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Product Feed

Also known as: XML Feed, Data Feed, Broker Feed

What is Product Feed?

A Product Feed is a structured, machine-readable file (often XML, JSON or CSV) that supplies up-to-date data for many items at once, such as a list of brokers with their spreads, bonuses and ratings. Comparison and review sites consume the feed to keep their tables current automatically.

Key takeaways
  • A product feed is a structured, machine-readable file supplying up-to-date data for many items at once
  • For broker comparison, it holds each broker's spreads, bonuses and ratings
  • Comparison and review sites consume the feed to keep tables current automatically
  • It removes manual updating and keeps content fresh at scale
  • A malformed feed can silently blank out prices across every page that depends on it

How it works

A product feed is published as XML, JSON or CSV by a broker or affiliate network and lists the current commercial data for many brokers: spreads, leverage, minimum deposits, welcome bonuses and ratings. A broker-comparison affiliate ingests this feed on a schedule, typically nightly, and maps its fields into the site's own comparison tables and individual review pages.

The value is automation at scale. When a broker changes a bonus or tightens a spread, the feed reflects the new figure and every page that renders that data updates on the next ingestion, with no manual editing. This keeps a large catalogue of pages accurate, which users trust and search engines reward with freshness signals. The trade-off is fragility: because many pages depend on one file, a malformed or partially empty feed can silently wipe prices sitewide, so each ingestion must validate the data before publishing it.

  1. Obtain the feed URL

    Get the XML, JSON or CSV feed endpoint from the broker or affiliate network.

  2. Map the fields

    Match feed fields such as spread, bonus and rating to your site's data model.

  3. Schedule ingestion

    Pull the feed automatically on a regular cadence, for example nightly.

  4. Validate each run

    Check the feed is well-formed and complete before it overwrites live data.

  5. Render into pages

    Feed the validated data into comparison tables and review pages automatically.

  6. Monitor for drift

    Alert on missing fields or stale timestamps so a broken feed never blanks pages silently.

Why it matters for partnership: For a broker-comparison affiliate, a feed removes manual updating: when a broker changes a bonus or a rate, the feed updates and every page that renders it stays accurate. This keeps content fresh at scale, which both users and search engines reward.

Real World Example

A broker-comparison site pulls an XML feed of 50 brokers nightly. When one broker raises its welcome bonus, the feed updates and the site's comparison tables and individual review pages reflect the new figure automatically.

Product feed vs Hardcoded data
Aspect Product Feed Hardcoded Data
Updates Automatic on schedule Manual, per page
Scale Hundreds of pages stay current Drifts out of date fast
Risk Malformed feed breaks pages Silent staleness misleads users

Pro Tip

Automate ingestion of the feed on a schedule and validate it each run; a malformed feed can silently blank out prices across every page that depends on it.

Common Pitfalls

Hardcoding broker data that a feed could keep live, so pages drift out of date and mislead users about current offers.

FAQ

Who provides the product feed?

The broker or an affiliate network usually publishes it; some comparison sites build their own from multiple sources.