Tech Corner Archives - FMTC

FMTC Tech Corner: API v3

FMTC Content Team — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 02:53:31 +0000

Written by Josh Hutter

Welcome to the latest edition of FMTC’s Tech Corner. Today we are diving into the exciting features of our new v3 API endpoints. Whether you’re a long-time subscriber of FMTC’s or just getting started, this comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge you need to harness the power of our upgraded API.

Key Changes in v3

URL Structure: The latest v3 endpoints are now accessed via https://s3.fmtc.co/api/v3/ENDPOINT_NAME, marking a shift from the previous services.fmtc.co domain.
New Fields: Additional fields like coupon_code_on_page, code_verified_at, and link_verified_at have been introduced, offering more detailed information about deals.
- coupon_code_on_page
  - This is an automated field to determine if FMTC has found the coupon code on the deal’s landing page.
- code_verified_at
  - This is the date that the code was verified by FMTC, shown in UTC.
- link_verified_at
  - This is the date that the affiliate link was verified by FMTC, shown in UTC.
Field Mappings: The updated API provides clear mappings for input and output parameters across different versions, ensuring developers can easily adapt their integrations. For more information, you can reference the API Transition Documentation.
Pagination: Efficient data navigation is made possible with pagination, allowing for better handling of large datasets.

This upgrade is not just a technical enhancement but also a strategic move to stay ahead in the competitive affiliate marketing space. By updating to v3, developers can enhance their current application’s capabilities and prepare for future advancements. As FMTC’s API continues to evolve, using the latest version ensures compatibility with new features and improvements, keeping your application at the forefront of affiliate marketing technology.

Enhancements for Developers

Delaying upgrades can lead to technical debt, accumulated inefficiencies, outdated code, and compatibility issues. v3 provides a clean slate, allowing everyone to build on a solid foundation. Many architectural and technical enhancements have been made to accelerate FMTC’s ability to add more updates to our system. It’s like renovating your house — addressing maintenance now prevents major overhauls later.

Enhanced Performance

With the introduction of v3, developers can expect a boost in performance. The new version offers optimized data retrieval processes, ensuring faster response times and reduced server load. This translates to a more efficient and seamless experience when accessing deal and merchant information.

Changing from v1/v2 to v3 Endpoints

If you are currently using either of the previous endpoints from FMTC, our developers recommend following the instructions outlined in this document. The instructions provide a comprehensive overview of the new endpoint structure, including a proper mapping of all our fields. This way, you’ll have a clear understanding of where the data originates within the new structure.

Next Steps: Advanced Filtering

Even with the release of this new version, we have additional updates coming soon. The upcoming versions will introduce more advanced filtering options, specifically new deal types allowing users to tailor the data fetched to their specific needs. You will be able to filter out deals by content type (discount vs. non-discount), page type (homepage, clearance page, category pages, etc.), or even how the deal will be used (mobile app, in store, website, etc). Whether it’s deals active within a certain date range or merchant details by country, the new input parameters provide greater control over the API’s output. This level of customization ensures that applications can display the most relevant and up-to-date information.

As always, a dedicated team is here to assist you! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact your account manager or email us at support@fmtc.co. Curious about other FMTC technologies? Find more information on FMTC’s tools in Tech Corner:

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FMTC Tech Corner: Why Integrate Your Data With FMTC

FMTC Content Team — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 00:35:45 +0000

Written by Josh Hutter & Katie Jones

Welcome to the latest edition of FMTC’s Tech Corner. This article describes why networks, platforms, and technology companies partner with FMTC and how a data partnership works.

FMTC integrates 14 affiliate networks and pulls data from over 20 unique sources into its platform, allowing affiliates to access and monetize thousands of affiliate links from various merchants. Companies like impact.com, ShareASale, Awin, Partnerize, and Rakuten Advertising partner with us to increase high-quality traffic, optimize data quality and distribution, and generate new leads for their clients and themselves.

Why a Network Integrates Affiliate Data With FMTC

A data partnership with FMTC enables networks to simplify the data-handling strategies for every user, including merchants, advertisers, agencies, account managers, creators, influencers, publishers, and affiliate partners.

