Google Feed Validators 1: Error definitions and recommended solutions#
This document contains an overview of validators related exclusively to Google elements in the product feed, used in the Mergado Audit tool. Each validator describes a specific feed issue, its meaning, and the recommended fix procedure in Mergado.
| title | description |
|---|---|
| Element BARCODE contains an invalid value | Element BARCODE contains an invalid value |
| Element EAN contains an invalid value | Element EAN contains an invalid value EAN is a unique numeric product code. It appears on packaging as a barcode. Heureka supports EAN-13, which consists of 13 digits in a specific order. How to fix this error? A small number of products with this error can be fixed by manual editing. On the Products page, find the specific product with the incorrect EAN code. Use the pencil icon on the EAN element row to manually edit its value and correct or delete the incorrect EAN. Repeat for other products. For a larger number of incorrect EAN codes, the approach depends on the specific situation and what is wrong in the EAN element: - For example, if EAN contains an extra character, you can use a Find and Replace rule to remove that character. - Or you may find it useful to first create a product query on the Products page with incorrect EAN values, and then add a Rewrite rule applied to this query, leaving the new value field empty. This will delete the incorrect values in the EAN element for products in the query. - If you have the correct EAN codes available, for example in a CSV file, you can import them to feed products using a “Data file import” rule. If you still need help with the fix, please contact our technical support. We will advise you on a specific solution. |
| Element ean contains an invalid value | Element ean contains an invalid value EAN is a unique numeric product code. It appears on packaging as a barcode. EAN consists of 8 or 12-14 digits in a specific order. |
| Element EANCODE contains an invalid value | Element EANCODE contains an invalid value EAN is a unique numeric product code. It appears on packaging as a barcode. Arukereso supports EAN-13, which consists of 13 digits in a specific order. How to fix this error? A small number of products with this error can be fixed by manual editing. On the Products page, find the specific product with the incorrect EAN code. Use the pencil icon on the EAN element row to manually edit its value and correct or delete the incorrect EAN. Repeat for other products. For a larger number of incorrect EAN codes, the approach depends on the specific situation and what is wrong in the EAN element: - For example, if EAN contains an extra character, you can use a Find and Replace rule to remove that character. - Or you may find it useful to first create a product query on the Products page with incorrect EAN values, and then add a Rewrite rule applied to this query, leaving the new value field empty. This will delete the incorrect values in the EAN element for products in the query. - If you have the correct EAN codes available, for example in a CSV file, you can import them to feed products using a “Data file import” rule. If you still need help with the fix, please contact our technical support. We will advise you on a specific solution. |
| Element ean contains an invalid value | Element ean contains an invalid value The ean element contains a unique numeric product code. It appears on packaging as a barcode. EAN consists of 8 or 13 digits in a specific order. |
| The value of element G:GTIN has an incorrect format | The value of element G:GTIN has an incorrect format Element g:gtin is a unique product identifier; online store owners typically fill it with the EAN code value. In the Google Shopping feed, g:gtin can contain 0, 8, 12, 13, or 14 characters. Spaces or hyphens are allowed but will be ignored. Some products have an incorrect code format. How to fix this error? A small number of products with this error can be fixed by manual editing. On the Products page, find the specific product with the incorrect g:gtin code. Use the pencil icon on the g:gtin element row to manually edit its value and correct or delete the incorrect g:gtin. Repeat for other products. For a larger number of incorrect g:gtin codes, the approach depends on the specific situation and what is wrong in the g:gtin element: - For example, if g:gtin contains an extra character, you can use a Find and Replace rule to remove that character. - Or you may find it useful to first create a product query on the Products page with incorrect g:gtin values, and then add a Rewrite rule applied to this query, leaving the new value field empty. This will delete the incorrect values in the g:gtin element for products in the query. - If you have the correct g:gtin codes available, for example in a CSV file, you can import them to feed products using a “Data file import” rule. If you still need help with the fix, please contact our technical support. We will advise you on a specific solution. |
