Treat Taobao, Weidian, and 1688 as marketplace or supplier-page clues, and Yupoo as an album-style catalog clue. Open the destination to confirm the product, selectable option, visible details, and page status. Record the route and the context separately.
What “source link” means in a spreadsheet
A source link is the destination a spreadsheet row uses to provide more context. It may lead directly to a product page, a seller page, an image album, a search result, a translated route, or an intermediary page. The label in the sheet is only a clue until the destination loads and still matches.
Rows often compress several facts into one cell. Product name, option, seller, platform, and image can become separated as links change. Save those details independently if they matter to your comparison.
What the common labels usually describe
| Label | Typical page pattern | Useful first check |
|---|---|---|
| Taobao | Consumer marketplace product or shop page | Does the current option and image match the spreadsheet row? |
| Weidian | Marketplace storefront or item page | Are product details visible and is the linked item still identifiable? |
| 1688 | Supplier or wholesale-oriented listing | Do minimums, variants, unit terms, or packaging details affect the comparison? |
| Yupoo | Album-style catalog or image collection | Is there a clear product identifier or route to the relevant item context? |
Page behavior, access, language, and visible fields can change. The labels above are orientation, not a guarantee of a fixed interface.
Context that can disappear between the row and the page
- The selected color, size, model, or package.
- The date when the row was added or last checked.
- Whether the displayed price belongs to the shown option.
- Whether the row image came from the destination page.
- Whether a page is a product listing, seller album, search result, or redirect.
- Which measurement, photo, or feature made the row worth saving.
When a destination looks different from the row, do not force a match because the URL still opens. Mark the row as changed and decide using the current page.
Raw links, original links, and converters
“Raw link” and “original link” usually describe a desire to reach the source page without losing the underlying address. A converter may extract, normalize, translate, or reroute a URL. That can improve access, but it does not verify the product, seller, stock, price, photos, payment, refund policy, or shipping result.
Save the original link when practical, then write down what you saw after opening it. The link preserves the route; the note reminds you why it mattered.
Five details worth saving
- Destination type: product, seller, album, search, or redirect.
- Item match: image, title, category, and selected option.
- Current visible details: measurements, variants, price context, and photos.
- Missing context: the one detail still required before saving.
- Check date: when you confirmed the destination, without calling it permanently current.
Source label: ___ | Destination type: ___ | Matching details: ___ | Missing context: ___ | Checked on: ___What to do with a broken or mismatched link
First, separate a temporary loading problem from a definite mismatch. Reopen the link once, check whether the product identifier survived, and look for an alternate route only if you can preserve the same product context. If you cannot reconnect the row to a current page, remove it from the active shortlist rather than treating memory as verification.
A dead link can still teach you which category or features to search for, but it should not remain a live candidate.