SFTP Product Feed: How to Set Up and Format Your Feed Files
An SFTP product feed is a file of product data, such as IDs, titles, prices, stock and image links, that moves between systems over SFTP, the SSH File Transfer Protocol. Retailers, ad platforms, marketplaces and personalization tools use it to receive large catalogs on a regular schedule without anyone uploading files by hand.
SFTP feeds remain common because they’re secure, handle very large files and work with almost any system that can produce a CSV, XML or JSON export. Setting one up mostly comes down to agreeing on the connection, the file format and the schedule with the platform on the other end.
How an SFTP Product Feed Works
An SFTP product feed works in three parts: your catalog is exported to a file, the file is placed on an SFTP server, and the receiving platform imports it on a schedule. The receiving system then validates the file, reads each product and updates its own catalog.
Feeds run in one of two directions, depending on who hosts the server. The platform’s documentation tells you which model it uses, and some support both.
| Model | How it works | Who manages the server |
|---|---|---|
| Push to the platform | You upload your feed file to the platform’s SFTP server | The platform, which gives you a host, username and password or key access |
| Pull from your server | The platform connects to your SFTP server and downloads the feed | You, by creating an account for the platform and keeping the file in an agreed location |
| Delivery to you | A platform writes catalog files to your server for you to ingest | You, as the receiver of someone else’s catalog |
Ad and retail media platforms often accept pushed files on their own servers, while loyalty, analytics or marketing tools may pull from yours. Payment and commerce platforms that syndicate catalogs to partners can also deliver files to a partner’s server, so the same idea works in reverse.
SFTP vs FTP and Other Feed Delivery Methods
SFTP encrypts both the login and the data, which is why platforms prefer it for product feeds. It runs over SSH, usually on port 22, and supports key-based authentication instead of, or alongside, passwords.
Plain FTP sends credentials and files unencrypted, so many platforms no longer accept it. FTPS is a different protocol that adds TLS encryption to FTP, so check which one a platform means, since SFTP and FTPS aren’t interchangeable.
Many platforms also accept feeds through a public URL that they fetch on a schedule, or through an API. SFTP tends to suit large catalogs, recurring scheduled exports and teams whose systems already produce files, while APIs suit near-real-time updates of individual products.
How to Set Up an SFTP Product Feed
The exact steps vary by platform, but most setups follow the same order. Get the platform’s feed specification first, since it decides the file you need to produce.
- Review the feed specification. Check the required and recommended fields, accepted file formats, naming rules, size limits and how often the platform processes files.
- Get or create SFTP access. For a push setup, request a host, port and username from the platform. For a pull setup, create a dedicated account on your server with access only to the feed folder.
- Set up authentication. Generate an SSH key pair if the platform supports keys, keep the private key secure and share only the public key, or use the password the platform provides.
- Build the feed file. Export your catalog in the required format, with the platform’s exact field names, and save it with UTF-8 encoding.
- Test the connection. Connect with an SFTP client such as FileZilla or the command line, confirm you can reach the right folder and upload or place a small sample file.
- Validate the first import. Run a sample through the platform’s import, fix any rejected rows or fields, then send a full file.
- Automate the schedule. Set your system to generate and deliver the file automatically at a cadence that matches how often your prices and stock change.
Key-based authentication
SSH keys are safer than passwords for automated feeds because nothing secret is typed or stored in plain text on the platform’s side. You generate a pair of keys, keep the private key on the system that connects and give the public key to the server owner.
Use the key type the platform asks for, since requirements differ, with some specifying Ed25519 and others RSA. When copying a public key, share only the key itself, and never send the private key to anyone.
Preparing the Feed File
The file matters as much as the connection. Most rejected feeds fail because of missing fields, renamed columns or malformed values rather than connection problems.
Formats and fields
CSV and TSV are the most widely accepted formats, with XML and JSON also common, and some platforms accept newer formats such as JSONL or Parquet. Whatever the format, use the platform’s field names exactly, include a header row for delimited files and encode the file as UTF-8.
