Rockend Rest REAXML Setup Documentation

Rockend Rest Web Advertising (Download PDF Instructions)

Web Advertising with REST Professional

REST Professional Web Advertising provides the ability to send rental and sale property advertising details, including photographs, floor plans and virtual tour links to participating Internet Real Estate advertising services. The data is transferred between locations via XML formatted files.

Each service has its own XML or data format. Data is sent from Rest Professional at the client’s site directly via FTP to the Advertising Service server.

REST provides a generic XML file that web developers can use to upload the details to the clients own web site. A web developer must add the facility to read the REST generic XML file.

Rockend Generic Upload Format

File Format
To upload advertising data, REST compiles the data into an XML file. This is added to a compressed ZIP file, along with all relevant JPG image files. The XML and ZIP file names consist of the Advertising Service name (as entered in REST) and a time stamp followed by the relevant suffix. Eg: TEST 20130503091206.zip

File Transmission
The Zip file is sent via FTP to the portal server using the FTP address, User ID and password provided by the portal service provider. The service provider can poll the FTP directory for new files at an appropriate interval. Upon receiving a new file, the service provider imports the XML data and images into their web database.

Data
The XML data file consists of two sections. The first section contains all of the contacts. The second section contains the property data. Properties reference the contacts via the Contact ID.

Configuring your service in Rest Professional

Before you start uploading Web Advertising, REST must be configured to recognise the advertising services the client has an account.

The advertising service configuration consists of the Service, the Service Name/Agent ID as provided by the service provider to identify the agency, the Login Name and Password which is also provided by the service provider to log into the FTP server to upload the data.

Certain advertising services have a generic Rockend configuration and only required an Agent ID to be entered.

These are Domain.com.au and realestate.com.au. In New Zealand, realestate.co.nz, allrealestate.co.nz and trademe.co.nz.

Rentfind.com.au automatically creates an account based on the clients email address in Rest and no service configuration is required. Rentfind.com.au can be activated by ticking the Active box in the Advertising tab.

For all other services, select the user defined option from the dropdown list.

Select Other > Utilities > Company Details > Advertising Tab > Configure\View

User Defined Services
Select a user-defined service to upload to Internet services such as the client’s own web site or other web sites supported by REST but not included in the generic Rockend services above.

Service Name
The service name is a description of the service; for example Rockend Realty Website.

Login Name
Login Name is provided by the web developer or service provider. (30 characters max)

Password
Password is provided by the web developer or service provider. (10 characters max)

FTP Address
The FTP address is provided by your web developer or service provider. This is the Internet location of the server to receive the Zip file.

Export Format
There are currently 8 export formats available in Rest:

  • Rockend
  • domain.com.au
  • realestate.com.au << REAXML Format for FeedSync Processor
  • realestateview.com.au
  • Reiwa.com.au
  • portplus.com.au
  • realestate.co.nz
  • trademe.com.nz

If uploading to client’s own web site, the web developer must write the interface to read the format selected and publish the advertising details. Please refer to the Rockend generic XML files specifications for full specifications of all the XML formats

Testing an Upload Properties to Web Site

Flagging the properties to be advertised

  1. Select Files > Property
  2. Enter alpha index and press Enter to display required property’s
  3. To update the advertising details following the Property Details instructions in the Web Advertising manual
  4. Select the Advert > Advertise Tab
  5. Select the Advertise checkbox to mark the property to be advertised
  6. Select the Advertising Services that you want to send advertisements to
  7. Click OK F12 to save the property details

Properties Advertised Report

To check the advertising details before you upload

  1. select Reports > Property > Advertised Report
  2. Check the option to print properties not yet uploaded
  3. View the report

Uploading the properties to the web

  1. Select Files > Web Advertising Upload
  2. Check that the properties displayed are correct.
  3. Click OK F12 to upload the properties

Full setup and user instructions are available in the REST Web Advertising manual. 

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