LinkShare Merchandiser Program

Merchandiser Implementation Guidelines 5.1

LinkShare Merchandiser Program

Implementation Guidelines for Advertisers

Version 5.1 • April 2011

All the information in this document is the property of LinkShare Corporation and the information contained within this document may not be used without the expressed written consent of LinkShare Corporation. All copies of this document must be destroyed upon termination of contractual agreement with LinkShare Corporation.

© 2011 LinkShare Corporation. Confidential Information 2


Table of Contents

Overview .................................................................................................................................... 3

Implementation Procedures ....................................................................................................... 3

Create Product Files ...................................................................................................................... 3

Establish an FTP Account............................................................................................................... 5

Establish Merchandiser Relationships ........................................................................................ 5

Best Practices ............................................................................................................................. 6

Appendix A: Primary File Field Definitions ................................................................................. 7

Appendix B: Attribute File Class Definition Table ....................................................................... 8

Appendix C: Sample Records .....................................................................................................13



Overview This document is your guide to implementing the LinkShare Merchandiser program. This program allows you to upload your product database information into the LinkShare system, making it easier for publishers to sell your products. Here are three features that Merchandiser enables:

Individual Product Linking (IPL) By providing LinkShare with some basic information about your products, LinkShare can generate the proper code for publishers who request it for particular products. LinkShare provides publishers with a search tool for locating the product they would like to link to, and then generates the appropriate code for them. You can specify that only certain products be made available to publishers for this type of linking.

Storefronts To populate storefronts with products, the product information must first be uploaded into the LinkShare system. Once this information is in the system, you can create storefronts with the products of your choice.

Merchandiser for Publishers Merchandiser is a system by which LinkShare automatically converts all product information into customized LinkShare tracking code for any publisher you approve to receive this information. LinkShare provides this information to publishers via FTP and updates it each time an update is provided by you in order to ensure product validity and availability.

Implementation Procedures There are four steps to implementing Merchandiser:

1. Create product files. 2. Establish an FTP account. 3. Establish Merchandiser relationships.

1. Create Product Files LinkShare will accept both a Primary File of product information and an Attribute File that includes more specific information about the products. The Primary File is required. The Attribute File is not required, but is highly recommended. Both the Primary File and the Attribute File must be formatted according to LinkShare specifications. All Primary and Attribute files will begin with a header and end with a footer. Data items in the header and footer will be pipe-delimited. The header will include these three fields:

MID Your Merchant ID assigned by LinkShare.

Name Your company’s name.

Time Stamp The time that the file was deposited (yyyy-mm-dd/hh:mm:ss)

The header will be initiated with the following characters “HDR” and terminated with a carriage return.

Example:

HDR|1234|CDLinkShare|2000-02-14/20:30:40



The trailer will provide us with the information to ensure that we have received and processed a complete file. The trailer will be initiated with “TRL,” followed by a pipe delimiter, followed by the total number of records or line items in the file.

Example:

TRL|45826

Primary File The Primary File provides basic information about each product. The file supports 32 fields (please see Appendix A for detailed information about each field). Fourteen of these fields are required fields: Product ID, Product Name, SKU Number, Primary Category, Product URL, Product Image URL, Short Product Description, Retail Price, Is Deleted Flag, Is All Flag, Is Product Link Flag, Is Storefront Flag, Is Merchandiser Flag, and Currency. These fourteen fields are the absolute minimum needed to store your product files. However, if you are submitting an Attribute File (see below), the Class ID field is also required. All fields should be separated with a pipe delimiter. New records must be terminated by new line/carriage return. If a field is not being used, please make sure that its position is preserved in the file with the appropriate pipe delimiters. See Appendix C to view a sample record and the Best Practices section for tips on filling in the fields of the primary file.