| The value of element gtin has an incorrect format | The value of element gtin has an incorrect format Element gtin is a unique identifier for your product. It can contain 0, 8, 12, 13, or 14 characters. Spaces or hyphens are allowed but will be ignored. |
| The value of element GTIN has an incorrect format | The value of element GTIN has an incorrect format Element GTIN is a unique identifier for your product. It can contain 0, 8, 12, 13, or 14 characters. Spaces or hyphens are allowed but will be ignored. |
| The value of element G:GTIN has an incorrect format | The value of element G:GTIN has an incorrect format Element G:GTIN is a unique identifier for your product. It can contain 0, 8, 12, 13, or 14 characters. Spaces or hyphens are allowed but will be ignored. |
| Element ISBN contains an invalid value | Element ISBN contains an invalid value ISBN is a unique book identifier. It contains numbers separated by hyphens. Heureka supports ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 formats. How to fix this error? A small number of products with this error can be fixed by manual editing. On the Products page, find the specific product with the incorrect ISBN code. Use the pencil icon on the ISBN element row to manually edit its value and correct the incorrect ISBN. Repeat for other products. For a larger number of incorrect ISBN codes, the approach depends on the specific situation and what is wrong in the ISBN element: - For example, if ISBN contains an extra character, you can use a Find and Replace rule to remove that character. - If you have the correct ISBN codes available, for example in a CSV file, you can import them to feed products using a “Data file import” rule. If you still need help with the fix, please contact our technical support. We will advise you on a specific solution. |
| The value of element StructuredId has an incorrect format | The value of element StructuredId has an incorrect format Element StructuredId is a unique identifier for your product. It can contain 0, 8, 12, 13, or 14 characters. Spaces or hyphens are allowed but will be ignored. |
| Element PRODUCTNO contains an invalid value | Element PRODUCTNO contains an invalid value |
| The value of element gtin has an incorrect format | The value of element gtin has an incorrect format The gtin element is a unique identifier for your product. It can contain 0, 8, 12, 13, or 14 characters. Spaces or hyphens are allowed but will be ignored. |
| Element PRODUCTNAME contains a disallowed value | Element PRODUCTNAME contains a disallowed value The PRODUCTNAME element must not contain non-breaking spaces . |
| Element CATEGORY contains a disallowed value | Element CATEGORY contains a disallowed value The CATEGORY element must not contain non-breaking spaces . |
| Element DESCRIPTION contains a disallowed value | Element DESCRIPTION contains a disallowed value The DESCRIPTION element must not contain non-breaking spaces . |
| Element EAN contains a disallowed value | Element EAN contains a disallowed value The EAN element must not contain non-breaking spaces . |
| Element ITEMGROUP_ID contains a disallowed value | Element ITEMGROUP_ID contains a disallowed value The ITEMGROUP_ID element must not contain non-breaking spaces . |
| Element ITEM_ID contains a disallowed value | Element ITEM_ID contains a disallowed value The ITEM_ID element must not contain non-breaking spaces . |
| Element MANUFACTURER contains a disallowed value | Element MANUFACTURER contains a disallowed value The MANUFACTURER element must not contain non-breaking spaces . |
| Element PRODUCTNAME contains a disallowed value | Element PRODUCTNAME contains a disallowed value The PRODUCTNAME element must not contain non-breaking spaces . |
| Element PRODUCTNO contains a disallowed value | Element PRODUCTNO contains a disallowed value The PRODUCTNO element must not contain non-breaking spaces . |
| Element SEO_PREFIX contains a disallowed value | Element SEO_PREFIX contains a disallowed value The SEO_PREFIX element must not contain non-breaking spaces . |
| The value of element DELIVERY_DATE has a borderline value of 8 days | The value of element DELIVERY_DATE has a borderline value of 8 days Heureka rounds the delivery time from the DELIVERY_DATE element. For example, if you enter 2 days, Heureka displays “up to 3 days”, the same as for items that specify 3 days. Customers pay attention to this information. It is therefore advisable to optimize values that approach the limit to ensure the best display results. |
