There are a few different formats that Rakuten accepts (tsv, csv, zip, xml), so it is important to know whether or not they have an existing feed file. In addition, there are two versions of attributes that you can work with – one is Rakuten specific attributes, and the other is Google formatted attributes.
1. Rakuten LinkShare Feed Build Guide
Note that there are “Primary File Field Definitions” in Appendix A which are common to all product categories, however there are also category-specific attributes in Appendix B. These are linked by Rakuten’s “Class ID”. So, for example, if a product has a Rakuten “Class ID” of “60”, denoting clothing products, then you should see the section in Appendix B for Class 60 to find additional clothing-specific attributes you can add to your export (ex. size, material, gender).
These Rakuten specs follow the Google specifications for the most part.
Brian Roizen is the Cofounder and Chief Architect of Feedonomics, a full-service feed optimization platform that optimizes product data for hundreds of channels. He has been featured on numerous podcasts and eCommerce webinars, and regularly contributes to Search Engine Land and other industry-leading blogs. Brian graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
