Here’s How To Upload Fitment Data To Amazon

Here's How To Upload Fitment Data To Amazon

Amazon is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms in the world. It’s no surprise that retailers want to list their products on Amazon to reach a wider audience. However, before you can list your products on Amazon, you must upload fitment data. What is fitment data? How does it work? And what role does it play in the automotive aftermarket industry? This guide will answer all those questions and provide a step-by-step guide on uploading fitment data to Amazon.

What Is Fitment Data?

Also known as compatibility information, fitment data tells Amazon which products are compatible with which vehicles. This is important because it helps shoppers find the right product for their vehicle. Fitment data also helps Amazon keep track of inventory and ensure that products are shipped to the correct locations.

There are two types of fitment data: basic and enhanced. Basic fitment data includes information such as a vehicle’s make, model, and year. Enhanced fitment data provides additional information such as engine type, trim, and transmission type. This information is used by all stakeholders within the supply chain, from the manufacturer to the retailer, to ensure that the right product is being shipped to the right customer.

What Are the ACES and PIES Data Standards?

To fully grasp the importance of fitting data, you must first comprehend the ACES and PIES industry standards. The fitment data for all automotive aftermarket goods are kept in a standardized format known as ACES, which stands for Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard. The Auto Care Association developed both ACES and PIES, which stands for Product Information Exchange Standard. PIES is used to store fitment information for any non-automotive products.

ACES and PIES are two important industry standards in the auto aftermarket. They aid in the verification of correct and uniform fitment information throughout the supply chain. To put it another way, they ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to fitment information. Without these two industry standards, managing fitment information would be considerably more difficult. The ACES and PIES standards enable manufacturers to exchange fitting data freely across each other. They also allow firms to swiftly update their relevant data whenever new items are introduced.

How Does Fitment Data Work With ACES and PIES?

Dealerships and shops may use ACES and PIES to import compatibility information into their systems. They’re utilized to generate an appropriate fit for a certain car and give comprehensive product information. Dealerships and businesses use ACES to import compatibility data into their databases. Internally, automobile manufacturers mostly employ PIES.

Devices with ACES and PIES compatibility may send data feeds that follow the ACES and PIES standards straight into consumer-facing web apps or mobile applications. Consumers can check vehicle fitment compatibility using these APIs before purchasing online. To put it another way, both fitment data formats allow the accurate transmission of fitting information between stakeholders in the automobile industry.

Aftermarket parts are increasingly available through online fitment tools, which may assist customers in locating aftermarket components for their automobiles. The fittings listed in ACES and PIES-compliant data feeds are commonly included in online fitting tools that help consumers find aftermarket parts for their cars. These types of fitment search engines provide precise suggestions based on a customer’s automobile make, model, year, engine type (petrol or diesel), transmission (manual or automatic), and other characteristics.

Fitment Data in the Aftermarket Industry

The ACES and PIES standards define fittings using four compatibility data categories: vehicle type, category, subcategory, and subset. The following are the descriptions of the fitment categories:

  • Vehicle type – This is a catch-all phrase that refers to the type of connections on which a car or truck is equipped. For example, “car” or “truck.”
  • Category – This is a more specific level of categorization than the vehicle type and less so than the subclassification description. It also specifies how many components from a manufacturer’s product range may be combined with a certain vehicle type (e.g., Fits BOTH a Honda Fit AND a Honda Civic).
  • Subcategory – The subcategory is more selective than the subset tag. It also states which parts may be utilized with a certain vehicle type (e.g., Fits only the front seat of a Honda Civic).
  • Subset – This data attribute indicates whether or not this piece may be used on a limited number of things, such as one door panel on the right side of each sedan (e.g., Fits Right-hand drive manual sedan front seat only).

The fitment data feeds’ characteristics can be used by carmakers, dealerships, and marketers to show conformance with ACES or PIES standards. Aftermarket fitment data feeds must contain fittings that are identical to those specified in a manufacturer’s product specification database.

When a manufacturer’s database and automotive fitment databases don’t match, parts can’t flow from dealer or wholesale catalogs into the retail market. Assume that Honda provides Fit Front Seat Only as part of its original equipment package but does not appear in an auto-fitment feed. This will not result in a fitment, so the component will not be available for purchase in the aftermarket.

The value of vehicle component fitment data cannot be overstated. It’s crucial for keeping the automotive sector’s supply chain and consumer connections running smoothly and efficiently.

