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Data Quality Best Practices

Product data quality directly affects how your items appear in ChatGPT and ultimately impacts conversion rates. This chapter consolidates ACP’s data quality requirements and recommendations.

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6.1 ID Stability

Product IDs and variant IDs must remain stable throughout their entire lifecycle. 
Correct: prod_earbuds_001 — always use this same ID
Wrong:   generate a new ID on every upload — loses purchase history and recommendation data
Why this matters:
  • ChatGPT tracks purchase history and user preferences by product ID
  • Changing an ID is equivalent to creating an entirely new product; all prior data is lost
  • ID instability degrades the product’s ranking and frequency in AI recommendations

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6.2 Description Format

Provide at least one description format. Plain text is recommended: 
{
  "description": {
    "format": "plain",
    "content": "Premium wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation, 30-hour battery life, and IPX5 water resistance."
  }
}
Descriptions should:
  • Accurately reflect the product’s actual features
  • Include key specifications (dimensions, weight, materials, etc.)
  • Avoid marketing hyperbole
  • Be easy for AI systems to parse and retrieve

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6.3 Variant-Specific Fields

The following fields should be set independently on each Variant, not only at the Product level:
FieldPurposeRationale
titleVariant titleDistinguishes different specifications
urlVariant page URLLinks directly to the specific variant page
descriptionVariant descriptionDescribes specification-specific differences
mediaVariant imagesShows images for the corresponding color/style
availabilityStock statusDifferent variants may have different inventory
pricePriceDifferent variants may have different prices

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variant_options

Use variant_options to label user-facing specification dimensions: 
{
  "variant_options": [
    { "name": "Color", "value": "Midnight Black" },
    { "name": "Size", "value": "256GB" }
  ]
}
These dimensions are presented to users as selectable options in ChatGPT’s product display.

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6.4 URL Conventions

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Add Tracking Parameters

Include utm_medium=feed in all product URLs to track traffic originating from ACP: 
https://store.example.com/products/earbuds-pro?utm_medium=feed

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Use Durable Public URLs

Seller URLs must:
  • Be durable public URLs
  • Not contain expiring session tokens or temporary parameters
  • Remain accessible over the long term
Correct: https://store.example.com/products/earbuds-pro
Wrong:   https://store.example.com/session/abc123/products/earbuds-pro

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URL Encoding

All URLs must be valid and properly encoded: 
Correct: https://store.example.com/products/my%20earbuds
Wrong:   https://store.example.com/products/my earbuds
Encode spaces as %20 and handle special characters per URL encoding standards.

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6.5 Prohibited Content

The following product categories must not be submitted through ACP:
CategoryDescription
Adult contentPornographic or sexually explicit material
Alcohol / Tobacco / GamblingAlcoholic beverages, nicotine products, gambling services
WeaponsFirearms, ammunition, regulated bladed weapons
Prescription drugsMedications requiring a doctor’s prescription
Unauthorized financial servicesUnlicensed financial or investment products
Illegal goodsAny products violating applicable laws
Deceptive productsFalse advertising, counterfeits, misleading merchandise
Submitting prohibited content may result in merchant account suspension or termination.

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6.6 Data Freshness

Keep inventory and pricing data up to date:
Data TypeRecommended Update Frequency
Stock statusReal-time or hourly
Price changesImmediately upon change
New product listingsPush via API immediately
Product delistingsUpdate immediately or remove in the next daily snapshot
PromotionsCreate in advance; set automatic expiration
Stale inventory and pricing data leads to poor user experiences (e.g., a user attempts to purchase an out-of-stock item) and may reduce the merchant’s visibility weighting on the platform.

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6.7 Image Quality Guidelines

RequirementDetails
ResolutionHigh-resolution with clearly visible product details
BackgroundSolid white or neutral background preferred
AnglesPrimary image shows the product front; supplementary images show multiple angles
FormatJPEG or PNG; URLs must be publicly accessible
ConsistencyMaintain a consistent style across images of the same product
No text overlaysAvoid adding promotional text on product images
{
  "media": [
    {
      "type": "image",
      "url": "https://cdn.example.com/products/earbuds-pro-front.jpg"
    },
    {
      "type": "image",
      "url": "https://cdn.example.com/products/earbuds-pro-side.jpg"
    }
  ]
}

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6.8 Quality Checklist

Before submitting product data, verify each item:
  • All IDs are stable and unique
  • Every Product has at least one Variant
  • Every Variant has a title, price, and availability status
  • Prices use minor units (cents, not dollars)
  • At least one description format is provided
  • URLs are valid and properly encoded
  • URLs include the utm_medium=feed tracking parameter
  • Image URLs are publicly accessible
  • No prohibited-category products are included
  • Variant-specific fields are set independently on each Variant
Next chapter: Chapter 7: Testing and Validation — Small-batch testing, format validation, and common error troubleshooting