Rewriting product descriptions for 1C-Bitrix

Rewriting Product Descriptions for 1C-Bitrix

The problem with most catalogs is not the absence of text — the text exists. The problem is that it has been copied from the manufacturer or competitors. Search engines have long since learned to identify duplicate content and demote all copies in rankings. Rewriting is the reworking of existing content into unique text while preserving the meaning and accuracy of the data.

Rewriting Product Descriptions for 1C-Bitrix

What Rewriting Means in the Context of a Bitrix Catalog

Rewriting in a catalog is not synonymization (replacing words with synonyms while keeping the structure intact). Synonymization is easily detected by algorithms and produces awkward text that reads poorly. High-quality rewriting for a Bitrix catalog means reworking with changes to the structure, perspective, and order of presentation.

Sources used for rewriting:

• Description from the manufacturer's website
• Competitor descriptions
• Technical data sheets and certifications
• Customer reviews (reveal real consumer properties)
• Data from infoblock properties (specifications)

Where to Source Original Content: Automation at the Bitrix Level

Before rewriting, the source content must be gathered. To do this, data from external sources is temporarily stored in an auxiliary infoblock property:

// Adding a service property to store the source text
$iblock = new \CIBlock();
$iblock->Update(CATALOG_IBLOCK_ID, []); // no changes, just sync

// Adding the SOURCE_TEXT property via API
\CIBlockProperty::Add([
    'NAME'      => 'Source text for rewriting',
    'CODE'      => 'SOURCE_TEXT',
    'IBLOCK_ID' => CATALOG_IBLOCK_ID,
    'PROPERTY_TYPE' => 'S',
    'ROW_COUNT'     => 10,
    'COL_COUNT'     => 60,
    'FILTRABLE'     => 'N',
    'SEARCHABLE'    => 'N',
    'IS_REQUIRED'   => 'N',
    'ACTIVE'        => 'Y',
]);

After rewriting, the property is cleared. Separating the "source" from the "finished text" allows multiple editors to work in parallel without confusion.

Exporting Descriptions for Rewriting

Export cards that need rewriting to CSV for work in Google Sheets:

// Report: products with low uniqueness (flag in property)
$result = \CIBlockElement::GetList(
    ['NAME' => 'ASC'],
    [
        'IBLOCK_ID' => CATALOG_IBLOCK_ID,
        'ACTIVE'    => 'Y',
        'PROPERTY_NEEDS_REWRITE' => '1',
    ],
    false,
    ['nPageSize' => 500],
    ['ID', 'NAME', 'PREVIEW_TEXT', 'DETAIL_TEXT', 'PROPERTY_NEEDS_REWRITE']
);

$csv = fopen('php://output', 'w');
fputcsv($csv, ['ID', 'Name', 'Short description', 'Full description']);
while ($el = $result->Fetch()) {
    fputcsv($csv, [
        $el['ID'],
        $el['NAME'],
        strip_tags($el['PREVIEW_TEXT']),
        strip_tags($el['DETAIL_TEXT']),
    ]);
}

Uploading Finished Texts Back into Bitrix

After rewriting — bulk upload from CSV:

// Import of revised texts
if (($handle = fopen($csvFile, 'r')) !== false) {
    fgetcsv($handle); // skip header
    while (($row = fgetcsv($handle)) !== false) {
        [$id, , $previewText, $detailText] = $row;
        $id = (int)$id;
        if (!$id) continue;

        $el = new \CIBlockElement();
        $result = $el->Update($id, [
            'PREVIEW_TEXT'      => htmlspecialchars_decode($previewText),
            'DETAIL_TEXT'       => htmlspecialchars_decode($detailText),
            'DETAIL_TEXT_TYPE'  => 'html',
        ]);

        if ($result) {
            // Clear the "needs rewriting" flag
            \CIBlockElement::SetPropertyValueCode($id, 'NEEDS_REWRITE', '');
            // Clear the page cache
            \CBitrixComponent::clearComponentCache('bitrix:catalog.element');
        }
    }
}

After a bulk text upload, the cache of affected components must be cleared; otherwise the pages will serve old versions of the descriptions.

Rewriting Depth: Three Levels

For SEO in competitive niches, a medium or deep rewrite is required. A light rewrite is sufficient for low-competition categories.

Prioritization: Where to Begin

Not all product cards are equally valuable. Rewriting starts with:

1. Pages with high traffic and low conversion — the potential sales uplift is greatest
2. Pages ranking in the top 20 for commercial queries — small ranking improvements yield noticeable click growth
3. The most expensive and high-margin products — the ROI on content investment is higher
4. Pages with duplicate warnings in Google Search Console / Yandex Webmaster

Timelines