Making Connections in the Marketplace

SEMA Data

By John Stewart

In a rapidly expanding digital marketplace, great product data is behind more sales than ever—and providing a competitive edge for both manufacturers and resellers. That’s why SEMA Data exists. With hundreds of brands participating, SEMA Data connects manufacturers with the resellers and retailers that bring their products to market, helping ensure accurate, complete product information reaches customers wherever they shop.

Through SEMA Data, manufacturers provide product information, such as vehicle fitment, descriptions, images, pricing, dimensions and other key details. Then resellers, instead of spending valuable time collecting and maintaining product information from multiple sources, can access data directly from participating brands and focus on growing the business.

We asked Gigi Ho, SEMA vice president of data, technology and strategic initiatives, to explain more about what manufacturers and resellers should expect in the near future and how the SEMA Data team can help prepare the industry at the 2026 SEMA Show.

Getting Ready for AI Searches

Even established resellers will need to recognize how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way searches take place. The SEMA Data team has been studying how AI-powered search and discovery use product information and what manufacturers and resellers can do to make their data easier for these systems to understand and surface.

“We want to make sure to be able to supply the answer when someone uses AI to search for ‘what clutch fits my Ford Mustang,’ for example,” said Ho. “There are specific formats and specific data assets that are needed for that type of readiness,” she added. “We can run both a bronze data set and a platinum data set through an AI readiness tool. And even those at platinum may not be at the high level of readiness that they think they are. We can help make those tweaks.”

Different for 2026: Meet SEMA Data in the “Treehouse”

(Above left) During the Show, the SEMA Data team will be standing by to help SEMA Data members solve a problem, access new tools, or just to get to know the team better.

(Above right) Brands that have achieved the highest-quality data can be identified by a Data Excellence badge and will visible.

During the Show, the SEMA Data team will be standing by to help SEMA Data members find out more about AI, solve a problem, access new tools or just to get to know the team better. And for manufacturers and brands attending the SEMA Show, the annual SEMA Data User Meetup will still take place in the afternoon on Monday, November 2, prior to the official start of the Show.

“What we’re doing differently this year,” Ho noted, “will be to have the manufacturer users meet up in our booth in the “Treehouse” Monday afternoon.” Specifically, this year’s meetup will move from a separate meeting room venue and instead be hosted directly inside the SEMA Data booth #20678, which overlooks the Central Hall Show floor, hence the name “Treehouse.”

The Monday User Meetup provides the opportunity for manufacturers, brands, partners and the SEMA Data community to connect before the Show officially opens. Attendees can expect updates surrounding SEMA Data initiatives, platform enhancements, standards participation, industry trends and recognition of Gold and Platinum Data Excellence Award recipients.

Moving the meetup into the booth environment creates a more connected and accessible experience while allowing attendees to engage directly within the space where SEMA Data conversations and demonstrations will continue throughout the week.

In addition to the Monday manufacturer meetup, on Wednesday, November 4, a reseller-focused meetup will also be held at the Treehouse location. The goal is to help resellers better understand the tools, capabilities, integrations, exports, GTIN resources, and product content solutions available through SEMA Data.

In addition, reseller training sessions will be available throughout Show Week. The reseller sessions will provide opportunities for more hands-on discussions, live demonstrations, sharing operational best practices and direct interaction with the SEMA Data team. These sessions are aimed at helping resellers to gain expertise at using the Reseller Portal and show how to find brands and products, access datasets, navigate the available tools and better manage product information. Training also provides an opportunity to ask questions about specific needs and how best to use SEMA Data. Even experienced users may discover a feature that eliminates a manual step, a better way to access the information or simply a faster way to do something your team already does.

“When resellers come up, they’re usually curious about what type of data they’ll see, what formats can they get and how frequently,” Ho told us. “For the resellers in particular, we have additional solutions for them,” she continued. “We have website partners who can help if they are looking to get a website going from scratch or even change the one that they have. And then if they already have a Shopify website and they’re just looking to get data in, we have Shopify plug-ins that help to pull the data in already formatted to Shopify so they don’t have to worry about that either. We want to power the product data behind their website. If they need help building or redesigning the site itself, we can connect them with the right partners. And for resellers already using Shopify, our plug-ins can help bring SEMA Data product information directly into their store.”

To address interests or concerns, SEMA Data welcomes drop-in visits anytime during Show Week or suppliers and resellers can book an appointment for a meeting at info@semadata.org.

Resellers: Data Excellence on Display at the 2026 SEMA Show

Those manufacturers that earn gold and platinum recognition this year will be readily visible at the Show. These companies constitute a defined group the industry looks to when setting expectations for what good product data looks like. Show attendees will be able to identify Data Excellence-certified brands through listings printed in The SEMA Show Directory. And at the Show, look for meter panels in strategic locations throughout the Show floor with booth numbers. These companies’ booths will also be recognizable via carpet ads and identified in the New Products Showcase.

“Manufacturers are creating this kind of excellent data for their customers, but more importantly, for their customer’s customers,” Ho explained. Ultimately, “it’s for enthusiasts who are installing the products and throwing away the box. They’re trying to shop and trying to find the right part for their vehicles,” she said. That’s why SEMA Data’s standards for quality and completeness have to remain rigorous.

Earning and maintaining a gold or platinum rating from SEMA Data is not easy, but as online shopping continues to grow, the value is undeniable. It was around 2020 during the pandemic that online retail volumes permanently shifted upward. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, seasonally adjusted retail e-commerce sales for the first quarter of 2026 alone reached an estimated $326.7 billion—a 9.8% year-over-year increase from Q1 2025. Total retail sales for 2026 are projected to equal $1.929 trillion. Similarly, it was around 2020, during COVID, that SEMA Data participation grew, now including more than 560 brands. “So that speaks to the value of data quality, completeness and consistency,” Ho noted.

