Lists provide users with a powerful tool to efficiently manage attributes and SKUs in your store. With the ability to create, edit, and save lists, you can group products, insert supplemental attributes, or extract list values embedded in your product data to further optimize your feeds. 

This article will walk you through the steps of using Lists and the associated string functions in feed rules, and here is our explainer video:

 

Creating and Managing Lists

Lists are found under the 'Import' tab. 

 

Users can quickly create Lists by:

1. Navigate to 'Import' > 'Lists'
2. Click the blue '+' button
3. Enter a name in the 'List Name' field
4. Enter a description in the 'List Description' field
5. Copy a list of attribute values or SKUs from your text document or spreadsheet, ensuring that each value is separated by a delimiter (such as a comma or semicolon)
6. Paste the copied list into the blue dialog box
7. Click the blue "Save" button to create the List

*Note: if the Delimiter used in your list is not the default, simply enter in the Delimiter used in your pasted list of values into the 'Delimiter' dialog box.

Each GoDataFeed Store is equipped with a Color and Size List. If needed, Users can easily customize these template Lists by adding or removing values to better match their product catalog. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the 'Import' tab > 'Lists'm
2. Click into the desired template to view all attributes
3. Insert or remove values by typing them manually into the dialog box or by pasting values
4. After adding or modifying values, make sure to click the "Save" button to update the list

How to Extract List Values in Feed Rules

To leverage Lists in feed rules, there are three new string functions available: extract_first, extract_last, and extract_all. These functions allow Users to extract values found in a List from fields in their product catalog. 

Example Use Case: Extracting Color Values from Product Descriptions

Suppose you want to extract color values from the product description field to submit values in the color field of your feeds.

Depending on the location of the list attributes in the product data, here's how to use the string functions to extract the targeted values:

• Extracting the First Color Value: The EXTRACT_FIRST function extracts the first color value found in the description field that matches a value from the 'Colors' List.
• Extracting the Last Color Value: The EXTRACT_LAST function extracts the last color value found in the description field that matches a value from the 'Colors' List.
• Extracting All Color Values: The EXTRACT_ALL function extracts all color values found in the description field that match values from the 'Colors' List.

How to Group Products using Lists

In addition to attribute management, lists can also be used effectively in feed rules to group products and apply rules to a specific List of SKUs.

Example Use Case: Applying Feed Rules to a List of SKUs

Suppose you want to create a rule to set the feed's sale price to apply to a certain group of products. You can create a rule that applies to 'Some products' whose SKU appears in a particular List.

Here's how to create this rule:

1. First, create a List of SKUs of products on sale in the Lists page, and title it 'Sale products'
2. Create a rule and set the 'Where' clause section to 'Some products' and set the parameters to apply to any product whose [P].[sku] 'is in list' 'List_Sale_products' 

How to Use Lists in Feed Rules 

1. Go to the Feed Rules page

• Open the feed you want to edit.

• Navigate to the Rules section.

This is where you create rules that modify product data before it goes to the channel.

2. Create a new rule

• Click “+ Add Rule”.

• Choose the field you want to modify (for example: color, sale_price, etc.).

This is the field where the extracted list value will be applied.

3. Choose the condition for specific products

In the “Where” section of the rule:

1. Select “Some products”

2. Choose the product field you want to check (example: [P].[sku]).

This tells the system you only want the rule to apply to certain products.

4. Select the List condition

• Change the operator to “is in list”.

• A dropdown appears with your saved Lists.

Select the List you created earlier.

Example:

[P].[sku] is in list "Sale_products"

This means the rule will apply only to SKUs inside that list.

5. Define what the rule should do

Now configure the action for the rule.

Example actions:

• Set a value

• Replace a value

• Extract values from a field

Example:

Set [F].[sale_price] to [P].[price]

This would apply a sale price only to products in the list.

6. Save the rule

• Click Save.

• The rule will now run during the next feed compile.

Example Use Case (what the video demonstrates)

You create a List of SKUs for sale items, then build a rule:

Where:
[P].[sku] is in list "Sale_products"

Action:
Set [F].[sale_price] to [P].[price]

Result:

• Only products in that list receive the sale price.

Quick Visual Logic

Create List → Add SKUs
        ↓
Create Feed Rule
        ↓
Condition:
SKU is in List
        ↓
Apply change to those products only

By leveraging lists and the associated functions in your feed rules, you can significantly enhance your feeds with additional attributes and product segmentation.