Amazon Inventory TSV Export Basics
> An Amazon inventory TSV is a tab-separated values flat file formatted to Amazon Seller Central's inventory file specification — exported by FeedBridge as a live feed format for Amazon US — that submits product identity, pricing, quantity, condition, and category-specific attribute data to Amazon Seller Central for bulk product listing creation and updates.
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What Is an Amazon Inventory TSV?
An Amazon inventory TSV (tab-separated values) is a flat file product data format used by Amazon Seller Central to receive bulk product listing submissions. Where CSV files use commas as column separators, TSV files use tab characters — a format distinction that Amazon's inventory file system requires because product data frequently contains commas in titles, descriptions, and attribute values. [web:68]
Amazon calls these files "inventory files," "flat files," or "flat file templates." They are the standard method for bulk product listing in Amazon Seller Central — the alternative to adding products one by one through the Seller Central interface or via the Amazon Selling Partner API. Each row in the TSV represents one product (or one variant); each column represents a product attribute. The file is uploaded to Seller Central's "Add Products via Upload" workflow, where Amazon validates the data against its product requirements and creates or updates the corresponding product listings. [web:66][web:69]
Amazon's inventory file templates are category-specific. Amazon maintains a separate template for each product category (electronics, apparel, home, kitchen, beauty, etc.), and each template defines its own set of required and optional attributes appropriate for that category. A template downloaded for electronics will have different required fields than one for apparel. This category-specific structure is a key difference between Amazon's TSV format and the more universal structures of the Google Merchant Center CSV and Meta Commerce Manager CSV. [web:69][web:76]
FeedBridge exports Amazon Inventory File TSV as a live feed format for Amazon US (Amazon Seller Central). The Amazon EU template is a known roadmap item — it is not yet live in FeedBridge as of April 2026 — and is documented as a medium-priority gap in the FeedBridge platform roadmap.
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TSV vs CSV: Why Amazon Uses Tab-Separated Values
The TSV format is functionally identical to CSV in structure — both are tabular, both use a specific character to separate column values, both can be opened in spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. The practical reason Amazon uses tab characters instead of commas as delimiters is data safety: product titles, descriptions, and attribute values frequently include commas as natural punctuation ("12-inch, non-stick, dishwasher-safe skillet"), which would break a comma-delimited file. Tab characters are far less common in natural product text, making tab-delimited files more reliable for bulk product data. [web:69]
When saving a completed Amazon inventory file from Excel, the file must be saved in "Tab delimited (.txt)" format — not as .xlsx, .xls, or .csv. Amazon Seller Central accepts TSV (saved as .txt) and Excel (.xls) formats for inventory file upload. [web:68][web:77] FeedBridge's Amazon Inventory File TSV export generates the file in the correct tab-delimited format, conforming to Amazon's accepted file format requirements.
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Core Required Fields Across Amazon Inventory Templates
While Amazon's inventory file templates are category-specific, a common set of core fields is required across virtually all category templates. These are the fields every Amazon product listing must have regardless of category: [web:67][web:69][web:70]
| Attribute | Amazon Field Name | Notes | |---|---|---| | Seller SKU | `sku` | Unique merchant-assigned identifier; must not be reused | | Product name / title | `item_name` | Product listing title; optimised for Amazon search | | Brand name | `brand_name` | Manufacturer or private-label brand | | Product identifier | `external_product_id` | UPC, EAN, GTIN, or ISBN barcode | | Product ID type | `external_product_id_type` | Specifies the type: `UPC`, `EAN`, `GTIN`, or `ISBN` | | Price | `standard_price` | Selling price in marketplace currency | | Quantity | `quantity` | Available inventory units; leave blank for FBA products | | Condition type | `condition_type` | `New`, `Refurbished`, `UsedLikeNew`, `UsedVeryGood`, `UsedGood`, `UsedAcceptable` | | Main image URL | `main_image_url` | Primary product image URL | | Item type | `item_type` | Amazon item type keyword from Browse Tree Guide | | Browse node | `recommended_browse_nodes` | Amazon category node identifier from Browse Tree Guide |
The `sku` is the single most important field in every Amazon inventory file: it is the key that Amazon uses to match rows in the file to existing listings for updates. A SKU must not be altered or reused — changing a SKU creates a new listing rather than updating the existing one. [web:67]
The `external_product_id` and `external_product_id_type` together provide the product's barcode identifier. For most new product listings, a valid UPC, EAN, or GTIN is required. Amazon uses this identifier to match the product against its existing catalog (to find a pre-existing ASIN) or to create a new ASIN if none exists. Products without a barcode identifier — such as private-label products exempt from GTIN requirements — must apply for a GTIN exemption in Seller Central before the listing can be created. [web:69]