Increase link distribution, high-quality clicks, leads, sales, and revenue
- Links surfaced in FMTC’s deal and product feeds, for free
- Additional proprietary monetization rail, FreshReach®, for free
- Link monetization by trusted enterprise-level affiliates
Optimize data quality and access
- Hundreds of thousands of links are available to enterprise affiliates via a single API
- MerchantSync technology is a powerful tool that allows affiliates to dynamically handle their merchant relationships
  - For more information, you can read our previous Tech Corner.
Improved data quality
- Our data feeds contain crucial metadata regarding the offers, coupons, deals, and promotions that are available for affiliates to strategically promote on their websites, blogs, social media, newsletters, or other channels
- Only FMTC spends thousands of hours checking, testing, fixing, and optimizing links, translating to time and money saved
- Links and coupon codes work
- Everything is spelled correctly and SEO optimized
- All deals are accurate and current
- Increase click-through rates and monetization
Generate new leads
- Enterprise affiliates can use FMTC’s feed as the single source of their affiliate data
- Affiliates who use FMTC have an easier time ingesting and managing data

What Network Partners and Their Clients Get

Network Directory listing
Program Directory listing for each merchant
Merchant info surfacing in Program Directory search results
Human-powered data processing
Link surfacing in deal search results
Link distribution in FMTC’s proprietary deal feed
Link monetization by industry-leading enterprise affiliates
Product distribution in FMTC’s proprietary product feed
Product monetization by industry-leading enterprise affiliates
Automatic syncing of affiliate-merchant relationship status
Automatic feed updates based on affiliate-merchant relationship status

How a Data Integration Works

An FMTC data partnership begins with a custom integration with a network’s API or FTP. Information received from each network’s endpoints is processed by our team of data engineers. Once processed, merchant information is funneled to our Program Directory and affiliate links are funneled to our deal or product feeds. This data is available to FMTC clients via the portal or API.

Affiliates can subscribe to FMTC’s deal and product feeds and other custom data solutions. Many affiliates use our feed as the single source of their affiliate data.

Merchants can add their data to FMTC for free. All they need to do is add FMTC’s affiliate account to their network program.

FMTC calls each network’s API.
Each call pulls new and updated information into our system.
Our data processing team tests, fixes, standardizes and categorizes everything.
Adding an extra layer of value, FMTC engages in hand-verifying crucial data elements, such as labels, expiration dates, categories, deep links, and more.
FMTC’s technology rebuilds the tracking links for each of our affiliates using their own Affiliate IDs.
To automatically add or remove merchant links to their feed, affiliates can enable our proprietary system called MerchantSync.
An affiliate’s API call to FMTC’s endpoints includes changes, updates, and new data; links are rebuilt with each affiliate’s unique ID.

Minimum Integration Requirements

To join the FMTC platform, our minimum network integration requirements include having unique, direct merchants that offer exclusive deals, discounts, and coupons. You also need to provide API endpoints that return program data and text links for deals, coupons, and promotions.

Contact our integrations manager if you are interested in a data partnership with FMTC.

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FMTC Tech Corner: Deal Processing

FMTC Content Team — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 09:07:00 +0000

Written by Josh Hutter

Welcome to the latest edition of FMTC’s Tech Corner. In this article, we will shed light on how FMTC handles incoming deals.

FMTC collects data from various networks and processes it to create thousands of deals that are available through our API. If you’re curious about how your deals get from the network to your website, let us walk you through the intricate process.

Data Aggregation and Normalization

Before processing a deal itself, FMTC needs to aggregate and “normalize” the incoming deals. Our in-house software plays a pivotal role in bringing in all the information from different affiliate sources. These sources often handle information differently, with distinct authentication methods, field names, categories, and output formulas. This can introduce complexities when pulling in deals from merchants operating on various affiliate networks.

FMTC resolves these challenges and guarantees that you receive your deals in the same format with the same type of information, regardless of where the deals come from. Our technology allows us to:

Detect key deal attributes like start dates, end dates, prices, deal types, and merchant details
Identify and rectify issues related to formats, links, and spelling
Test all codes for validity
Categorize content for clarity
Update already existing deals that have been modified
Remove expired deals
Format links to include an Affiliate ID

Many of these tasks are automated, while the remaining issues are addressed by the Data Processing team during the manual processing phase.

