On this page, you will find instructions on the use of catalogue management in the role of supplier.
Catalogue management for suppliers
With the Mercateo catalogue management you can manage your catalogues on the Mercateo platform yourself on an easy, quick and clearly arranged basis. We will provide you with the preview of your catalogue and the associated test results. In this way, you will be able to quickly respond to errors or carry out technical or content-based changes in your data. You determine if and when a catalogue will be approved for further processing.
You can find the Mercateo Catalogue Management here.
General process catalogue update
Note: Normally, catalogues for the Mercateo public platform will automatically be checked and approved by Mercateo. This ensures that such product data and conditions will directly be published online after approval on the supplier side.
The parts and features of catalogue management will be described and explained below the following items.
Prerequisites for use
A prerequisite for using the catalogue management is a Mercateo customer account. In addition, such an account must be activated for the catalogue management. You can obtain such an activation through online supplier registration or via a Mercateo catalogue management invitation link.
Should you have any questions, please contact catalog@mercateo.com.
Home screen and login
Please use your customer or supplier registration username and password to login.
Note: If you have forgotten your password, please click on “Forgot login data?”. Following this, you will receive an email message in which further steps for changing your password are described.
Note: If you do not have a login username or password, please contact support@mercateo.com.
User interface
- The main menu with the menu items Catalogues, Catalogue versions and Settings can be found on the left hand side.
- Here you can search for your catalogues or apply filters according to specific criteria.
- Here you can log off or change the user.
- Here you can find help options, contact Mercateo and change the language.
Information on change of user
If you have multiple accounts within the catalogue management you can easily switch between the other accounts via Change user. If nothing is displayed here you only have one active account in the catalogue management.
Information on language selection
You can select the following languages: German, Polish, Italian, French, Spanish, English and Dutch.
Catalogues (contracts)
In the Catalogues (previously Contracts) menu you can find an overview of your linked catalogues and their contract relation status. The contract status must be set to active in order to check and process the catalogue.
Note: The activation of a contract is done via the Mercateo catalogue management.
The following table gives information on the column headings.
You can sort the catalogues in ascending or descending order by clicking on the desired table heading.
For better management of your catalogues, you can use the advanced search:
The standard search takes you back to the normal view.
Note: By clicking into a row with a catalogue the associated catalogue versions will be displayed.
Further information on the catalogue (contract) can be found below the 3 blue squares.
Further explanations on the 3 options are listed here:
Show catalogue details
Here you can see which FTP directories are associated with the corresponding catalogue. You should also transfer updated data there.
Show catalogue versions
This gives you an overview of any catalogue versions associated with the catalogue (contract).
Catalogue settings
Here you have the possibility to activate or deactivate the automatic catalogue approval and make changes to the email configuration. See also section “Catalogue settings”.
Catalogue settings
Further settings can be found in the catalogue overview below the 3 blue squares.
Alongside Show catalogue details and Show catalogue versions here you have the possibility to change the Catalogue settings.
Catalogue settings overview:
Brief explanations of the two setting options:
Catalogue processing
Here you can activate the automatic approval of your catalogue for the customer or Mercateo. Future catalogue versions will automatically be forwarded to the customer.
Email configuration
You can enter an email address to receive information on the status of data updates. It is possible to enter multiple addresses.
Here you can see an overview of the various status options with explanations:
Using the blue arrow above the window you can return to the catalogues (contracts) overview.
Catalogue versions
You can find an overview of your catalogues in the menu Catalogue version.
The following table provides explanations on individual columns and contents of the table containing the catalogue versions.
You can use the standard search or the advanced search to find results faster.
- Search: Here you can enter a text freely.
- Prefix: Here you can search for the catalogue ID (prefix).
- Customer name: If you have various customers, you have the option of filtering based on the customer name.
- Approval: Here, for instance, you can narrow down the search in a way that only new or approved catalogue versions will be shown.
- Check: This filter feature, for instance, can be used to display catalogue versions that have been checked incorrectly.
- Online State: If you want to obtain an overview of the catalogue versions that have been published online for your customers or Mercateo simply filter for the status.
The search filter can be combined. For example:
To return to the normal search, simply click on standard search again.
Settings that you carried out in the advanced search will also be shown in the standard search:
Note: You can display the catalogue versions Details by simply clicking in the cell with the desired catalogue version. You can find detailed explanations on the details in the following menu item Catalogue version details.
