Optimize the Way You Import Listings: Guide to Smooth Imports on Chrono24

May 22, 2024

By following the recommendations in this guide, you can ensure a smooth import of your listings and set the course for a safe and reliable buying and selling experience on Chrono24.

Find answers to these questions in our guide:

What types of import does Chrono24 offer, and which one gives the most reliable results?

Depending on your individual needs and technical specifications, we offer different import types. The following overview should help you choose the most suitable solution.

A private feed is a customized solution that enables dealers to create an exclusive data stream that has been specially designed to meet Chrono24’s requirements and is only accessible via Chrono24 (e.g., through password protection or IP whitelisting). This special feed allows you to publish your listings as files in a data exchange format like XML or JSON. We recommend this import method because it’s specifically designed for listing on Chrono24 and thus very reliable, providing an efficient and seamless data import between your import source and Chrono24.

You can easily obtain the IP address you'll need for IP whitelisting from your personal contact.

When importing from a public feed or your API, you set up a data stream or automated interface from which various parties or platforms can retrieve your listing data. Similar to the private feed, the data is usually shared in a standard data exchange format like XML or JSON.

Compared to the files from private feeds, which provide content and structure specifically tailored to our needs, the content and structure of the files in public feeds or APIs tend to be more generalized. That way, they can be accessed and used by more than one party or platform. The downside is that some of the data needed for your listings on Chrono24 may not be imported. Furthermore, we need to “map” the data we receive using this method. This means that we must first match the data we receive from you with the corresponding data fields in our system.

Overall, this process is more prone to errors. Even small changes in the files we receive from you can cause the data mapping to not work as intended, requiring manual adjustments.

Please note: We can only import listings from your API once a day. Therefore, there is no continuous two-way synchronization between the import source and Chrono24. But don't worry: We want to improve this process and are currently exploring solutions that will enable continuous two-way synchronization in the future.

Web crawling (also known as scraping) is a process in which automated scripts known as “crawlers” extract information from websites. In this case, we systematically search your webshop to collect the information we need to list your watches on Chrono24.

For this to work smoothly, it is important that the information in your webshop is available in a structured form (e.g., in a table) and not as a body of text. This is the only way the crawlers can correctly recognize and retrieve the information.

Data mapping is also required when importing via web crawling. However, as the data mapping for this type of import is often even more complex than importing from a public feed, the error rate is much higher. For example, there’s a risk that changes made to a dealer’s website will have a direct impact on crawling and lead to errors.

What basic information is required for a listing on Chrono24?

To achieve the highest possible visibility for your listings on Chrono24, the source from which we import your listing data should contain the following basic information:

  • Reference number
  • Name of the model
  • Manufacturer
  • Production year
  • Scope of delivery (e.g., original box and papers)
  • Case material
  • Bracelet/strap material
  • Dial color
  • Winding mechanism
  • Condition
  • Description
  • Handling time
  • Images

What are the criteria for each piece of basic info in the listing?

To get the most out of the import process, compliance with the following quality requirements is crucial. It’s important to note that we cannot guarantee a smooth import or clean results if the quality of the data in your import source is insufficient.

As a rule, the listing titles on Chrono24 are generated automatically using the names of the manufacturer (brand) and model, as well as the official reference number (where applicable).

Here is an example:

Jaeger-LeCoultre Duomètre
Chronograph Moon

This way, we can make sure that listings are found quickly, and that search results on Chrono24 are accurate. This helps potential buyers navigate our marketplace and find their dream watch.

The following information and formatting are not allowed in the listing title: Country codes, the production year, partial reference numbers, phrases such as “best price”, and formatting in capital letters.

Therefore, we ask you to make sure that all information regarding the watch’s manufacturer, model name, and official reference number is presented in a straightforward and organized manner in your import source and that it does not contain any prohibited content. This is the only way for us to ensure that your listings are correctly displayed on Chrono24 and thus found by potential buyers.

A detailed description increases the quality of your listing and leads to fewer questions from potential buyers.

The description may only contain information about the watch for sale. Be sure to include details about when the watch was last serviced, if it comes with any warranties, and if there are any deviations from its original condition. Mention all known cases of damage, repair, and/or replacement parts, to earn the confidence of potential buyers.

We recommend a text length of between 750 and 1,700 characters (including spaces).

The imported description should only be in one language (ideally English) to allow for a smooth automatic translation by our system. If individual descriptions aren’t available on your website, you can also enter a more general, standard text describing the watch.

The following information and formatting are not allowed in the description:

  • Contact details such as telephone numbers or email addresses
  • Promotional texts for alternative services such as the purchase and sale of gold or financing
  • You may not refer to your own website, other platforms, or alternative methods of communication
  • Promotional texts related to you as a dealer and your previous sales on Chrono24
  • Information on buying, such as payment methods, discounts, shipping options, etc.
  • The exclusive use of all capital letters

In order to create a better buying experience for customers and minimize returns, it’s essential that you describe the condition of your watches accurately and transparently. This includes both informative, high-quality images and an accurate assessment of the condition of the watch.

If you use different condition descriptions in your import source than we do, these will be adapted to our standardized descriptions during the listing import (data mapping). To ensure this process is free of errors, we ask you to make regular, random checks of your listings on Chrono24. If you notice any deviations, please contact us right away.

The number of photos you upload has a significant influence on the attractiveness of your listing, because photos are the best way for potential buyers to assess the condition of your watch for themselves. We therefore recommend that you upload at least eight informative images of your watch, box, and papers. With 360° images, you can also offer potential customers the opportunity to view your watch from all angles.

Every listing on Chrono24 must contain at least one image.

Photograph your watch under natural light or in a bright environment. Daylight provides the best lighting without having to purchase additional equipment.

High-resolution images (1600 x 1200 pixels) automatically enable the zoom function on Chrono24. This feature allows potential buyers to inspect your watch more closely.

We accept the most common image formats such as .jpg, .jpeg, .png, and .webp.

Using catalog or stock images for pre-owned watches is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, the images may not contain any watermarks, logos, or personal contact information such as phone numbers, email addresses, social media profiles, or websites.

A watch’s handling time is the time you need between receiving payment from the buyer and handing the item over to a delivery service.

Please note that depending on the type of import, data mapping may be required. This is especially true if the data we receive is not specifically tailored for use on Chrono24, e.g., when importing listings from a private feed. In such cases, data mapping is absolutely essential for correctly assigning terms from the import source (e.g., “immediately available”) to our standardized handling times (“1-3 days”). This mapping process can be flexibly defined in consultation with us to ensure a high level of accuracy and consistency.

In what format does the information need to be provided?

The data format provided by the import source is of critical importance. The optimum format depends on the import type:

Private feed

Public feed / API

Web crawling of your online store
Ideally, you should deliver the information to us in an XML or JSON file. You can download a sample XML file here. The information must be available in a clearly structured format such as a table. The more information you have in tabular form, the easier and more reliable it will be to map the data from your import source to our categories. However, if the data in your import source is a body of text, our system will not be able to reliably recognize the required information and errors will occur.

What do I need to pay special attention to?

Your help is essential to the long-term success of your imports:

  • Regularly check whether the listing information from your import source is displayed correctly on Chrono24.
  • Inform your personal contact of any and all changes to your import source, so we can work together to prevent import errors.
  • Please keep in mind: With each new import run, any manual changes you've made in your Market Portal will be automatically overwritten.

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