Item List File

Item lists enable advertisers to offer different commission rates for different products or SKUs within the same program. For example, an apparel advertiser can pay 15% commission on T-shirts and 20% on Polo Shirts by assigning each product to a separate item list, each with its own commission rate.

Item lists are first created in CJ Account Manager. Once a list exists, SKUs can be added and managed either manually through the Item Lists area of the Account Manager or by submitting an item list data file to CJ's data transfer system. For programs managing a large number of SKUs, the data file approach is strongly recommended.

Item lists must be created in CJ Account Manager before you can reference them in a data file. The List ID (listid) assigned by CJ during list creation is required in every body record.
The processtype header field controls whether your file overwrites all existing data in a list or adds to it. Confirm your intended processtype before submitting. Using OVERWRITE when you intended UPDATE will replace all existing items in the referenced lists.
You must have an active item list data transfer subscription configured with CJ. Contact your CJ account representative to obtain your Subscription ID (SUBID).
The itemid value is case-sensitive and must exactly match the value you entered in the Item Lists area of CJ Account Manager. For example, an itemid of SKU123 cannot be matched by sku123.
A single data file can reference multiple item lists by using different listid values across records. The processtype you specify in the header applies to all lists referenced in that file.

OVERWRITE vs UPDATE

Every item list data file must declare how it should be processed using the processtype header field. Understanding the difference between the two options is critical before submitting any file.

OVERWRITE replaces all existing data in every item list referenced by the file with the contents of the current file. Use this when you are submitting your first data file for a list, or when you want to fully replace a list's contents. Any SKUs previously in the list that are not present in the new file will be removed.

UPDATE adds or modifies specific items within existing lists without removing items that are not present in the file. Use this when you want to add new SKUs, change item names, or make targeted changes to a subset of your items.

Because processtype applies to all lists referenced in a single file, avoid mixing OVERWRITE and UPDATE intent across multiple lists in the same file submission.

How Item Lists Fit Into Your Program

Once CJ processes your data file, the SKUs are added to the assigned item lists. Those lists become available to attach to your program terms in CJ Account Manager, where you set a commission rate for each list. Publishers earn the rate associated with the item list that a purchased SKU belongs to.

To make changes to a list after initial setup, submit a new data file reflecting the additions, removals, or name changes. You do not need to resubmit unchanged items when using the UPDATE processtype.

Supported File Formats

Item list data files are accepted in the following formats:

Comma-delimited (CSV)
Tab-delimited
Pipe-delimited

See the Implementation page for field definitions, format requirements, and file examples.