This guide covers how to identify and resolve common data feed errors in your Awin account. It’s important to keep your product feed healthy as issues can prevent your partners from accessing the links they would like to share with their users.
How to check your product feed status
You can check the status of your product feed in the platform by navigating to Toolbox > Links & Tools > My Product Feeds.
Next to your feed you can see an icon in the Feed Health column indicating its status - a green check, an amber dot or a red x.
If the feed health is amber or red this means there is an issue that needs to be resolved. You can identify what needs resolving by hovering over the icon.
Understanding feed health statuses
Green check - healthy feed
A green check means the feed contains no errors.
It’s fully functional and available to affiliates.
Amber dot - minor errors
A feed with an amber dot has some issues, but it’s still usable by affiliates.
Typical causes
This feed has no valid products: This error occurs when a feed upload fails completely. It typically affects XML uploads where the file does not meet Awin’s specifications.
Failed products: Duplicate product IDs or missing/incorrect values in required fields (e.g., price, name, product URL).
Missing description: Product descriptions are missing, or the description column is not mapped correctly.
Category mapping issues: The merchant_category column is unmapped or missing, or some entries still require category mapping.
Troubleshooting steps
This feed has no valid products: Ensure the file is in CSV, TSV, or XML format. CSVs and TSVs can be uploaded as .TXT files. If using a URL or FTP location, confirm it links directly to a feed file.
Failed products: Click Click here to download next to the warning and check columns A-R for error details.
Missing descriptions: Review the feed to confirm the correct column is mapped to description.
Unmapped categories: Verify that a product category column exists, is named correctly, and is mapped to merchant_category.
Red cross - fatal errors
A red cross indicates that the feed has critical issues and is not usable.
The last working feed remains available to affiliates.
If the error occurs on a previously scheduled feed, it will be unscheduled automatically.
Typical causes
Column mapping was not completed during upload.
Errors in XML formatting, XSLT preprocessing, or CML.
Feed URL or FTP path is invalid or inaccessible.
Incorrect file format or wrong format selected during upload.
A system issue occurred during upload.
You may also see the message Feed cannot be processed until column mapping is provided. If you then visit the Column Mapping section and see an error, mapping will be unavailable until the feed issue is resolved.
Troubleshooting steps
Ensure the file format is CSV, TSV, or XML. TXT files are accepted if properly formatted.
Check that the correct file type and delimiter were selected during upload.
Confirm the URL or FTP location is correct and accessible. Verify login credentials.
Review and correct any XSLT or CML processing rules.
Open XML files in a browser to check for syntax errors or invalid formatting.
Additional troubleshooting considerations
Email alerts: If a feed fails, an error report is sent to the email address listed under Send an email error report to. Timeout issues can trigger these alerts, so it’s worth checking the feed even if no changes were made.
Enable debugging: Turn on debug mode to view logs after each retrieval. This can help identify the cause of a failure.
Process feed: Add the feed to the refresh queue manually by clicking Process Feed.
Edit feed settings: Click the pencil icon to update feed settings.
Check column mapping: Click the columns icon to review or amend column mappings.
Download test copy: Use the download icon to retrieve a feed copy as seen by the Example publisher.
Delete feed: Click the trash can icon to permanently remove the feed.
Internal troubleshooting
There are occasions when changes made internally (out of the Awin platform) don’t reflect within your product feed. To double check this, we recommend downloading your feed to review:
If the updates are visible, your feed is working correctly.
If the updates are not visible, you will need to review your internal update process.
Important
Failed internal updates may not reflect on the feed health status. We recommend to manually check your feed following any changes.
Common issues
If changes are missing, one of the following may be preventing updates:
Manual upload missed: Your feed is hosted on an FTP or similar location that requires manual uploads.
Export process failing: Your internal export may be blocked due to missing access or permissions.
Missing write permissions: The update script can’t overwrite the existing file.
PIM sync errors: The automated sync between your PIM and feed location may be failing.
Cached feed file: A cached version may still be serving outdated data.
If you’re unable to self-resolve any data feed errors after following this troubleshooting guide, we’re happy to help. If you have a dedicated Awin contact, please reach out to them. If not, you can get in touch with our support team by filling out the contact form.