| The value of element DELIVERY_DATE has a borderline value of 4 days | The value of element DELIVERY_DATE has a borderline value of 4 days Heureka rounds the delivery time from the DELIVERY_DATE element. For example, if you enter 2 days, Heureka displays “up to 3 days”, the same as for items that specify 3 days. Customers pay attention to this information. It is therefore advisable to optimize values that approach the limit to ensure the best display results. |
| The value of element DELIVERY_DATE has a borderline value | The value of element DELIVERY_DATE has a borderline value Zboží.cz rounds the delivery time. For example, if you enter 7 days, Zboží.cz displays “more than a week”, the same as for items that specify e.g. 10 days. Customers pay attention to this information. It is therefore advisable to optimize values that approach the limit to ensure the best display results. |
| Element contains a disallowed value | Element contains a disallowed value Do not include links to other pages where your product is also available for purchase. Must not contain words: promotion, shipping, warranty, etc. |
| The product is probably sold out | The product is probably sold out The DESCRIPTION element contains keywords that may indicate the product is sold out or unavailable. Check the listed products to see if they are sold out. If the product is actually sold out or unavailable, we do not recommend including it in advertising data. You can remove such products from the feed using a “Product hiding” rule. If you still need help with the fix, please contact our technical support. We will advise you on a specific solution. |
| Element G:TITLE contains a disallowed value | Element G:TITLE contains a disallowed value The value of element g:title must not contain information about free shipping, distribution, authorized seller, etc. — no additional promotional messages promoting your products. Check that g:title does not contain terms like “free shipping”, “distribution”, “authorized seller”, “availability”, “installment sale”, etc. for the following products. |
| Element TITLE contains a disallowed value | Element TITLE contains a disallowed value The G:TITLE element must not contain information about free shipping, distribution, authorized seller, etc. |
| Element G:TITLE contains a disallowed value | Element G:TITLE contains a disallowed value The g:title element value cannot contain URL links. However, some of your products contain links or parts of URLs in this element. How to fix this error? You can remove links from the g:title element using, for example, a Find and Replace rule. In the Find field, enter the link you want to delete, and leave the Replace field empty. This will remove the found text. If there are many different links (each one is different), you can remove them in bulk using regular expressions. If you need help composing a suitable regular expression, please contact our technical support — we will advise you. |
| Element GIFT contains a disallowed value | Element GIFT contains a disallowed value The GIFT element must not contain the word “discount”. Remove this word by editing the rule that creates the gift or by using a Find and Replace rule. According to the Heureka specification, the gift should not be a discount or a service. If you still need help with the fix, please contact our technical support. We will advise you on a specific solution. |
| Element ITEM_TYPE contains the value “bazar” | Element ITEM_TYPE contains the value “bazar” The value “Bazar” in the ITEM_TYPE element indicates the sale of used goods. Such items are barely displayed by the product search engine, they do not appear in product cards in categories. They can only be found via Heureka full-text search. Consider hiding such products from the feed. You can do this in two steps: 1. On the Products page, create a query with the condition ITEM_TYPE = “Bazar”, and then: 2. On the Rules page, add a new rule, choose the type “Hide product”, and use the query from step 1. |
| Element NAME contains a disallowed value | Element NAME contains a disallowed value The value in the Name element cannot contain words like ‘discount’, ‘discounted’, ‘at a discount’, ‘favorable’, ‘promotion’, ‘promotional’, ‘free’, ‘free of charge’, ‘price reduction’, ‘clearance sale’, ‘price cut’. How to fix this error? You can remove disallowed words from the Name element using, for example, a Find and Replace rule. In the Find field, enter the word you want to delete, and leave the Replace field empty. This will remove the found text. If there are many different occurrences (each one is different), you can remove them in bulk using regular expressions. If you need help composing a suitable regular expression, please contact our technical support — we will advise you. |