After the aggregation and normalization are complete, the deals then make their way to our queue system, where our Data Processing team will process them. Different queues are used to categorize data based on the type of processing required. Some of these queues include:

Main Queue
- All incoming network deals are filtered into this queue. Deals with a coupon code are directed here for validation, ensuring each code is tested and the proper discount is given. Each code is timestamped for transparency. For some deals, you don’t need to enter a coupon code at checkout. These deals, such as getting $20 off when you spend $50 or more, will be automatically applied to your cart. We will check the validity of these deals before approving the deal.
Change Queue
- When our system detects a deal change, such as an update to the tracking link or the label, the deal is sent to this queue to be verified before the deal is updated.
Review Queue
- Deals processed before their start date are double-checked by Data Processors to make sure everything is working properly, including the affiliate URLs and the coupon code. This is useful in preparation for a big event, such as Black Friday, so that we can make all deals available as fast as possible.
Evergreen Queue
- Deals without an expiration date are revalidated by Data Processors every six months. Deals with issues (through either a broken link or an invalid coupon code) will be removed from our system. Merchants should schedule regular maintenance on ongoing deals to ensure the most up-to-date information is provided.

Quality Assurance

At FMTC, we take quality assurance seriously. Our Data Processing team conducts rigorous testing for accuracy and efficiency. If there is ever an issue when testing deals, such as invalid coupon codes or a bad landing page, we have a special hold queue. This queue is used to temporarily store deals while our team members contact program managers to address the issues. Once the deal is fixed, or the right information is received, we then process the deals as usual.

To avoid having a deal put on hold, confirm that all data and links include essential information, such as start dates, expiration dates, codes, and terms. If FMTC contacts you about an issue with a deal, we kindly ask that you respond to our inquiry promptly. Any deal that cannot be validated will not be processed until we can properly vet the deal.

We have implemented several procedures to ensure that our deals are accurate and up to date. Our Data Processing team uses a combination of automated and manual checks to verify that all deals meet our standards. We also have a committed group of Data Processors that monitors our feeds 24/7. You can be confident that your deals will be tested for accuracy and processed efficiently by our Data Processing team.

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FAQ: FMTC Merchant Services

FMTC Content Team — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 16:33:19 +0000

Written by Josh Hutter

Welcome to the latest edition of FMTC’s Tech Corner, where we delve into our cutting-edge tools and technology. In this article, we’ll address some of the frequently asked questions about FMTC Merchant Services.

Q: What does FMTC do?

FMTC Merchant Services streamlines your affiliate program management, allowing you to get your content in front of thousands of affiliates on one platform.

FMTC aggregates deals and product content from over 20 data sources. Our dedicated team manually processes this content before delivering it to our affiliate subscribers through a single API. FMTC tests the destination URLs, verifies every code works, categorizes each deal, and so much more. We have the largest, freshest, and most accurate deal and product database available within the industry, making it easier for affiliates to get content. This allows you, the merchant, to focus more on growing your business while we handle the technical aspects.

Q: Is FMTC an affiliate or a network?

FMTC is not considered an affiliate or a network. We specialize in pulling in content and subjecting it to rigorous data processing checks to ensure its accuracy and validity. Consider FMTC the tech solution for the industry.

Q: Who can monetize my content?

Monetization of your content is dependent on your relationship with the affiliate. If you have approved an affiliate, they can access your content from FMTC. Otherwise, affiliates still reach out through the networks to be accepted into your program. FMTC will provide content to our subscribers — ensuring it is ready to go and be posted on the affiliates’ websites — but we do not mediate any relationships. Direct relationships are encouraged and maintained independently.

Q: Why don’t I see any sales from FMTC?

FMTC is a data aggregation platform. We do not directly generate sales because we operate by utilizing the publishers’ own affiliate links. When sales occur, they are attributed to the affiliate publishers who have integrated our content into their websites using their own affiliate links. FMTC plays a crucial role in providing accurate and up-to-date content, ensuring that affiliates can drive sales through their own affiliate marketing efforts. So, while you may not see sales directly from FMTC, our services empower affiliates to maximize their sales potential using your content.

Q: What if I don’t have deals or don’t want to use coupon sites?

Although deals/coupons are highly popular content types among our clients, FMTC’s services extend beyond that. Affiliates use our service to quickly and easily find various content types, including simple text links to your site. Our service offers them a one-stop shop to scan over 19,000 programs from over 20 data sources with one simple-to-use interface. (Evergreen and homepage links can also be valuable.) Product Feeds can also be ingested by FMTC, broadening the content possibilities.

Q: What is included in FMTC Premium Merchant Services?

