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Catalog APIs overview

The Catalog APIs let you create or update products in your catalog and configure items shown to customers on your storefronts. Use the APIs to send data to Instacart in combination with inventory files.

When you send catalog data using the APIs, the following apply:

  • Only the attributes contained in the API request are modified.
  • When you create a new product, it can take 3 to 5 days for the product to appear on the storefront.
  • When you use the APIs to update an existing product or item, most changes appear on the storefront within 90 minutes.

For more information about using the Catalog APIs, contact your Instacart representative.

About products and items​

Each product on your storefront is defined by product-level attributes and item-level attributes. In the context of the Catalog APIs, products and items are defined as follows:

  • Product. A product is the catalog definition of the thing you're selling. Product attributes, such as item_name, brand_name, and size, describe the product itself and stay the same across all of your stores. You can manage product data using the Product API.
  • Item. An item is a product offered for sale at a specific store. Item attributes, such as price and available, describe the conditions under which the product is sold and can be different from one store to another. You can manage item data using the Item API.

Minimum catalog requirements​

For a product to be displayed on your storefront, the product must meet the minimum catalog requirements. The Product API and Item API each provide a subset of the fields required to create a new product. This means that to create a new product you must submit both a Product API request and an Item API request.

For a list of attributes required to create a new product, see the Product API request overview and the Item API request overview.

SFTP requirement for new locations​

The Catalog APIs require you to send an initial catalog inventory file through SFTP for each net new store location. After Instacart processes the inventory file for a location, you can use the Catalog APIs to create and update products and items for that location.

For more information about sending inventory files through SFTP, see SFTP access.

Data format requirements​

Unlike inventory files, the Catalog APIs do not support data conversion or column mapping. You must format all data exactly as specified in the API documentation. For example, if the API requires a monetary amount as an integer (such as 399), you cannot use a decimal value (such as 3.99). Instacart does not convert values sent in an unsupported format.

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