Connect a hosted product feed
Connect a hosted product-feed URL so Worldwatch pulls your live stock on a schedule you choose, a recurring alternative to a one-time file or website import.
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A hosted product feed is a URL at a stable address that always returns your current stock, usually an XML, CSV, or JSON document your store or feed tool publishes. Connecting one lets Worldwatch pull your inventory from it on an interval you choose, so your Worldwatch inventory tracks the feed over time. Unlike importing a file or a website page (which each run once), a feed connection keeps pulling.
A feed pulls live; a file or website import runs once. If you only need a one-time load, upload a spreadsheet or import from a website URL instead.
Before you start
- A hosted product-feed URL served over HTTPS (include the
https://prefix) at a stable address that returns your current stock. XML, CSV, and JSON feeds are supported. - The feed must be publicly reachable, not behind a login, password, or IP allowlist.
Connect the feed
Open the importer
On the inventory page, click Import watches.
Add a source
In the Import watches drawer, under Add a source, click Website or spreadsheet. In the Add your website or a spreadsheet panel, use the Use your website or a product feed card.
Paste your feed URL
In the URL field, enter your hosted feed URL including the https:// prefix, for example https://example.com/products.xml. Worldwatch detects whether the address is a feed or a website automatically. Click Check.
Review and map fields
The first pull works like any import: review the detected products and map each inventory field (from a source field, as a literal constant, or unmapped) and enrich with AI. Your mapping is saved and reused on every scheduled pull. See bulk import your inventory from a spreadsheet for the field-by-field detail.
Confirm
Confirm to create the feed connection. Worldwatch imports the current products now. This first import runs once. To keep your inventory in sync with the feed, turn on scheduled imports next.
Turn on scheduled imports
Connecting the feed imports your stock once. To keep it in sync, switch scheduled imports on in the channel's settings:
- Go to Settings → Channels and click the feed channel to open its Edit custom channel panel.
- Turn on Scheduled imports. Worldwatch then re-imports the source on its own, reusing the configuration from your last import.
- Choose an Interval: Every hour, Every 6 hours, Every 12 hours, Daily, or Weekly. Intervals under 6 hours run on the Enterprise plan; on lower plans they run every 6 hours. Scheduled imports are available on the Pro plan and above.
The panel also shows the last import time, whether it succeeded, and the next run. You can now change the feed's URL from the Source section of this panel; Worldwatch re-checks it, and it must stay the same kind of source. A feed loaded from an uploaded file is the exception: its source can't be changed, so remove the channel and add it again to switch files.
Keep the feed healthy
Keep the feed URL stable and publicly reachable: if the address changes or the feed goes offline, scheduled pulls stop until you reconnect. To change the interval, the source URL, or to remove the feed, open its tile in Settings → Channels.
Troubleshooting
URL rejected
Enter the full feed URL with the https:// prefix. A bare domain or an http:// URL is rejected.
"Couldn't reach the feed"
The feed must be publicly reachable at a stable URL, not behind a login, password, or IP allowlist. Open the URL in a private browser window to confirm it returns your product data, then reconnect.
It imported once but isn't updating
First, check that Scheduled imports is turned on for the channel in Settings → Channels. It stays off until you enable it, so the feed imports once and then waits. If scheduling is already on, Worldwatch may have detected the URL as a website (a one-time snapshot) rather than a feed. Point it at your product-feed document URL (for example .../products.xml), not a storefront page.
See import your stock from a website URL for the one-time website path.
Products are missing or wrong after a pull
Check the feed contents and your field mapping. The mapping saved when you connect is reused on every pull, so a mismatched column repeats; reconnect to adjust the mapping, or fix the feed at the source.