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How Do We Get Thousands of Building Products Online With Proper Descriptions?

Builders merchant websites show bare product codes because product data is thin. We build a product data pipeline from supplier files to your site, with checks.

Updated 3 min readBy SpiderHunts Technologies

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Quick answer — TL;DR

Merchant websites look thin because the merchant system holds codes and short descriptions made for the till, not the specifications, images and documents buyers want. We build a product data pipeline that pulls manufacturer data sheets, images and specifications, drafts clear descriptions, checks them against your rules, and publishes them to your website with prices and stock from your merchant system.

BLK 7N 440X215X100 DENSE

Your website has several thousand products. Most have the till description as their name, no image, no dimensions and no data sheet. A self-builder searching for dense concrete blocks finds a code they don't understand. A contractor wants the declaration of performance for an insulation board and can't find it. Search engines show your competitor's page, which has a proper description, a photo and the PDF.

The web team adds products one at a time when they get a chance, copying from manufacturer websites, and falls further behind each time the range changes.

Why the product data is so thin

Merchant systems were built for trading, and their product records are designed for the counter: a code, a short description, units and prices. Everything a website needs lives somewhere else.

  • Specifications, images and documents are on manufacturers' websites and in their data files, in different formats.
  • Product names are till abbreviations nobody would type into a search box.
  • Categories on the website don't match your product groups.
  • Nobody owns product data as a job, so it is done in spare moments.
  • Range changes and new lines are added to the merchant system, never to the website.

What thin product pages cost

Customers searching online find other merchants first. Visitors who do land on your site leave when they can't confirm they have the right product. Counter and phone staff answer specification questions the website should answer. And any online ordering or click and collect you have built underperforms because people can't find or trust what they are ordering.

A product data pipeline we build

  1. Your range is read from your merchant system, with codes, supplier codes, EANs and product groups.
  2. Manufacturer data is gathered from their data files, spreadsheets and websites where they permit it, and matched to your lines by code.
  3. Specifications are pulled into structured fields for each category, such as dimensions, strength, thermal values or coverage, and documents such as data sheets are attached.
  4. An AI model drafts a clear product name and description from the specification and your house style. It uses only the facts in the source data, and anything missing is left blank rather than filled in.
  5. A reviewer approves each product, or a batch at a time, with the source shown beside the draft.
  6. Approved products publish to your website, whether WordPress with WooCommerce, Shopify or a custom site, with prices and stock from your merchant system.
FieldSourceCheck
Product nameDrafted from specificationReviewed before publishing
Dimensions and weightsManufacturer dataCompared with your records
Performance valuesManufacturer data sheetNever drafted, only copied
ImagesManufacturer mediaChecked for the right variant
Price and stockYour merchant systemUpdated automatically

Technical values such as strength or thermal performance are copied from the manufacturer's documents and linked to them, never written by the model.

What the website looks like afterwards

Products have names people search for, images, the key specifications and the documents trade buyers ask for. New lines get onto the site without waiting for the web team's spare time. Staff stop answering the same specification questions by phone. And when the range changes, the site changes with it.

Is your website like this?

  • Product names on the site are till abbreviations.
  • Most products have no image or data sheet.
  • Web product data is added by hand, one product at a time.
  • New lines take months to appear online, if they appear at all.
  • Customers ring to ask specifications the site should show.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The questions readers ask us after this guide.

Still have a question?

Ask us directly — a senior engineer will get back to you.

Ask about your project

Is it allowed to use manufacturers' content?

Many manufacturers provide data specifically for stockists to use. We use data you have permission to use, and check terms where they are unclear.

Will AI make up specifications?

No. Technical values are only copied from manufacturer sources, and descriptions are drafted from those facts and reviewed. Missing data stays missing.

Which website platforms does it work with?

WordPress with WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento and custom sites, through their product import or API.

What affects the cost?

The size of your range, how many manufacturers provide usable data files, and how your website accepts products.

Keep reading

More on Problems We Solve

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