Product families enable you to share user-generated content (UGC) across multiple related products. By grouping products in families, you can display UGC written about one family product on product display pages (PDPs) for all family products.

Before you configure product families, we recommend that you read the Best practices to ensure you’re meeting the Bazaarvoice guidelines.

Share reviews using product families

Sharing reviews among products in the family increases the following key performance indicators for your Bazaarvoice implementation:

  • Percentage of products with displayed reviews
  • Number of products with displayed reviews
  • Average reviews for each product
  • Number of total displayed reviews

Types of product families

The type of product family that you use depends on how your products relate to other similar products:

  • Product variants — Products that are nearly identical to other products in terms of consumer experience, but they have different SKUs or part numbers. For example, products that come in different colors, different sizes, or are packaged in different weights or quantities may be variants of one another. Content from product variants is usually shared in all directions. All products in a family display content that was written about the other family members.

    Note: Creating a product family of product variants works best when each product variant is featured on its own product display page. If all product variants share the same page on your site, treating the variants as one product when integrating with Bazaarvoice may be simpler and more practical than setting up a product family for those products.
  • Product bundles — Groups of products sold together that otherwise may be sold individually. Content about product bundles is usually shared in one direction: from individual products to the product bundle they're part of. Typically, the PDP for a bundle displays all reviews written about the individual products. However, the PDP for each individual product shows reviews about that product only.

Configure product families

You can configure product families in your Dynamic Catalog Collection (DCC) JavaScript on product display pages, product feed, or through the Portal user interface. You can assign a product to one or more families at the same time using these methods.

Keep the following caveats in mind when configuring product families:

  • Product family configurations do not carry over from the staging environment to the production environment.
  • If you make changes to product families in Portal, you can only undo them in Portal.
  • Family definitions in the product feed do not override family operations in Portal.
  • Families that are imported in the product list page are feed families. Feed families can only be edited using DCC, SFTP upload, or the product list page. If there are any data conflicts, the details imported in the product list page in Portal take priority over feed family details provided using other methods.
Note: Product families only work for native reviews. Syndication ignores product family relationships. If you plan to implement or have implemented syndication, contact Bazaarvoice Support before configuring product families in your product feed.

Using the product feed

We recommend you create product families using the product feed if you have a clear idea about which products can be grouped into families. Automating those relationships in the product feed is straightforward and faster than creating them in Portal.

You can configure product families in your product feed by including one or both of the following attributes:

  • BV_FE_FAMILY—Adds a product to a specific family.
  • BV_FE_EXPAND—Enables a product to display all content from other members of the family.
Tip: We recommend that you do not use special characters, such as commas, in product family names.

In this XML example, all products in a family display content about all other products in the family.

<Product>
     <ExternalId>...</ExternalId>
     <Name>Green iPod Nano</Name>
     <Description>...</Description>
     <BrandExternalId>...</BrandExternalId>
     <CategoryExternalId>...</CategoryExternalId>
     <ProductPageUrl>...</ProductPageUrl>
     <ImageUrl>...</ImageUrl>
     <Attributes>
          <Attribute id="BV_FE_FAMILY">
               <Value>iPod_Nanos</Value>
          </Attribute>
          <Attribute id="BV_FE_EXPAND">
               <Value>BV_FE_FAMILY:iPod_Nanos</Value>
          </Attribute>
     </Attributes>
</Product>
<Product>                 
     <ExternalId>...</ExternalId>
     <Name>Pink iPod Nano</Name>
     <Description>...</Description>
     <BrandExternalId>...</BrandExternalId>
     <CategoryExternalId>...</CategoryExternalId>
     <ProductPageUrl>...</ProductPageUrl>
     <ImageUrl>...</ImageUrl>
     <Attributes>
       <Attribute id="BV_FE_FAMILY">
        <Value>iPod_Nanos</Value>
        </Attribute>
        <Attribute id="BV_FE_EXPAND">
             <Value>BV_FE_FAMILY:iPod_Nanos</Value>
       </Attribute>
     </Attributes>
</Product>

In the following XML example, the product bundle includes BV_FE_EXPAND, so all reviews about family products display on the bundle's page. However, BV_FE_EXPAND is omitted from the product<Attribute> definitions of the individual products to prevent reviews about the bundle from displaying on individual product pages.

