WP to XML

Tag: PHP XML feed

  • Case Study 15: Google Product Review Feed for Kiierr: Building a Google-Ready XML Feed

    Overview

    In July 2024, we worked with Kiierr to develop a custom Google Product Review Feed for its e-commerce product and review data.

    The project involved transforming product review information into a structured XML feed based on Google’s Product Review Feed requirements, making the data easier to consume through Google’s product-review ecosystem.

    This project is a good example of how a standard website’s product and review information can be converted into a specialized XML format for an external platform.

    The Challenge

    Product review data is often stored inside an e-commerce website in a format designed primarily for website visitors.

    External platforms such as Google require that information to follow a specific XML structure, with appropriate elements and relationships between products, reviews, ratings, and other relevant information.

    For Kiierr, the requirement was to create a dedicated feed that could present its product review information in a format aligned with Google’s Product Review Feed specification.

    The key challenge was not simply generating XML. The feed needed to:

    • Follow the required XML structure.
    • Represent product and review information correctly.
    • Map the website’s available data to the appropriate feed fields.
    • Handle product identifiers and review-related information.
    • Produce a consistent, machine-readable feed.
    • Provide a dedicated feed URL that could be accessed by the external platform.

    Our Solution

    We developed a custom Google Product Review Feed specifically for Kiierr.

    Rather than relying on a generic XML export, the feed was structured around Google’s product-review feed requirements.

    The development process included:

    1. Data Mapping

    The available product and review information was mapped to the corresponding fields required by the Google Product Review Feed format.

    This included determining which information should be used for products, reviews, ratings, and other associated data.

    2. Custom XML Generation

    A dedicated XML feed was created to generate the required product-review structure dynamically.

    This allowed the feed to represent the website’s review data in a structured format rather than requiring manual XML updates.

    3. Product and Review Relationships

    Product information and associated reviews need to be represented consistently so that an external system can understand which review belongs to which product.

    The feed therefore handled the relationship between product information and its corresponding review data.

    4. Structured Feed Output

    The final implementation provided a dedicated XML feed endpoint that could be accessed independently from the main website.

    This makes it possible for an external service to retrieve the structured data without depending on the presentation layer of the website.

    Why Custom Feed Development Matters

    A product-review feed is different from a conventional RSS feed.

    An RSS feed primarily communicates content updates such as articles, posts, or other published items. A product-review feed has a much more specific data model and must represent information such as:

    • Products
    • Product identifiers
    • Reviews
    • Review authors
    • Ratings
    • Review content
    • Review dates
    • Product/review relationships

    For this reason, simply exporting website content as XML is not enough.

    The important part of this type of project is understanding the target platform’s specification and building the feed around that specification.

    Project Outcome

    The Kiierr project resulted in a dedicated Google Product Review Feed developed in July 2024.

    The project demonstrated our ability to work with specialized XML specifications, map e-commerce data into structured formats, and develop custom feeds for third-party platforms.

    It also forms part of our broader experience developing XML, RSS, product, real-estate, job, API, and other custom data feeds.

    Our Experience With Custom XML Feeds

    Over the years, we have worked on a wide range of feed-related projects, including:

    • Google product and review feeds
    • RSS feeds
    • Real-estate XML feeds
    • Job-board XML feeds
    • API-to-XML integrations
    • XML-to-CSV conversions
    • XML-to-XML transformations
    • Custom PHP feed generators
    • Product data feeds
    • Marketplace and portal feeds

    Each project requires a slightly different approach because the destination platform often has its own XML structure, required fields, validation rules, and data-mapping requirements.

    Need a Custom Product or XML Feed?

    If your website already contains product, review, property, job, or other structured data but you need it exported into a specific XML format, we can develop a custom feed around your requirements.

    We can help with:

    Custom XML Feeds • Google Feeds • RSS Feeds • Product Feeds • API-to-XML • XML-to-XML • XML Troubleshooting

    Have an existing feed that is no longer working correctly? We can also investigate and fix XML structure, data mapping, validation, and feed-generation issues.

    Contact us to discuss your feed requirements.

  • Case Study 14: Custom Real Estate XML Feed Integration for International Property Portals

    Client Background

    A real estate agency based in Spain approached us with approximately 750 property listings stored in a multi-agency property database. The agency already had several XML feeds but needed a new custom XML feed for a German property portal with very specific technical and data requirements.

    The client wanted the feed to follow the receiving portal’s specification precisely rather than simply exporting the existing property data.

