This tool allows you to streamline exchanges on product data with your partners by allowing you to exchange directly on a given product, thus avoiding you to manage disparate e-mails.
On each exchanged item with your partner you can initiate a comment thread where you can, as in mail, share your questions and remarks.
You can create comments directly while reviewing suggestions, and also at any time on the dedicated view.
Once created, the comment thread is automatically sent to the partner which exchanged data with you on the item.
Comment threads can also be created automatically by a Data Factory job or through the Comment Threads API, for example to notify a supplier when a publication is rejected during collection. See Comments on rejected publications.
In the item comments view, you can see all exchanged comments: who sent what to whom and when.
You can reply to each opened comment thread by clicking on "Reply to". The reply is then sent to your partner and added to the comment thread.
While adding a comment to the comment thread you can assign the comment thread only to the involved partner to inform them that an action is requested so that he/she can quickly act on it.
When the discussion on a comment thread is finished, both the initiator and the recipient accounts of the comment thread can close it by clicking on "Close thread". A message is required. That way, all participants will be notified, and you will be able to focus on items with on-going comment threads.
If the discussion on the comment thread is un-finished, only both the initiator and recipient account of the comment thread can reopen it by clicking on "Reopen thread" to allow further replies.
When a distributor rejects a publication during collection (for example because the published item violates identification uniqueness on compound identifiers) a comment thread can be created directly on the rejected publication to explain why.
As a supplier, you find this comment thread on your item, like any other comment thread. It tells you what was refused and why, so you can fix your data and publish again without waiting for an email from your distributor.
Visible only by the supplier
A comment thread on a publication is visible only on the supplier side, as the publication does not exist on the distributor side. You can reply to it, but your distributor will not see your reply. If you need to discuss the rejection, contact your distributor directly.
As a distributor, these comment threads are created through the Comment Threads API, usually by your collection job right after rejecting the publication. They can be created whatever the status of the publication, including after it has been rejected and even if no suggestion exists for it. They are not visible in your interface.
A system comment thread is not attached to any person: it is displayed as sent by Product-Live. Your partner knows it is an automatic notification and does not expect an answer from a named person in your team.
System comment threads are created automatically by the Data Factory exchange-receive-items task, when it cannot create the target item, due to a compound identifiers violation for example.
In any other case, use the Comment Threads API to create them on a publication. You must explicitly set the system as sender.
Comment threads on suggestions cannot be system comment threads: they are always sent on behalf of the user who owns the API key.
For companies, to shorten the response time from your partners on your comments, email notifications are automatically sent to all subscribed and all mentioned users.
The email notification contains product's distinctive information with the comment and a quick link to open Product-Live on the notified comment.
When you publish an item to your partner, you will be subscribed to any new comment thread on that item. If your profile is deactivated, your oldest admin will receive the notification so that no comment notification is lost.
When you send a new comment thread or respond to one, you will be subscribed to that comment thread.
When you are subscribed to a comment thread, you will receive a notification for every new comment on that comment thread, except your own comments.
To subscribe/unsubscribe to a comment thread, simply click on the bell on the top right of that comment thread.
System comment threads have no sender, so no user of the sending company is subscribed to them or notified. On the receiving side, the users subscribed to the item, such as the author of the publication, are notified as usual.
In case you need to transfer or inform a colleague of a comment, you can mention them by typing @ followed by their name or email. They will be subscribed to the comment thread and receive a notification of your comment.
By default, you can only see the last 90 days of comments.
Older comments and replies still exist but are not visible in the interface. To access them you need to upgrade your account plan to include longer visibility on comments. Do not hesitate to contact Product-Live Team to benefit from longer comment history.
I have multiple suppliers which suggested data on the same item
Each comment thread is exchanged only between one distributor and one supplier (or wholesaler). When multiple suppliers or wholesaler have suggested data on the same item, you can choose to which supplier you want to initiate a comment thread with.
I cannot initiate a comment thread with a partner
Comment thread can only be initiated on existing exchanged items.
As a supplier, if you have not sent a publication to your partner on the item, it cannot be commented, as your partner does not have a linked item to receive your comment.
As a retailer, if you have not received a suggestion from your partner on the item, it cannot be commented from the interface, as your partner does not have a linked item to receive your comment. However if you received a publication, you can still create a comment thread on it through the Comment Threads API.
If your partner has deleted the item on its side, it cannot be commented anymore, as your partner does not have anymore the item to receive your comment.
