Before you start
We’d like to remind you how important it is to complete each product page carefully. A well-presented product attracts buyers and shows professionalism.
Writing rules:
- Avoid writing everything in uppercase or everything in lowercase.
- Start each sentence with a capital letter and end with a period.
- Example (single word): Geneva. Avoid: GENEVA or geneva.
- Example (a sentence): Our company is based in Bern, Switzerland.
- Use a Computer (not a mobile phone) to create your listings.
Publish your products in a few steps: create your listings, add images, set stock, and activate for sale.
A- Simple products
1) Access the Products area
From your Seller Dashboard:
- Click Products, then Add Products, and confirm Continue.
- The new product page opens.
- Toolbar (top): Unpublished (draft), Save & Duplicate, Save.
2) Categories
Select the universe and the most relevant sub-categories for your product:
- Never touch Default Category or Special Offers — these are managed exclusively by Abotsi Market (featured items / campaigns). Any manual selection will be removed.
- Choose African Universe (products from / made in Africa) or Global Universe (don’t mix both for a single product).
- Expand the chosen universe and tick the relevant sub-categories, then click Finish.
- If your product fits several sub-categories within the same universe, you may tick several.
- Always prefer the most specific category available.
Example selection (handcrafted women’s shoes made in Africa):
- African Universe > African Fashion > Handcrafted Shoes > Women
3) Name, descriptions, and key information
Fill in the following fields carefully:
- Product name: clear and precise (include 1–2 keywords if relevant).
- Detailed description: material, manufacturing, use, care instructions (clean writing, no ALL CAPS).
- Short description: a concise summary shown on the page.
- SKU / Product reference (mandatory & unique): unaccented letters, digits, hyphen (
-), no spaces. French standard without counting: VENDORCODE-JJMMAA-HHMM (e.g., OKD-180925-1423). - Price (€): your selling price. Special Price (€) + dates if promoting.
- Tax class: keep the default; if unsure, choose None (the marketplace handles VAT).
- Visibility: “Catalog & Search” recommended.
- URL key: do not edit (auto-generated from the product name).
SKU format
VENDORCODE-DATE-TIME — French standard: JJMMAA-HHMM
Example: OKD-180925-1423
How to build each part of the SKU
a) “OKD” = VENDORCODE (3 uppercase letters)
- Take 3 meaningful letters from your shop/company name (no accents, no spaces).
- Remove accents: “André” → Andre.
- Examples: Okedya → OKD; Chez André → CHE; Mon Beau Shop → MBS.
- If nothing stands out, choose any simple, coherent 3-letter code (e.g., ABC) and use it across your catalog.
b) “180925” = DATE in JJMMAA
- Use today’s date: JJ (day) + MM (month) + AA (two-digit year).
- Pad with zeros when needed (e.g., 05 for the 5th).
- Example: 18 September 2025 → 180925.
c) “1423” = TIME in HHMM (24h)
- Use your local time at creation: HH (hours) + MM (minutes), two digits.
- Example: 2:23 PM → 1423; 9:05 AM → 0905.
d) Assembly
- Final shape: VENDORCODE-JJMMAA-HHMM
- Full example: OKD-180925-1423
- If two products are created in the same minute, add a letter suffix (…-1423A, …-1423B).
Important: do not add any manual suffix for variants (sizes, colors…). Variant SKUs are generated automatically from the base SKU.
4) Weight & Dimensions (required for shipping)
These values are used to calculate shipping fees (carriers). Measure the parcel once packed:
- Weight (kg): don’t leave 0. Include product + packaging.
- Dimensions (cm): Height, Width, Length (longest side).
How to measure properly
- Measure the ready-to-ship parcel, not just the item.
- Round up to the next whole number if needed.
- If commas aren’t accepted, use a dot (e.g., 24.5).
- Keep consistency across similar products.
5) Stock & availability
Set product availability:
- Stock: quantity available (keep it updated).
- Availability: in stock / out of stock.
6) Images (quality required)
Upload compliant visuals (up to 5 photos per product):
- HD, sharp images (no blur).
- Orientation: Portrait; Size: 1000 × 750 px (H/W); Types: JPEG, PNG, WEBP.
Note: a listing may be declined/unpublished if images don’t meet these requirements.
7) SEO (search optimization)
Complete the key fields:
- Page title: copy/paste the product name (ideally 1–2 relevant keywords).
- URL: don’t fill this field.
- Meta description: ~160 characters, with natural keywords.
- Keywords: comma-separated; avoid overly vague terms.
8) Additional attributes (if applicable)
Fill in when available:
- Ship-from country, Material, Color, Style/Occasion, Care instructions
- Product type, Brand, Feature, Manufacturing
- Material, Outsole material (shoes), Size options
- Price detail, Comfort, Delivery time, Return/Exchange policy
- Free Shipping, Height/Width/Length (centimeter)
9) Related / Upsell / Cross-sell products
Boost your sales:
- Related products: complementary or alternatives.
- Upsells: higher-end alternative.
- Cross-sells: suggestions near the cart.
10) Max quantity per product per order
By default, a customer can add 5 units of the same product to the cart. Adjust if needed.
11) Check the live page (no “Preview” button)
Control procedure:
- First work with Status = Disabled until setup is complete.
- To check the real page, briefly Enable the product, open the public URL, and verify (title, images, variants, price, etc.).
- If corrections are needed, immediately switch back to “Disabled”, fix, then re-enable when ready.
B- Products with variants (sizes, colors, etc.)
1) Start from a simple product
Create a complete simple product first and check its display.
- Left menu: Products > My Product List.
- Find the product, in the Action column click Edit (confirm if prompted).
2) Create configurations
Generate your variants (e.g., Size, Color):
- Under the image area (left side), click Create Configurations (or Edit Configurations).
- Select the variant attribute (e.g., Size), then Next.
- Choose the values (e.g., S, M, L), then Next.
3) Variant images, prices, and quantities
Set common or specific values:
- Images: shared for all variants, or specific by variant (or skip).
- Prices: one for all, or by variant (or skip).
- Quantities: one for all, or by variant (avoid leaving blank).
Important: set a quantity (otherwise the variant will be out of stock). If unsure, you may use a higher value.
4) Variant SKUs — automatic generation (do not edit)
Variant references are automatically generated from the base SKU:
- Base SKU (e.g.): OKD-180925-1423
- Examples (attribute “Size”):
- OKD-180925-1423-Size S
- OKD-180925-1423-Size M
- OKD-180925-1423-Size L
- Do not edit these variant SKUs.
5) Generate and save
Finalize your variants then save:
- Review the summary.
- Click Generate Products, then Save.
- Check the public page (see “Check the live page”) before final activation.
Pre-publish checklist
Make sure you’ve validated:
- Clear name (1–2 keywords), correct categories, unique SKU.
- Clean descriptions, compliant HD images (up to 5, 1000×750 px).
- Price / Special Price (if promo) and dates set.
- Weight (kg) and dimensions (cm) entered.
- Stock set, visibility “Catalog & Search”.
- SEO fields (Page title, ~160-char Meta description, Keywords).
- Variants auto-generated (SKU/price/quantity/images checked).
- Product enabled after verification.
Best practices to sell more
Helpful tips:
- Avoid overly long titles; put key info first (brand, type, use).
- Reassure buyers with details: composition, care, compatibility.
- Sharp, consistent photos (same background/lighting), no watermark.
- Update stock after each restock.
- Reply quickly to buyer messages.
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