    The Challenge

    The main challenge was creating an XML feed that could:

    • Retrieve property information from the client’s external property database.
    • Transform the available property data into the required XML structure.
    • Follow the receiving portal’s exact XML specification.
    • Support the required API-based delivery process.
    • Work independently of the client’s main website.

    The client initially shared their website, but after reviewing the requirements, it became clear that the primary data source was Resales Online, rather than the agency’s WordPress or website content.

    This distinction was important because the XML feed did not need to be generated from the agency’s public website. Instead, the integration needed to work with the external property database and the receiving portal’s requirements.

    Understanding the Data Source

    The client’s properties were maintained through the Resales Online network. The project therefore required access to the relevant property database rather than relying on the agency website.

    After discussing the architecture with the client, we clarified that website access was not required. Instead, the integration would use the appropriate database/API access and a hosting environment capable of running the PHP-based conversion script.

    This helped simplify the implementation and avoided unnecessary changes to the client’s existing website.

    German Portal Requirements

    The receiving company provided technical specifications explaining that XML data had to be submitted through its REST API according to its own XML specification.

    The client supplied the technical documentation for the receiving platform, including information about its Import API and Import/Export API. The receiving company also indicated that use of the API was subject to its own service requirements and fees.

    This meant the project was more than simply producing an XML file. The feed had to be structured and prepared in a way compatible with the receiving portal’s technical requirements.

    API Access and Authentication

    During implementation, it became necessary to obtain the appropriate API credentials from the receiving platform.

    The client was guided through the API permission process and the relevant self-service area for generating API credentials. When necessary, the client also provided account access so that the integration work could proceed.

    Authentication was coordinated with the client because the platform required additional verification during login. The client provided the required verification code while the integration was being configured.

    Solution

    The solution involved creating a custom XML feed specifically around the client’s external property data source and the receiving portal’s requirements.

    The general workflow was:

    Property Database → Data Retrieval → Data Transformation → Custom XML Generation → Portal/API Delivery

    The approach avoided modifying the client’s main website and instead focused on the data integration layer.

    A separate PHP-capable hosting environment could be used to execute the conversion script, allowing the feed generation process to operate independently from the public-facing real estate website.

    Project Delivery

    The initial project was agreed including revisions and source code.

    The project required communication between three important components:

    1. The real estate agency
    2. The external property database
    3. The receiving property portal

    This made requirement clarification particularly important before development began.

    A Successful Follow-Up Project

    The relationship continued after the initial XML feed project.

    On March 17, 2025, the same client returned with another requirement: an XML feed for Idealista, a Spanish property portal.

    The client explained that Idealista required the feed developer to contact them directly to obtain the XML feed specification. The new feed was expected to be similar to the previous integration, but without the translation requirement used for the earlier project.

    A new custom offer was subsequently prepared to develop a feed specifically for Idealista.

    Key Lessons

    1. Identify the Real Data Source First

    A client’s public website is not necessarily the source of truth for a real estate feed.

    In this project, the agency website was initially shared, but the actual property data was maintained through an external property database. Identifying this early prevented unnecessary work on the website.

    2. Follow the Receiving Portal’s Specification

    International property portals often have their own XML structures, required fields, APIs and authentication procedures.

    A successful feed therefore needs to be designed around the destination portal’s specification, not simply around the source database.

    3. Separate Website Development From Feed Integration

    Because the client’s website was not required for this integration, the feed could be developed independently.

    This approach reduces the risk of interfering with an existing production website and makes the integration easier to maintain.

    4. API Credentials Are Part of the Integration

    XML feed development can involve more than XML formatting. When the destination platform requires REST API submission, authentication and API permissions also become part of the technical workflow.

    5. A Good Integration Can Lead to Repeat Business

    One of the strongest outcomes of this project was the client’s return for another XML feed shortly afterward.

    The second request for an Idealista feed demonstrated that successful completion of one portal integration can establish trust for additional international property-feed projects.

    Conclusion

    This project demonstrates how a custom real estate XML feed can connect an external property database with an international property portal without requiring changes to the agency’s main website.

    The key was understanding the actual data source, reviewing the destination portal’s technical requirements, obtaining the necessary API access, and building the feed around the receiving platform’s specification.

    The subsequent Idealista request from the same client further demonstrated the value of delivering a practical, portal-specific XML integration that can be extended to additional property platforms.

    Project Type: Custom Real Estate XML Feed
    Data Source: External Multi-Agency Property Database
    Integration: Custom XML + REST API
    Follow-Up: Idealista XML Feed Integration

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