---
title: "1688 scraper guide: MOQ and price tiers"
url: https://www.datawebot.com/blog/1688
description: "What 1688 wholesale listings contain: sellers, SKU options, minimum order quantities and CNY price tiers, with Chinese labels kept intact."
updated: 2026-10-24
author: datawebot team
---

Independent source guide

# 1688 product data: listings, MOQ and price tiers

What 1688 wholesale listings contain: sellers, SKU options, minimum order quantities and CNY price tiers, with Chinese labels kept intact.

Updated October 24, 2026 · datawebot team

## 1688 is Alibaba Group’s China domestic wholesale marketplace

Alibaba Group describes 1688 as an integrated domestic wholesale marketplace in China and lists Alibaba.com as a separate business. 1688 is commonly used for China-focused sourcing; regional access, language, account state and service terms affect what a user can see. Shared ownership does not make the two marketplaces one catalog.

| Question | 1688 context | Keep in the record |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Marketplace role | Domestic wholesale marketplace and product source for Chinese e-commerce, as described by Alibaba Group. | Record the marketplace and exact source URL; do not label an 1688 offer as an Alibaba.com listing. |
| Audience and region | Features and terms can differ between mainland and overseas users. | Capture the observed locale, language, account context when relevant and observation time. |
| Offer scope | A product page can describe selected options and wholesale price tiers; a quote or order is a different event. | Keep the listing observation separate from buyer inquiry, supplier reply, order and fulfillment. |

[Alibaba Group’s 1688 business overview ↗](https://home.alibabagroup.com/en-US/about-alibaba-businesses-1941299332078632960) · [Open the official 1688 marketplace ↗](https://www.1688.com/)

## Model 1688 listings, suppliers, options and quotes as related records

A sourcing comparison becomes misleading when a listing title, supplier claim, selected SKU, minimum quantity and later quote are flattened into one product row. Keep each entity linked by its source identifier and page evidence.

| Record | Capture when displayed or authorized | Do not infer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Listing | Listing ID, canonical URL, original title, category, image reference and observed status. | A title is a unique product key or proof of a particular factory. |
| Supplier profile | Source company/profile ID or URL, displayed name, stated location and labeled badges. | A platform badge or profile statement is independent verification. |
| SKU/specification | Source option ID and exact selected labels: model, color, material, size, pack or other attributes. | Two variants are equivalent because their translated names look similar. |
| MOQ and price tier | Quantity range, unit, amount, currency and the exact option or scope each tier applies to. | A displayed low tier applies to every variant or order quantity. |
| Inquiry, quote and order | Buyer specification and quantity, supplier response, quote validity, order and fulfillment timestamps. | A page price is a negotiated quote, final landed cost or completed transaction. |
| Observation | Source page, retrieval time, region/language and missing-field notes. | A missing field is zero, out of stock or supplier confirmation. |

[Review the datawebot product-data field model ↗](https://www.datawebot.com/docs/data)

## Compare MOQ and prices only for the same specification and unit

On a wholesale listing, the displayed amount may depend on the selected option and order quantity. Before comparing suppliers, line up the SKU combination, MOQ, tier boundaries, unit and currency. A listing tier remains a source observation, not an accepted quote.

| Comparison field | Keep together | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Option | Source option ID plus original model, color, material, grade or pack labels. | A different specification can have a different minimum and price. |
| Minimum order | Quantity plus the source unit and the option or listing scope. | “2 sets” and “2 pieces” do not describe the same threshold. |
| Tier | From/to quantity, unit price, currency and exact configuration. | Do not compare a 50+ tier with a one-piece retail price. |
| Delivered cost | Page price, shipping basis, destination, tax and separately negotiated charges. | A displayed unit tier is not an export landed-cost quote. |

[Use like-for-like observations in price monitoring ↗](https://www.datawebot.com/blog/price-monitoring-guide-for-ecommerce) · [Keep JSON and CSV delivery fields explicit ↗](https://www.datawebot.com/data-delivery/file-downloads)

## Keep original Chinese text beside every translation or normalized value

Translation can improve search and reporting, but it can also erase a grade, material, packaging unit or seller wording that matters to procurement. Store the source text unchanged and mark translations, unit conversions and currency conversion as separate transformations.

| Value | Preserve | Transformation rule |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Product and option labels | Original source-language title, option label and source field name. | Keep a translated title in another field with language and translation provenance. |
| Quantity units | The displayed unit and amount, including whether it refers to pieces, sets, weight or packaging. | Normalize only when the unit is understood; retain the original label alongside it. |
| Price | Source amount, CNY currency, price unit, tier and observation timestamp. | Store converted currency with its rate source and conversion time; never replace the CNY observation. |
| Supplier evidence | Profile URL, source ID, displayed company name and source-stated claims. | Attribute badges, audits and other claims to the source that displayed them. |

