Template
Amazon product feed template
Amazon does not fetch a feed URL. It takes inventory files: tab-delimited templates you download from Seller Central, fill and upload. This page is the template for the two files most sellers need, the Inventory Loader for offers on existing ASINs and the category listing file for new products, with the column names, the codes, Amazon's title rules with examples, sample rows, a CSV download and a plan to fill the file from your store instead of by hand.
We connect your store, build the feed and keep it in sync. Updated 2026-10-27.
At a glance
- Two templates cover most catalogs: the Inventory Loader (sku, product-id, product-id-type, price, item-condition, quantity, add-delete) for offers on products already in Amazon's catalog, and a category-specific listing file for new products.
- Templates come from Seller Central: Inventory → Add Products via Upload → Download an Inventory File. Each is an Excel workbook with a Data Definitions tab that lists the accepted codes.
- Uploads are tab-delimited text (.txt) or the filled workbook; comma-separated CSV is not accepted as-is, so the download here is for editing, then save as text.
- Titles are capped at 200 characters and follow category style guides: brand, model, product type, key attribute, size or count, no promotional words.
- We set up Textfinity's Amazon channel template to produce the rows with Amazon's column names from your store; you paste them into the Seller Central workbook or upload the tab-delimited file.
Amazon product feed template: the Inventory Loader columns
The Inventory Loader is the template for selling products that already exist in Amazon's catalog: you identify the product by ASIN, UPC, EAN or ISBN and supply your offer. Nine columns do the work. The codes for product-id-type and item-condition are numeric and defined on the template's Data Definitions tab; the ones shown are the common values.
| Column | Requirement | Format / codes | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| sku | Required | Your unique SKU; never change it after listing | CBL-USB-C-2M |
| product-id | Required to match | ASIN, UPC, EAN or ISBN | B0CXXXXXXX |
| product-id-type | Required with product-id | Numeric code from Data Definitions (1 = ASIN) | 1 |
| price | Required | Decimal, no currency symbol | 12.99 |
| minimum-seller-allowed-price / maximum-seller-allowed-price | Optional | Decimal; price alert bounds | 9.99 / 19.99 |
| item-condition | Required | Numeric code from Data Definitions (New is 11) | 11 |
| quantity | Required for merchant-fulfilled | Whole number; leave empty for FBA | 37 |
| add-delete | Required | a = add or update; other codes on Data Definitions | a |
| fulfillment-center-id | Required for FBA | DEFAULT for merchant-fulfilled, AMAZON_NA for FBA | AMAZON_NA |
| handling-time | Optional | Days to ship | 2 |
| item-note | Optional | Max 1,000 characters, used conditions | |
| product-tax-code | Optional | Amazon tax code | A_GEN_TAX |
Column names from the Inventory Loader template as described in Seller Central help and seller guides, checked 2026-10-27. Numeric codes come from the Data Definitions tab of the template you download; confirm them there, since they are not published on a public page.
Category listing templates for new products
Products Amazon has never seen need a category-specific listing file, generated in Seller Central for your product type (Lite for the required fields, Custom to add attribute groups such as variations, images and dimensions). The column set changes per category, but a core group recurs. Variations need a parent row and child rows linked by parent_sku, relationship_type and variation_theme.
| Column | Role | Notes | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| feed_product_type | Required | The product type the template was generated for | cable |
| item_sku | Required | Your SKU | CBL-USB-C-2M |
| external_product_id / external_product_id_type | Required unless exempt | GTIN and its type (UPC, EAN, GTIN) | 0195866188174 / UPC |
| item_name | Required | Title, max 200 characters | Vero USB-C to USB-C Cable 2 m, 100 W, Braided, Black |
| brand_name / manufacturer | Required | Brand as registered | Vero |
| product_description | Required | Plain text | Braided charge and sync cable rated for 100 W. |
| bullet_point1 … bullet_point5 | Recommended | Up to five bullets for sellers | 100 W power delivery for laptops |
| main_image_url / other_image_url1 … 8 | Required / optional | HTTP(S) URLs, longest side 500 to 2,100 px | https://cdn.example/cbl-usb-c-2m.jpg |
| standard_price / quantity | Required | Decimal / whole number | 12.99 / 37 |
| update_delete | Required | Update, PartialUpdate or Delete | Update |
| parent_child / parent_sku / relationship_type / variation_theme | Variations | Parent, Child; Variation; e.g. SizeColor | Child / DRS-2210 / Variation / SizeColor |
| color_name / size_name | Variations | Variant attributes | Black / M |
| generic_keywords | Recommended | Search terms, no repeats of the title | usb c charging cable laptop |
Typical category template columns; the exact set, requirement flags and accepted values are generated per category in Seller Central and shown on the template's Data Definitions and Valid Values tabs.