Catalogue version details
If you click on a catalogue version an overview with details and option for the catalogue version will be shown.
In the following, the functionalities are explained in detail.
Details
You can find information on the current status of the version below the Details. Under available since you can see, for instance, when the version was created.
Check
If you transmit a new catalogue via FTP the data will automatically be processed and checked against technical and content-related criteria. You can find the result of such a check in the Check window. Under Show results you then have all checks at a glance. A catalogue version can be re-checked, if desired. To do so, click on Start new test.
Note: A re-check is only possible for catalogue versions that have not yet been approved for the customer. In catalogue versions that have been approved for the customer, the button Start new test will not be displayed:
Catalogue preview
After a new catalogue has been transmitted, processed and checked a catalogue preview will be created for this catalogue. The Catalogue preview gives an insight on how the products will later be displayed on the Mercateo platform. This preview will be active for 5 days. After that period it will be stopped automatically. If an active preview already exists you can view the catalogue under Preview and obtain other details and random checks under Check.
If a new preview is desired, please click on Create preview.
Overview of changes
If a new catalogue version is created it will automatically be compared with the previous version. Subsequently, under Download change summary report you can obtain the changes overview as an Excel sheet containing the following data:
- New items
- Deleted items
- Price increase
- Price decrease
- Delivery time change
In the previous catalogue management the changes overview was available as a delta report.
Approval
After you have checked the catalogue you can decide whether to approve it for the customer or for the public Mercateo platform. Please click on Approve if you want to approve the catalogue for your customers or Mercateo. If the version is erroneous or contains incorrect data you can also Reject a version. The information that you have rejected the catalogue version will not be forwarded to the customer. The customer will only receive information on this matter after the catalogue version has been released.
Notes:
- Your customer or Mercateo cannot check or publish the catalogue online without your approval.
- You can also approve catalogues automatically. You can find further information on this in the menu item Catalogue settings (sub-item Catalogue processing) above.
In case of an already approved version the window looks as follows:
In addition, you can find the approval status changes history and the associated user below the history.
To return to the overview containing the catalogue versions click on the small blue arrow again.
Settings
In the Settings menu you can find a template for the email configuration offered by the basic catalogue settings. Once a new catalogue (contract) has been linked to the catalogue management the email addresses contained herein will be inherited automatically and can be reviewed and changed in the Catalogue settings at a later time.
Note: If you enter email addresses here they will only be applied on new catalogues (contracts), but not on already linked catalogues! You can check the meaning of the various email statuses in the menu item Catalogue Settings (sub-item Email configuration) above.
FAQ
What if I have forgotten my login data?
- If you have lost your login data, please follow the instructions under the menu item Home screen and login above.
I cannot log into the catalogue management. What is wrong?
- Did you use your customer registration for the login?
- Please enter non-FTP login data!
- If you have lost your customer login data, please follow the instructions under the menu item Home screen and login above.
- Check that you are using the correct link to the catalogue management. You can find the Mercateo Catalogue Management here.
The person that processed the catalogue in the past has left the company. What do I have to do?
- Please forward a query regarding this matter via email to support@mercateo.com.
- We must check which information and accesses you have to obtain and whether accounts of former employees need to be deactivated.
How do I receive an individual access to the catalogue management?
- Please send an email to support@mercateo.com
How can I approve a catalogue?
- Menu “Catalogue versions” -> click version -> Click Approve in the Approval window.
I cannot re-check my catalogue version. Why?
- Please check that the catalogue version has been approved.
- A catalogue version can only be re-checked if it has not yet been approved for the customer.
How can I see that the catalogue is online?
- This is shown in the Details column in the Catalogue version menu.
I have transmitted incorrect data by accident. Do I have to reject the catalogue version?
- No, rejecting a catalogue version is not required.
The catalogue cannot be approved for the customer or Mercateo in this form. Do I have to reject the catalogue version?
- No, rejecting a catalogue version is not required.
The catalogue cannot be approved for the customer or Mercateo in this form. Do I have to reject the catalogue version?
- No, rejecting a catalogue version is not required.
Does my customer or Mercateo receive a message when I approve a catalogue version?
- Yes, the customer will automatically be notified via a system message that a new catalogue version is available.