Attribute File The Attribute File provides additional information about each product based upon certain product class definitions. It is optional. The fields in the Attribute File will depend upon the Class ID of the specific product (see the Attribute File Class Definition Table in Appendix B). Essentially, the Class ID identifies a specific product category and allows the client to append additional information to the product, specific to its category. For example, Class ID 40 is Computer Hardware. The Attribute File associated with Class ID 40 accepts fields such as Product ID, Platform, Ram, Hard Drive, Processor, and Monitor Size. There are 14 predefined Class IDs available. For each Class ID, we have a predetermined set of attribute fields. The Attribute File can contain attribute fields for products in multiple Class IDs. Each line in an Attribute File must begin with the Product ID followed by the appropriate Class ID. Make sure that the proper fields associated with the specified Class ID are populated (see the Attribute File Class Definition Table in Appendix B). Note that the Product ID field is used to match Primary File product records with Attribute File product records, and that the first attribute field is always the Miscellaneous one. The file format for the attribute file is:

productid classid attribute1 ... attribute10

Note that not all Class IDs have 10 attribute fields. If the product falls under Class ID 10 (books), you must account for six attribute fields. If the product is classified under Class ID 20 (music), you must account for eight attribute fields. And not all attribute fields necessarily need a value.



All fields are to be separated with a pipe delimiter. New records must be terminated by new line/carriage return. If a field is not being used, please make sure that its position is preserved in the file with the appropriate pipe delimiters. See Appendix C for a sample record. 2. Establish an FTP Account Advertisers who wish to upload their product files to LinkShare must first set up an FTP account with LinkShare. Advertisers will provide us with a valid IP address. LinkShare will then set up an account, and send you the login/password information. The FTP host is mftp.linksynergy.com. Your LinkShare Account Representative and Technical Consultant will coordinate this set up. Here is the convention for naming the product files:

Primary File: mid_nmerchandis*.txt 1234_nmerchandis20090310.txt Attribute File: mid_nattributes*.txt 1234_nattributes20090310.txt

The asterisk (*) is a wildcard value that you use to identify the file; it can be a date (as in the examples above) or a sequence number. This value is required. Please note: Your file name must not include any blank spaces.

The initial file that you upload to LinkShare should include the complete product database. Before sending your initial file to LinkShare, first contact your Technical Consultant so they may review the file format and contents. Subsequent files you upload to LinkShare can either be complete product files or “delta” files that add new products, update information on existing products, and delete products. You must be enabled to upload complete inventory files; please contact your Technical Consultant for information. To upload delta files: Simply, use new, unique ProductIDs to add new products. Use the same ProductID if you want to update the information in a record that is already in the LinkShare system. To delete a product, include its ProductID, and set the is_deleted flag for that record to “Y”. Deleted records are represented by the same ProductID, with is_deleted=Y, otherwise the ProductID will be overwritten. Updated Merchandiser files must be uploaded to LinkShare daily. LinkShare makes files available to publishers via FTP. Publishers will log in and pick up files on a daily basis. Note that, in most cases, LinkShare will publish files and provide them to all publishers by 8:00AM EST each day. In order for us to process your file in time for each daily publishing, you need to send LinkShare the file by 5:00PM EST. We recommend that you send all files to LinkShare at the same time each day. IMPORTANT: It is essential that you provide accurate and up-to-date information in the files that you send to LinkShare. LinkShare sends this information directly to your publishers via their FTP accounts. Publishers rely on the information provided in all fields in presenting information to their visitors. If your files are not updated or contain inaccurate information, LinkShare reserves the right to suspend your product file until these issues are resolved.

3. Establish Merchandiser Relationships A list of all publishers enabled for Merchandiser is available in the Advertiser Resource Center in your interface. Only publishers who have been approved into your program and enabled for Merchandiser can receive your product file. A Merchandiser relationship is activated only upon your approval and



authorization. Please contact those publishers you would like to establish a Merchandiser relationship with, and send an Email with their publisher ID to [email protected] to authorize distribution of your product file. Please allow 3 to 5 business days after receipt of your approval for the relationship to be enabled. We also recommend that you place your Merchandiser publishers into a separate group to track their activities. If you encounter any difficulties or have any questions, please contact your LinkShare Representative or Technical Consultant.

