Computed Attributes in MARKETPROVIDER

What Are Computed Attributes and Why Do You Need Them

Imagine this scenario:  You have an online store with thousands of products, and each supplier sends data in their own format. One uses weight in ounces, another in pounds. And when sending products to sales channels, one partner accepts dates like "12/31/2025", while another requires "2025-12-31". Additionally, you need to add prefixes to SKUs, calculate prices with markups, and format descriptions...

Doing this manually for each product is a path to madness. That's why MarketProvider features Computed attributes – a powerful automation tool that handles all the data transformation routine for you.

How It Works

Computed attributes are data transformation rules that are automatically applied to all products in a selected category. Instead of manually filling in multiple fields for each product, you set up the rules once ‒ and the system applies them to the entire catalog automatically.

Source data can come from different sources ‒ external systems through incoming channels, other catalogs in the PIM system, or be updated manually. Whenever source data changes, Computed attributes are reComputed automatically.

The benefits are obvious:

• Time savings when working with large catalogs
• Elimination of human errors and typos
• Data uniformity across the entire catalog
• Automatic adaptation to different platform requirements
• Synchronization with external systems and automatic recalculation
• Flexibility in configuring any transformations

Available Operations

Market Provider offers a rich set of operations for working with attributes. Let's review them by groups with practical examples.

1. Basic and Text Operations

Keep Unchanged Passes the value "as is". Used for attributes that don't require transformations.

Constant Value Sets the same value for all products in the category. Example: All products in the "Smartphones" category get the attribute "Device Type" = "Mobile Phone".

Prefix / Suffix Adds text to the beginning or end of a value. Example: Adding the prefix "SKU: " to article "12345" results in "SKU: 12345".

Concatenation Joins values from multiple attributes. Example: Combining "Main Photo" + "Additional Photos" fields into a single list of images.

Text Template Creates text using a predefined template with value substitution. Example: Template "[Brand] [Model] - buy in Moscow with delivery" automatically generates SEO titles.

2. Numeric and Mathematical Operations

Number Extraction. Extracts numeric value from text. Example: From "100 inches" extracts the number "100". Number Formatting. Changes the display format of numbers. Example: Adding thousand separators to large numbers (1000000 → 1,000,000).

Mathematical Operations. Performs calculations with numeric attributes. Example: Retail Price = Wholesale Price × 1.3 (30% markup).

Unit Converter. Converts values between units of measurement. Example: Automatic conversion of weight from pounds to ounces (multiply by 16).

3. Working with Lists and Dictionaries

List Output Manages the display of multiple values. Example: Output the first 5 keywords separated by commas from the general list.

Mapping Replaces values according to a correspondence table. Example: In your system State = "NY", but "New York" is required – configure the mapping.

4. File and Date Processing

Image Retrieval Forms a list of photo links with flexible settings. Example: Take the first 3 images for preview, starting from the second (skipping the schema).

File Retrieval Collects links to documents (PDF, DOCX). Example: Automatic collection of links to instructions and certificates.

Date Format Converts dates between formats. Example: Converting "12/31/2025" (US format) to "2025-12-31" for ISO standard compliance.

Real-World Usage Scenarios

Scenario 1: Category-Based Pricing

Task: Different markups for different product categories.

Solution:

1. For "Electronics" category: Price = Purchase × 1.2
2. For "Accessories" category: Price = Purchase × 1.5
3. For "Consumables" category: Price = Purchase × 2

Scenario 2: SEO Optimization of Product Cards

Task: Create unique meta tags for each product.

Solution:

1. Title: Template "[Brand] [Model] - [Category] | Free Shipping Available"
2. Description: Template "✓ [Name] by [Brand] ✓ Price: $[Price] ✓ Fast Free Shipping ✓ [Warranty]-Year Warranty ✓ 30-Day Returns"
3. Keywords: Combining attributes "Brand", "Model", "Category", "Type" + location terms like "USA", "United States"

Scenario 3: Synchronizing Data from Multiple Sources

Task: Combine supplier data (prices, stock) with internal data (descriptions, photos).

Solution:

1. Set up an incoming channel to receive supplier price list every hour
2. Prices and stock are automatically updated from the external system
3. Computed attribute "Retail Price" = Supplier Price × 1.3
4. When supplier data changes, all attributes are reComputed automatically

Where Calculation Data Comes From

It's important to understand that Computed attributes work with data that can come from different sources:

Data Sources

1. Incoming Channels (External Systems) Data can automatically come from ERP systems (SAP, XML feed), warehouse management systems.
2. Other Catalogs in PIM MARKETPROVIDER. If you have multiple companies or catalogs in PIM MARKETPROVIDER, data can be synchronized between catalogs.
3. Update Modes

• Scheduled ‒ for example, daily, hourly, weekly, monthly
• On demand ‒ manual import trigger

Methods for Updating Source Attributes

Source attributes that participate in calculations can be updated in several ways:

Bulk Editing. Allows you to change attribute values for multiple products at once:

• Select the necessary products in the catalog
• Use the bulk editing function
• Change attribute values
• Computed attributes will be reComputed automatically

Specification. Upload Update via Excel files:

• Prepare a file with current data
• Upload through the import interface
• The system will update source attributes
• Computed attributes will be reComputed automatically

XML Integration. For automated systems:

• Set up integration via XML
• Data updates in real-time
• Calculations happen instantly

Practical Setup Tips

Start with an Audit

Before setup, analyze:

• Which attributes are required by platforms
• What format your data is stored in
• What transformations are necessary

Move from Simple to Complex

Start with basic operations:

• Set up prefixes and suffixes
• Create simple templates
• After successful testing, move to mathematical operations and converters

Always Test

Be sure to check results on a small sample of products before applying to the entire catalog. This helps identify errors before mass export.

Monitor Source Data

Computed attributes work with source data ‒ ensure they are correct and structured. Garbage in = garbage out.

Document Settings

Describe created rules:

• What the rule does
• Which fields it uses
• What result is expected

This is critically important for team work and future changes.

Monitor Requirement Changes

Platforms regularly update their data format requirements. Periodically check the relevance of your rules and adjust as necessary.

Organize Proper Data Flow

When working with multiple sources:

• Define source priorities (what's more important ‒ supplier data or manual edits)
• Set up update schedules considering business processes
• Use bulk editing for quick corrections
• Regularly check incoming data correctness

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake 1: Applying rules without testing Solution: Always test on a small sample.

Mistake 2: Ignoring platform specifics Solution: Study each platform's requirements before setup.

Mistake 3: Too complex rules from the start Solution: Start simple, gradually increase complexity.

Mistake 4: No backup of settings Solution: Save attribute values before changes. Export the category specification with values before testing.

Mistake 5: Incorrect source priority setup Solution: Clearly define which data source is primary. For example, if supplier prices are more important than manual edits, configure the appropriate priority in the system.

Mistake 6: No control of incoming data Solution: Set up validation and notifications for anomalies in incoming data (e.g., zero prices or empty required fields).

Computed attributes in  PIM MARKETPROVIDER are not just a feature, but a comprehensive automation tool that radically changes the approach to product catalog management. Proper configuration of Computed attributes allows you to:

• Reduce data preparation time by orders of magnitude
• Eliminate manual input errors
• Easily adapt to any platform requirements
• Automate data exchange with external systems
• Synchronize information between different catalogs
• Scale business without increasing staff

The system works with data from any source ‒ whether it's an ERP system, supplier files, or other catalogs in PIM. When source data is updated, all calculations happen automatically, ensuring information is current across all platforms.

Start with simple rules, experiment, test ‒ and you'll be amazed at how much easier catalog management can be.