Estimated reading time : 3 min · Published September 27, 2026
Inventory what you actually sell
Create one record per sellable product with a stable identifier, familiar name, category, status and person responsible for approving the information. Gather existing descriptions, dimensions, materials, compatibility details and documents that really exist. Do not import an old brochure or price spreadsheet without checking it.
Separate permanent, seasonal and discontinued lines. Record the source of each price, availability value and characteristic that may change. Decide who will update these fields and how often. The content organisation guide helps assign ownership.
- Identifier and status for each sellable item.
- Source and owner of changeable data.
- List of facts still awaiting confirmation.
Write for a buying decision, not a database
A product page explains what the item is, who it suits, what is included, its useful dimensions and any limitations. Put technical attributes into a readable table, but explain uses and important differences in plain sentences. Avoid copying the same generic description onto genuinely different products.
Prepare answers to questions customers ask before buying: sizing, care, compatibility, collection and delivery. Show applicable conditions where the customer needs them, then check that the basket and post-order messages say the same thing.
- Distinctive summary and verified specifications.
- Contents of the package or service stated.
- Buying conditions consistent across the journey.
Define variants and their identifiers
Decide which differences make a variant: size, colour, format or material. Every combination actually offered must be selectable without ambiguity, with its own correct price, image and availability. A decorative option should not automatically become an unrelated product.
Keep a distinct identifier for each sellable variant and test a direct link that preselects it. Google’s product variant documentation describes single-page and multiple-page patterns and their structured data requirements. Add that markup only when it accurately reflects visible information.
- Clear rule for grouping variants.
- Identifier and stock state for each option.
- Test link to a selected variant.
Produce representative photographs
Plan one sharp main image and additional views that show scale, detail and differences between variants. A lifestyle scene may add context, but should not imply that accessories outside the purchase are included. Confirm publishing rights and any required credit for each file.
Check the crop in a small card, on the product page and in social sharing. Alternative text should convey useful information in context rather than repeat a sales headline. The image guide offers an inventory by placement.
- Views of options actually offered.
- Rights and source for each image.
- Crop and file weight checked.
Release a sample before the full catalogue
Choose one simple product, one with variants and one temporarily unavailable. Follow each page through to the basket on a phone and by keyboard: option choice, price, availability messages, errors and confirmation. Ask someone unfamiliar with the range to compare two items and identify missing information.
Fix the page template and data source before a large import. After launch, check a sample whenever price or stock data changes. The number of published pages matters less than the ability to keep them accurate.
- Three acceptance cases: simple, variant and unavailable.
- Owner of post-import checks.
- Process for correcting incorrect data.
Reference documents
Content updated on October 7, 2026