Amazon product title examples and rules
Amazon caps item_name at 200 characters and each category style guide shortens it further. The pattern that satisfies most of them is brand, model or line, product type, the key attribute, then size, color or count, with words capitalized, numerals rather than words, and no promotional terms such as Free shipping or Best seller. The examples follow that order for five categories.
- Electronics accessory: Vero USB-C to USB-C Cable 2 m, 100 W Power Delivery, Braided, Black
- Beauty: Juno Skin Vitamin C Serum 30 ml, 15% L-Ascorbic Acid, Brightening, Fragrance-Free
- Home: Kiln & Co Stoneware Vase, 33 cm, Hand-Glazed, Sand
- Apparel (child row): Marlowe Women's Linen Wrap Dress, Midi, Black, Medium
- Grocery: Bergamo Whole Bean Coffee, Dark Roast, 1 kg Bag (Pack of 3)
- Avoid: BEST USB C CABLE!!! Free Shipping Fast Charger 2m Cable for iPhone Samsung (promotional words, all caps, symbols, competitor brands)
How an Amazon product feed differs from a Google or Meta feed
Three things are different and they shape the plan. First, delivery: Amazon reads uploads, not URLs, so the file is produced on your side and submitted through Seller Central or the Selling Partner API; a tool that only hosts a URL does not finish the job by itself. Second, identity: Amazon lists against its own catalog, so a row is either an offer on an existing ASIN (Inventory Loader) or a new product that needs a GTIN and a category template, and the two go in different files. Third, format: tab-delimited text or Amazon's own workbook, with numeric codes for condition and id type instead of words.
What stays the same is the source: the SKU, GTIN, price, stock, title, description, bullets and images all live in your store already. Textfinity's Amazon channel template maps them into Amazon's column names, computes the codes with advanced rules, splits parents and children for variations, and produces the file on every rebuild. From there it is a paste into the Seller Central workbook or a save-as-text and upload, and the processing report tells you what Amazon rejected.
Examples
Worked examples, by situation
Four stores, four files. Each example shows the store's data, the Amazon row and the Textfinity rule between them.
Offer rows on existing ASINs
Before
SKU,Regular price,Stock,ASIN CBL-USB-C-2M,12.99,37,B0CXXXXXXX
After
sku,product-id,product-id-type,price,item-condition,quantity,add-delete CBL-USB-C-2M,B0CXXXXXXX,1,12.99,11,37,a
How we set it up
sku, product-id, price and quantity are renames; product-id-type, item-condition and add-delete are add static value (1, 11, a). A filter rule excludes rows where ASIN is blank so products Amazon does not know never reach the loader; those go to the category file instead.
Parent and child rows for a dress
Before
Handle,Title,Option1 Name,Option1 Value,Option2 Value,Variant SKU linen-wrap-dress,Linen Wrap Dress,Color,Black,M,DRS-2210-BLK-M
After
item_sku,parent_child,parent_sku,relationship_type,variation_theme,item_name,color_name,size_name DRS-2210,Parent,,,SizeColor,Marlowe Women's Linen Wrap Dress,, DRS-2210-BLK-M,Child,DRS-2210,Variation,SizeColor,"Marlowe Women's Linen Wrap Dress, Midi, Black, Medium",Black,Medium
How we set it up
Two feeds on the same shop: a parent feed with one row per product (item_sku from the handle, parent_child static Parent) and a child feed with one row per variant (parent_sku from the product id, relationship_type and variation_theme static). size_name uses advanced to expand M to Medium as the Apparel style guide prefers: if [variant_size] equals "S" then "Small" else if [variant_size] equals "M" then "Medium" else if [variant_size] equals "L" then "Large" else [variant_size]. A Google Sheet lookup would replace substrings and turn XL into XLarge.
fulfillment-center-id by fulfillment type
Before
sku,price,stock,fulfilment SER-30,34.00,120,FBA MSK-01,18.00,40,own
After
sku,price,quantity,fulfillment-center-id SER-30,34.00,,AMAZON_NA MSK-01,18.00,40,DEFAULT
How we set it up
fulfillment-center-id is the advanced DSL: if [fulfilment] equals "FBA" then "AMAZON_NA" else "DEFAULT". quantity is a conditional rule: fulfilment is equal to FBA → leave empty, otherwise rename stock, as the template requires.
Style-guide titles and five bullets from attributes
Before
sku,brand,name,height_cm,finish,color,features VAS-33,Kiln & Co,Stoneware Vase,33,Hand-Glazed,Sand,"Hand-glazed|Watertight|Dishwasher safe"
After
item_sku,item_name,bullet_point1,bullet_point2,bullet_point3 VAS-33,"Kiln & Co Stoneware Vase, 33 cm, Hand-Glazed, Sand",Hand-glazed,Watertight,Dishwasher safe
How we set it up
item_name is advanced: [brand] + " " + [name] + ", " + [height_cm] + " cm, " + [finish] + ", " + [color]. The bullets come from one features field split by replace from regexp: bullet_point1 keeps everything before the first |, bullet_point2 the segment between, and so on; write the fragments as full sentences in the source field if you want prose bullets, since AI configs rewrite whole titles and descriptions, not bullets.