Uploading Fitment Data To Amazon

Now that we know what fitment data is and why it’s important, let’s talk about how to upload fitment data to Amazon. Retailers looking to sell auto parts and accessories on Amazon also need to upload fitment data to the eCommerce platform. But before we can get into the step-by-step process of submitting fitment data to Amazon, let’s look at what you need.

Here are the tools and protocols you’ll need to submit car fitment information to Amazon:

  • An Amazon Seller Central Account separate from your main account: To submit automotive fitment data, you’ll need to open a new Amazon Seller Central account. This account may be set up by going to Amazon Seller Central and selecting the “Sign Up” option.
  • Existing Amazon Standard Identification Numbers (ASINs) for all products: If you want to contribute automotive fitment data, you’ll need to have ASINs for all your products.
  • A product feed file with fitment data: This file needs to be in a tab-delimited text format and contain all relevant fitment data for your products.
  • XML editor software: Before submitting the product feed file to Amazon, you’ll need to use an XML editor to modify it. We recommend using a text editor like Notepad++, which is free for download and uses plain English instead of HTML tags.
  • An AutoCare Association Membership: To submit fitment data to Amazon, you’ll need an Auto Care Association membership.
  • An Amazon Marketplace Web Service (MWS) account: To submit fitment data to Amazon, you’ll need an MWS account. You may establish an MWS account by visiting the MWS registration page and following the guidelines.
  • The Amazon Merchant Transport Utility (AMTU) software: You’ll need to upload the edited product feed file to Amazon using AMTU software.
  • Fitment data automation tool: To submit fitment data to Amazon, you’ll need access to the Fitment Data Automation Tool, such as myFitment. Such a tool will significantly reduce the time and effort needed to submit fitment data, as well as the chance of mistakes.

Step-By-Step Process of Uploading Fitment Data To Amazon

It’s essential to note that Amazon tends to demand fitment data from a maker/brand owner or a third-party provider that has been authorized by the manufacturer/brand owner. Not all suppliers who want to provide direct fitting data to Amazon are accepted. In certain situations, the Amazon Automotive Part Finder team will be responsible for this selection. If suitable fitment data isn’t accessible from either of the two sources above, Amazon may search for it from alternative sources in some cases.

When it comes to uploading vehicle fitment data to Amazon, there are a few things you need to do:

  1. Create a spreadsheet with all of the things you want to submit, including ASIN, product name, and any fitment data you wish to offer. Make sure each product has the correct ASIN before continuing.
  2. Second, you must sign up for an AutoCare VIP membership. This will give you access to the Amazon Merchant Transport Utility (AMTU), which is required for submitting fitment data.
  3. Use the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association’s Brand Table to replace your data set’s branding information with the numerical brand code in the Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard (ACES).
  4. Replace vehicle make and model data in your data set with numerical codes that fulfill the ACES standard by using AutoCare’s Vehicle Configuration Database (VCdb) information. This stage is required to ensure that your data set is compatible with Amazon’s system.
  5. To submit your XML file to Amazon, you must first create a sample file. For this, use a text editor like Notepad++. Open the example file in the XML editor and modify it according to the instructions in the Amazon MWS Schemas after you’ve created it.
  6. Create a new Amazon Seller Central account and store the data there to submit your fitment information. After Amazon has approved your sample file, wait for it to be uploaded. Make any necessary changes. This is an essential step since it will help you ensure that your data is correct.
  7. Create an exact XML feed based on the one in your customized sample. This file will be used to submit your entire data set to Amazon.
  8. Create an Amazon Marketplace Web Service (MWS) account. Follow the instructions on the MWS registration page to do so. This will allow you to use the Amazon MWS system, which is necessary for uploading your fitment data.
  9. Install the Amazon Merchant Transfer Utility (AMTU) program. After you’ve downloaded and installed AMTU, you’ll be able to upload your full XML file to Amazon.
  10. Set up your AMTU program using the data from your account. This step will ensure that your file is properly handled by the Amazon system.
  11. Use AMTU to combine all of your feeds in one file for each brand. This final stage will allow you to submit your information in a form that Amazon can easily read and process.

Following the processes outlined above will help you guarantee that submitting fitment data to Amazon is a simple process. You can be confident that your data is accurate and up-to-date, saving time and effort in the long run as a result of doing so.

What Happens Once You Send Your Fitment Data to Amazon?

