Common Feed Errors and How to Fix Them

Feed errors can tank your advertising performance overnight. Learn to identify, diagnose, and fix the most common product feed problems before they hurt your business.

Understanding Feed Errors

Feed errors fall into three categories:

🔴 Critical Errors — Products won't show at all
🟡 Warnings — Products show but with reduced performance
🟢 Suggestions — Optimization opportunities

The average merchant has 15-20% of products affected by feed issues at any given time. Most don't even know it.

Top 10 Feed Errors & How to Fix Them

1. Missing Required Attributes

Error: \"Missing required attribute: price\"

Fix: Ensure all required fields are populated. Different categories have different requirements — apparel needs size/color, electronics need brand/GTIN.

2. Invalid GTIN/UPC/EAN

Error: \"Invalid GTIN format\"

Fix: GTINs must be valid check-digit numbers. Use a GTIN validator. If you don't have GTINs, set identifier_exists to false.

3. Price Mismatch

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

Fix: Sync your feed more frequently. Use dynamic pricing or update feeds after every price change.

4. Image Too Small

Error: \"Image is smaller than minimum required size\"

Fix: Use images at least 100x100px (Google) or 500x500px (Facebook). Ideally 1000x1000px or larger.

5. Landing Page Errors (404)

Error: \"Landing page not accessible\"

Fix: Remove discontinued products from your feed or redirect URLs. Implement proper 301 redirects for moved products.

6. Invalid Availability Value

Error: \"Invalid value for availability\"

Fix: Use exact values: in stock, out of stock, preorder, or backorder. Not \"In Stock\" or \"available\".

7. Promotional Text in Title

Warning: \"Promotional text in title\"

Fix: Remove \"Sale!\", \"Free Shipping\", \"50% Off\" from titles. Use the sale_price field for promotions instead.

8. Duplicate Products

Warning: \"Duplicate item ID detected\"

Fix: Each product needs a unique ID. Check for accidental duplicates in your source data.

9. Missing Google Product Category

Warning: \"Google product category not specified\"

Fix: Add the google_product_category field with the appropriate category ID or path.

10. Currency/Price Format Issues

Error: \"Invalid price format\"

Fix: Use format 19.99 USD with space between amount and currency. No currency symbols.

Preventing Future Errors

✅ Best Practices

🔄 Automate feed updates — Daily minimum, hourly for fast-moving inventory
✔️ Validate before submitting — Catch errors before platforms do
📊 Monitor regularly — Check Merchant Center/Business Manager weekly
🧪 Test changes — Use supplemental feeds for testing
📝 Document your mappings — Know what goes where

Automatic Error Detection

Never miss a feed error again

NX Feed validates your products in real-time and alerts you to issues before they cause disapprovals.

Start Validating Free →