Product Categorization
Understand Datafiniti's categories field and nine-level taxonomy system for product data, with links to every taxonomy reference table.
Product classification
Datafiniti classifies product records with three complementary systems: a flat categories field, standardized primaryCategories and secondaryCategories fields, and a hierarchical taxonomy with up to 9 levels of depth. All three systems are defined in the Product Data Schema and support different ways to query, filter, and analyze product data.
Categories vs Taxonomy
The categories field stores a flat, unstandardized list of keywords collected from multiple merchant sources. Different merchants may use different terms for the same product, which results in more than 2 million unique category values.
The primaryCategories and secondaryCategories fields provide a standardized middle ground between the raw categories field and the full taxonomy. Use them when you need consistent top-level and second-level categories without the full 9-level hierarchy. Accepted values for both fields are listed on Possible Values for Product Fields.
The taxonomy fields, taxonomyLevel1 through taxonomyLevel9, use a structured, standardized hierarchy with up to 9 levels of depth. Each level narrows the product's classification progressively.
Use categories when you want to match the exact terms used on merchant listings. Use primaryCategories and secondaryCategories when you need standardized categories with less depth. Use the taxonomy fields when you need consistent hierarchical classification for filtering, reporting, or analysis.
Product category values
Product records include a categories field that contains category keywords collected from multiple sources. The categories field is defined in the Product Data Schema. Because Datafiniti collects these values from many merchants, a single product can carry multiple category labels at once. Some labels overlap, and some use different terminology for the same concept.
For example, a single wine product might include category values like these:
{
"categories": [
"Grocery",
"Wine",
"All White Wines",
"Wine, Beer & Liquor",
"White Wines",
"Alcohol",
"Beverages",
"Food & Beverage"
// ...additional category values may also be present
]
}
primaryCategories and secondaryCategories standardize those raw values into consistent top-level and second-level classifications. For the same product, the raw categories might look like this alongside their standardized equivalents:
{
"categories": [
"Grocery",
"Wine",
"All White Wines",
"Wine, Beer & Liquor",
"White Wines",
"Alcohol",
"Beverages",
"Food & Beverage"
],
"primaryCategories": ["Food Beverages & Tobacco"],
"secondaryCategories": ["Alcoholic Beverages"]
}
Current count
The dataset currently contains 2,241,950 unique category values. Datafiniti updates this number monthly as new products are added and existing categories are refined.
Datafiniti updates the category count monthly.
Download the full category list
Download the complete JSON file of category values from Google Drive:
Standardized categories
Product records also include primaryCategories and secondaryCategories fields for standardized category values. primaryCategories contains top-level categories such as Electronics or Home & Garden, and secondaryCategories contains second-level categories beneath the primary, such as Cell Phones under Electronics.
Accepted values for both fields are listed on Possible Values for Product Fields. Use these fields when you need standardized categories for filtering and analysis but do not need the full depth of the 9-level taxonomy.
The following example shows how these fields appear in a product record:
{
"primaryCategories": ["Electronics"],
"secondaryCategories": ["Cell Phones"]
}
See the Product Data Schema for the full schema definition.
Taxonomy values
Datafiniti classifies product records with a hierarchical taxonomy system that supports up to 9 levels of depth. The taxonomy provides a structured, multi-level classification path such as automotive > motorcycle & powersports > parts > wheels & tires > tires & accessories > tires & inner tubes > motorcycle & scooter > motorcycle > street, which makes product filtering and category-based queries more precise. Each level is available as a separate queryable field, from taxonomyLevel1 through taxonomyLevel9, as defined in the Product Data Schema.
The reference tables below list every possible value at each taxonomy level. Select a level to see all available classification values for that depth.