How to fix: Invalid external seller ID

One or more offers for your multi-seller account include an invalid value for the external seller ID [external_seller_id] attribute. For example, the value you’ve submitted may include white spaces or brackets, which are not allowed for this attribute.

Keep the following requirements in mind when adding a value for the external seller ID [external_seller_id] attribute:

• You must use a unique value for each seller
• The ID must be the same as the ID you use when updating your data
• Use only valid unicode characters. Avoid invalid characters like control, function, or private area characters
  • Valid characters include English letters, decimal digits, hyphens, underscores, periods, and tildes ([0-9a-zA-Z.~_-]{1,50})
• The value is case-sensitive and must be between 1-50 characters
• Use the same ID for the same seller across countries or languages

Note: The external seller ID [external_seller_id] attribute is only required for marketplaces with a multi-seller account.

Instructions

Step 1: See the affected products

1. Sign in to your Merchant Center account.
2. Select Products on the navigation menu, then click Diagnostics.
3. Click the Item issues tab to view current issues affecting your products.

To download a list (.csv) of all affected products for all issues:

• Click the download button next to the filter button , beneath the graph and above the list of issues.

To download a list (.csv) of all affected products for a particular issue:

• Find the issue under the “Issue” column, then click the download button at the end of the row.

To view a list of up to 50 products with this particular issue:

• Find the issue under the “Issue” column, then click View examples in the “Affected items” column.

Step 2: Update the invalid attribute(s)

1. Filter the downloaded report so that you only see products with:
   "Issue title" = Invalid external seller ID
2. Update the attribute to a value that complies with the character requirements.

Step 3: Resubmit your product data

1. After you’ve updated your product data, resubmit it using one of these methods:
   • Upload a feed
   • Submit through the Content API
   • Import content from an ecommerce platform
2. Next, check that you’ve fixed the issue by making sure it’s no longer listed on the Diagnostics page.
   
   Keep in mind: It may take some time for your change to be reflected on the Diagnostics page.

Related links

• How to fix: Missing attribute
• External seller ID [external_seller_id]
• Multi-seller accounts