You can only reply to an open comment thread. When a comment thread is closed and you need to share something, start a new discussion by creating a new comment thread.
If the comment thread is open and you cannot reply to it. It means that your partner has deleted the item on its side, and so he is not able to receive any comment or reply.
No. Once created, a comment (and reply) cannot be modified. Neither its content, sender and recipient can be changed. It also means that if someone's name or a partner name changes, the name at the time of the comment does not change. That is to ensure auditability and traceability on who said what and when.
No. Comments are designed to ease the communication process between partners. To smooth communication with coworker we invite you to use modern messaging tools.
Can I send a comment on multiple items at once ?
No. Comments are linked to the item on which they have been created. To send the same comment on multiple items, either create the same comment on each item, or create the comment on one item and mention the other items in the comment.
Can I have multiple conversations on the same item ?
Yes. You can initiate as many comment threads on an item as you need.
Anyone in your company who can see an item can see all the comments and answers exchanged on that item. That also means that anyone in your partner can see all the comments you've exchanged with them on an item.
Comment threads on publications are an exception: they are visible only on the supplier side, as the publication does not exist on the distributor side.
It is a system comment thread, created automatically by your partner's job, for example to explain why your publication was rejected during collection. It is not attached to a person in your partner's team. See System comment threads.
Can I comment a publication that has been rejected?
Yes, through the Comment Threads API. Comment threads can be created on a publication whatever its status, including after it has been rejected. This is the recommended way to explain a rejection to your supplier.
Why does my distributor not answer my reply on a rejected publication?
Comment threads on publications are visible only on the supplier side. Your distributor cannot see your reply. To discuss a rejection, contact your distributor directly.
Comments
What are the comments?
This tool allows you to streamline exchanges on product data with your partners by allowing you to exchange directly on a given product, thus avoiding you to manage disparate e-mails.
Why and when?
You might need:
How to use it?
Send a comment
On each exchanged item with your partner you can initiate a comment thread where you can, as in mail, share your questions and remarks.
You can create comments directly while reviewing suggestions, and also at any time on the dedicated view.
Once created, the comment thread is automatically sent to the partner which exchanged data with you on the item.
Comment threads can also be created automatically by a Data Factory job or through the Comment Threads API, for example to notify a supplier when a publication is rejected during collection. See Comments on rejected publications.
Search commented items
On the grid, a colored icon indicates that there is a comment, with its status, associated with the current product.
When a comment is open and awaiting your answer, you can see a red chip on the open status icon.
To easily identify items on which there are comments (waiting for you), you can filter the grid to see only matching items.
By clicking on the comment icon, you can open the comments view on the item and see all exchanged comments on it.
Consult comments
To consult comments on an item, open the comments view, either with the comment icon or on the Comment menu in the side view.
There you can see all the comment threads exchanged with your partners on the item. You can expand each of them to see the whole discussion.
Reply to a comment
In the item comments view, you can see all exchanged comments: who sent what to whom and when.
You can reply to each opened comment thread by clicking on "Reply to". The reply is then sent to your partner and added to the comment thread.
While adding a comment to the comment thread you can assign the comment thread only to the involved partner to inform them that an action is requested so that he/she can quickly act on it.
Close & reopen a comment
When the discussion on a comment thread is finished, both the initiator and the recipient accounts of the comment thread can close it by clicking on "Close thread". A message is required. That way, all participants will be notified, and you will be able to focus on items with on-going comment threads.
If the discussion on the comment thread is un-finished, only both the initiator and recipient account of the comment thread can reopen it by clicking on "Reopen thread" to allow further replies.
Comments on publications
When a distributor rejects a publication during collection (for example because the published item violates identification uniqueness on compound identifiers) a comment thread can be created directly on the rejected publication to explain why.
As a supplier, you find this comment thread on your item, like any other comment thread. It tells you what was refused and why, so you can fix your data and publish again without waiting for an email from your distributor.
Visible only by the supplier
A comment thread on a publication is visible only on the supplier side, as the publication does not exist on the distributor side. You can reply to it, but your distributor will not see your reply. If you need to discuss the rejection, contact your distributor directly.
As a distributor, these comment threads are created through the
Comment ThreadsAPI, usually by your collection job right after rejecting the publication. They can be created whatever the status of the publication, including after it has been rejected and even if no suggestion exists for it. They are not visible in your interface.System comment threads
A system comment thread is not attached to any person: it is displayed as sent by Product-Live. Your partner knows it is an automatic notification and does not expect an answer from a named person in your team.