We offer a premium subscription that has tools, perks, and placements to highlight your program and content to affiliates. One tool included is Deal Alerts, which allow you to notify all of our subscribers that you have deals available. (For more information, refer to our separate Tech Corner on Deal Alerts.)

Other benefits include:

One-hour deal processing
Dedicated in-house support team
Features on our social media and dashboard

Q: How do I take advantage of FMTC Merchant Services?

To join FMTC as a merchant, simply invite FMTC to your program on your preferred network. Once we accept the invitation, we will automatically add you to FMTC. Alternatively, you can fill out this form and we will request approval to join your program in the network. Once you confirm the partnership, FMTC will begin pulling your content and make it available to your affiliates who work with us.

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Tech Corner: MerchantSync

FMTC Content Team — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:23:51 +0000

Affiliates: Let this FMTC Portal tool do the work for you

Written by Josh Hutter

Welcome back to FMTC’s Tech Corner, where we take a deep dive into our tools and technology. In this article, we’ll explore FMTC’s MerchantSync tool and discover how this feature can help you, as an affiliate, effectively promote the programs that you are a part of.

MerchantSync is a tool that provides real-time synchronization of merchant data for FMTC subscribers. It is designed to streamline and simplify the process of managing and updating affiliate links based on your relationship status with each merchant. With FMTC’s MerchantSync tool, you do not need to add or remove merchants from your FMTC feed manually. Simply join programs in the affiliate networks and MerchantSync will automatically add the merchants you are approved for to your feed. If a program goes offline or terminates your relationship, MerchantSync can automatically remove that program from your feed. This tool ensures that affiliates always have the most up-to-date and accurate information about the merchants they are promoting — automatically synchronizing the program status directly from the affiliate networks.

Setting up MerchantSync requires a one-time investment of your time, but once it’s complete, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that you’re receiving all the content from the programs you are approved to work with.

To set up MerchantSync, simply log in to the FMTC Portal and navigate to the MerchantSync section (FMTC – Control Panel – MerchantSync).

Once there, you have the freedom to customize how MerchantSync works for you. Consider the following options:

Select Networks: Choose whether MerchantSync should run for all the networks you work with or only a select few. The current networks that support MerchantSync are:
- Ascend
- AvantLink
- Awin
- CJ Affiliate
- Commission Factory
- impact.com
- LinkConnector
- Rakuten
- ShareASale
- Webgains
Scheduled Sync: MerchantSync runs daily, and you have the flexibility to choose the time that works best for you. This ensures that you receive the most up-to-date data at your preferred time.
Auto Add Merchant: By enabling this feature, MerchantSync will automatically add the programs you are approved for in the networks. This means that when you get approved for a program, you can rest assured that your next API call will include the newly active program.
Auto Remove Merchant: Some programs may terminate their relationship with an affiliate, leading to the removal of deal information from the FMTC API. By enabling this feature, you can choose to have these programs automatically removed from your account, keeping your data clean and relevant.
Reporting: Within our MerchantSync tool you can schedule a daily report to be emailed to you, showing you which merchants have been added or removed from your account that day.

It’s important to note that each network handles its API calls differently. To gather the necessary information, FMTC requires your network account API credentials so that we may make an API call on your behalf. This allows FMTC to grab your latest information and seamlessly apply it to your FMTC account. For more information about the steps to gather this information, please see the individual network pages on the MerchantSync page in the FMTC Portal.

As always, our team is ready to help you! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact your account manager or email us at support@fmtc.co. Curious about other FMTC technologies? Find more information on FMTC’s tools in our Tech Corner:

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Tech Corner: Deal Alerts

FMTC Content Team — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 23:10:47 +0000

Are you getting the most out of our Premium Merchant Services?

Written by Josh Hutter

Welcome back to FMTC’s Tech Corner, where we take a deep dive into our tools and technology. In this article, we’ll explore FMTC’s Premium Merchant Services — specifically, the power of Deal Alerts. Discover how this feature can help you, as a merchant, effectively promote your deals and leverage FMTC’s extensive connections.

Deal Alerts allow you to get the word out on up to five upcoming promotions each month (per program) on the FMTC dashboard and on our social media feeds. Deal Alerts can help you increase your visibility, enhance conversions, and minimize the time and effort spent on marketing yourself. Whether you have a seasonal sale, a new product launch, or a program change, FMTC can help you spread the word.

