Catalogues
Part of Paid social product catalogue campaigns
Checking product feed fields before a catalogue launch
Audit product IDs, links, images, prices and availability against live pages, then check the platform's import and item diagnostics.
Check feed rows against products customers can buy, then inspect how the platform imported them. A file can have every required column and still contain the wrong variant ID, an old price or an image the platform cannot fetch. Before launch, trace each field from its store source through the export and mapping rule to the imported item, then verify it against the live page.
Use the relevant template
Use the template for the catalogue type and account in use. Required fields vary. TikTok for Business publishes Catalog Product Parameters; check its current specification for the fields and formats that apply to your catalogue. The current template determines its required fields and formats.
Always confirm how the specification applies to your catalogue, account and market. Do not assume another platform’s field names or formats apply to TikTok.
Keep a field map showing each store source, exported field, transformation rule and owner. This helps trace changes to SKU formats, prices or inventory data.
For Google Merchant Center, inspect the named attributes id, title, description, link, image_link, price and availability; commonly used additional fields include brand and gtin. Other listed fields include condition, sale_price, mpn, identifier_exists and item_group_id for variants. Use TikTok’s specification for the fields required by a TikTok catalogue.
For Google Merchant Center, price is a number plus an ISO 4217 currency code. Availability accepts in_stock, out_of_stock, preorder or backorder.
For Google Merchant Center, confirm that image_link is accessible. Check the 500×500-pixel minimum stated as enforced from 31 January 2027.
| Field group | Pre-launch question |
|---|---|
| Identity | Is the ID unique and stable for each sellable item or variant? |
| Description | Do the title and description identify the item without an expired offer? |
| Destination and image | Do the links open the correct product and accessible image? |
| Price and currency | Do regular and sale prices match the page shown to the target customer? |
| Availability | Can the customer order this exact item under the stated terms? |
| Grouping | Do variant and category fields mean the same thing in the store and feed? |
Pre-Launch Product Feed Validation Checklist
- Use the correct template for TikTok catalogue type and market
- Confirm all required fields match TikTok’s current specification
- Verify field mapping from store source to feed export and platform import
- Ensure image_link is accessible and meets 500×500-pixel minimum (enforced from 31 Jan 2027)
- Check that price includes a valid ISO 4217 currency code
- Validate availability statusin_stock, out_of_stock, preorder or backorder
TikTok Catalog Requirements Summary
- Required Fields
- Image Size Minimum
- Currency Format
- Availability Options
- ID Uniqueness
Compare rows with live pages
Sample a standard item, a discounted item, two variants, a recently restocked item and an unavailable item. Compare each exported ID with the store record.
For each Google Merchant Center sample, record the row’s id, link, image_link, price and availability alongside what appears on the live page. Compare each value field by field, then check the source value and transformation rule in your field map if they differ.
Open the destination on a phone and check its item, price and availability. Open the image URL too; a plausible address does not show that the image is accessible.
For a discounted item, trace the exported ID to its store record and check that the link opens that item and the price matches the live page. Where sale_price is present, compare it with the displayed sale price and verify availability too.
If a feed row names a variant but links to a parent page showing another default variant, correct the destination or make the selection clear. Do not give several sellable variants the same item ID to hide the mismatch.
Feed vs Live Page Field Comparison
- Product ID
- Title & Description
- Destination Link
- Image Link
- Price
- Availability
Inspect the import
Use TikTok’s available file check, then review imported items and error reports. In TikTok Catalog Manager, use the Diagnostic dashboard to help troubleshoot catalogue issues.
Check accepted item counts and individual items as well as file status. For each error, read its exact wording, identify the affected item and field, and trace that field through the map.
Record when the source changed and when the catalogue last imported successfully. Inspect the final product set or campaign selection: an item can be in the source file without being eligible for that selection.
Resolve discrepancies that could mislead a shopper or prevent delivery before launch.
End-to-End Feed Validation Process
- Run file check in TikTok Catalog Manager
- Use Diagnostic Dashboard to identify errors
- Cross-reference with field map
- Validate final product set eligibility
- Resolve discrepancies before launch