| Product distribution is listed as unknown | Product distribution is listed as unknown The “Distribution” parameter indicates which market the product is intended for. For products sold in the Czech Republic, the most common values are “CZ” and “EU”. Some of your products have distribution listed as unknown. Check whether this is intentional. How to fix this error? Rewrite the “Distribution” parameter value to, for example, “CZ” or “EU” if the product is intended for the Czech market. You can do this using a Rewrite rule or a Find and Replace rule. The path to the element (to the “Distribution” parameter value) would look like this in both rules: PARAM { PARAM_NAME = “Distribution” } |
| Element PARAM_NAME contains a disallowed value | Element PARAM_NAME contains a disallowed value The parameter name in the PARAM element |
| Parameter PARAM contains a disallowed value | Parameter PARAM contains a disallowed value The parameter value in element PARAM |
| Element PRODUCTNAME contains disallowed words or characters | Element PRODUCTNAME contains disallowed words or characters The value of element PRODUCTNAME should not contain benefit words like “gift” or “shipping”. It should also not contain characters “©”, “™”, nor information that the product is sold out or unavailable. How to fix this error? Unwanted words or characters in the product name can be removed in bulk using a Find and Replace rule. In the Find field, enter the searched word, and leave the Replace field empty. This will remove the found text. If the searched text is not found in PRODUCTNAME, the element value will remain unchanged. If you still need help with the fix, please contact our technical support. We will advise you on a specific solution. |
| Element PRODUCT contains a disallowed value | Element PRODUCT contains a disallowed value The value of element PRODUCT should not contain extra words like “installments”, “sale price”, “discount”, “bonus”, “personal pickup”, “free shipping”, etc., nor information that the product is sold out or unavailable. How to fix this error? Unwanted words or characters in the product name can be removed in bulk using a Find and Replace rule. In the Find field, enter the searched word, and leave the Replace field empty. This will remove the found text. If the searched text is not found in PRODUCT, the element value will remain unchanged. If you still need help with the fix, please contact our technical support. We will advise you on a specific solution. |
| Element TITLE contains a disallowed value | Element TITLE contains a disallowed value The TITLE element must not contain any additional messages promoting your products. Check that it does not contain terms like “free shipping”, “distribution”, “authorized seller”, “availability”, “installment sale”, “installments”, “discount”, “sale price”, “bonus”, “personal pickup”, etc. |
| Element PRODUCTNAME contains a disallowed value | Element PRODUCTNAME contains a disallowed value The product name should not contain words like sale, discount, etc. |
| Element Termeknev contains a disallowed value | Element Termeknev contains a disallowed value The Termeknev element must not contain any additional messages promoting your products. Check that it does not contain terms like ‘áron alul’, ’legjobbár’, ‘bónusz’, ‘vadonatúj’, ‘ingyenes’, ‘raktáron’, ‘minimum vásárlás’, ‘most rendelni’, ‘kedvezmény’, ‘felújított’, ‘garancia’ and remove them if present. |
| Element CATEGORYTEXT contains a link | Element CATEGORYTEXT contains a link The categorization path in the CATEGORYTEXT element cannot contain links. However, some of your products contain links in this element. How to fix this error? You can remove links from the CATEGORYTEXT element using, for example, a Find and Replace rule. In the Find field, enter the link you want to delete, and leave the Replace field empty. This will remove the found text. If there are many different links (each one is different), you can remove them in bulk using regular expressions. If you need help composing a suitable regular expression, please contact our technical support — we will advise you. |
| Element PRODUCT contains a link | Element PRODUCT contains a link The value in the PRODUCT element cannot contain links. However, some of your products contain links in this element. How to fix this error? You can remove links from the PRODUCT element using, for example, a Find and Replace rule. In the Find field, enter the link you want to delete, and leave the Replace field empty. This will remove the found text. If there are many different links (each one is different), you can remove them in bulk using regular expressions. If you need help composing a suitable regular expression, please contact our technical support — we will advise you. |