After Amazon receives fitment data from automotive aftermarket businesses, a four-step procedure is followed. The following are the stages:

Fitment File Validation

Before anything else, Amazon checks for mistakes in the fitment file. This is to ensure that all of the items available on Amazon are suitable for the automobiles they promise to suit. One prevalent blunder made by merchants is leaving out critical information from the fitment file. To correctly identify a vehicle, its make and model must be included in the product’s Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN), as well as its year and type of vehicle engine.

If a fitment file lacks this information, Amazon will reject it. Furthermore, certain items may be pulled for additional evaluation by Amazon. This usually happens when there is no fitment data available for a product. Overall, the purpose of the fitment file validation step is to ensure that all vehicles listed on Amazon are suitable for the vehicles they are intended to fit. This protects customers from getting an unpleasant customer experience and lowers return rates.

Amazon will not compare your brand name to the Auto Care Association’s registration of your brand because it isn’t required during the fitment file validation. It will also not verify whether the part numbers supplied are identical to the Manufacturer Part Numbers given to Amazon. It will likewise overlook any problems with fitting parts on your listing. Suppose you make a mistake when registering your brand at the Auto Care Association website, no matter how minor. In that case, Amazon will not notify you about it, and your fitment will not show up on Amazon.

Attaching the Fitment to the Product Listing

The next step is to add the fitment to the product listing. This ensures that Amazon users who search for a product see the proper fitments as potential matches. To connect the fitting to the item listing, Amazon requires three pieces of information:

  • The ASIN of the product
  • The vehicle make
  • The vehicle model

If Amazon doesn’t have all three of these pieces of data, the fitment won’t be able to be linked to the product listing. It’s worth noting that each ASIN can only be used once on a fitment. As a result, if a company wants to promote a product that fits many automobiles, it must create different listings for each one.

If a company wants to sell a product that adheres to multiple models of the same make, it must create multiple listings for each model. For example, suppose a firm has a product that fits both the Honda Civic and the Honda Accord. For this item, they would need to establish two separate listings: one for the Civic and one for the Accord.

Once you’ve found the Fitment Stripe on your account, you may be certain that Amazon has handled your data correctly and that the Part Finder and Compatibility Chart processes will eventually succeed.

Populating the Amazon Part Finder

Customers can use the Amazon Part Finder to locate parts for their vehicles after they’ve installed them. The product listing will be updated with fitment data once it has been verified and linked to the item listing on Amazon.

Amazon utilizes both consumer and public vehicle data to determine a car’s fitment. After the Amazon Part Finder has been filled with information, consumers using the Amazon shopping app on their mobile devices will be able to access it. The Amazon Part Finder is updated with new data regularly, so there may be a delay between when a store submits fitting information and when it appears in the Amazon Part Finder.

It’s also critical to remember that merchants don’t have complete control over which items appear in the Amazon Part Finder. To determine which items are displayed, Amazon consults a blend of fitment data and public vehicle information.

Populating the Compatibility Chart

The final stage in the procedure is to fill out the Compatibility Chart. The Compatibility Chart is a tool that allows consumers to see which products will be compatible with their cars. Unlike Amazon’s Part Finder, which merely displays items that have been explicitly designated as fitting a certain automobile, the Compatibility Chart only shows goods that have been specifically identified by merchants as fitting a specific vehicle.

To do so, merchants must submit a Compatibility Chart Template to Amazon. This template includes the ASINs of the products that fit each vehicle. Once Amazon has received the Compatibility Chart Template, it will fill in the blanks with pertinent data. Many new Amazon sellers, though, choose to check their parts for compatibility with Amazon by looking at the Compatibility Chart on their listings. This is a poor practice. Because the Compatibility Chart is outdated, it is seldom representative of your data at Amazon in its current state, according to Amazon.

How myFitment Can Help

The most popular aftermarket fitment information provider is MyFitment. We provide fitting data to Amazon and other marketplaces, as well as merchants who sell on those platforms.

MyFitment can assist you if you are an Amazon vendor and need assistance with submitting fitment data. MyFitment offers a Fitment Data Management Platform that makes it simple to submit fitment data to Amazon and other marketplaces. Our platform has functions such as automated product matching, real-time validation, and support for several channels.

It might be difficult and time-consuming to submit fitment information to Amazon. However, it is an important aspect of selling aftermarket automobile parts on Amazon. You may rest confident that your fitment data will be submitted correctly and in a timely manner if you work with myFitment. To discover more about how myFitment can assist you, contact us now.