Best Practices Here are tips on what information to include in a number of the fields in the Primary File (please see appendix A for the Primary File Field Definitions):

Product Name: We recommend that you include the type of product in this field. For example, a GPS unit should be called: “Garmin Nuvi 285WT Auto GPS” and not “Garmin Nuvi 285WT”. This makes it easier for publishers to find the product with a search. SKU Number: Use a SKU number that is unique to the product. Do not use the same SKU number for every product. Long Product Description: Although this isn’t a required field, we encourage you to use it. The more information publishers have about your products, the more information they can pass along to consumers and the better they can promote your products. Sale Price: If a discount is available on an item, enter the discounted price in the Sale Price field and leave the price in the Retail Price field undiscounted. This allows coupon publishers who pull the retail price and the sale price to show users the amount of savings. Often, advertisers change the retail price to the sale price, thus showing no discount. In this scenario, a publisher’s site may indicate: “Save 0% on this item!”

Universal Product Code: This is not a required field, but we encourage you to include it because UPC codes are becoming more and more important for publishers working in the mobile space. Class ID / Attributes: You are not required to submit an attribute file, but we encourage you to do so. The detailed, vertical-specific information that you can include in these fields is invaluable to publishers who focus on these areas (eg, clothing, music, or movies) Availability: Although this is not a required field, we encourage you to use it. If you do not use this field, publishers may end up advertising products that you don’t have in stock.



Appendix A: Primary File Field Definitions

# Name Definition Required/ Optional

Key

1 Product ID Number Required Unique ID used to identify a product. Must be an integer greater than 2 and must have less than 31 total characters. It should not be padded with leading zeros (eg, 00001001). All future references to a given product use this ID.

2 Product Name VarChar2(255) Required Product name.

3 Sku Number VarChar2(40) Required SKU Number.

4 Primary Category VarChar2(50) Required Primary product category, as defined by you. Please use top-level category (Apparel) or bottom-level category (Jeans) only. Using both may exceed the character limit for the field.

5 Secondary Category(ies)

VarChar2(2000) Optional Secondary product categories, delimited with double tildes (~~).

6 Product URL VarChar2(2000) Required URL of the product page – links will direct to this page.

7 Product Image URL VarChar2(2000) Required URL of product image. This must be an absolute URL.

8 Buy URL VarChar2(2000) Optional URL of shopping cart with product.

9 Short Product Description

VarChar2(500) Required Short description of product in plain text, not HTML

10 Long Product Description

VarChar2(2000) Optional Long description of product in plain text, not HTML

11 Discount Number Optional Relies on discount type (below) to determine how to apply. If Discount Type is amount, then discount is deducted. If it is a percentage, then percentage is deducted.

12 Discount Type VarChar2(255) Optional Values: amount or percentage.

13 Sale Price Number Optional This price reflects any discounts. Formatted as either 20 or 20.00 for a twenty dollar sale price.

14 Retail Price Number Required This price does not reflect any discounts. Formatted as either 20 or 20.00 for a twenty dollar retail price.

15 Begin Date Date(mm/dd/yyyy) Optional Date that the product becomes available.

16 End Date Date(mm/dd/yyyy) Optional Date that the product ceases to become available.

17 Brand VarChar2(255) Optional Brand name.

18 Shipping Number Optional The cost of the default shipping option available.

19 Is Deleted Flag VarChar2(1) Y/N Required N if product should appear in the interface, otherwise Y. Default is N.

20 Keyword(s) VarChar2(500) Optional Keywords for searches, delimited with double tildes (~~).

21 Is All Flag VarChar2(1) Y/N Required Y if product is to appear in all offers. Otherwise N. Default is Y.

22 Manufacturer Part # VarChar2(50) Optional Manufacturer’s part number (may sometimes be the same as SKU).

23 Manufacturer Name VarChar2(250) Optional Manufacturer’s name.

24 Shipping Information VarChar2(50) Optional Text-based shipping information – provides information on the default shipping option.

