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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.

Prepare a sample

  1. Confirm the destination connection and whether it targets a test or production environment.
  2. Review the export mapping or channel configuration. Make sure the intended source attributes map to the destination fields.
  3. Select a few representative products, including a variant and a product with optional values missing where relevant.
  4. Check product identifiers so updates reach the correct existing records.
You need data.export to export. Ask the person who manages the integration to review its configuration if you cannot access it.

Review the values

  • Required information: check the destination’s requirements for the specific product class. Do not treat a short universal checklist as a complete list of required fields.
  • Numbers and units: compare dimensions, weight and prices with the supplier information. For example, confirm whether 24 means inches or centimeters.
  • Select values: use the options accepted for that attribute and category.
  • AI-written claims: inspect the supplier evidence for material, safety and other factual claims. A confidence rating or citation is not a guarantee; see Reviewing AI content.
  • Images: check that the intended images are linked and their URLs are usable. For Wayfair creates, images must be in the attributes used by the channel export.
  • Selection and mappings: hiding a column is not a way to remove it from an integration mapping. A filter can stop matching products after values change.

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
Manual review helps catch these issues before submission. Merchkit’s recorded error indicators do not guarantee that all marketplace requirements have been checked.

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. Use the destination’s requirements for the specific product class and submission type. Review identifiers, category, product facts, images, price and availability where applicable. Required fields vary by destination and category; there is no universal required-field list.

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 (warranty expiration or availability date):
  • 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. Review recorded errors — Resolve any existing export errors, then manually compare values with the destination’s field rules
  2. Review sample products — Click individual products and check their attributes
  3. Check the marketplace’s documentation — Each marketplace publishes format requirements

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]

Completeness Review

Beyond required fields, check that recommended/optional attributes are filled where possible. Include useful information you can support with supplier evidence.

High-Impact Optional Attributes

Optional Attribute Check

  1. Review optional attributes — Compare your values with the destination’s recommendations to find useful omissions
  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)

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
  • Values have been manually checked against the destination’s requirements
  • 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. Apply the correction — If the cause is an AI prompt, select the affected SKUs and regenerate the relevant attribute. If the source data or mapping is wrong, correct that first.
  4. Validate again — Check results before export
This is faster than manual editing each product.

Export and verify

  1. Export the sample through the intended connection.
  2. Read the completed job’s success and error counts.
  3. Check the resulting records in the destination. An accepted Wayfair submission can take additional time to appear.
  4. Resolve rejected values and retest before exporting the larger batch.
A completed job or an error-free row is not proof that every product is live or meets all marketplace rules.

Next Steps

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