Dealing with Google Merchant Feed Errors

Tip: Focus on errors first. Warnings and suggestions can wait.

1. Log into Merchant Center
2. Go to Products → Diagnostics
3. Review the issues list

• Item issues - Problems with specific products
• Feed issues - Problems with feed file or processing
• Account issues - Problems with your Merchant Center setup

Error: "Missing required attribute: [attribute name]"

Cause: Product data is incomplete.

Solution:

1. Check which attribute is missing
2. Verify the attribute is mapped in extension config
3. Ensure products have values for that attribute
4. Regenerate the feed

Common missing attributes:

• title - Map to product name
• description - Map to product description
• price - Should auto-map
• availability - Should auto-map from stock

Error: "Invalid GTIN" or "Invalid value for GTIN"

Causes:

• Wrong number of digits
• Invalid checksum
• Using SKU instead of actual GTIN
• Spaces or dashes in value

Solution:

1. Verify GTINs are real (check product barcodes)
2. Remove spaces/dashes from GTIN values
3. Use a GTIN validator to check format
4. For products without GTIN, enable identifier_exists=false

Error: "Missing required unique product identifiers"

Cause: Product needs GTIN or Brand+MPN but has neither.

Solution:

1. Add GTIN values to products
2. Or add Brand AND MPN values
3. Or enable "Activate when less than two" for identifier_exists

Error: "Price on landing page doesn't match feed price"

Causes:

• Feed not regenerated after price change
• Different currency settings
• Tax included/excluded mismatch
• Price changed between feed generation and crawl

Solution:

1. Regenerate feed after price updates
2. Enable automated feed generation via cron
3. Check tax settings match between Magento and feed
4. For frequent price changes, increase feed generation frequency

Error: "Availability on landing page doesn't match feed"

Cause: Stock status changed after feed generation.

Solution:

1. Regenerate feed more frequently
2. Use inventory feed for real-time stock updates
3. Enable cron-based feed updates

Error: "Image not accessible" or "Invalid image"

Causes:

• Image URL returns 404
• Image too small (under 100x100 pixels)
• Watermarks or promotional text on image
• Image blocked by robots.txt

Solution:

1. Verify image URLs are accessible
2. Use images at least 250x250 pixels
3. Remove watermarks from product images
4. Check robots.txt doesn't block image paths

Error: "Landing page not accessible" or "Soft 404"

Causes:

• Product URL returns error
• Product disabled in Magento
• URL rewrite issues
• Geo-blocking or IP restrictions

Solution:

1. Verify product URLs work in browser
2. Check products are enabled and visible
3. Rebuild URL rewrites if needed
4. Ensure Google's crawler can access your site

Error: "Item disapproved due to policy violation"

Common policy issues:

• Misleading content
• Counterfeit products
• Dangerous products
• Inappropriate content

Solution:

1. Review Google's Shopping policies
2. Remove violating products from feed
3. Update product descriptions if misleading
4. Appeal if you believe the decision was wrong

Warning: "Missing recommended attribute: [attribute]"

Impact: Products may not perform as well.

Common recommendations:

• color - For apparel
• size - For apparel
• google_product_category - For better categorization
• brand - For all products

Action: Add these attributes when you have time. Not urgent.

Warning: "Shipping settings not configured"

Solution: Configure shipping in Merchant Center settings or add shipping attributes to feed.

Error: "Unable to fetch feed" or "Feed file not accessible"

Causes:

• SFTP credentials incorrect
• Feed file not generated
• File path changed

Solution:

1. Verify SFTP credentials in Merchant Center
2. Check feed was generated (look in configured directory)
3. Test SFTP connection manually

Error: "Feed could not be processed"

Causes:

• Invalid XML format
• Encoding issues
• File too large
• Server timeout

Solution:

1. Download and validate feed XML
2. Check for special characters causing issues
3. For large catalogs, consider splitting feeds

1. Generate feed via CLI: bin/magento googleshopping:feed:create
2. Open feed file in browser or XML editor
3. Verify affected products have correct data

1. Use Feed Preview in Magento admin
2. Check product in Merchant Center's Product Details
3. Compare feed data with landing page

In Merchant Center:

1. Go to Products → All products
2. Click on affected product
3. View "Item status" for detailed crawl info

• Check Merchant Center weekly
• Set up email alerts for new issues
• Monitor disapproval trends

• Generate feeds daily via cron
• Keep product data up to date
• Validate GTINs before importing
• Use high-quality images