Creating Deal Alerts

To create a Deal Alert, simply log in to the FMTC Portal and navigate to the Deal/Program Alerts page. On this page, you’ll provide all the necessary information to generate a compelling Deal Alert. You will need the following information:

Merchant
- Specify the name of the merchant that the alert is promoting.
Deal to Promote or Program Update
- Enter the label of your deal or your program update.
- Examples:
  - Deal Alert Example: 20% off sitewide at GreatClothes.com with code 20NOW.
  - Program Alert Example: GreatClothes.com will be migrating to ShareASale on January 30. Join today!
Start Date and Time
- Choose the date and time you want the Deal Alert to go live.
- NOTE: Each alert expires 24 hours after it begins.
Optional: Image URLs
- These images will be used on social media channels.

Once the alert has been created, it will be submitted to FMTC for review and will be visible under the Pending Deal Alert section. After approval, it will move into the Current Approved Deal Alerts section until the specified start date. You can also view past Deal Alerts to keep track of your alert history. If you need to modify an alert before it goes live, simply reach out to your account manager for assistance.

Affiliate Deal Alert

Once the start date of an alert arrives, the Deal Alert will appear on the FMTC dashboard for all affiliates that log in to the FMTC Portal.

The dashboard alerts link to FMTC’s Deal Bank, connecting the alert to the merchant. Affiliates can gather more information on the deal and the merchant through the FMTC Program Directory. As a merchant, you can enjoy the benefits of FMTC’s quality assurance, which ensures that all the deals in FMTC are accurate, valid, and compliant with your terms and conditions.

Social Media

FMTC takes your deal exposure a step further by posting your alerts to either Twitter or Facebook. This will help you reach a wider audience and generate more traffic and conversions. Once the start date arrives, the alert will be posted on your preferred social media platform, accompanied by a link that affiliates can use to access the program within FMTC.

Stay connected with FMTC on Twitter or Facebook for the most recent deal alerts.

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Tech Corner: Deal Management Tools for Merchants

FMTC Content Team — Wed, 10 May 2023 22:21:46 +0000

Are you using the right links for your content?

Written by Josh Hutter

Welcome back to FMTC’s Tech Corner, where we take a deep dive into our tools and technology. This article discusses FMTC’s Merchant Services, which helps you, the merchant, streamline your affiliate programs with one platform, showcase your programs for affiliates to see, and interact with all the deals in our system.

Handling multiple programs and all of the deals for each can be both time-consuming and frustrating. FMTC’s portal has tools to help manage these issues. Once your program is integrated with FMTC, we will pull in all the deals available in your program via the network and make them available to our affiliates. In order to start using these features, you must have an account with FMTC. An account is free to set up, and you can upgrade to a Premium merchant at any time. You can view our Premium services here, or you can reach out to your account manager for more details.

Browse Deals

Are you curious how your deals appear to affiliates? Browse Deals is an excellent tool for you to see all of the active and expired deals that you currently have available in FMTC. These could be deals that have been pulled in from the network or that you have pushed into the system through our Pushed Deals if you are a Premium subscriber. (For more information, see this previous Tech Corner.) You will be able to filter by each program you are managing, making it easy for you to see what is currently available for each individual program. From here, you can easily navigate to the Programs page in the Program Directory and see how the program is displayed to affiliates in FMTC.

Ongoing Deals Report

The Ongoing Deals Report will show you all the active deals currently in FMTC that do not have an expiration date — also known as evergreen deals. The report will show each deal, as well as the merchant and network that it is associated with, allowing you to quickly review the information and ensure it is still valid within FMTC. The report will show the last time FMTC has reviewed and updated the deal to confirm that all information, such as the link, is still valid. NOTE: FMTC will rely on the information that has been provided through the network or agency to check the validity of the deal. Ongoing Deals are reverified by FMTC every six months. Merchants and agencies should audit their deals routinely to help FMTC maintain the most up-to-date information.

See All Deals (New!)

See All Deals is our new functionality unique to Agency accounts. Not only do agencies have the ability to see active and expired deals in FMTC, but they also have the capability to view future unprocessed deals. This allows you to ensure that all of your programs’ deals have been properly brought into FMTC for processing before they go live.

FMTC Tech Corner: Targeting Content
FMTC Tech Corner: Program Directory
FMTC Tech Corner: Pushed Deals

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Tech Corner: Deal Feed FAQ

FMTC Content Team — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 20:03:48 +0000

Deep Dive Into Our Deal Feed

Written by Josh Hutter

Welcome back to FMTC’s Tech Corner, where we take a deep dive into our tools and technology. This week, we’re taking a look at our Deal Feed.