25 Availability VarChar2(50) Optional Denotes whether the product is in stock.

26 Universal Product Code VarChar2(15) Optional Universal Product Code.

27 Class ID Number

Required, only if you are submitting an Attribute File

Classification ID based on product type (see Appendix B Class Definition Table).

28 Is Product Link Flag VarChar2(1) Y/N Required Y if product is to be offered to publisher as Individual Product Link in Create Links section. Otherwise N.

29 Is Storefront Flag VarChar2(1) Y/N Required Y if product is to be used in creating Storefronts for publishers. Otherwise N.

30 Is Merchandiser Flag VarChar2(1) Y/N Required Y if product is to be offered to publisher in Merchandiser product file FTP. Otherwise N.

31 Currency VarChar2(3) Required The three-character ISO Currency Code. Default is USD.

32 M1 VarChar2(2000) Optional Please leave null unless otherwise instructed.



Appendix B: Attribute File Class Definition Table

Class ID

Class Name Column Number

Attribute Definition Key

10 Books

1 Product ID Number Product ID (must match ID from Primary File)

2 Class ID Number Class ID

3 Miscellaneous VarChar2(128) Extraneous Information

4 Title VarChar2(128) Title of Book

5 Author VarChar2(128) Name of Author

6 ISBN VarChar2(128) An ISBN number

7 Publisher VarChar2(128) Publisher

8 Publish Date VarChar2(128) Publish Date

20

Music




4 Genre VarChar2(128) Jazz, Blues, etc.

5 Artist VarChar2(128) Artist

6 Format VarChar2(128) CD, Cassette, or LP

7 Album VarChar2(128) Album Title

8 Song Title VarChar2(128) Titles of Songs on Album

9 Label VarChar2(128) Record Label

10 Release Date VarChar2(128) Date Album was released

30

Movies




4 Genre VarChar2(128) Movie category – horror, sci-fi, etc.

5 Title VarChar2(128) Movie title

6 Format VarChar2(128) DVD, VHS



Class ID



30

Movies

7 Director VarChar2(128) Director

8 Actor VarChar2(128) Lead Actors in cast

9 Rating VarChar2(128) MPAA rating

10 Studio VarChar2(128) Studio

11 Release Date VarChar2(128) Date Movie was released

40

Computer Hardware




4 Platform VarChar2(128) Mac, Windows, or Unix

5 Ram VarChar2(128) Amount of Ram in MB

6 Hard Drive VarChar2(128) Available memory in MB

7 Processor VarChar2(128) Speed in MHZ

8 Monitor Size VarChar2(128) Size in inches. 0 if no screen

9 Modem VarChar2(128) Speed in kbps. 0 if no modem

10 Drive VarChar2(128) CD DVD Floppy Zip

50 Computer Software




4 Platform VarChar2(128) Platform – Windows, Mac, etc.

5 Category VarChar2(128) Category – accounting, educational, etc.

6 Age VarChar2(128) Adult or Kids



Class ID



60 Clothing & Accessories




4 Product Type VarChar2(128) Type of clothing or accessory

5 Size VarChar2(128) US Sizes

6 Material VarChar2(128) Material

7 Color VarChar2(128) Color

8 Gender VarChar2(128) Male or Female

9 Style VarChar2(128) Style

10 Age VarChar2(128) Adult Kids Infant

70 Art




4 Product Type VarChar2(128) Type of art work

5 Artist VarChar2(128) Artist

6 Title VarChar2(128) Title of work

7 Dimensions VarChar2(128) L x W or L x W x H

80 Toys




4 Age VarChar2(128) Age range

5 Gender VarChar2(128) Male or Female

6 Theme VarChar2(128) Theme or character

90

Pets






Class ID



90

Pets

4 Pet Type VarChar2(128) Dogs, Cats, Lizards, etc.

5 Product Type VarChar2(128) Toys, treats, etc.

100

Games




4 Format VarChar2(128) Format or Platform

5 Title VarChar2(128) Game Title

