How to Fix Common Google Merchant Center Feed Errors
The Merchant Center errors that disapprove the most products, what causes each one and how to fix it for good.
Few things are as frustrating for a shop owner as a Merchant Center dashboard full of red. The good news is that a small number of errors cause most disapprovals, and each has a clear fix. Work through them in this order and most feeds become healthy within a week.
1. Price mismatch
What it means: the price in your feed does not match the price Google sees on your product page.
Common causes: the feed was not updated after a price change; a sale price shows on the page but not in the feed; prices differ by region or include tax inconsistently; the page shows a price only after selecting a variant.
Fix: regenerate the feed whenever prices change, include sale_price for discounts, and make sure Product structured data on the page shows the same price. Keep the feed and site updating from the same data source where possible.
2. Availability mismatch
Fix: same approach as price. If a product sells out, update the feed promptly or mark it out_of_stock. Daily feed fetches are the minimum for shops with changing stock.
3. Invalid or missing GTIN
What it means: the barcode number is wrong (bad check digit, wrong length) or missing for a product that should have one.
Fix: check every barcode with the GTIN validator. Use the manufacturer's barcode, not one you invented. For products that genuinely have no GTIN, set identifier_exists to no. Our guide on what a GTIN is and how to check it explains the rules.
4. Missing required attributes
What it means: a product lacks something mandatory, such as brand, condition, color or size for apparel, or an image.
Fix: add the attribute for every affected product. Spreadsheets make bulk edits easy; regenerate the feed afterwards.
5. Image problems
Typical messages: image too small, promotional overlay, generic image, image cannot be crawled.
Fix: use clean product photos of at least 100 ร 100 pixels (250 ร 250 for apparel), without text, watermarks or borders. Make sure image URLs work and are not blocked by robots.txt โ test them with the image URL checker.
6. Landing page errors
What it means: Google could not load the product page, or it returned an error, redirected somewhere unexpected or did not show the product.
Fix: open the link from the feed in a private window on mobile. Check it does not redirect to the homepage, require login, or show a "not available in your region" message to Google's crawler. The redirect checker shows whether the URL redirects.
7. Policy violations
Some disapprovals are about what you sell or how you describe it โ restricted products, misleading claims, missing return policy or contact information. These need changes to your site or listings, not just the feed. Read the specific policy linked in the diagnostic message.
Prevent errors before upload
The simplest way to reduce errors is to catch them before Google does. Run your feed through the free Merchant Center feed validator every time you regenerate it. See how to validate a product feed before uploading for a walkthrough.
Related guides
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for fixed products to be approved?
Usually a few days after the next feed fetch and recrawl of the landing page.
Why are products disapproved when the feed looks correct?
Google also checks your landing pages. A mismatch on the page, or a page Google cannot load, causes disapprovals even if the feed is fine.
Do warnings matter as much as errors?
Errors stop products from showing. Warnings do not, but fixing them usually improves performance.
Can I request a review of a disapproval?
Yes, from the product's diagnostics, once you have fixed the issue.