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Variant Products: Parent-Child Relationships
Amazon handles product variants (different sizes, colours, styles) using a parent-child relationship structure in the inventory flat file. This is different from the `item_group_id` approach used by Meta Commerce Manager and Google Merchant Center — Amazon uses explicit `parentage` and `parent_sku` fields to define the hierarchy. [web:69][web:74]
| Attribute | Field Name | Notes | |---|---|---| | Parentage | `parentage` | `parent` for the parent row; `child` for each variant row | | Parent SKU | `parent_sku` | Child rows reference the parent SKU here; blank for parent rows | | Relationship type | `relationship_type` | Typically `variation`; defines how child rows relate to the parent | | Variation theme | `variation_theme` | The attribute(s) that differentiate variants (e.g., `Size`, `Color`, `SizeColor`) |
A parent row defines the base product — it has no price or quantity of its own. Each child row represents one specific variant combination (e.g., size Medium, colour Blue) and carries its own SKU, price, quantity, and variant-specific attribute values. The variation theme field declares which attributes differentiate the variants, and valid variation themes are category-specific — the accepted themes for apparel differ from those for electronics. [web:69][web:76]
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Sale Pricing in the Amazon Inventory TSV
Amazon's inventory flat file supports sale pricing through dedicated sale price fields that operate alongside the standard price: [web:72]
| Attribute | Field Name | Notes | |---|---|---| | Sale price | `sale_price` | Promotional price (must be lower than `standard_price`) | | Sale start date | `sale_start_date` | ISO 8601 date-time for start of promotional period | | Sale end date | `sale_end_date` | ISO 8601 date-time for end of promotional period |
FeedBridge maps its internal `sale_price`, `sale_price_start_date`, and `sale_price_end_date` fields to the corresponding Amazon sale pricing fields in the TSV export. This is consistent with FeedBridge's sale pricing support across all feed formats — the same sale pricing data in the product record populates correctly structured sale pricing fields in the ACP JSON-LD feed, Google Merchant Center CSV, Meta Commerce Manager CSV, and Amazon Inventory TSV outputs.
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How FeedBridge Generates the Amazon Inventory TSV
FeedBridge exports the Amazon Inventory File TSV as a live feed format for Amazon US (Amazon Seller Central). The export maps FeedBridge's normalised product record fields to Amazon's required inventory file attributes:
| FeedBridge Field | Amazon Attribute | Notes | |---|---|---| | `item_id` | `sku` | FeedBridge item ID maps to seller SKU | | `title` (AI-enhanced) | `item_name` | AI-enhanced title maps to Amazon product title | | `description` (AI-enhanced) | `product_description` | AI-enriched description maps to Amazon description | | `brand` | `brand_name` | Direct mapping | | `gtin` | `external_product_id` | GTIN maps to Amazon product identifier | | `gtin` (type declaration) | `external_product_id_type` | Set to `GTIN` where GTIN is populated | | `price` | `standard_price` | Direct mapping | | `availability` | `quantity` | `in_stock` maps to available quantity; `out_of_stock` maps to 0 | | `image_url` | `main_image_url` | Primary image URL maps to Amazon main image | | `sale_price` | `sale_price` | Direct mapping | | `sale_price_start_date` | `sale_start_date` | Direct mapping | | `sale_price_end_date` | `sale_end_date` | Direct mapping | | `category` (normalised) | `recommended_browse_nodes` | Taxonomy-normalised category informs Amazon category mapping |
FeedBridge's auto field mapping handles 13 common columns during catalog import — including SKU, title, price, GTIN, MPN, and images — aligning source data to Amazon field requirements from the point of catalog ingestion. This means that merchants whose source catalog data is already in FeedBridge do not need to manually re-map fields for the Amazon TSV export.
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Known Gap: Amazon EU Template
The Amazon Inventory File TSV export in FeedBridge is live for Amazon US (Amazon Seller Central). The Amazon EU template — covering Amazon EU regional variations and their associated category-specific template differences — is a known roadmap gap as of April 2026. It is listed as a medium-priority item in FeedBridge's roadmap. [file:4]
Merchants who sell on Amazon EU marketplaces (Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it, Amazon.es, and others) should be aware that the current FeedBridge Amazon TSV export targets the US Seller Central format. Amazon EU templates share the same core required fields but have regional variations in category structure, compliance requirements (particularly for electronics and health products), and accepted attribute values. Until the Amazon EU template is live in FeedBridge, EU marketplace sellers will need to adapt the US TSV output to EU-specific requirements or use a separate export workflow.
