Pre-Export Validation Checklist

Before you export channel content to a marketplace, you need to validate that your data is complete, accurate, and meets all marketplace requirements. A few minutes of validation now can save you hours of troubleshooting rejections later.

Why Validation Matters

Marketplaces have strict data requirements. If your feed violates their rules:

• Feed rejection — Your entire feed gets rejected; nothing uploads
• Partial uploads — Some products upload; others are flagged as errors
• Suppressed listings — Products upload but aren't visible to shoppers
• Account warnings — Multiple rejections can lead to account restrictions

Validation catches these issues before submission.

The Validation Process

Validation happens in this order:

1. Required fields check — All mandatory attributes are filled
2. Format validation — Data is in the correct format (numbers are numeric, dates are valid, etc.)
3. Category assignment — Products are assigned to the correct marketplace category
4. Completeness review — Recommended (optional) attributes are filled where possible
5. Spot check — Manual review of a sample of products

Required Fields Validation

Every marketplace defines which attributes are required. Missing required fields = feed rejection.

Critical required fields by channel:

Format Validation

Your data must match the marketplace's expected format.

Common Format Rules

Numeric attributes (dimensions, weight, price):

• Must be numbers, not text
• Must use the correct unit (inches, pounds, dollars)
• Example: 84 ✓ not eighty-four ✗

Date attributes (assembly time, warranty expiration):

• Must be in the correct format (usually YYYY-MM-DD or MM/DD/YYYY)
• Must be valid dates (no February 30th)
• Example: 2026-04-05 ✓ not April 5th ✗

Select/dropdown attributes (color, size, style):

• Must match exactly one of the marketplace's allowed values
• No custom values or variations
• Example: Navy Blue ✓ not Navy ✗ if "Navy Blue" is the exact option

Text attributes (descriptions, titles):

• Must not exceed character limits (varies by attribute)
• Must not contain invalid characters (some marketplaces restrict HTML or special symbols)
• Example: "Beautiful sofa" (15 chars) ✓ not "Beautiful sofa with wonderful features that your family will love" (67 chars) ✗ if limit is 50

How to Check Format

1. Use Merchkit's validation — The system flags format errors in red
2. Review sample products — Click individual products and check their attributes
3. Check the marketplace's documentation — Each marketplace publishes format requirements

[SCREENSHOT: Format error highlighted in red in channel grid]

Category Assignment Validation

Products must be assigned to the marketplace's categories.

Category Importance

• Wayfair: Different categories require different attributes; wrong category = missing required fields
• Amazon: Products in wrong category won't be found by shoppers
• All marketplaces: Category assignment affects visibility and searchability

How to Validate Categories

1. Open category view (for category-specific channels like Wayfair)
2. Check that products are assigned to the right category
3. For multi-category products, verify they're in the primary category
4. Cross-reference with your source data — Confirm category assignments match your internal taxonomy

[SCREENSHOT: Category selector in Wayfair showing assigned categories]

Wayfair category examples:

• "305 – Sofas" for sofa products
• "306 – Chairs" for chair products
• Products in the wrong category won't have required attributes for that category

Completeness Review

Beyond required fields, check that recommended/optional attributes are filled where possible. This improves conversion and visibility.

High-Impact Optional Attributes

Optional Attribute Check

1. Filter to show "Recommended attributes" — See which optional fields aren't filled
2. Prioritize high-impact attributes — Focus on those that improve conversion
3. Decide per-product — Some products might not need all optional attributes (e.g., warranty on low-cost items)

[SCREENSHOT: Filter showing recommended (optional) attributes]

Spot Check: Manual Review

Before export, manually review a sample of your products.

How to Spot Check

1. Select 5-10 random products — Mix of different categories and price points
2. Click each product to view its detail
3. Read through each attribute — Ask: "Would a shopper understand this? Is it accurate? Does it look professional?"
4. Look for red flags:
   • Gibberish or nonsensical text (AI generation error)
   • Missing data (empty required fields)
   • Format inconsistencies (e.g., prices sometimes with $, sometimes without)
   • Typos or grammatical errors

[SCREENSHOT: Product detail view for spot checking]

Spot Check Checklist

For each sampled product:

• [ ] Title is clear and keyword-rich
• [ ] Description is accurate and complete
• [ ] Dimensions/specs are correct
• [ ] Images are high-quality and relevant
• [ ] Price is accurate and current
• [ ] Category is correct
• [ ] All required fields are filled
• [ ] Optional fields that matter are filled
• [ ] No typos or formatting errors
• [ ] Attributes are marketplace-appropriate (not generic)

Common Validation Issues

Issue 1: Missing Required Field

Problem: A required attribute is blank.

Fix:

• Manually enter the value, or
• Edit the channel's AI prompt and regenerate that attribute, or
• Check if the source data in Products view is missing (fix there first)

Issue 2: Format Error

Problem: A number is entered as text, or a date format is wrong.

Fix:

• Click the cell and re-enter in the correct format
• Use Merchkit's format helpers if available (date picker, number field)
• Check marketplace documentation for exact format

Issue 3: Wrong Category Assignment

Problem: Products are assigned to the wrong category.

Fix:

• In category-specific channels, move products to the correct category
• Update your category mapping in the Products view
• Regenerate with the correct category

Issue 4: Gibberish AI Generation

Problem: AI generated text that doesn't make sense.

Fix:

• Manually edit and correct
• Review your source data in Products view (is the source data also poor?)
• Refine the AI prompt and regenerate
• Train your team on data quality standards

Issue 5: Inconsistent Formatting

Problem: Some attributes are formatted one way, others differently (e.g., "Navy Blue" vs. "navy blue").

Fix:

• Edit the channel prompt to specify exact formatting
• Regenerate to apply consistent formatting
• Manually edit any outliers

Pre-Export Checklist

Before you click Export, confirm:

• [ ] All required fields are filled for all products
• [ ] All data is in the correct format (numbers, dates, selections)
• [ ] All products are assigned to the correct category
• [ ] High-impact optional attributes are filled
• [ ] Spot check revealed no major issues
• [ ] No red error indicators in the channel grid
• [ ] Validation dashboard shows 0 critical errors
• [ ] Product images are high-quality and relevant
• [ ] Prices are current and accurate
• [ ] Descriptions are clear and professional

Fixing Issues at Scale

If you discover the same issue across many products:

1. Identify the pattern — Is it missing an attribute? Wrong format? Wrong category?
2. Edit the prompt — Fix the AI prompt that's causing the issue
3. Regenerate — Select all affected SKUs and regenerate with the fixed prompt
4. Validate again — Check results before export

This is faster than manual editing each product.

Next Steps

Once validation is complete and you've fixed all critical issues:

• Exporting Channel Data — Download and submit your marketplace feed
• Feed Validation & Error Resolution — If the marketplace rejects your feed, resolve the issues here