Metadata catalog

The metadata catalog is used to enrich the standard item feed or catalog for Section page and Attribute recommendation types. This catalog must contain the itemId column, which is the unique value of the attribute. For example, in a catalog that stores categories (category is an attribute), the values in the itemId may include “Hoodie”, “Longsleeve”, “T-shirt”, and so on; you can then recommend those categories with an attribute recommendation campaign.

Typically, the catalog contains at least an image that is used as the recommendation tile and the URL of the recommended attribute or category. It can also store data such as descriptions of the attribute (“This category includes the comfiest hoodies”), an alternative title that you want to show in the recommendation (“Comfy hoodies”), and any other data that your implementation requires.

This catalog is usually uploaded as a CSV file.

Metadata for attribute recommendations

Attribute recommendations do not recommend items from the feed or catalog. Instead, they recommend attribute values. When you recommend attribute values, the catalog must contain at least the itemId (the attribute value) and an image link.

Metadata for section recommendations

Section page recommendations recommend both attribute values and items within those values. The metadata catalog enriches the sections that correspond to attribute values (for example brands or categories).

Example

An attribute recommendation is used to recommend categories. Each category value (for example, “Hoodies”) in the recommendation frame should be displayed with an image that illustrates it.

The link to the image (such as a hoodie for the “Hoodie” category) must be provided in the metadata catalog so it can be shown in the recommendation. You can then use that image in the recommendation frame as a tile that links to the “Hoodie” category page. In the recommendation response, this is what a single recommended category could look like:

        {
            "itemId": "Hoodies",
            "image": "/yourcdn.com/hoodie.png"
            "link": "/yourstore?category=hoodies"
            ...//  additional data from the metadata catalog, if you added some
        },

Example

An attribute recommendation is used to recommend brands: BRAND1, BRAND2, BRAND3.

Each brand needs an image which represents it, and a link to that image is stored in the metadata catalog, where the brand name is the itemId. When you make a recommendation request and all three brands are recommended, the returned data will be similar to this:

{
    "data": [
        {
            "itemId": "BRAND1",
            "link": "/yourstore?brand=brand1",
            "image": "/yourcdn.com/brand1.png"
            ...//  additional data from the metadata catalog, if you added some
        },
        {
            "itemId": "BRAND2",
            "link": "/yourstore?brand=brand2",
            "image": "/yourcdn.com/brand2.png"
            ...//  additional data from the metadata catalog, if you added some
        },
        {
            "itemId": "BRAND3",
            "link": "/yourstore?brand=brand3",
            "image": "/yourcdn.com/brand3.png"
            ...//  additional data from the metadata catalog, if you added some
        }
    ]
}