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Amazon TSV vs Other FeedBridge Feed Formats
The Amazon Inventory TSV serves a distinct channel and purpose from FeedBridge's other four feed formats:
| Dimension | Amazon TSV | GMC CSV | Meta CSV | ACP JSON-LD | |---|---|---|---|---| | Channel | Amazon Seller Central (US) | Google Shopping, AI Mode | Facebook, Instagram Shopping | ChatGPT Shopping, ACP surfaces | | Format | TSV / tab-delimited | CSV | CSV | JSON-LD | | Category-specific templates | Yes — per product category | No — universal template | No — universal template | No — universal schema | | Variant structure | Parent-child with `parentage` field | `item_group_id` | `item_group_id` | `variant_dict` | | Product identifier | `external_product_id` + type | `gtin` | At least one of brand/gtin/mpn | `gtin` + `mpn` | | AI enrichment fields | Not in Amazon spec | Not in GMC spec | Not in Meta spec | Intent tags, Q&A, personas | | Live feed URL hosting | Yes (FeedBridge CDN) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The category-specific template requirement is Amazon's most significant structural difference from the other feed formats. A flat file for an apparel product has different required and optional columns than one for an electronics product. FeedBridge's Amazon TSV export handles this mapping for Amazon US product categories as part of the live feed generation.
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Hosting and Delivery
Like FeedBridge's other feed formats, the Amazon Inventory TSV is hosted on CDN-backed URLs unique per brand. Feed scheduling supports configurable auto-refresh intervals to keep the TSV current with catalog changes. Feed health monitoring runs continuous validity checks, with feed alert preferences sending email notifications for stale feeds or dead product URLs.
For Amazon specifically, bulk inventory file uploads are typically performed on a scheduled basis rather than being fetched automatically by Amazon from a URL — unlike Google Merchant Center and Meta Commerce Manager, which support scheduled URL-based feed fetches. FeedBridge's hosted TSV URL provides a stable, always-current download source for the merchant to use each time they perform a bulk upload to Seller Central, or to integrate with any Amazon inventory management automation that accepts a URL-based flat file source.
Custom Feed Templates allow custom field mappings and filters to be applied to the Amazon TSV output for specific Seller Central account configurations, product category requirements, or marketplace variations.
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Why It Matters for Merchants
Amazon remains one of the largest e-commerce marketplaces globally, and bulk product listing via the inventory flat file is the standard method for catalog-scale Amazon operations. For merchants who manage large product catalogs — particularly those with many variants or frequent price and inventory updates — a reliable, automated source of correctly formatted Amazon TSV files reduces the manual effort required to keep Amazon listings current.
For merchants already using FeedBridge for ACP, GMC, and Meta feed management, the Amazon TSV export means the same product catalog and enrichment investment extends to Amazon at no additional effort. AI-enhanced titles from FeedBridge's enrichment pipeline map directly to Amazon product listing titles — titles that are longer, more descriptive, and more keyword-rich than basic product names, improving Amazon search relevance for the same product record that also powers AI shopping discovery on other channels.
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FeedBridge Relevance
FeedBridge exports Amazon Inventory File TSV as a live feed format for Amazon US (Amazon Seller Central). The export is hosted on CDN-backed URLs with configurable scheduling, feed health monitoring, and feed alert preferences. Auto field mapping handles 13 common catalog columns during import, aligning source data to Amazon field requirements. Custom Feed Templates allow category-specific field mappings and product filters for the Amazon TSV output.
The Amazon EU template is a known gap in FeedBridge's roadmap — listed as medium priority, not yet live as of April 2026. Merchants targeting EU Amazon marketplaces should plan for this gap in their current feed workflow.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does FeedBridge submit the Amazon TSV to Seller Central automatically, or do I upload it manually? A: FeedBridge hosts the Amazon Inventory TSV at a stable CDN-backed URL per brand. Amazon Seller Central's "Add Products via Upload" workflow requires manual or API-triggered file upload — it does not support scheduled URL-based feed fetches in the same way that Google Merchant Center and Meta Commerce Manager do. FeedBridge's hosted URL provides a reliable, always-current download source for the file, which you can download and upload to Seller Central on your preferred schedule, or feed into an automated upload workflow via the Amazon Selling Partner API.
