Product Setup
Prepare your Shopify products for optimal AI classification and landed cost estimates
Product Setup
The accuracy of HS code classifications directly affects duty and tax estimates. Good product data means better classifications. This guide covers how to prepare your products for the best results.
Why Product Data Matters
RateTell's AI uses your product's title, type, tags, vendor, and other metadata to determine the correct HS code. Missing or vague data leads to lower-confidence classifications that need more manual review. Complete data produces high-confidence results faster.
Best Practices
Product Titles
Write descriptive titles that include key classification details:
| Bad | Good |
|---|---|
| "New Drop!!!" | "Women's Cotton T-Shirt — Crew Neck, Short Sleeve" |
| "Item #442" | "Bamboo Cutting Board — Large, 18x12 inch" |
| "Summer special" | "Men's Running Shoes — Mesh Upper, Rubber Sole" |
Include: what the product is, material, and key distinguishing features.
Product Types
Set the product type in Shopify to a meaningful category:
- Clothing, Electronics, Home Goods, Sports Equipment, Beauty, etc.
- Product type is one of the strongest signals the AI uses for classification
Tags
Add descriptive tags for material, use, and characteristics:
- Material tags:
cotton,leather,stainless-steel,bamboo - Use tags:
kitchen,outdoor,office,children - Characteristic tags:
waterproof,organic,handmade,rechargeable
Tags help the AI narrow down ambiguous classifications.
Country of Origin
Set the country of origin for your products in Shopify. This helps with trade agreement eligibility and duty calculations.
Weight and Dimensions
Accurate weight and dimensions are critical for shipping cost estimates:
- Go to Products in RateTell
- Click Edit Dimensions on any product
- Enter weight in grams and dimensions in centimeters
- Dimensions are converted and displayed in kg and cm
If products are missing dimensions, RateTell's smart packing can't accurately calculate box selection and dimensional weight.
Checking Your Data Quality
- Go to Dashboard
- Check the Data Health cards:
- HS Code Coverage — percentage of variants with approved classifications
- Weight & Dimensions — percentage of variants with complete weight and dimensions
- Filter Products by missing dimensions and fill them in
Auto-Synced Data
When you connect your Shopify store, RateTell automatically syncs:
- Product titles and descriptions
- Product types and tags
- Variant SKUs and options
- Product images
- Product status (active/draft/archived)
You can trigger a manual re-sync from Settings > Store Health if products aren't appearing.