[Compare API and web data acquisition choices ↗](https://www.datawebot.com/blog/web-scraping-vs-official-apis-ecommerce)

## Choose 1688 or Alibaba.com based on the sourcing question

1688 and Alibaba.com are related but separate marketplaces. Match across them only when the target identity and commercial terms can be independently reconciled; similar photos or translated titles alone are weak evidence.

| Sourcing question | Start with 1688 | Start with Alibaba.com |
| --- | --- | --- |
| China domestic assortment | Chinese-language domestic listings, local supplier profiles, CNY and stated domestic quantity tiers. | Use an export-market listing only when it independently matches the requested item and terms. |
| Export-facing B2B offer | Treat as supporting domestic-source evidence; confirm export conditions separately. | Evaluate the supplier’s export-facing offer, stated MOQ, currency, trade and destination terms. |
| Supplier or factory match | Compare company identifiers and source-linked evidence, not translated names alone. | Compare independently; do not assume a supplier profile or item identifier is shared. |
| Price comparison | Normalize exact variant, quantity, source unit, CNY and any stated domestic delivery terms. | Normalize the offer’s own variant, currency, quantity and stated shipping basis. |

[Alibaba.com product and supplier data guide ↗](https://www.datawebot.com/blog/alibaba) · [Compare Alibaba.com, AliExpress and 1688 ↗](https://www.datawebot.com/blog/alibaba-ecosystem)

## Check the terms for the account region before collecting 1688 content

The English 1688 Terms of Use version 2025V2 is effective August 26, 2025 and applies to users outside mainland China. Section 3.2 restricts copying or commercially exploiting Platform Content and prohibits systematic retrieval to compile a collection, database or directory without written permission. The latest version of the separate mainland-site legal statement is effective January 16, 2026; its information restrictions address unauthorized acquisition or use through robots, crawlers and automated programs. Check the current terms for the user, service and region; this guide does not grant permission.

| Published policy scope | What the linked text says | Practical recordkeeping |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Users outside mainland China | 1688 Terms of Use 2025V2, effective August 26, 2025, §3.2. | Review the current overseas agreement and any service-specific terms; retain written authorization when required. |
| Mainland site | The latest mainland-site legal statement identifies its version as effective January 16, 2026 and addresses unauthorized scanning, automated copying, downloading, acquisition or use of site content. | Check the current mainland-site rules and applicable law before any collection or reuse. |
| Third-party seller content | A platform listing can contain seller-provided text, images and claims. | Track source attribution and rights separately from the platform’s access terms. |

[1688 Terms of Use for users outside mainland China · version 2025V2 ↗](https://terms.alicdn.com/legal-agreement/terms/common_platform_service/20240913201059451/20240913201059451.html) · [1688 mainland-site legal statement · latest version effective January 16, 2026 ↗](https://terms.alicdn.com/legal-agreement/terms/suit_bu1_b2b/suit_bu1_b2b201802011532_36855.html)

## Use a traceable data contract for an authorized 1688 export

This schema sketch shows one way to keep listing identity, the exact option, MOQ, CNY tiers and source-language labels connected. Every ID, option, quantity and price below is synthetic; this is not a 1688 response, a live listing or evidence of a public catalog API. An API-shaped record describes downstream data design only.

Example

```
{
  "example_status": "synthetic, not live 1688 data",
  "listing": {
    "source_id": "example-listing-only",
    "source_url": null,
    "title_zh": "示例：硅胶刮刀三件套",
    "title_translation_en": "Example: three-piece silicone scraper set",
    "language": "zh-CN"
  },
  "supplier": { "source_id": "example-supplier-only", "profile_url": null },
  "variant": { "source_label_zh": "灰色 / 3件套", "option_id": "example-option-only" },
  "minimum_order": { "quantity": 2, "unit_zh": "套", "unit_en": "set" },
  "price_tiers": [
    { "quantity_from": 2, "quantity_to": 49, "unit_price": 12.8, "price_unit_zh": "套", "currency": "CNY" },
    { "quantity_from": 50, "quantity_to": null, "unit_price": 10.9, "price_unit_zh": "套", "currency": "CNY" }
  ],
  "observed_at": null,
  "source_claims": []
}
```

[Review the product-data schema ↗](https://www.datawebot.com/docs/data) · [Review file delivery formats ↗](https://www.datawebot.com/data-delivery/file-downloads)

Content reviewed 2026-10-24.