Q: Why does Amazon use category-specific templates instead of a universal feed format? A: Amazon's category-specific template structure reflects the significant variation in required product attributes across categories. An apparel product needs size, colour, material, gender, and age group fields; an electronics product needs voltage, wattage, battery type, and compatibility fields; a food product needs ingredient information, allergen declarations, and nutritional data. A universal template would either need to include all possible attributes for all categories (extremely wide and complex) or would miss category-specific required fields for many product types. Category-specific templates allow Amazon to enforce the right attributes for each product type.
Q: What is a parent-child relationship in the Amazon TSV, and how does it differ from item_group_id? A: In the Amazon TSV, parent-child relationships explicitly define the variant hierarchy using `parentage` (`parent` or `child`) and `parent_sku` fields. The parent row has no price or quantity — it defines the shared attributes. Each child row has its own SKU, price, quantity, and variant-specific values. In Google Merchant Center and Meta Commerce Manager CSVs, variant grouping uses `item_group_id` — all variant rows share the same `item_group_id` value, but there is no separate parent row. Both approaches achieve the same outcome (grouping variants under a single product identity), but the data structures differ.
Q: What happens if my product does not have a GTIN? A: For products without an assigned GTIN — typically private-label products — Amazon requires a GTIN exemption before the listing can be created without a barcode identifier. A GTIN exemption is requested in Seller Central by brand and product category. Once exempted, listings can be created using the seller SKU as the primary identifier without a GTIN in the `external_product_id` field. FeedBridge's AI Readiness Score surfaces GTIN absence as a commerce signals gap in the per-product actionable fix checklist.
Q: Is the Amazon EU template available in FeedBridge? A: The Amazon EU template is a known roadmap gap in FeedBridge — it is listed as medium priority and is not yet live as of April 2026. The current live Amazon TSV export targets Amazon US (Amazon Seller Central). Merchants selling on EU Amazon marketplaces should be aware of this gap and plan their EU listing workflow accordingly until the EU template becomes available.
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Related Topics
Parent hub: Product Feeds and Commerce Data — Feed Formats
Related concepts:
- ACP Feed JSON-LD Explained
- Google Merchant Center CSV for AI Shopping Readiness
- Meta Commerce Manager CSV Export Basics
- Hosted Feed URLs Explained
- Product Attributes That Improve Discoverability
Breadcrumb:
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Source Documentation
| Claim | Source | Source Class | Reference | |---|---|---|---| | Amazon Inventory File TSV: live feed format in FeedBridge for Amazon Seller Central | FeedBridge Platform Capabilities April 2026 v2.0 | T1 – FeedBridge Internal | FeedBridge-Platform-Capabilities-April2026.md | | Amazon EU template: medium-priority roadmap gap, not yet live | FeedBridge Platform Capabilities April 2026 v2.0 | T1 – FeedBridge Internal | FeedBridge-Platform-Capabilities-April2026.md | | Hosted Feed URLs, Feed Scheduling, Feed Health Monitoring, Custom Feed Templates — live | FeedBridge Platform Capabilities April 2026 v2.0 | T1 – FeedBridge Internal | FeedBridge-Platform-Capabilities-April2026.md | | Auto field mapping: 13 common columns including SKU, title, price, GTIN, MPN, images | FeedBridge Platform Capabilities April 2026 v2.0 | T1 – FeedBridge Internal | FeedBridge-Platform-Capabilities-April2026.md | | Amazon inventory files: tab-delimited (.txt) or Excel (.xls) accepted formats | Amazon Seller Central Help — Upload your inventory file | T2 – Amazon | sellercentral.amazon.in/help/hub/reference/external/G601 | | SKU is key field; must not be altered or reused | Amazon Seller Central Help — Build your inventory file | T2 – Amazon | sellercentral.amazon.in/help/hub/reference/external/G581 | | Core required fields: SKU, item_name, brand_name, external_product_id, standard_price, quantity, condition_type | Amazon Flat File Guide — How to Create an Amazon Product Feed | T2 – Amazon Ecosystem | clearadsagency.com/how-to-create-an-amazon-product-feed | | Parent-child variation structure: parentage, parent_sku, relationship_type, variation_theme | Amazon Inventory Flat File Tutorial | T2 – Amazon Ecosystem | sellersasksellers.com/t/inventory-flat-file-tutorial/963 | | Sale pricing fields: sale_price, sale_start_date, sale_end_date in Amazon flat file | Amazon Flat File Listing Loader Guide | T2 – Amazon Ecosystem | scribd.com/document/72377133/Flat-file-Listingloader | | Amazon templates are category-specific; light, advanced, and custom template tiers | Amazon Seller University — Adding Products via Upload | T2 – Amazon | youtube.com/watch?v=CzmNjND9yh4 |