| Element PRODUCTNAME contains a link | Element PRODUCTNAME contains a link The PRODUCTNAME element is used for product identification and must not contain URL links, only text. |
| Element TITLE contains a URL link | Element TITLE contains a URL link The TITLE element is used for product identification and must not contain URL links, only text. |
| Element VISIBILITY contains the value 0 | Element VISIBILITY contains the value 0 The value of element VISIBILITY indicates whether the product should appear in the product search engine advertising. In your XML, some products have this element set to 0, and therefore they will not appear in advertising. |
| Element CATEGORYTEXT contains an invalid separator | Element CATEGORYTEXT contains an invalid separator |
| Element CATEGORYTEXT appears more than once | Element CATEGORYTEXT appears more than once |
| Element CATEGORYTEXT contains redundant separators | Element CATEGORYTEXT contains redundant separators |
| Element CATEGORYTEXT contains only one value | Element CATEGORYTEXT contains only one value The category designation should contain the full path to the product, including the category and its subcategories. |
| Element CATEGORYTEXT has an invalid value | Element CATEGORYTEXT has an invalid value The element should designate the product category. The category should be properly described, including nesting into subcategories. |
| Element CATEGORY contains an invalid separator | Element CATEGORY contains an invalid separator |
| Element CATEGORY appears multiple times in the feed | Element CATEGORY appears multiple times in the feed The element CATEGORY may only appear once in your feed. Check its occurrences. |
| Element CATEGORY contains redundant separators | Element CATEGORY contains redundant separators The element CATEGORY contains redundant category separators, probably at the end. Remove them. |
| Element CATEGORY contains only one category | Element CATEGORY contains only one category Element CATEGORY contains only one category, which is not allowed by the search engine. Add more categories. |
| Element CATEGORY contains an invalid value | Element CATEGORY contains an invalid value The feed must contain the complete category path from the Zboží.cz category tree. The vertical bar is used as the separator. |
| Element fb_product_category contains an invalid separator | Element fb_product_category contains an invalid separator |
| Element fb_product_category appears multiple times in the feed | Element fb_product_category appears multiple times in the feed The element fb_product_category may only appear once in your feed. Check its occurrences. |
| Element fb_product_category contains redundant separators | Element fb_product_category contains redundant separators The element fb_product_category contains redundant category separators, probably at the end. Remove them. |
| Element fb_product_category contains only one category | Element fb_product_category contains only one category Element fb_product_category contains only one category, which is not allowed by the search engine. Add more categories. |
| Element fb_product_category contains an invalid value or is too short | Element fb_product_category contains an invalid value or is too short Element fb_product_category contains information about the category the product is assigned to by the seller. Check that it uses a valid taxonomy and contains enough categories. |
| Element product_type contains an invalid separator | Element product_type contains an invalid separator |
| Element product_type appears multiple times in the feed | Element product_type appears multiple times in the feed The element product_type may only appear once in your feed. Check its occurrences. |
| Element product_type contains redundant separators | Element product_type contains redundant separators The element product_type contains redundant category separators, probably at the end. Remove them. |
| Element product_type contains only one category | Element product_type contains only one category Element product_type contains only one category, which is not allowed by the search engine. Add more categories. |
| Element product_type contains an invalid value or is too short | Element product_type contains an invalid value or is too short Element product_type contains information about the category the product is assigned to by the seller. Check that it uses a valid taxonomy and contains enough categories. |
| Element G:GOOGLE_PRODUCT_CATEGORY contains an invalid separator | Element G:GOOGLE_PRODUCT_CATEGORY contains an invalid separator |