Delta process definition

In mathematics, a delta is a variation of a variable or function. It's shorthand for a change.

The Delta Process will produce a file with a subset of products; those products that have changes in key fields compared to the previous file. The products with no changes are not resubmitted.

The Delta function is available on any feed; utilized on the premium marketplace feeds (Amazon, eBay, etc.) and also available on custom feeds. The template settings for some feeds will have a checkbox for “Apply Delta.”

Products included in the delta are triggered by data changes on the import fields listed below upon feed submission (not feed compilation).

• Sku
• Name
• Description
• Price
• Quantity
• ImageUrl
• ParentSKU

Manual Overrides on Delta

The Delta function can be overridden by mapping the Action field. The Action field has three accepted values: Insert, Update, Delete.

• Insert Adds products to the new sku file or sends complete product data
• Update Sends full update on the sku; i.e. all fields
• Delete Sends product as Delete; some marketplaces may set quantity to 0 instead (See details below)

Amazon, Sears and Walmart Templates:

• Insert Sends complete product data including Image, Relationship and Product.xml
• Update Sends partial update on the sku; such as price or inventory
• Delete Will DELETE the marketplace listing permanently

eBay Templates: 

• Insert Sends complete product data including Image, Relationship and Product.xml
• Update Sends partial update on the sku; such as price or inventory
• Delete Will DELETE the marketplace listing permanently
• **DO NOT FILTER PRODUCTS FOR UPDATES**
  Filtered products are DELETED from eBay. Products that are deleted lose their metrics and cannot be retrieved. Products would have to be reinserted, creating a new listing. Charges to the seller account may apply.
• eBay Processing Error: Invalid SKU number
  
  • We get a processing error Invalid SKU number for skus that are removed from the feed (either by filter or import) when the “out-of-stock option” is not marked as Yes. In order to correctly remove these items from the active listings, there are two options: (1) you need to update your account setting, or (2) the eBay feed needs a custom rule to map Action to Delete when Inventory = 0, or manually listed skus.
  • eBay Setting: Here's how to apply the out-of-stock option to your Good 'Til Cancelled listings:
    
    
    1. Go to My eBay > Account > Site Preferences
    2. Under “Selling Preferences,” click “Show” next to Sell Your Item form and listings
    3. Click “Edit” next to “Use the out-of-stock option”
    4. Select the checkbox, then click “Apply”

Rakuten Templates: 

• Insert Sends complete product data to the New SKU folder; only sends once per sku
• Update Sends partial update on the sku; sends price and/or inventory
• Delete Sets quantity to 0; listing is hidden from marketplace, visible on seller portal

Newegg Templates: 

• Insert Sends complete product data including Image, Relationship and Product.xml
• Update Sends partial update on the sku; can be content, images, price or inventory
• UpdateType: Update Item
• UpdateType: Update Item and Inventory
• UpdateType: Update/Append Image
• Replace Image
• Delete Sets quantity to 0; listing is hidden from marketplace, visible on seller portal

Override Delta in Step 4 to test products. When testing products for submission, delta must be overridden by creating custom rules for each item you are testing. These 2 rules are necessary:

1. Action mapping
   Action = “Action” where SKU = (your test sku)
2. UpdateType mapping
   Update Type = “___” where SKU = (your test sku)

Using one of the following static values:

• “Update Item”- this is used for most content updates, including Manufacturer Item URL, Website Short Title, Website Long Title, Product Description, Item Length, Item Width, Item Height, Item Weight, Item Package, Prop 65, Prop 65 - Motherboard, Age 18+ Verification, Choking Hazard 1, Choking Hazard 2, Choking Hazard 3, Choking Hazard 4, and all sub-categories related property values (types).  
• “Update Item Price and Inventory” – this is used to update SellingPrice, MSRP, Inventory, Shipping and Activation Mark
• “Update/Append Image” - update existing images or add additional images
• “Replace Image” - replace ALL of the existing images with the new image URLs provided