Does my customer or Mercateo receive a message when I reject catalogue versions or test data?
- No, the customer will only be notified on the approval of a new catalogue version.
Recently, I transmitted a catalogue via FTP and my customer cannot see it. Why?
- Please check if you have approved the catalogue for the customer or Mercateo.
- Menu “Catalogue versions” -> click version -> Click Approve in the Approval window.
How long does it take for the data transmitted via FTP to be visible in the catalogue management?
- The processing of catalogue data may take between 15 and 60 minutes.
- The time is dependent on the size of your catalogue and the volume of additionally transmitted media files.
- The system load on specific times of the day has also an impact on this.
Where can I delete catalogue versions?
- Catalogue versions cannot be deleted.
Where can I find the catalogue preview?
- Menu “Catalogue versions” -> click version -> Click Preview in the Catalogue preview window.
- If there is no preview you can request a new preview under Create preview.
How can I request a new preview?
- Menu “Catalogue versions” -> click version -> Click Preview in the Catalogue preview window.
- If there is no preview you can request a new preview under Create preview.
My prices are shown at a much higher rate than in the catalogue. What is the reason for that?
- It may be the case that a surcharge is added to the price by Mercateo.
- Should you have any questions about this, please contact support@mercateo.com.
Where can I change the shipping costs?
- Please contact support@mercateo.com.
Where can I change the suppliers’ (creditors’) number?
- Please contact support@mercateo.com.
Help and support
You can find the catalogue management manual and the Mercateo contact data on the right hand side in the corner.
Set up automatic approval
In the Catalogues menu, first search for the desired catalogue.
Using the three blue dots on the right-hand side, you access the catalogue details via Display catalogue details
Using the three blue dots in the right upper corner, you can activate editing for the respective window.
Next, slide the switch to the right and save the change.
If it was saved correctly, automatically release is then displayed.
Additional users for catalogue management
Additional users or employees can be added to catalogue management via user administration in the company account (My Mercateo).
The administration of users in catalogue management takes place via the company account. Every supplier that provides a catalogue at Mercateo has this kind of account. The owner is often the person who first registers for catalogue management or performed supplier registration.
Step 1: Log in with company account
Please log in with the login details for your company account at www.mercateo.co.uk.
Step 2: Access user administration
Via Profile, you access the overview for My Mercateo.
Step 3: Add employee
Please next select the User tab and click here on + New user:.
After you have entered the name and e-mail of the employee along with a brief message, confirm the information with Save:.
Step 4: Activate account and change password
You employee now receives an e-mail from service@mercateo.co.uk and can activate the account in this.
Following activation, a form appears to allow the password to be changed.
Step 5: Test access
You can find catalogue management via the following URL:http://https://www.mercateo.co/catalog.management.front/
The new user can use his e-mail address and the password he has chosen to log in.
The new user is immediately able to look at and check the catalogue versions and release them for the customers or Mercateo via catalogue management.
If you have any questions, you are welcome to write to your Mercateo supervisor.
How do I check my catalogue?
The catalogues are checked according to technical and content-related requirements during processing. If the respective catalogue is linked to catalogue management, you can view and download the test results with assessments for errors and statistics there.
For catalogues that are not linked to catalogue management, an error log can be transferred via e-mail or FTP. If you have any questions about this, please contact your Mercateo supervisor.
How to find the test results in catalogue management
On the left-hand side, enter the catalogue versions menu. Select the desired catalogue version here and click on this:
You then find yourself in the details for the catalogue version. In the Test window, there is the Display results: button. Below this, you will find a list of all errors and assessments, sorted according to severity:
It is possible that test results may no longer be available for older catalogue versions. In this case, please conduct a new test.
On the supplier page, it is only possible to test catalogue versions that have not yet been released to the customer.
Overview of test results
Once you have clicked on Display results:, you gain an overview of the error reports, assessments and statistics that belong to the catalogue:
In the article Test results you will find:
- An Overview of the assessment criteria described in more detail and there are explanations of individual tests.
- Articles for all of the tests. These articles also contain information about troubleshooting.
For most test results, Mercateo provides an Excel table with the details to download. Beneath this, you can, for instance, find a list of all missing images, items without order units or without a price. The download link is available in the row for the respective test result on the right-hand side.