<Product>
     <ExternalId>...</ExternalId>  
     <Name>Value Bundle</Name>   
     <Description>...</Description>
     <BrandExternalId>...</BrandExternalId>
     <CategoryExternalId>...</CategoryExternalId>
     <ProductPageUrl>...</ProductPageUrl>
     <ImageUrl>...</ImageUrl>
     <Attributes>
          <Attribute id="BV_FE_FAMILY">
               <Value>Value_Bundle</Value>
          </Attribute>
          <!-- Including BV_FE_EXPAND displays content from all components on the bundle page -->
          <Attribute id="BV_FE_EXPAND">
               <Value>BV_FE_FAMILY:Value_Bundle</Value>
          </Attribute>
     </Attributes>
</Product>
<Product>
     <ExternalId>...</ExternalId>
     <Name>Standalone Component</Name>
     <Description>...</Description>
     <BrandExternalId>...</BrandExternalId><CategoryExternalId>...</CategoryExternalId>
     <ProductPageUrl>...</ProductPageUrl>
     <ImageUrl>...</ImageUrl>
     <Attributes>
          <Attribute id="BV_FE_FAMILY">
               <Value>Value_Bundle</Value>
          </Attribute>
     </Attributes>
     <!-- Omitting BV_FE_EXPAND prevents content from the bundle from being displayed on the component page -->
</Product>

Using Portal

Use Portal to manually create families when:

  • You are not familiar with XML.
  • You are unable to work on the product feed.
  • You need to create a family whose UGC-sharing relationships are not straightforward or possible to configure in the product feed.

    The following two examples describe scenarios in which a product family should be created directly in Portal.

    • A category manager for MP3 players wants to share reviews across different color variants for the 32 MB and 64 MB players. Setting up separate families for the 32 MB device and the 64 MB device is straightforward in the feed. However, because the 32 MB device and 64 MB device have different SKUs, combining them into one family using the feed may not be possible. The category manager should configure the family in Portal.
    • A personal-care brand manager wants to bundle lip balm and sunscreen for sale during the summer months. The brand manager wants to configure a product family containing the lip balm and sunscreen so that reviews about the individual family members will be shared on the product bundle's page. However, the lip balm and sunscreen do not have a common product feed element to link them together. The brand manager should configure the product family in Portal. When the season ends and the brand manager no longer wants to sell the products together, the manager can delete the product family bundle using Portal.

Note for Workbench users

If you have permissions to view or manage families using Workbench, you will have permissions to perform the same tasks in Portal. The Portal Manage Families feature has the same functionality as Workbench, but there are some differences to the user interface. The main differences are:

  • Placement: In Portal, you can find all your product data in one place in your product catalog. To find it, select More > Product Catalog from the navigation bar. In the Products tab, select Manage families.
  • Wording: In Portal, we are using terminology that is more widely used in fields like marketing and e-commerce. For example, we have replaced the technical term expand with the more descriptive Display family UGC.
  • Changes to workflows: In Portal, we have made some changes to make the feature more consistent with other areas of Portal and to address insights from user research. For example, Workbench had a family name filter, while in Portal you can search by family name. In Workbench, filters were placed below sorting options, and in Portal, the filter is placed above it to align with other Portal workflows.
  • Find a product within a family: In Portal, you can use the Products filter to find a specific product.

Configure product families using Portal

Note: If you are new to product families, we recommend that you read the Best practices to understand our guidelines before you start.
Note: Manage families only lets you view and manage Portal product families, which are product families that have been created directly in the Portal user interface or in its predecessor, Workbench.

To view product families in Portal, you must have the Product Catalog Viewer role or the Family Management Workbench role. See Users and permissions.

To view and manage product families, you must have the following permissions: The Product Catalog Administrator Portal role or the Family Management Modification Workbench role. See Users and permissions.

