An idealo feed connects your Shopify catalog with the price-comparison service. It transmits product and offer data such as title, price, availability, EAN, shipping costs, and delivery time. Idealo Sync turns this data into a retrievable CSV file and provides a permanent feed URL.
1) Preparation: what you need
Before you start mapping, make sure these four foundations are in place:
- An active Shopify store with published products and variants.
- An approved idealo Business account for your shop.
- Current prices, inventory, product URLs, and primary images in Shopify.
- A clear source for EAN/GTIN, shipping cost, and delivery time.
Also check whether each variant has a unique SKU or barcode. This matters when one Shopify product contains several sizes, colours, or configurations.
2) Required and useful additional fields
Idealo Sync validates a fixed core of fields for every exported variant. The table shows each default source and its role in the feed.
| Field | Default source | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| ID | SKU, then product ID | Unique identifier for each offer or variant |
| Title | Shopify product title | Clear offer name |
| Link | Shopify storefront URL | Direct purchase path to the product |
| Image | Primary image | Product presentation on idealo |
| Price / Currency | Variant price / shop currency | Correct price and currency |
| Availability | Shopify inventory | Availability status per variant |
| Brand | Metafield, then vendor | Brand and product identification |
| EAN | Metafield, then barcode | Unambiguous catalog matching |
| Category | Product type, then Shopify category | Offer classification |
| Shipping cost | Metafield or default value | Transparent shipping costs |
| Delivery time | Metafield or default value | Expected delivery time |
You can also submit a description, additional images, manufacturer part number (MPN), condition, and custom columns. EAN/GTIN and manufacturer numbers help idealo match an offer to the correct catalog product. idealo’s guidance explains that accurate identifiers, offer names, images, brands, and category-specific attributes improve matching.
3) Set up Idealo Sync in Shopify
Step 1: Install the app
Install Idealo Sync from the Shopify App Store. Once connected, the app reads your published products, variants, prices, inventory, images, and the metafields selected for mapping.
Step 2: Define the product selection
You can export all products or limit the feed to selected collections and individual SKUs. For the first test, use a small but representative selection: one simple product and at least one product with multiple variants.
Step 3: Map the fields
Open field mapping and review every required row. Idealo Sync includes sensible Shopify defaults. You can replace sources, define fallbacks, and add custom metafields.
- Brand: uses
idealo.brandby default, with Shopify vendor as fallback. - EAN: uses
idealo.eanby default, with variant barcode as fallback. - Delivery time: uses a delivery metafield or a global default value.
- Shipping cost: uses a shipping-cost metafield or a global default value.
Step 4: Build the feed
Save the selection and choose “Rebuild feed”. The app synchronizes the current Shopify data, creates one CSV row for each selected variant, and then shows the product count, feed URL, and validation status.
4) Review and validate the feed
Open the feed preview and inspect several real products first. Then open the validation issues. Before launch, verify all of the following:
Resolve errors before submitting the URL. Warnings usually indicate a non-standard value, such as an unexpected availability or condition label.
5) Add the feed to idealo Business
- Copy the permanent feed URL from Idealo Sync.
- Open the technical integration section of your idealo Business account.
- Choose the feed/URL integration offered for your account.
- Enter the HTTPS URL and complete the setup.
- After the first import, check which offers are online, offline, or not yet matched.
The exact labels may differ in your merchant account. idealo states in its technical integration FAQ that export files can be fetched from a web server over HTTP/HTTPS and should be updated several times per day. Its German technical FAQ also notes that provided feed files are normally downloaded and imported about every 30 minutes.
6) Common errors and solutions
| Problem | Typical cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Product is not matched correctly | EAN, brand, or MPN is missing | Add identifiers in Shopify or a metafield, then rebuild the feed |
| Variant contains incorrect data | EAN or SKU exists only at product level | Maintain values per variant and review the mapping |
| Shipping or delivery is missing | The selected metafield is empty | Add a global default value as fallback |
| idealo shows an old price | The feed has not been rebuilt after a price change | Start a manual rebuild and inspect the feed row |
| Products are absent from the feed | The collection or SKU is not selected | Review the configuration, save it, and rebuild |
| Feed URL contains headers only | The feed is disabled | Turn on the “Feed active” switch |
7) Keep the feed current
Idealo Sync rebuilds active feeds automatically on a regular schedule. After significant catalog, price, or mapping changes, start a manual rebuild as well and review the validation page.
- Check new products for EAN, brand, category, shipping, and delivery data.
- Review variants after changing options or SKUs.
- Use the feed log to monitor requests and possible HTTP errors.
- Compare selected Shopify prices with their live idealo offers.
8) FAQ
How long does setup take?
With clean product data, you can usually build the first feed in 30 to 90 minutes. Approval and processing by idealo happen separately.
Can I export only selected products?
Yes. You can use all products, selected collections, or individual SKUs.
Do I have to create metafields?
Not for every field. Many values come directly from Shopify. Metafields are especially helpful for idealo-specific EAN, brand, shipping, and delivery values.
Does the feed URL remain the same?
Yes. idealo retrieves the same URL while Idealo Sync updates the CSV file behind it.
Ready to create your idealo feed?
Install Idealo Sync, validate your first products, and get a permanent feed URL for idealo Business.
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