“The quality of the data, and requirements for the completeness of that data today is vastly different than it was just in 2020,” Ho said. To be considered truly complete, today’s data will include more product information, such as a warranty, a Prop 65 flag, a tariff code for international shipping, a video asset for the product line and more. For a brand to receive a platinum score, it will include data segments such as digital assets, descriptions, product attributes, pricing, vehicle applications and regulatory information and so on.

When you see the Data Excellence badge, that identifies a company supplying data that’s ready to publish. For resellers, that means more complete, publication-ready product information that can help reduce fitment errors and give shoppers greater confidence in their purchase decisions. Data Excellence companies offer the kind of complete content that converts browsers into buyers, allowing shoppers to make purchase decisions with confidence. These are companies that have invested in their data, making them more responsive and willing to support the needs of resellers. Better for customers, and better for margins.

Try SEMA Data for Free with Launch

Introduced in May, SEMA Data’s new Launch tier gives resellers full access to all of SEMA Data’s tools for up to three brands at no cost and with no time limit. Resellers can work with the brands most relevant to their business and use the same tools and capabilities as the paid tiers. A subscription is only needed when they want access to more than three brands.

“Launch is the entry point for resellers who want to see what SEMA Data can do for their business,” Ho said. “It’s free, there’s no time limit, and it’s full featured. You can build and schedule custom exports, use filters and receive notifications when brands update their product data.”

Launch participants work with the same tools paid subscribers use every day—Custom Export Builder, Export Filters, APIs, eCom Plugins, Global Exports, and more. That enables building real workflows, seeing real results and making an informed decision when access to more than three brands is needed for your business.

“The only limitation is that on Launch, you are limited to three brands,” Ho explained. “So if you want to go more than that, then the next tier up is our Accelerate tier. And for SEMA business members, it’s only $25 a month.”

SEMA business members receive significant discounts on SEMA Data’s three paid reseller tiers. Accelerate includes up to 75 file exports for $25 per month for members and $75 for non-members. Turbo increases access to 1,000 file exports for $75 per month for members and $150 for non-members. Mach provides the highest level of access, including up to 5,000 file exports and 500,000 API calls, for $150 per month for members and $300 for non-members.

Questions about Launch or any of SEMA Data paid tiers? Visit the SEMA Data team at booth #20678 or reach out at info@semadata.org. SEMA Data is always happy to help you find the right fit.

Troubleshooting? SEMA Data Can Help!

In addition to providing access to one of the industry’s largest repositories of automotive product data, SEMA Data helps resellers and brand owners solve product data challenges directly with its team or by connecting them with the right industry resources.

Problem: For resellers, some of the most damaging—and most common—data problems in the aftermarket are fitment conflicts and overmapping. While these issues ultimately need to be corrected by the manufacturer or brand owner at the source, they can create significant problems for resellers in the meantime.

Solution: SEMA Data offers fitment conflict resolution and overmapping cleanup as an inquiry-based service. It can work with manufacturers and brand owners to identify and correct issues in their source ACES data or help resellers with one-time cleanup projects when problematic fitment data is affecting their business. SEMA Data specialists will review the issue, scope the work and determine the best path to resolution.

Problem: Managing product data without a product information management (PIM) system—or using one that’s cumbersome and hard to use?

Solution: SEMA Data’s platform is your automotive aftermarket PIM, and it offers numerous advantages. Manage your entire product catalog, images, fitment, attributes and distribution from one place, built around the industry standards. Whether you want to manage your data yourself or work with our team, your product information can be organized, validated and ready to go wherever you need it.

Submit your product data once. SEMA Data standardizes it, validates it and makes it available to the resellers you approve. That means you can support more reseller customers without adding sales headcount while maintaining control over who receives your product data.

Not sure if your catalog meets the ACES and PIES standard? SEMA Data can tell you exactly where you stand and how to get there.

To find out how SEMA Data can help improve e-commerce workflow, visit the SEMA Data team at booth #20678, or reach out at info@semadata.org.

Always Here for You

During the Show, the SEMA Data team will be standing by to help SEMA Data members solve a problem, access new tools, or just to get to know them better. Drop-in visits are always welcome anytime during Show Week, or suppliers and resellers can contact SEMA Data to set up a meeting at info@semadata.org.

“We get current customers and prospective or curious customers come and visit, Ho said. “So, for those who already are customers, they’re usually coming up to resolve some data question or data issue, whether it’s for themselves or on behalf of one of their customers. They’ll come up and talk to us. And we’ll try and resolve the issue right there,” she said.

If you can’t join the SEMA Data team at the Show, remember that the Customer Portal is always open. The Customer Portal gives manufacturers, brand owners and resellers a place to submit questions and requests directly to the SEMA Data team. Instead of relying on an email that can get buried or wondering whom to contact, the portal is there to route requests to the team member best equipped to handle them. It also creates a record of your requests, making it easier to follow their progress, provide additional information and reference previous requests. And because requests are documented in one system, the feedback SEMA Data receives also helps identify recurring questions and opportunities to improve tools, services and customer experience.

The Customer Portal can be used for technical assistance, general and data-related questions, reporting bugs, managing account users and other support needs. Manufacturers can also use the portal for data change requests once their portal account has been associated with their brand.

For manufacturers and brand owners, the portal is a more direct way to get assistance with the product information that ultimately represents your brand throughout the aftermarket. When something needs attention, the portal provides a clear path to the team that can help.

For resellers, the portal provides the same centralized place to get assistance with the data and tools used to power websites, catalogs, marketplaces and internal systems.