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eCl@ss

Data management and qualityIntermediate Level

eCl@ss is an international standard that classifies B2B products with 8-digit codes in four levels and a fixed set of properties per class.

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What is eCl@ss?

eCl@ss (ECLASS) is an international classification standard for products and services that gives each product class an 8-digit code in four levels and a fixed set of properties, so buyers and suppliers describe the same item in the same way. The four levels are segment, main group, group and commodity class, each two digits. Every class comes with standard properties, such as voltage, material or thread size, each with a unique identifier and unit. That makes eCl@ss more than a category tree: it is a shared data model for technical B2B products, maintained by the ECLASS association and based on ISO 13584 and IEC 61360. It is close to ETIM, which is more common in the electrical and installation trade, and wider than UNSPSC, which classifies without properties. Read more in the eCl@ss taxonomy guide.

Why eCl@ss matters for e-commerce

Industrial buyers search and compare by technical properties, and their procurement systems often expect products in eCl@ss. When a supplier delivers data in the same classes and properties, the buyer can import it without manual mapping and compare products side by side. For a distributor it means one structured data model for thousands of technical items instead of free-text specs that differ per supplier.

Examples of eCl@ss

  • 1Level 1 Segment: 27 Electrical engineering, automation, process control engineering
  • 2Code: 8 digits, Structure: 2 digits each for segment, main group, group and commodity class
  • 3Class: Hexagon head screw, Property: Thread size, Value: M8
  • 4Use: Supplier sends a BMEcat file with eCl@ss classes, Result: Buyer imports it without remapping
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How WISEPIM Helps

  • Store eCl@ss class codes and properties as attributes on each product.
  • Model properties and units with attribute management and the Attribute values page.
  • Use AI enrichment to fill missing technical attributes, then review them.
  • Check required classification fields with Quality Guard rules.

Common mistakes with eCl@ss

  • Storing only the class code and leaving the properties empty.
  • Mixing eCl@ss releases, so the same code means different things.
  • Mapping by class name instead of by code and property identifier.
  • Choosing eCl@ss when your buyers ask for ETIM.

Tips for eCl@ss

  • Ask your largest buyers which standard and release they expect.
  • Record the eCl@ss release next to every class code.
  • Fill the properties your buyers filter on first.
  • Store eCl@ss data in your PIM so every export uses the same values.

Trends around eCl@ss

  • Digital product passports in the EU rely on structured product properties.
  • eCl@ss data feeds digital twins and the Asset Administration Shell in Industry 4.0.
  • AI helps suggest classes and fill properties for large legacy catalogs.
  • Mappings between eCl@ss and ETIM make it easier to serve both.

Tools for eCl@ss

  • The ECLASS content browser for looking up classes and properties
  • BMEcat for exchanging classified catalogs
  • A PIM system to store classes and properties per product
  • ETIM tools when your buyers also need ETIM

Related Terms

Access Control (PIM)Attribute Dependency ManagementAttribute InheritanceAttribute ManagementAttribute mappingAttribute Scoping

Also Known As

ECLASSeCl@ss classificationeCl@ss taxonomy

Frequently Asked Questions

It is the process of assigning a product to an eCl@ss commodity class with an 8-digit code and filling the standard properties of that class. The result is product data that any eCl@ss-ready buyer system can read.

Store the class code and release as attributes and create the class properties as structured attributes with units. Then map them to the export format your buyers use, such as BMEcat.

Both classify technical products with properties. ETIM is focused on the electrical, installation and building trade, while eCl@ss covers a wider range of industries and is more common in automation and industrial procurement.

In practice, yes. It is built for technical products and procurement systems, not for consumer webshops, which usually use their own categories or the Google product taxonomy.

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