Copy this plan
From template to an accepted upload
Six steps. Downloading the template and uploading the file happen in Seller Central; the rows in between come from one feed.
01
Download the right template from Seller Central
Inventory → Add Products via Upload → Download an Inventory File. Pick Inventory Loader for offers on existing ASINs, or search your category and generate a Lite or Custom listing template for new products. Open the Data Definitions tab and note the codes.
02
Connect the store
Shopify directly, or the CSV or Google Shopping XML export URL of WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop or BigCommerce. Textfinity profiles the columns and counts the products.
What we set up: We connect your Shopify store, or read the CSV or XML export URL you send us, and check the column profile before mapping.03
Start from the Amazon channel template and match the column names
The template provides Amazon's column names; rename any to match the exact header of the workbook you downloaded, since category templates differ.
What we set up: We start from the Amazon channel template and rename its columns to the exact headers of the workbook you downloaded.04
Map identifiers, codes and prices
sku and product-id by rename; product-id-type, item-condition and add-delete as static values or advanced rules; price as a plain decimal (strip currency with remove from regexp if the export carries it).
What we set up: We set item-condition as a static value of 11 and strip any currency from price with remove from regexp [^0-9.].05
Split what Amazon knows from what it does not
One feed filtered to rows with an ASIN for the Inventory Loader, one filtered to rows without, for the category file. For variations, a parent feed and a child feed.
What we set up: We add a filter rule on your ASIN column, is blank: exclude in the Inventory Loader feed, include in the category feed.06
Export, paste and upload
Publish the feed as TSV, so the output is already tab-delimited with the workbook's headers, and upload it as is, or paste the rows under the workbook's header row; then Inventory → Add Products via Upload → Upload your inventory file. Read the processing report; fix rejected rows in the mapping, not in the file, so the next export is clean.
What we set up: We publish the feed as TSV on a stable URL, so every download is already tab-delimited with the workbook's headers.
Customization tips
Make it yours
Keep the Inventory Loader for price and stock only
Once a product is listed, the Inventory Loader (or the three-column Price & Quantity file) is the fastest way to push daily price and stock changes. Keep titles, bullets and images in the category file and update them separately with PartialUpdate; mixing both in one file makes every price change re-validate the whole listing.
Never let the sku column change
Amazon matches your uploads to listings by SKU. A store that regenerates SKUs on variant edits (some Shopify apps do) will create duplicate listings on the next upload. Map sku from a field that is stable, such as the variant id, and keep the human-readable SKU elsewhere.
Write bullets from attributes, then polish the source
Five fragments from a features field are better than no bullets, but read like a spec sheet. Rewrite the features field once as five benefit-first sentences separated by |, in the store or in a merged Google Sheet keyed on SKU, and the same regex split produces readable bullets. Textfinity's AI configs enhance whole titles and descriptions; they do not write bullets.
Check the title against the category style guide, not just 200 characters
Several categories cap titles well under 200 and forbid specific words. Build the title with combine in the order brand, line, product type, attribute, size or count, and use feed hygiene's length check with a lower limit than 200 for those categories.
Downloads
Take the files
FAQ
Questions about amazon product feed template
Where do I get an Amazon product feed template?
From Seller Central: Inventory → Add Products via Upload → Download an Inventory File. Choose the Inventory Loader for offers on products already in Amazon's catalog, the Price & Quantity file for updates, or search your category to generate a Lite or Custom listing template for new products. Each download is an Excel workbook with a Data Definitions tab.
Can Amazon fetch a product feed from a URL like Google does?
No. Amazon takes inventory files uploaded in Seller Central or submitted through the Selling Partner API. A feed tool produces the rows in Amazon's column names; you upload the file. Textfinity builds the file on every rebuild so the upload is an export, not a spreadsheet session.
What file format does Amazon accept for inventory files?
Tab-delimited text (.txt) saved from the template, or the filled Excel workbook itself. A comma-separated CSV is not accepted directly; open it in Excel or Sheets, paste into the template and save as text, or have a feed tool output TSV (Textfinity publishes CSV or TSV).
How long can an Amazon product title be?
Up to 200 characters including spaces, with category style guides that often require less. Use brand, model or line, product type, key attribute, then size, color or count, in Title Case with numerals, and leave out promotional words, symbols and other brands' names.
Does Textfinity manage Amazon orders or pricing?
No. Textfinity builds the product data file: identifiers, titles, bullets, descriptions, images, prices and quantities from your store. Order management, automated price changes and advertising stay in Seller Central.
Set up for you
Have us build your Amazon inventory file from your store
Send us your store and the Seller Central template you use. We map SKU, identifiers, codes, price and stock once, and Textfinity produces the rows in Amazon's column names on every rebuild; you upload.
Tell us your store and channels. We reply within 24 hours.