Category-specific catalog rules allow operators to apply validation rules to products in a specific category and its subcategories. This ensures only products that meet the required standards for that category can pass vetting and be published.
This feature helps maintain data quality, ensures category relevance, and provides clear guidance to sellers.
Creating a category-specific catalog rule
To create a category-specific catalog rule:
- Sign in to the Operator Portal.
- Navigate to ADVERTS > Catalog Rules.
- Click + Create new rule.
- On the Create a new rule page, select values for the these fields:
- Attribute (e.g., Product description)
- Condition (e.g., greater than, equal to, contain, present)
- Value (the threshold or required value for the condition)
- Add categories (the category or categories where the rule applies)
- In the Add categories field, select the category (and subcategories, if needed) to which the rule should apply.
- Save the rule.
Notes:
- The Categories field is optional. If no categories are selected, the rule applies to all categories.
- Editing a category-specific catalog rule is not currently supported. To make changes, delete the existing rule and create a new one for that category.
How It Works
- In Seller Portal, when sellers submit/update products under the selected category for the catalog rule, the system automatically checks them against the rules set up by the operator.
- For existing products, the outcome depends on the rule setting:
- Warning - products can still be saved but will show catalog rule errors. If the product was already online, it stays online. If it is offline, it cannot go online or enter vetting until the errors are fixed.
- Unpublish - if the product was online, it will be unpublished and taken offline. Offline products cannot go online or enter vetting until the errors are fixed.
Example
Require Descriptions for Shirts An operator wants all products in the Shirts category to have product descriptions longer than 10 characters.
- Category: Shirts
- Attribute: Product description
- Condition: Greater than
- Value: 10
Catalog rule generated: Product description must be greater than 10 characters.
Any product in the Shirts category with a description shorter than 10 characters will be flagged, and sellers will be prompted to update it.
Benefits
- Apply tailored rules that reflect the unique requirements of each product category.
- Improve listing consistency and quality across the marketplace.
- Reduce manual corrections by enforcing rules upfront.
- Provide clear and immediate feedback to sellers during product submission.
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