose a catalog to upload your feed.
If your catalog does not contain an existing data source (meaning your catalog does not have an existing feed), then there is no warning and you can proceed
If your catalog contains an existing data source, then there will be warning as below. You will need to choose between two options, which are to create a new data source or select an existing data source.
Create a new data source
If the product is already submitted by another data source, choosing to create a new data source might lead to product duplication. This is because the same product will be submitted twice through different applications.
Although Facebook still recognizes the same products as two different products as they have different content IDs, they advise against this. Each individual product should only appear in one feed. Moreover, when you run ads for your items, it is surely more costly to advertise the same product twice.
To prevent data duplication, you should delete the existing data source. To delete the existing data source, simply go to Catalog Manager > Choose your catalog > Go to Data Sources > Click on the duplicated catalog > Go to Settings > Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click Delete.
Select an existing data source
When you choosing an existing data source, it might lead to overlapping data since product data will be submitted by different applications simultaneously.
Let's assume you use our app along with Shopify's Facebook channel. Our app will submit data based on the submit schedule, and when it comes to Shopify's submit schedule, this app will also push data to the catalog, replacing the data submitted earlier. In short, the catalog will have the data submitted by both applications, each one keeps replacing the other one.
If you have any question, don't hesitate to contact us via live chat or email us at support@socialhead.io.
Updated on: 17/04/2024
What is a catalog?
A catalog is a container that holds information about the items you want to advertise or sell across Facebook and Instagram. You can upload feeds to your catalog, then connect your catalog to different types of ads and sales channels to promote your products.
The platform to create and manage catalogs is Commerce Manager.
What is a data source?
After you upload a data feed to your catalog, you can access it in the Data Sources tab in Commerce Manager. Here, you can see an overview of your data feed, check its last upload status, view the items it contains, update it and edit its settings.
Choose a data source
When you create a feed using FBE (Facebook Business Extension) or Facebook Catalog, first, you have to choose a catalog to upload your feed.
If your catalog does not contain an existing data source (meaning your catalog does not have an existing feed), then there is no warning and you can proceed
If your catalog contains an existing data source, then there will be warning as below. You will need to choose between two options, which are to create a new data source or select an existing data source.
Create a new data source
If the product is already submitted by another data source, choosing to create a new data source might lead to product duplication. This is because the same product will be submitted twice through different applications.
Although Facebook still recognizes the same products as two different products as they have different content IDs, they advise against this. Each individual product should only appear in one feed. Moreover, when you run ads for your items, it is surely more costly to advertise the same product twice.
To prevent data duplication, you should delete the existing data source. To delete the existing data source, simply go to Catalog Manager > Choose your catalog > Go to Data Sources > Click on the duplicated catalog > Go to Settings > Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click Delete.
Select an existing data source
When you choosing an existing data source, it might lead to overlapping data since product data will be submitted by different applications simultaneously.
Let's assume you use our app along with Shopify's Facebook channel. Our app will submit data based on the submit schedule, and when it comes to Shopify's submit schedule, this app will also push data to the catalog, replacing the data submitted earlier. In short, the catalog will have the data submitted by both applications, each one keeps replacing the other one.
If you have any question, don't hesitate to contact us via live chat or email us at support@socialhead.io.
Updated on: 17/04/2024
Updated on: 25/04/2024
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