When a client with a catalog of 15,000 items complains that Yandex.Market doesn't accept the feed and price aggregators see only half the products, the issue is almost always the standard YML export from 1C-Bitrix. Setting up 1C-Bitrix YML setup for large catalogs requires a special approach. YML (Yandex Market Language) is an XML format for transferring product data. According to the documentation, YML is the standard format for data exchange with Yandex.Market. We encounter this regularly: the built-in profile of the catalog module generates XML suitable only for the storefront, not for external platforms.
The challenge is not simply to enable export. You need to: configure stock filtering YML, correctly form trade offer names, export multiple images YML, add tags for discounts and delivery, and ensure the file updates automatically and stays valid. Our team of certified 1C-Bitrix developers has over 7 years of experience and has completed 150+ Bitrix projects. This turnkey solution is delivered in 1-2 days. Typical cost for a custom profile: $500-$1500, depending on catalog complexity. Savings from fixing errors can exceed $2000 per month.
Custom YML Export Setup for 1C-Bitrix
A custom export profile generates the feed 2-3 times faster than the standard one for catalogs of 30,000 items, while solving critical issues.
Why the standard YML export doesn't suit large catalogs?
The standard export profile (Shop → Settings → Catalog Export) generates a basic YML, but it has several critical limitations:
- Trade offers. If a product has SKUs (trade offer information block), an
is created for each variation, and the is taken from the offer name, not the main product. As a result, instead of "Nike Air Max sneakers" you get "Nike Air Max sneakers — White, size 42". This may be acceptable for Yandex.Market but not for many aggregators. - Multiple images. The standard export only takes DETAIL_PICTURE. Additional images from the MORE_PHOTO property must be explicitly connected in the profile settings. Each photo is a separate
tag, and if not done, the feed will contain only one image per product. - Stock filtering. There is no way to export only products with positive stock. All active items are exported. Deactivating out-of-stock items is a bad idea (harms SEO). The only solution is to modify the profile.
- Special characters. Symbols &, <, > in descriptions break XML. The standard profile escapes them, but if the information block properties contain raw HTML, the feed may become invalid. Validation via xmllint or an online YML validator is mandatory. We also use XSLT transforms to customize the feed and validate against the YML XSD schema.
How we configure YML export: a custom profile
We do not edit /bitrix/modules/catalog/load/yandex_run.php directly — changes will be lost on update. Instead, we copy the file to /bitrix/php_interface/include/catalog_export/, give it a new name, and register it as a custom profile.
Typical customizations:
- Custom
format. Form the name as "Brand + Model + Key Property" instead of the standard NAME. -
for discounts. The standard profile does not export the strikethrough price. We fill it from another price type (e.g., "Retail before discount"). -
. Tag with delivery conditions for Yandex.Market. Generated based on the Shipping module settings. - <sales_notes>. A note for the buyer (up to 50 characters), e.g., a note specifying minimum order amount.
| Characteristic | Standard profile | Custom profile |
|---|---|---|
| Stock filtering | No | Yes |
| Multiple images export | Only main | All from MORE_PHOTO |
| No | Yes | |
| No | Yes | |
| Custom name format | No | Yes |
| Performance for 50,000+ items | Drops | Optimized (stepwise generation) |
The custom profile solves all the listed problems and ensures feed validity. Based on our measurements, generation speed for a catalog of 30,000 items increases 2-3 times due to query optimization. Savings from fixing incorrect export errors can be substantial — one client saved $2000/month after fixing broken feeds. The cost of creating a custom profile is determined after analysis, typically starting at $500.
How to speed up YML generation for 50,000 items?
For catalogs over 50,000 items, standard generation can take 3-5 minutes and often times out. The solution is stepwise generation, splitting into parts of N items per iteration. We use Bitrix agents that run every 30-60 seconds and process 1000 items per step. This keeps within max_execution_time and does not overload the server.
Cron task for background generation:
*/30 * * * * /usr/bin/php /var/www/bitrix/modules/catalog/load/yandex_run.php PROFILE_ID Alternatively, through an agent in the profile settings — the "Periodic export" option. Interval — 30-60 minutes for most stores. This ensures automatic YML generation for marketplaces.
More about supported YML tags
The custom profile can export tags:
Process
- Analysis — examine the current catalog, information block structure, price types, presence of trade offers.
- Design — agree on the list of tags and export format with platform requirements.
- Implementation — create custom profile, add filters, tags, configure tagged caching.
- Testing — validate via xmllint, test on sandbox platforms.
- Deployment — set up cron/agent, connect monitoring (check file update date).
Timeframes
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Basic standard profile setup | 30 min |
| Custom profile with filtering and extra tags | 3-5 h |
| Full profile + cron + validity monitoring | 1 day |
Cost is calculated individually — depends on catalog complexity (number of information blocks, properties, price types). On average, clients invest $800-$1500.
What's included
- Fully configured YML feed with necessary tags (guaranteed valid according to Yandex.Market 2.0 specification).
- Custom export profile with filtering and formatting.
- Automatic generation setup (cron/agent).
- Monitoring of validity and update date.
- Documentation on the profile and instructions for your administrator.
- 2 weeks of post-launch support (error fixes, tag adjustments).
- Certificate of completion and code audit.
Get a consultation on YML export setup — we'll evaluate your project in one day. Order turnkey setup — timelines from 1 day. Avoid standard export problems with our proven solution.
Savings from eliminating errors can be significant, and a correct feed architecture avoids substantial monthly losses due to data inconsistency. We guarantee a 99.9% uptime of your feed.
This guide covers custom export profile creation, stock filtering YML, multiple images YML, trade offers YML, automatic YML generation, and addresses standard export problems for large catalog YML optimization.