How to keep a change log for shopping feeds

What to take away

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, chapter 18, received Royal Assent on 19 June 2025. Feed plans that rely on customer data now sit under amended UK law.
Track shopping feeds channel changes through primary documentation rather than commentary. Google and the ICO both publish their own pages.
Treat personalisation as a compliance decision, not a merchandising extra.
Use a dated rule, a platform record or a decision a catalogue team can own; this is a planning method, not a vendor ranking.
GeographyUK-wide where the cited rule is UK-wide, otherwise the source's own territory.

1. Why do dated sources beat trend forecasts?

An undated prediction cannot be checked later. A dated source can. When a rule or a feed specification moves, you can return to the page and see what changed and when.

Catalogue teams plan six to twelve months ahead, often against peak trading. A number without a source is a guess with a confident tone.

For catalogue teams, the useful planning unit is a documented change: its source, date and effect on the feed.

2. Which platform changes are worth tracking?

Start with the channels that already produce revenue. For Google Shopping, monitor the Google Merchant Center product data specification and Google Ads features and announcements covering shopping campaigns. For other channels, use the official feed or catalogue guidance for Microsoft Merchant Center (Bing Shopping), Meta Commerce Manager, Amazon Seller Central, eBay Seller Centre and TikTok Shop Seller Center. For comparison sites, check PriceRunner and idealo merchant guidance. Follow the channels your catalogue uses, and record each document's title and publication or update date.

Monthly platform change log

Read Google Ads announcements on a fixed day
Note the publication date beside each entry
Ask which feed attribute it touches
Add marketplaces and comparison sites
Log category mapping changes

Read that page on a fixed day each month. Note the publication date beside each entry, then ask which feed attribute it touches: title, GTIN, price, availability or category.

Add marketplaces and comparison sites to the same log. A channel that changes category mapping can leave a listing live but invisible. The feed still validates; the traffic does not follow.

3. Which UK rules shape personalised feeds?

When personalisation uses data tied to an identifiable shopper, log the specific catalogue rule or product-set configuration involved, its purpose and who approved it. The ICO's artificial intelligence guidance sets out expectations for automated decisions and transparency; note the relevant guidance and its publication or update date in the source field.

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 changed parts of the framework around legitimate interests and automated decision-making. Record any decision relevant to a feed or catalogue configuration, its source, date, owner, affected fields and resulting change. Feed teams should read the Act alongside relevant ICO guidance.

Practical effect: keep the reason a shopper sees a personalised product set in the log beside the feed configuration, with its owner and review status.

4. How should you record a before and after?

Record one change per row, with the date, source, old setting and new setting.

Use these columns: channel/feed; product or scope; date logged; source/document and its update date; affected attribute; old setting; new setting; reason or trigger; owner; status; rollback action; review date.

Feed change record template

Before

Google Shopping attribute: Titles capped at 70 characters
Personalisation basis: Assumed consent from newsletter sign-up
Category mapping: One Google taxonomy
Data retention: No set period
Review rhythm: Ad hoc

After

Google Shopping attribute: Brand placed first, titles rewritten
Personalisation basis: Documented legitimate interest assessment
Category mapping: Per-channel mapping with review date
Data retention: Retention period tied to UK data law
Review rhythm: Monthly check of platform announcements

Review each entry monthly. If either the previous or new setting is missing, the change is not ready to ship.

5. What triggers a feed review?

Set triggers in advance so nobody has to argue later. A platform announcement that changes a required attribute counts, as does a new data protection decision or a peak trading date. Write each trigger down before the season starts.

Then add commercial triggers: a fall in approval rate, a rise in out-of-stock lines, or a new market. Set a team-defined threshold for each so a review starts consistently.

Record the trigger and the date it fired, so two reviews sit side by side in the same file.

Common questions

Use these answers to check the log's review cadence and scope.

How often should a feed team check these sources?

Monthly for platform announcements, and after any UK data law change or regulator update. A quarterly review is too slow for attribute deadlines.

Does this list rank software or vendors?

No. It covers a way to record platform changes and feed decisions, not a ranking of software or vendors.

Which parts apply outside England?

UK-wide rules such as the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and ICO guidance cover England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Platform documentation is global.

What is the first step?

Pick one product and write its before and after row. If you cannot name the source and the date, the change is not planned yet.