6 Publisher VarChar2(128) Publisher

7 Age VarChar2(128) Age Range

8 Release Date VarChar2(128) Release Date

110 Food & Drink




4 Product type VarChar2(128) Type of food or drink

5 Region VarChar2(128) Origin of product

6 Size VarChar2(128) Volume in oz., fl oz., grams, etc

120

Gifts & Flowers




4 Occasion VarChar2(128) Occasion – Mother’s Day, Valentine’s, etc.

5 Recipient VarChar2(128) Intended recipient – mother, father, spouse, friend, etc.

130

Auto




4 Make VarChar2(128) Make



Class ID



130

Auto

5 Model VarChar2(128) Model

6 Part Number VarChar2(128) Manufacturer’s part number

7 Category VarChar2(128) Product subcategory – type of part


140

Electronics




4 Category VarChar2(128) Product sub-category – type of product (CD/DVD player, PDA,

etc.)

5 Model VarChar2(128) Model

6 Features/Specs VarChar2(128) Features and Specifications


8 Dimensions VarChar2(50) L x W or L x W x H

9 Power Type VarChar2(128) AC/DC, battery, solar

10 Warranty VarChar2(128) Length of Warranty

150

Credit Cards




4 Card Type VarChar2(128) Business or Consumer Card

5 Intro APR VarChar2(128) Introductory APR & Period

6 Regular APR VarChar2(128) APR after Intro Period (if applicable)

7 Annual Fee VarChar2(128) Annual Fees (if applicable)

8 Incentive VarChar2(128) Incentive/Reward Offers

9 Balance Transfer VarChar2(128) Balance Transfer Details

10 Benefits VarChar2(128) Brief Card Benefits

11 Terms URL VarChar2(128) Link to Terms and Conditions



Appendix C: Sample Records

Primary File

HDR|1234|CDLinkShare|2000-02-14/20:30:40 2|Great Expectations|A01245|books|Classics|http://www.merchantsite.com/linkshare.asp?prodid=A01245|http://www.merchantsite.com/images/AO1245.gif|http://www.merchantsite.com/linkshare.asp?prodid=A01245&buy=Y|Charles Dickens Masterpiece|What this cautionary tale of a young man raised high above his station by a mysterious benefactor lacks in length, it more than makes up for in its remarkable characters and compelling story.|0|Amount|29.95|29.95|04/11/2000|12/31/2000||4.00|N|Dickens~~Expectations|Y|CU12345||Overnight/UPS|IN|788334995|10|Y|N|Y|USD| 5|Power Macintosh G4|HX5678|Computers|Macintosh|http://www.computermerchant.com/linkshare.asp?prodid=HX5678|http://www.computermerchant.com/images/HX5678.gif|http://www.computermerchant.com/linkshare.asp?prodid=HX5678&buy=Y|High performance personal computer|Two brains are better than one.|10|Percentage|1350.00|1500.00|06/01/2000|09/30/2000|Apple|30.00|N|Computers~~Apple~~Macintosh|Y|MC3456|MOD4321|Overnight/FedEx|OUT|564930229|40|Y|N|Y|USD| TRL|2 Note: The first entry (first seven lines) is an appropriate record for the book Great Expectations. Data items have been omitted for brand, manufacturer name, and M1. Omitted items are denoted by consecutive pipe delimiters. Attribute File HDR|1234|CDLinkShare|2000-02-14/20:30:40 2|10|hardcover|Great Expectations|Charles Dickens|023119240|Columbia University Press|10/25/1998 5|40|Tangerine|Mac|128|2|400|17|56|CD FLOPPY ZIP DVD TRL|2 Note: The first line item extends the record for Great Expectations, while the second extends the record for the Macintosh computer. The first data entry is always the Product ID followed by the Class ID. This is followed by appropriate attributes fields for that particular Class ID (see Appendix B: Attribute File Class Definition Table).

Documents

LinkShare Merchandiser Program