FMTC’s Deal Feed aggregates your monetized links into a single stream, allowing access to the freshest, most accurate deals and coupons all in one place through a single API. Below, you can find frequently asked questions regarding our Deal Feed.

What is the relationship between the FMTC Deal Feed and the FMTC Product Feed?

While a merchant must be in the Deal Feed to be included in the Product Feed, there is otherwise no relationship between the merchant in each of the feeds. Each feed is completely separate from the other, and calling one of the API endpoints will not affect the other in any way.

How are my affiliate links returned in the Deal Feed API?

In the FMTC Portal you will enter your Network IDs for each network. Next, select merchants on the Manage Merchants page. Upon your API calls, FMTC will then automatically populate your links with your Network IDs. You may also set up MerchantSync to automatically add or remove merchants you have joined within the networks.

What is an incremental call and how do I use it?

An incremental call is a parameter that helps make your more frequent API calls smaller than a full call.

incremental=0 will return all active deals from all selected merchants on your account.

incremental=1 will return any deals that have been added, modified, or deleted since the last incremental call.

For more information, you can see this Tech Corner about each call.

What is the difference between getChanges and incremental?

getChanges will get the changes only for a particular deal, while an incremental getDeals call returns all deals added, modified, or deleted since your last call. For example, your frequent calls will use an incremental call. Use getChanges when you want information on a specific deal. Since only one ID may be used at a time for this call, it is more efficient to use an incremental parameter if you need multiple calls.

How often do I need to do a full call vs. an incremental call?

FMTC suggests you pull incremental data every 30 minutes and full data every couple of hours because our database is updated so frequently from the networks. A limit of 500 calls per day is strictly enforced.

Why are no images returned in the “Image” field within the API?

Images are only delivered when a merchant supplies an image in the network, which is not very common practice. Most deals will be text links. FMTC does provide logos and screenshots for each merchant. Many of the publishers we work with use “lifestyle” images to represent either a category or the merchant.

Do both HTTP and HTTPS work in FMTC URLs?

Yes, you can use both URL types. If you pull an HTTP link, the FMTC API automatically redirects to an HTTPS link. You can use the link directly as is; however, if you wish to change them, you can do so after you ingest our feed.

What is the difference between Primary Category and CategoriesV2?

While both merchants and deals have categories associated with them, only merchants have a Primary Category field returned. CategoriesV2 includes all the categories associated with the deal. The taxonomy comes from FMTC, and you can access it through the getCategories API call.

The API keeps timing out — how do I tackle this? Can I paginate?

None of our endpoints are paginated, though we recommend that you specify a large timeout of 7,200 seconds in your endpoint. You should also only call the getDeals endpoint every 30 minutes with the additional parameter &incremental=1.

Can I add a SubID to FMTCURL links?

Yes, you can add a SubID to FMTCURL links. Please refer to our Tech Corner on SubIDs for more information.

Why are my exclusive offers not coming through the API?

All of the offers that come through FMTC’s API are from the affiliate networks or merchant newsletters. If you have an exclusive offer from a merchant, you can add it in the FMTC platform under the Exclusive Data section.

What types of links come through the Deal Feed?

FMTC has four different types of links that come through the Deal Feed API: the Affiliate Link, the FreshReach® Link, possible BYO-Subaffiliate Links, and the Direct Link. The FMTCURL is built to handle the logic for each of these links for you. For more information, please refer to our Tech Corner about the FMTCURL.

As always, our team is ready to help you! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact your account manager or email us at support@fmtc.co.

Curious about other FMTC technologies? Find more information on FMTC’s tools in our Tech Corner:

FMTC Tech Corner: FMTCURL

FMTC Tech Corner: getProducts

FMTC Tech Corner: Product Feed FAQ

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Tech Corner: Product Feed FAQ

FMTC Content Team — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 17:55:32 +0000

Your Product Feed Questions, Answered

Written by Josh Hutter

FMTC’s Product Feed allows users to tap into structured monetized product data. Create a powerful product discovery on your site with the ability to search by merchant, brand, or category. Below are frequently asked questions regarding our Product Feed.

What is the difference between a GTIN and an SKU?

