E-commerce Dictionary

UNSPSC is a global, four-level classification system with 8-digit codes for products and services, used mainly in B2B purchasing and procurement.

Unique product identifiers are the codes that identify a product across channels: the GTIN, and the brand plus MPN. Your own SKU identifies it only inside your business.

Upselling encourages a customer to buy a more expensive model, upgrade or premium version of the product they are already considering.

User generated content (UGC) is content made by customers and other unpaid contributors, such as reviews, ratings, photos, videos and questions about a product.

Variant management is how you organize products that come in several versions, such as sizes and colors, under one parent product with shared and variant-specific data.

Supplier onboarding for ecommerce is the process of adding a new vendor and getting its product data collected, checked and enriched so the products can go live.

Vendor product data (VPD) is the product information a supplier or manufacturer sends to a retailer: identifiers, descriptions, specifications, prices, stock and images.

A vendor product data portal is a website where suppliers submit and update product data for a retailer, checked against the retailer's rules.

Vendor product information management (VPIM) is the process of collecting, checking and standardizing product data that suppliers send to a retailer or distributor.

Video commerce is selling through shoppable videos, live shopping and product videos, where viewers can buy the products they see directly.

Video metadata management is organizing the titles, descriptions, tags, technical details and usage rights of video files so teams and shoppers can find and reuse them.

A virtual product bundle is a set of separate products sold together as one listing, without pre-packing them; stock is tracked per component.

The way an online store arranges products, images and banners on its pages so shoppers notice the right items and find what they want.

A visual product configurator is a tool on a product page that lets shoppers pick options such as color, size or material and see the product change as they choose.

Visual search metadata is the structured data attached to product images, such as alt text, color, pattern and shape, that helps visual search tools match a photo to your product.

Visual search optimization prepares product images and data so tools like Google Lens and Pinterest Lens can match a shopper's photo to your products.

Voice search optimization is the practice of making your content and product data easy for voice assistants to find, understand and read aloud as an answer.

Warehouse management involves overseeing and optimizing daily operations within a warehouse, including receiving, storing, picking, packing, and shipping goods. It ensures efficient inventory flow and order fulfillment.

A webhook is an automatic HTTP message one app sends to a URL you choose when an event happens, such as a new order or a stock change.

A where to buy integration is a widget or page on a brand's website that shows which retailers sell a product and links shoppers through to buy it.

Workflow management is designing, running and improving the steps that move work from start to finish: who does what, in which order and when it moves on.

Zero-party data is information a customer shares with a brand on purpose, such as preferences, sizes or purchase plans, for example through a quiz or profile.

Zero-touch product onboarding is adding new supplier products to your catalog through automated import, mapping, enrichment and checks, without manual data entry.

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.