System comment threads are created automatically by the Data Factory
exchange-receive-itemstask, when it cannot create the target item, due to a compound identifiers violation for example.In any other case, use the Comment Threads API to create them on a publication. You must explicitly set the system as sender.
Comment threads on suggestions cannot be system comment threads: they are always sent on behalf of the user who owns the API key.
Comments notifications
For companies, to shorten the response time from your partners on your comments, email notifications are automatically sent to all subscribed and all mentioned users.
The email notification contains product's distinctive information with the comment and a quick link to open Product-Live on the notified comment.
Comment thread subscription
When you publish an item to your partner, you will be subscribed to any new comment thread on that item. If your profile is deactivated, your oldest admin will receive the notification so that no comment notification is lost.
When you send a new comment thread or respond to one, you will be subscribed to that comment thread.
When you are subscribed to a comment thread, you will receive a notification for every new comment on that comment thread, except your own comments.
To subscribe/unsubscribe to a comment thread, simply click on the bell on the top right of that comment thread.
System comment threads have no sender, so no user of the sending company is subscribed to them or notified. On the receiving side, the users subscribed to the item, such as the author of the publication, are notified as usual.
Mention internal user
In case you need to transfer or inform a colleague of a comment, you can mention them by typing
@followed by their name or email. They will be subscribed to the comment thread and receive a notification of your comment.Comments history
By default, you can only see the last 90 days of comments.
Older comments and replies still exist but are not visible in the interface. To access them you need to upgrade your account plan to include longer visibility on comments. Do not hesitate to contact Product-Live Team to benefit from longer comment history.
FAQ
I have multiple suppliers which suggested data on the same item
Each comment thread is exchanged only between one distributor and one supplier (or wholesaler). When multiple suppliers or wholesaler have suggested data on the same item, you can choose to which supplier you want to initiate a comment thread with.
I cannot initiate a comment thread with a partner
Comment thread can only be initiated on existing exchanged items.
As a supplier, if you have not sent a publication to your partner on the item, it cannot be commented, as your partner does not have a linked item to receive your comment.
As a retailer, if you have not received a suggestion from your partner on the item, it cannot be commented from the interface, as your partner does not have a linked item to receive your comment. However if you received a publication, you can still create a comment thread on it through the Comment Threads API.
If your partner has deleted the item on its side, it cannot be commented anymore, as your partner does not have anymore the item to receive your comment.
I cannot reply to a comment thread
You can only reply to an open comment thread. When a comment thread is closed and you need to share something, start a new discussion by creating a new comment thread.
If the comment thread is open and you cannot reply to it. It means that your partner has deleted the item on its side, and so he is not able to receive any comment or reply.
Can I change my comment content?
No. Once created, a comment (and reply) cannot be modified. Neither its content, sender and recipient can be changed. It also means that if someone's name or a partner name changes, the name at the time of the comment does not change. That is to ensure auditability and traceability on who said what and when.
Can I send a comment to a coworker?
No. Comments are designed to ease the communication process between partners. To smooth communication with coworker we invite you to use modern messaging tools.
Can I send a comment on multiple items at once ?
No. Comments are linked to the item on which they have been created. To send the same comment on multiple items, either create the same comment on each item, or create the comment on one item and mention the other items in the comment.
Can I have multiple conversations on the same item ?
Yes. You can initiate as many comment threads on an item as you need.
Who can see the comments ?
Anyone in your company who can see an item can see all the comments and answers exchanged on that item. That also means that anyone in your partner can see all the comments you've exchanged with them on an item.
Comment threads on publications are an exception: they are visible only on the supplier side, as the publication does not exist on the distributor side.
Why is a comment thread sent by Product-Live?
It is a system comment thread, created automatically by your partner's job, for example to explain why your publication was rejected during collection. It is not attached to a person in your partner's team. See System comment threads.
Can I comment a publication that has been rejected?
Yes, through the Comment Threads API. Comment threads can be created on a publication whatever its status, including after it has been rejected. This is the recommended way to explain a rejection to your supplier.
Why does my distributor not answer my reply on a rejected publication?
Comment threads on publications are visible only on the supplier side. Your distributor cannot see your reply. To discuss a rejection, contact your distributor directly.