Describe the usable unit
Product attributes, descriptions, imagery and update histories. Explain whether the archive preserves the connections between records and the process they represent. File count alone does not show coverage, quality or usefulness.
Ask this before preparing a sample
Ask which fields were created by the company and which were licensed from another source.
Review sensitive and restricted elements
Supplier-owned images, licensed descriptions and restricted feeds. Check the actual contents, including hidden fields, metadata, embedded files and related records. Data minimization and de-identification are separate from confirming the right to license the material.
Evidence to bring to a fit discussion
Prepare a schema or category-level description, date range, approximate volume, export format, known gaps and exclusion list. Clearly distinguish measurements from estimates. Do not upload the underlying archive simply to obtain a preliminary opinion.
Compare the proposed use
Ask whether the provider wants training examples, evaluation material, retrieval content or a simulated environment. These are different purposes and should not be bundled into vague unrestricted language. Confirm downstream recipients, duration and any right to sublicense.
Tests to agree before a sample
- Track whether descriptions were written internally or copied from supplier feeds.
- Distinguish historical prices and discontinued items from the current catalog.
- Check image licenses separately from rights in structured product attributes.