Most product feeds share a core set of fields. Expect to provide a unique ID, title, description, product page link, main image link, price with currency and availability, and often brand, GTIN or MPN, a variant group ID for products with variants, inventory quantity and shipping details.
Keep values clean and consistent. Use the platform’s allowed values for fields such as availability and condition, quote fields containing commas and keep IDs stable over time, since a changed ID can look like a deleted product followed by a new one.
File naming and paths
Naming rules differ, so follow each platform’s instructions closely. Some expect one stable file name that you overwrite with every update, while others ask you to add a date stamp, such as feed_20261012.csv, so earlier files aren’t replaced.
Paths matter as well. Confirm whether the platform reads a specific file, every file in a folder or files matching a pattern, and keep the file in the agreed location every time.
Size, compression and sharding
Large catalogs can produce very large files, so most platforms accept compressed files such as .gz or .zip and set size limits. For very large catalogs, platforms may ask you to split the feed into several shard files, often with a manifest file listing all the parts.
When a manifest is used, the sender uploads it last as a signal that the batch is complete. If you’re on the receiving side, wait for the manifest before importing so you never process a partial batch.
Full Feeds, Delta Feeds and Update Frequency
Most SFTP product feeds are full snapshots, meaning each file contains the complete catalog and replaces the previous version. A product missing from the latest full feed is usually treated as removed, so a broken export can unpublish products by accident.
Some platforms also accept delta feeds, which contain only fast-changing fields such as price, sale price, availability and inventory for products that changed. Deltas let you update stock and prices hourly while sending the full catalog once a day.
Match the schedule to how quickly your data changes and how often the platform processes files. Many platforms recommend at least a daily full feed, some limit processing to a few times a day and processing itself can take hours, so very fast stock changes may need a delta feed or an API instead.
Common SFTP Product Feed Problems
Most feed issues fall into a few predictable groups. Check these first when a feed fails or products stop updating:
| Problem | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Connection refused or timed out | Wrong host or port, or a firewall blocking the connection | Host name, port 22 or the specified port, and any IP allowlists |
| Authentication failed | Wrong username, expired password or the public key not registered | Credentials, key type and whether the right private key is being used |
| File not picked up | Wrong folder, file name or pattern | The exact path and naming rules in the platform’s settings |
| Rows rejected | Missing required fields, renamed columns or invalid values | The platform’s error report against the feed specification |
| Garbled characters | File not saved as UTF-8 | Encoding in your export settings |
| Products disappearing | A truncated or partial full feed treated as the complete catalog | File size and row count compared with your catalog |
| Outdated prices or stock | Feed not regenerating, or a schedule slower than your data changes | File timestamps and how often the export runs |
Accurate feeds start with accurate store data. If many products are missing the same fields, fixing them at the source helps every feed at once, and Bulkflow supports bulk export, import and updates of existing records with field mapping for Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix, which suits filling those gaps before your feed exports run.
Best Practices for Reliable Feeds
A feed that runs for months without attention needs a little care at setup. These habits prevent most surprises:
- Use a dedicated account. Give each platform its own SFTP user with access only to its feed folder.
- Prefer keys over passwords. Key-based authentication is more secure for automated connections and avoids expiring passwords.
- Keep file names and IDs stable. Changing them can break imports or make products look new.
- Write files safely. Generate the file fully before placing it in the pickup folder, so the platform never reads a half-written file.
- Monitor results, not just delivery. Check the platform’s import reports and diagnostics regularly, since a delivered file can still have rejected rows.
- Plan for spec changes. Platforms add fields over time, so review their documentation periodically and parse headers by name rather than position if you receive feeds.
Conclusion
An SFTP product feed is a dependable way to move large catalogs between your store and the platforms you sell or advertise on, combining encrypted transfer with simple scheduled files. Getting the connection, file format and schedule right at the start, then keeping an eye on import results, keeps your product data accurate wherever it appears. We hope this guide helps you set up and maintain your SFTP product feed with confidence. If your feeds depend on clean store data, you can explore Bulkflow.
