XML or CSV? It's one of the most common questions in feed management. The answer depends on your specific needs, channels, and technical setup. Let's break it down.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | CSV | XML |
|---|---|---|
| Readability | Easy to view in Excel | Requires XML viewer |
| File Size | Smaller | Larger (more markup) |
| Nested Data | Limited | Excellent support |
| Data Types | Everything is text | Structured types |
| Special Characters | Can cause issues | Better handling |
When to Use CSV
✅ CSV is Great For
- 📊 Simple product catalogs with flat data
- 📈 Google Sheets integration
- 👁️ Quick manual reviews and edits
- 📤 Platforms that prefer CSV (Google Shopping)
- ⚡ Faster processing of large files
CSV Example
id,title,price,availability
SKU001,Blue Widget,19.99 USD,in stock
SKU002,Red Widget,24.99 USD,in stock
SKU003,Green Widget,14.99 USD,out of stockWhen to Use XML
✅ XML is Great For
- 🏗️ Complex products with variants
- 📦 Nested attributes (multiple images, shipping options)
- 🔒 Data that needs strict validation
- 🛒 Marketplaces with XML requirements (Amazon, some EU feeds)
- 🔧 API integrations
XML Example
<products>
<product>
<id>SKU001</id>
<title>Blue Widget</title>
<price>19.99 USD</price>
<images>
<image>https://example.com/img1.jpg</image>
<image>https://example.com/img2.jpg</image>
</images>
</product>
</products>Platform Preferences
Different platforms have different preferences:
| Platform | Preferred Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google Shopping | TSV/CSV or XML | Both work equally well |
| Facebook Catalog | CSV or XML | CSV more common |
| Amazon | XML | Strict schema required |
| TSV/CSV | Similar to Google | |
| TikTok Shop | CSV | Template-based |
Common Pitfalls
CSV Issues
- ❌ Commas in product titles break columns
- ❌ Special characters corrupt data
- ❌ Excel auto-formatting damages IDs and prices
XML Issues
- ❌ Invalid characters cause parse failures
- ❌ Missing closing tags break entire file
- ❌ Encoding mismatches cause display issues
The Right Answer: Both
The best feed management systems generate both formats from a single source. You shouldn't be locked into one format — you should be able to output whatever each channel needs.
Any format, any channel
NX Feed generates XML, CSV, TSV, or custom formats from your single product data source. No more format headaches.
Start Building Feeds →