To create a new product family using Portal:

  1. Sign in to the Bazaarvoice Portal .
  2. From the navigation bar, select More > Product Catalog.
  3. In the Products tab, select Manage families.
  4. Select + Create family.
  5. Enter a name for your family and select Save.
  6. To add a product to your new family, select + Add product.
  7. Enter the exact product ID and select Add.
  8. If you want to display all family UGC on this product's display page, then select the Display all family UGC for this product checkbox.
    Tip: For product variant families, display family UGC for all products. For families with a bundle, display family UGC only for the bundle. See Types of product families.
  9. Select Add to family.
  10. Repeat for all the products you want to include in the family.

Find product families in Portal

Only families created in Portal or Workbench are currently displayed on the Manage families page. Feed family details can be found in the product details for a specific product.

Note: Searching, sorting, and filtering is limited in this release. More options will be added in future releases.

To find a product family that was created using Portal or Workbench:

  1. Sign in to the Bazaarvoice Portal .
  2. From the navigation bar, select More > Product Catalog.
  3. In the Products tab, select Manage families.
  4. Optional: Sort families by Date created.
  5. Optional: To find a specific family, search by family name.
    Note: You must match the capitalization that is used in the product name. For example, if you type in “my-product”, “My-product” will not be found.
  6. Optional: To find a product family that includes a specific product, use the Products filter. You must enter the exact product ID.

To find a product family that was created using product feed:

  1. Sign in to the Bazaarvoice Portal .
  2. From the navigation bar, select More > Product Catalog.
  3. In the Products tab, select Products.
  4. Sort, filter, or search to find a product that is included in the product family you are looking for.
  5. Select the product name.
  6. See all product family details under Product family.

Using Workbench

Only use Workbench to manage product families if you are already using Workbench for this purpose. Workbench is a legacy application that will be retired after a transition period. The new Manage families feature in Portal has the same functionality as Workbench, but the workflows and text have been improved based on user research. See Note for Workbench users.

Configure product families using Workbench

Note: If you require view-only access to product families, you must be assigned a role thats grants you Family Management permissions. Refer to Portal Roles and permissions.
  1. Sign in to Workbench and navigate to Content > Manage Families.
  2. Select Add New Family, and enter a name for the product family.
    3. Note: To create a new family, add or remove products within a family, or modify the Expand setting, you must be assigned a role that grants you Family Management Modification access permissions. Refer to Portal Roles and permissions.
  3. Enter the Product ID, as listed in your XML product feed, for every product you want to add to the family, and select Add Product.
  4. Deselect Expand if you do not want the corresponding product to display content from family members.
  5. Select x to return to the Manage Families page.

Best practices

Native content sharing

When two or more products are added to a product family, these products will share content, such as reviews on your website. The Bazaarvoice guidelines for native content sharing are in place to ensure, as much as possible, an authentic consumer experience in accordance with Bazaarvoice’s Authenticity Policy and definitions. These same guidelines should be considered, but will not be enforced, when you add products to the same product family. Read Bazaarvoice's guidelines and definitions .

Note: It is not possible to explicitly outline detailed criteria for every product, service, or product type. Our guidelines target the majority of product matching recommendations and aim to ensure an authentic consumer experience for our clients. We review and update them on a recurring basis.

Bazaarvoice's recommendations regarding review sharing and review collection within families aligns with our authenticity goals for transparency for end consumers, as well as with the best practices of external regulatory bodies. Bazaarvoice therefore recommends that products with significantly different qualities collect reviews independently of the others and are not added to the same product family. When adding two or more products to a product family, Bazaarvoice recommends they meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • The products have the same set of Universal Product Codes (UPCs) and European Article Numbers (EANs) so that reviews will be shared between retailer products.
  • The products are identical, meaning the products are the same in every and all aspects.
  • The only difference between the products is size, AND the size does not affect the functionality of the product or the consumer experience. For example, we would match a small shirt to a large shirt when the material/composition is the same in every other way.
  • The only difference between the two products is the color, AND the color does not affect the functionality of the product or the consumer experience. For example, we would match a black metal toaster to a white metal toaster that is otherwise identical.
  • The only difference between the two products is packaging, packaging size, or quantity included in the package. For example, we would match a package of 10 diapers with a package of 50 diapers, assuming the individual diapers themselves are identical.

