In e-commerce, there are things the customer never sees—but that directly decide whether they make a purchase or close the tab. One of those is data freshness. Price, availability, discount—these shouldn’t change on your site “whenever someone gets to it,” but right now. That’s where DeltaFeed comes in.
Simply put, DeltaFeed is a way to send only the products that have changed, instead of your entire catalog. Imagine you have 50,000 SKUs, but today only 300 had a price or stock change. Instead of exporting and importing dozens of megabytes every time, DeltaFeed sends just those 300 rows. Less traffic, less server load, and near-instant updates—so your site is always showing current data.
How DeltaFeed Works (and Why It Matters)
The principle is simple: the system compares the old and new catalog states, and picks out the differences. These changes might be in price, stock status, discounts, descriptions, or images. Everything that’s updated goes into the DeltaFeed; the rest simply isn’t sent.
The benefits are obvious. For an online store running active ad campaigns, DeltaFeed ensures that Google Shopping or Yandex.Market never shows outdated prices. For a store with a large catalog, it saves time and server resources. And for stores with fast-moving stock, it prevents the nightmare of a customer ordering something that’s already sold out.
DeltaFeed Formats
The format is the “language” DeltaFeed uses to talk to other systems. Choosing the right one can make updates much faster and easier.
- CSV — the lightest and fastest: only data and delimiters, so transfer and processing are quickest.
- XML — a bit heavier but more flexible; great for complex nested data, but larger due to tags.
- JSON — perfect for API and web requests: readable, integratable, but not as fast as CSV.
- Binary formats (e.g., Protobuf) — ultra-fast, ultra-compact, but require more advanced setup.
How DeltaFeed Delivers Data
There are several delivery modes, each with pros and cons:
- Pull model — you request updates since a specific timestamp. Full control, but you must request regularly or risk missing changes.
- Push model — the source sends updates every few minutes; your system just accepts and applies them.
- Hybrid — regular updates with the option to request history for a chosen period if your system was offline.
Best (and Worst) Data to Send via DeltaFeed
Ideal: frequently changing data—prices, stock, statuses, short text like labels or “new” tags.
Not ideal: full-size images or repeated blocks of static text—these slow down transfers and defeat DeltaFeed’s purpose.
Small Stores: Fast, Simple, No Code
For small stores without dev teams or budgets for custom integrations, DeltaFeed often seems out of reach. Even with tech-savvy owners, manual setup takes time—coordinating with suppliers, configuring exchanges, setting schedules, checking correctness.
With NotPIM.com, that burden disappears. We connect to your suppliers’ feeds, generate DeltaFeed, and deliver it in exactly the same format your store already accepts. Nothing changes—except speed and convenience. You can update every five minutes if you like, or let the system do it on schedule.
Large Stores: Flexibility Without Bureaucracy
Big online retailers have IT departments that could build DeltaFeed processing in-house—but in reality, it’s often a tug-of-war between marketing and development. Marketing wants changes now, IT delivers in two months, then marketing changes the plan.
NotPIM.com removes that gap. Connecting DeltaFeed takes days, not months. Adjustments are made quickly without endless approvals. Whether it’s a supplier, ad platform, or logistics partner—we can match any format or delivery mode.
Why Automating DeltaFeed with NotPIM.com Pays Off
DeltaFeed is powerful, but self-building requires time, skills, and ongoing support. We offer a ready-made solution: we accept data in any form—CSV, XML, JSON, API—and output DeltaFeed exactly as you need it. Want updates every minute? No problem. Need to keep your current format? Done. All without you touching the technical details.
Bottom line:
DeltaFeed is equally valuable for small and large stores. For the former, it’s a way to get live data without coding or big costs. For the latter, it’s a tool for fast change adoption and market responsiveness without internal delays. And with NotPIM.com automation, it becomes a simple, flexible, and reliable way to keep your catalog in perfect order—always, in real time.