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How to fix: Invalid value: Google product category [google_product_category]

Use an accepted category from the taxonomy

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The value you provided for the Google product category [google_product_category] attribute (GPC) doesn't match any of the categories in the Google product taxonomy. You may enter the correct numeric ID (for example, 1580) or the full path to the relevant Google category (for example, Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Suits > Tuxedos) as the value for this attribute. Entering the last segment only (for example, Tuxedos), will not be accepted and will cause an error.

The GPC attribute is optional for all products. If it is not provided, Google will use internal signals to determine the correct category for your product. If you choose to specify the GPC, please make sure to use the predefined values. Invalid values will be rejected and may prevent your products from appearing.

Check that you are submitting values from the latest version of the GPC taxonomy. You can submit GPC values in English or in the language of your feed.

Products that belong to the following categories require special attention:

1604 Apparel & Accessories > Clothing
187 Apparel & Accessories > Shoes
178 Apparel & Accessories > Clothing Accessories > Sunglasses
3032 Apparel & Accessories > Handbags, Wallets & Cases > Handbags
201 Apparel & Accessories > Jewelry > Watches
784 Media > Books
839 Media > DVDs & Videos
855 Media > Music
1279 Software > Video Game Software


Note: The Google product category is not the same as the product type [product_type], which is used to categorize products on your website and can have any value you want.

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 Download next to the filter button Download, 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 Download 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: Specify a valid Google product category for every product

  1. Filter the downloaded report so you only see products with:
    “Issue title” = Invalid value: Google product category [google_product_category]
  2. Check your product data for those products (using the ID), and make sure each item has a GPC that conforms to our data specifications.

Step 3: Resubmit your product data

  1. After you’ve updated your product data, resubmit it using one of these methods:
  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.

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