Products should not be added to the same family if they differ in a way that affects functionality or consumer experience, their intended uses differ, or if they meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • The products differ in scent. For example, different scents of perfume or scented candles.
  • The products differ in flavor. For example, different flavors of toothpaste or candy.
  • The products differ in component materials. For example, a down pillow versus a cotton pillow.
  • The products differ in their intended users or use. For example, men’s shoes versus women’s shoes or a vacuum designed specifically for hard surfaces versus one for all surfaces.
  • One product is merely a component of another product. For example, a computer chip in a computer.
  • The products are not sold as being in identical conditions. For example, a new product versus a refurbished product.
  • The products differ in dimension or size in a way that alters the user experience or the functionality of the item. For example, a 10-liter garbage can versus a 50-liter garbage can.

Products such as televisions could be added to the same family despite differences in size if all of the following conditions are met:

  • All components that are critical to the functionality of both televisions are the same or similar enough that their functionality is identical.
  • The televisions are the same brand and model.
  • The user experience for the average consumer could reasonably be considered the same with either television.
    • Note: If the differences between items is enough that functionality or the user experience could be affected, the items may not be matched.

Common questions

View the following questions and answers to better understand product families and the methods you can use to create or manage them.

About product families

No. The reviews remain in our systems. However, after you re-add a product it may take 24 hours before you can see the family UGC on the product display page.

Their family relationship is different. A variants family is a group of nearly identical products, while a bundle family consists of a product bundle and the individual products in it. For more information, refer to Types of product families.

Moving to Portal from Workbench

No. Workbench families will be available to view and edit in Portal as Portal families.

Yes, but you don’t need to do anything. The Bazaarvoice team will automatically grant you the Portal product catalog permissions required to perform the tasks you had permissions for in Workbench.

Yes, but Workbench will remain available during a transition period to give you time to become familiar with the Portal manage families user interface.

There is no difference. Product families that have been created in Workbench or Portal are managed the same by our system. And they are all listed in the Portal Manage families view as Portal families.

Based on user research, we have replaced the technical term Expand with the more descriptive term Display family UGC.

All functionality from Workbench is also available in Portal. However, there are differences to the user interface. We have made improvements to make the workflows consistent with other areas of Portal and to address user research insights. Refer to Note for Workbench users

Manage families in Portal

A Portal product family is a product family that was created using Portal or its predecessor, Workbench. This includes product families that have been created using one of the following methods:

  • Using Manage families in Workbench
  • Using Manage families in Portal
  • Creating a family from the product details page in Portal
    Note: Product families that you create by importing an Excel file in the product list page in Portal are feed families.

Portal families can only be edited or removed using Workbench or Portal.

No. You can only view and manage Portal product families. These are families that were created directly in the Portal user interface or in its predecessor, Workbench. In Portal, you can create product families from the Manage families pages, or from the product details view of a product.

Note: Product families that you create by importing an Excel file in the product list page in Portal are feed families.

Portal families and feed families

All product families have the same purpose: Defining how you want to share user-generated content (UGC) between related products on your site. Portal and feed families represent two different ways of configuring and managing your product families.

Portal product families are product families that have been created using one of the following methods:

  • Using Manage families in Workbench
  • Using Manage families in Portal
  • Creating a family from the product details page in Portal

Portal families can only be edited using one of those methods.

Note: Product families that you create by importing an Excel file in the product list page in Portal are feed families.

Use Portal families if you prefer to use the Portal user interface over editing data files, or if you need to set up more complex family relationships. Refer to Using Portal.

Feed product families are product families that are created using one of the following methods:

  • Importing an Excel file through the product list page
  • Uploading feed files to our SFTP server
  • Using DCC

Feed families can only be edited using one of those methods.

Note: If you use multiple methods for editing feed families, and there are conflicting details, then any details that you import in the product list page in Portal take priority.

Use feed families if you have a clear idea about which products can be grouped into families, and you want to automate the configuration of families. Refer to Using the product feed.

Yes, you can have both. We often recommend using both as you can use feed families for easy automation, while Portal families are better for setting up more complex families, such as families that include a product bundle.