ChannelEngine: product segments

About this article

This article explains what a product segment is on ChannelEngine, how to assign a segment to your products, and how to use segments to track sales performance.

Table of contents

Introduction

Create a product segment

• Via a product feed
• Via the Merchant API

Use a product segment

• View a segment on the product details page
• Track segment performance in statistics

FAQs

Introduction

A product segment is a field that you assign to a product, just like its name, description, or category. It groups products in a way that suits your business, so you can track how each group performs.

A segment is similar to a product category, but it is up to you to decide its exact meaning. It can group products in a completely different way, e.g.:

• Audience - who the product is for. E.g.: women's clothing.
• Region - the market the product is adapted for. E.g.: Middle East.
• Price tier - the version of a product line. E.g.: basic, premium.
• Product type - a broad group of products. E.g.: t-shirt.

Each product can have only one segment. The segment is a free-text value of up to 256 characters.

Create a product segment

There is no separate page to create segments. You create a segment by assigning its value to a product. Products that share the same value belong to the same segment. Use one of the methods below.

Via a product feed

Add a column to your main product feed or an additional product feed and map it to the ChannelEngine field Segment. Any products with a value in that column are assigned to the corresponding segment. For details on feed setup and field mapping, see ChannelEngine: product feeds.

Via the Merchant API

If you are connected via the Merchant API, send the segment in the Segment field of the product model when you call POST /v2/products. Use this endpoint to create new products or to perform a full update on existing products. See the API reference for POST /v2/products.

POST /v2/products
[
  {
    "MerchantProductNo": "12346",
    "Name": "Black tank top",
    "Ean": "1234567891025",
    "Brand": "Trendy Tanks",
    "Segment": "Women's clothing"
  }
]

Use a product segment

Once a segment is assigned, you can see it on the product details page and use it to analyze sales performance in the Statistics module.

View a segment on the product details page

On the product details page, open the Content widget and expand the Specifications section. The Segment field is listed along with the standard set of fields that ChannelEngine stores for every product. See ChannelEngine: content (product details page) for more information on the product details page.

Track segment performance in statistics

The primary use of a segment is to track sales volume per product group. See ChannelEngine: Revenue tab (statistics).

1. Go to Statistics, Revenue, and switch to the Per product view.
2. In the Segment performance section, the Breakdown per segment table and the [Metric] per segment pie chart show performance metrics for each of your segments. Use them to see which segment brings in the most orders, GMV, and surplus.

To narrow the entire Per product view down to one or more segments, use the Segments filter in the top right corner of the tab. All widgets on the tab, including the brand, channel, and product breakdowns, then show data for the selected segments only.

FAQs

Can a product belong to more than one segment?
No. A product has one Segment field, so it belongs to one segment at a time. If you need more than one grouping, consider using the category trail or product labels alongside the segment.

Is a segment the same as a product category?
No. A category is part of the category trail you send with your product data. E.g.: Tops, t-shirts, and blouses > Tops > Tank tops. A segment is a free-text value that you define yourself. It can mirror a category, but it can also group products by audience, region, price tier, or any other criterion.

How do I change or remove a segment?
Send a new value in the Segment field via your product feed or POST /v2/products. To remove a segment, send an empty value.

Why does a segment not show up in the Revenue tab?
The Segment performance section only shows segments with ordered units in the selected period. Check the time period and other active filters, and make sure the products in that segment have the segment value set. Statistics are updated once per hour.

Is the segment sent to channels?
No. The segment is an internal field used for grouping and reporting on ChannelEngine. It is not exported to channels unless you map it to a channel attribute yourself.