Quick Guide for Real-Time Data Requests via XML and CSV

Because of the size of index files, we advise in many cases to use real-time data requests. This simplifies the import of Icecat data, as there’s no need for first matching your catalog with Icecat’s very large index files. Especially, in the case of smaller, focussed catalogs, it’s more efficient to use the real-time method. A prerequisite is that your catalog contains product identifiers, such as Brand+Part Code, and/or GTIN (EAN, UPC).

If you decide to use – or switch your interface to – real-time Icecat Data requests, you effectively bypass the (very large) index files. In your requests you only need to download data that is present in your product catalog, and therefore this method is very efficient. We would advise to always evaluate the real-time method first, as it will avoid downloading the very large index files.

The description below is based on section 2.2. of the Icecat XML manual: https://iceclog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Open-Catalog-Interface.pdf

Links to call real-time product data

Examples links, if you need to get an XML file of the product ‘Compaq 6710b Base Model Notebook PC’. Manufactured by HP, with part number RJ459AV, in English, the call will be:

https://data.Icecat.biz/xml_s3/xml_server3.cgi?prod_id=RJ459AV;brand=hp;lang=en;output=productxml

In case you want to retrieve data on the basis of a GTIN code (EAN or UPC).

https://data.Icecat.biz/xml_s3/xml_server3.cgi?ean_upc=4960999358246;lang=en;output=productxml

An example of the English standardized version of Canon 1447B006:

https://data.Icecat.biz/xml_s3/xml_server3.cgi?prod_id=1447B006;brand=Canon;lang=en;output=productxml 

The general format of the call is:

https://data.Icecat.biz/xml_s3/xml_server3.cgi?prod_id=<product code brand>;brand=<brand name>;lang=<language code>;output=<output>

or

https://data.Icecat.biz/xml_s3/xml_server3.cgi?ean_upc=<GTIN code>;lang=<language code>;output=<output>

Where:
prod_id: the manufacturer product code of the requested product,
brand: name of the manufacturer or brand of the requested product,
ean_upc: the EAN or UPC code to identify a product,
lang: the language or locale code like EN, NL, FR, DE-CH, see the complete language/locale table,
output: the type of response. It can be productxml (the product XML file), productcsv (the product CSV file), richproductcsv (for rich media assets associated to the product) and metaxml (the index or meta information on the Brand + ProdID/M_Prod_ID or EAN/UPC).

For more information on real-time CSV access see the Icecat CSV manual, which is a variant of the calls above.

Call by Icecat ID

If you call by Icecat ID, the most efficient calls are in case of Open Icecat:

https://data.icecat.biz/export/freexml/en/29627732.xml

or in case of Full Icecat subscriptions:

https://data.icecat.biz/export/level4/en/29627732.xml

Where “en” can be replaced by any language/locale code. And 29627732 is de unique Icecat ID for a product. Icecat IDs are retrieved from the Icecat index files, as explained in the complete XML documentation.

Also the xml_s3 service can be used, but is slightly less efficient:

https://data.Icecat.biz/xml_s3/xml_server3.cgi?product_id=<Icecat product code>;lang=<language code>;output=<output>

For example:

https://data.Icecat.biz/xml_s3/xml_server3.cgi?product_id=29627732;lang=en;output=productxml

Access rights

Please note, that you care in the case of Full Icecat, your IP addresses from where you request data are listed in your user profile. Use the Icecat access credentials that you receive upon (free) registration.

You have data access depending on your subscription: Open Icecat versus Full Icecat, Data versus URL, but also the languages or locales to which you are authorized.