YML feed for Yandex from Cyprus

What is a YML feed and who is it for?

YML is the native product feed format for Yandex services. If you sell to Russian-speaking customers, this file is what connects your catalogue to Yandex Direct shopping campaigns, Yandex Market, and price comparison placements. Unlike Google's feed, YML follows its own schema with different required fields, category logic, and validation rules. It is not a copy-paste job from your Google Merchant feed.

When you need a Yandex feed

• You run Yandex Direct product ads — the feed powers smart banners and dynamic remarketing for RU-market shoppers
• You want placement in Yandex services — product cards appear in search, Maps, and the Yandex shopping ecosystem
• You sell physical goods to RU-speaking customers — from Cyprus or anywhere in the EU, with delivery options they understand
• Your catalogue changes frequently — prices, stock, and availability need scheduled updates, not manual uploads
• You already have a Google feed — and now you need a separate YML file because the requirements genuinely differ
• You sell under order — YML supports delivery-time fields that Google's schema handles differently

When it doesn't fit.

• You only target EU/US customers — a Google Shopping feed is enough; Yandex adds no value here
• You sell digital goods with instant delivery — Yandex has specific restrictions and moderation hurdles for these categories
• Your catalogue is tiny and static — a manual upload might work, but automation still saves hours per month
• You're not ready for moderation — Yandex checks feeds manually; sloppy data leads to rejections
• You need real-time inventory sync — YML is batch-based; it is not a live API

What a proper YML feed includes

• Offer ID and URL — unique identifiers that must match your site exactly
• Name and description — written for RU-market search behaviour, not translated word-for-word
• Category path — mapped to Yandex's own taxonomy, which differs from Google's product categories
• Price and currency — with oldprice for discounts and correct handling of EUR/RUB display
• Availability and stock quantity — including "on order" statuses with delivery windows
• Images — at least three per offer, meeting Yandex's size and background requirements
• Vendor, model, barcode — required for electronics, appliances, and many other categories
• Country of origin and customs data — relevant for cross-border sellers shipping from Cyprus

YML vs Google feed: the real differences

• Schema — YML is its own format, not Google's XML schema. Fields, nesting, and attributes differ.
• Categories — Yandex uses a separate category tree. Your Google taxonomy mapping will not carry over.
• Required fields — Yandex demands vendor, model, and barcode for many categories where Google is more lenient.
• Discounts — YML uses oldprice/price pairs. Google handles promotions differently.
• Delivery — Yandex expects explicit delivery options, dates, and costs per offer or per shop.
• Validation — Yandex runs manual moderation on top of automated checks. Google mostly relies on algorithms.

This is a separate integration project. If you already have a Google feed, we can reuse your catalogue data, but the mapping, field population, and testing are done from scratch for Yandex. Stripe and Revolut integrations, for comparison, have nothing to do with feeds — different layer entirely.

How we build your YML feed

• We pull your catalogue from CMS, database, or existing export files
• We map categories to Yandex's taxonomy manually — this is the part that breaks most DIY attempts
• We fill required fields: vendor, model, barcode, country_of_origin, delivery options
• We configure price and oldprice logic for discounts and promotions
• We handle "on order" items with realistic delivery windows to avoid moderation flags
• We set up scheduled regeneration — hourly, daily, or weekly — so the feed stays current
• We run the file through Yandex's validator and fix every error before handover

A standard feed setup takes 3–5 working days from catalogue access to a validated, moderator-ready file.

Prices and plans

• €290 — Basic YML feed — up to 500 SKUs, category mapping, required fields, one-time generation, validator check
• €590 — Standard feed with automation — up to 5,000 SKUs, scheduled updates, discount logic, on-order handling, error monitoring
• €990 — Full Yandex setup — unlimited SKUs, multi-currency, complex delivery rules, feed + Yandex Direct campaign connection, ongoing support

Common mistakes that get feeds rejected

• Price mismatch — the price in the feed must match the price on the landing page. Yandex checks this. If your site shows a different amount, you risk a ban.
• Wrong category — guessing Yandex categories instead of mapping them properly is the fastest way to rejection.
• Missing vendor/model — for electronics and appliances, these are mandatory. Skipping them means the offer will not pass moderation.
• On-order items without delivery dates — Yandex wants to know when the customer will receive the goods. Vague "available soon" statuses get flagged.
• Stale stock data — showing items as available when they are out of stock leads to complaints and account penalties.

Discounts and oldprice

YML shows discounts through the oldprice field. If you run a sale, the feed must reflect it: oldprice is the crossed-out amount, price is what the customer pays. The site must show the same numbers. We configure this logic so your promotions stay consistent across the site and the feed — and you do not get suspended for misleading pricing.

Currency and Cyprus specifics

Yandex expects prices in the currency of the target market. For RU customers, that means RUB. We handle conversion from your EUR base prices, with rounding rules that keep prices looking natural. If you sell in EUR to RU-speaking customers in the EU, we configure the feed accordingly and make sure Yandex understands the currency.

FAQ

• How is YML different from a Google feed? — Different schema, different required fields, different category taxonomy, different moderation process. A Google feed cannot be reused as-is for Yandex.
• How often should the feed update? — Depends on your catalogue. For stable prices and stock, daily is enough. For frequent promotions, hourly updates keep you safe from price mismatch bans.
• What about currency on Cyprus? — We set your base currency in the feed and convert to RUB for Yandex where needed. The feed can carry EUR prices if your target audience shops in EUR.
• Can we export only part of the catalogue? — Yes. We can filter by category, brand, margin, or stock status. A partial feed is often the right move when starting with Yandex.
• Who is responsible for moderation? — Yandex moderates the feed. We prepare the file to pass moderation, fix validator errors, and advise on policy compliance. Final approval is Yandex's decision.