Product Listing SOP Template

1.Purpose

To publish accurate, complete and consistent product listings across the ecommerce platform and marketplaces, and to keep them updated as product details or stock status change.

2.Scope

Applies to creating, publishing and updating product listings, including titles, descriptions, images and pricing. Order processing and fulfillment are covered by a separate SOP.

Definitions

SKU

Stock-keeping unit, the unique code identifying a specific product, size or variant.

Product feed

A structured data file used to publish or update listings on a marketplace or advertising channel.

Variant

A version of a product that differs by attribute such as size or color, usually sharing a parent listing.

Listing compliance

Meeting a marketplace's category-specific rules for titles, images, required attributes and restricted content.

3.Responsibilities

Content Specialist

Writes listing copy, sources images, and enters product attributes into the ecommerce platform.

Ecommerce Content Manager

Approves listings before publishing, maintains style and SEO standards, and resolves compliance issues.

Category Manager

Provides product specifications, pricing and category placement decisions.

Marketplace Coordinator

Publishes and syncs listings to marketplaces and monitors for feed errors or rejections.

RACI matrix

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

4.Materials and PPE

Materials, tools and systems

• →Ecommerce platform admin dashboard
• →Product data sheet or spreadsheet template
• →Image editing software
• →Marketplace category and compliance guidelines
• →SEO keyword and style guide
• →Product feed management tool

5.Procedure

1. 5.1

   Collect product data

   Content Specialist

   Gather the product's specifications, dimensions, materials, pricing and available variants from the category manager or supplier documentation before starting the listing.

2. 5.2

   Source and prepare images

   Content Specialist

   Collect or shoot product images meeting the platform's minimum resolution and background requirements, and edit them for consistent cropping, lighting and file size.

3. 5.3

   Assign the SKU and category

   Content Specialist

   Assign a unique SKU for the product and each variant, and select the correct product category and attributes required for that category in the platform.

   Checkpoint: Every SKU is unique and mapped to the correct product category before content is drafted.

4. 5.4

   Write the listing title and description

   Content Specialist

   Write a clear, keyword-appropriate title and a description covering key features, materials, dimensions and use cases, following the SEO and style guide.

5. 5.5

   Enter pricing and variants

   Content Specialist

   Enter the price, any compare-at price, and configure all variants such as size or color with their own SKU, images and stock quantity.

6. 5.6

   Check listing compliance

   Ecommerce Content Manager

   Review the draft listing against marketplace-specific compliance rules, such as restricted claims, required safety attributes, or prohibited image content.

   Warning: Never publish a listing with an unverified health, safety or performance claim that the marketplace's category rules restrict.

7. 5.7

   Review and approve the listing

   Ecommerce Content Manager

   Review the complete draft for accuracy, spelling, image quality and pricing before approving it for publishing on the ecommerce platform.

   Checkpoint: A listing is approved by the content manager before it is published to any channel.

8. 5.8

   Publish to the primary store

   Content Specialist

   Publish the approved listing on the ecommerce platform and verify it renders correctly on both desktop and mobile before moving to marketplace publishing.

9. 5.9

   Sync to marketplaces

   Marketplace Coordinator

   Push the listing to connected marketplaces through the product feed, mapping fields to each marketplace's required format and category structure.

10. 5.10

    Resolve a feed rejection

    Marketplace Coordinator

    Review any marketplace feed error or rejection, correct the flagged field such as a missing attribute or image issue, and resubmit the listing.

11. 5.11

    Update listings for product changes

    Content Specialist

    Update the listing promptly when a product's price, specifications, packaging or availability changes, and republish across all connected channels.

12. 5.12

    Audit live listings periodically

    Ecommerce Content Manager

    Review a sample of live listings on a set schedule for outdated images, broken links, incorrect stock status or compliance drift, and correct any issue found.

6.Quality checks

• →Every SKU maps to a unique, correctly categorized listing before publishing.
• →Listings are reviewed for compliance with marketplace category rules before going live.
• →New listings are checked on both desktop and mobile before marketplace sync.
• →Product changes are reflected on all connected channels within the same business day.

7.Records

• →Product data sheets
• →Listing approval log
• →Marketplace feed error log
• →Live listing audit results

8.KPIs

• →Average time from product data received to listing live
• →Marketplace feed rejection rate
• →Percentage of listings passing compliance review on first submission
• →Number of outdated listings found per audit

9.Common mistakes

• →Publishing a listing before it passes the content manager's approval step.
• →Reusing an old image that no longer matches the current product packaging.
• →Leaving a marketplace feed rejection unresolved for more than a few days.
• →Forgetting to update the listing when a product's price or specifications change.

10.Revision history