Global Trade Item Number, or GTIN, is an international identifier that remains the same from manufacturer to distributor. GTINs are typically 12-14 digits displayed below the barcodes on product packaging. They are unique to a specific product and the manufacturer of that product. If the merchant does not provide a GTIN, FMTC will create a unique identifier for the product based on the ID field within the Product Feed, the FMTC Merchant ID, and the network provided.

Stock Keeping Unit, or SKU, is an identifying series of numbers and letters assigned by the business rather than the manufacturer. SKUs are typically used for simpler inventory management and may include abbreviated details about the product, including the brand, size, or color. SKUs vary from business to business.

What is the relationship between the FMTC Deal Feed and the FMTC Product Feed?

A merchant must be integrated into the Deal Feed to be included in the Product Feed. There is no other relationship between the merchant in each of the feeds. Each feed is completely separate from the other, and calling one of the API endpoints will not affect the other in any way.

Why does the Deal Feed have more merchants than the Product Feed?

To be included in FMTC’s Product Feed, merchants must enable the Product Feed within the network. Because some merchants do not enable or utilize the Product Feed in the network, there are more merchants in FMTC’s Deal Feed than in FMTC’s Product Feed. A Product Feed also contains more data than a deal feed and therefore is added on demand. If you do not see a merchant within the Product Feed, reach out and ask for the merchant to be integrated by submitting a Product Feed Merchant Request through the FMTC Portal. There are two separate getMerchants calls, one for the Deal Feed and one for the Product Feed, to ensure you only receive the merchants associated with the appropriate data feed.

Why don’t all products in FMTC’s Product Feed have a direct link?

Not all networks or merchants provide a direct link for products. Since the availability of a direct link is not consistent across networks, we only provide the direct link when it is provided to FMTC through the network. If a network does allow for direct links and the merchant provides that direct link, it will be available in the “Other” field within the Product Feed.

Does FMTC’s Product Feed include inventory status?

The field “Available” indicates whether the product is currently available for purchase or out of stock. This value can be updated in the network by the merchant. FMTC updates the Product Feed daily to ensure that all fields are current.

What are the API call limits?

There is no limit to the number of calls to the Product Feed due to the pagination of the feed. Pagination requires multiple calls to get to the end of the feed, so our traffic is normalized, and we can provide it limit-free. The only limit comes in the form of page size, which is limited to a maximum of 2,000 products per page. For more information on how to use our pagination, see our API documentation.

Are multiple images supplied?

For consistency, FMTC standardizes the way you receive images. The field “ProductImage” indicates if the merchant has uploaded an image for the product. There is also a query parameter named “primary-image,” which, if set to 1, will only return products with a value for the “ProductImage” field. For additional images, if any other image fields are provided by the network and are filled out by the merchant, they will be in the “Other” field with the name they have within the network.

How do I append a SubID to the Product Feed?

The current version of the Product Feed does not support SubIDs.

Do all your current supported networks support the Product Feed? Which networks have product feeds on FMTC?

Not all networks supported in the Deal Feed are supported in the Product Feed. FMTC currently supports eight networks:

Ascend (Pepperjam)
Awin
Commission Factory
CJ
Impact
LinkConnector
Rakuten
ShareASale

What is the best practice for pulling data from hundreds of merchants across many pages using pagination?

The best practice will come down to the merchants you select. Merchants update their product feed at different times — daily, weekly, bi-weekly, or possibly monthly. If you have a merchant that updates daily, you should also pull your feed daily. It is best to do a full pull with getProducts rather than trying to pull in from one merchant at a time. For more information, see the getProduct API Tech Corner.

What logic are you using to consolidate UPC/EAN/MPN/ISBN/GTIN values?

UPC, EAN, and ISBN are all under the umbrella of GTIN, as they are all assigned by GS1. The difference is based on the product itself. MPN is from the manufacturer and, while not globally unique, can be used to identify a product if a GTIN is not present.

How often is the Product Feed updated? What happens if a product hasn’t been updated?

FMTC updates its Product Feed daily to ensure we have the most up-to-date product information; however, merchants update the product feeds at different rates at their discretion. If a product is not updated after two weeks, it will drop out of the merchant’s product feed as it has become stale. If the product gets updated again, the product will automatically show back up in the feed. If a merchant does not update its Product Feed file in six weeks, the merchant itself will fall out of the Product Feed, and it will need to update its feed within the network to show back up in FMTC.

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