Google App - reported errors "Invalid Attribute Value [image link]"

[sap]

Hundreds of products all say "Invalid Attribute Value [image link]" in the Google app in the Products list.

The images for my products show up on the website product pages without issue. And there are no links FROM the images. AND they show up in Google search results. Is this error keeping my products from showing up in Google Shopping, cuz they're not there. Could the problem be that I'm an early legacy user who uses old Shopify?

[Moira]

Hey @sap,

Great question!

Despite the images displaying correctly on your website and in Google search results, Google Merchant Center and Google Shopping have specific requirements for product images.

For each product listed in your product data, you must provide an accessible image in an accepted format (JPEG , WebP, PNG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF). Products with invalid images will remain disapproved and won’t show in Shopping ads or free listings until you’ve updated the images.

If this is a new product, it will remain disapproved until Google can process the image. If it is an existing product, Google will revert to the previous image. Keep in mind that if you change the image, but keep the same URL, it could take up to 6 weeks to detect and crawl the new image. Google recommends that you change the image filename and URL when you change the image.

Let me know how you get on!

[sap]

Thanks for the information, but for products where I dragged .jpg images straight into the Shopify product edit page image section, I don’t see how it could find an error.

[Moira]

Ah I see! Uploading .jpg images directly into the Shopify product edit page should generally work without issues. Although, if your website or the specific image URLs are blocked by a robots.txt file, Google won't be able to access them.

You can check your robots.txt file by appending "/robots.txt" to the end of your website's home URL (for example, "www.yourwebsite.com/robots.txt"). If you see your images' directory listed under "Disallow," that could be causing the issue.

In the context of Shopify, we automatically generate a robots.txt file for your store, and usually, it should not block your product images. However, it's worth checking to make sure.

[sap]

There’s plenty of disallow in our robot file, but we didn’t modify it and there’s nothing related to images in it.

# we use Shopify as our ecommerce platform

User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /orders
Disallow: /checkouts/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /20801/checkouts
Disallow: /20801/orders
Disallow: /carts
Disallow: /account
Disallow: /collections/*sort_by*
Disallow: /*/collections/*sort_by*
Disallow: /collections/*+*
Disallow: /collections/*%2B*
Disallow: /collections/*%2b*
Disallow: /*/collections/*+*
Disallow: /*/collections/*%2B*
Disallow: /*/collections/*%2b*
Disallow: /blogs/*+*
Disallow: /blogs/*%2B*
Disallow: /blogs/*%2b*
Disallow: /*/blogs/*+*
Disallow: /*/blogs/*%2B*
Disallow: /*/blogs/*%2b*
Disallow: /*?*oseid=*
Disallow: /*preview_theme_id*
Disallow: /*preview_script_id*
Disallow: /policies/
Disallow: /*/*?*ls=*&ls=*
Disallow: /*/*?*ls%3D*%3Fls%3D*
Disallow: /*/*?*ls%3d*%3fls%3d*
Disallow: /search
Disallow: /apple-app-site-association
Disallow: /.well-known/shopify/monorail
Disallow: /cdn/wpm/*.js
Disallow: /services/login_with_shop
Sitemap: https://shop.track16.com/sitemap.xml

# Google adsbot ignores robots.txt unless specifically named!
User-agent: adsbot-google
Disallow: /checkouts/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /carts
Disallow: /orders
Disallow: /20801/checkouts
Disallow: /20801/orders
Disallow: /*?*oseid=*
Disallow: /*preview_theme_id*
Disallow: /*preview_script_id*
Disallow: /services/login_with_shop

User-agent: Nutch
Disallow: /

User-agent: AhrefsBot
Crawl-delay: 10
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /orders
Disallow: /checkouts/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /20801/checkouts
Disallow: /20801/orders
Disallow: /carts
Disallow: /account
Disallow: /collections/*sort_by*
Disallow: /*/collections/*sort_by*
Disallow: /collections/*+*
Disallow: /collections/*%2B*
Disallow: /collections/*%2b*
Disallow: /*/collections/*+*
Disallow: /*/collections/*%2B*
Disallow: /*/collections/*%2b*
Disallow: /blogs/*+*
Disallow: /blogs/*%2B*
Disallow: /blogs/*%2b*
Disallow: /*/blogs/*+*
Disallow: /*/blogs/*%2B*
Disallow: /*/blogs/*%2b*
Disallow: /*?*oseid=*
Disallow: /*preview_theme_id*
Disallow: /*preview_script_id*
Disallow: /policies/
Disallow: /*/*?*ls=*&ls=*
Disallow: /*/*?*ls%3D*%3Fls%3D*
Disallow: /*/*?*ls%3d*%3fls%3d*
Disallow: /search
Disallow: /apple-app-site-association
Disallow: /.well-known/shopify/monorail
Disallow: /cdn/wpm/*.js
Disallow: /services/login_with_shop
Sitemap: https://shop.track16.com/sitemap.xml

User-agent: AhrefsSiteAudit
Crawl-delay: 10
Disallow: /admin
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /orders
Disallow: /checkouts/
Disallow: /checkout
Disallow: /20801/checkouts
Disallow: /20801/orders
Disallow: /carts
Disallow: /account
Disallow: /collections/*sort_by*
Disallow: /*/collections/*sort_by*
Disallow: /collections/*+*
Disallow: /collections/*%2B*
Disallow: /collections/*%2b*
Disallow: /*/collections/*+*
Disallow: /*/collections/*%2B*
Disallow: /*/collections/*%2b*
Disallow: /blogs/*+*
Disallow: /blogs/*%2B*
Disallow: /blogs/*%2b*
Disallow: /*/blogs/*+*
Disallow: /*/blogs/*%2B*
Disallow: /*/blogs/*%2b*
Disallow: /*?*oseid=*
Disallow: /*preview_theme_id*
Disallow: /*preview_script_id*
Disallow: /policies/
Disallow: /*/*?*ls=*&ls=*
Disallow: /*/*?*ls%3D*%3Fls%3D*
Disallow: /*/*?*ls%3d*%3fls%3d*
Disallow: /search
Disallow: /apple-app-site-association
Disallow: /.well-known/shopify/monorail
Disallow: /cdn/wpm/*.js
Disallow: /services/login_with_shop
Sitemap: https://shop.track16.com/sitemap.xml

User-agent: MJ12bot
Crawl-Delay: 10

User-agent: Pinterest
Crawl-delay: 1

[sap]

I went over to my Google Merchant Center page. When I look at products with issues, it says nothing about invalid image issues (unlike on the Google Sales Channel page on Shopify). BUT... on the Google Merchant Center page, it says every one of my products has "Invalid real number [unit pricing measure]" and "Invalid whole number [unit pricing base measure]". I don't know what these refer to in Shopify or how to fix them.

[Daadian]

I just want to jump in here and say that I am seeing the exact same issue. Hundreds of items listed with:

Invalid whole number [unit pricing base measure]

and

Invalid real number [unit pricing measure]

We are about to do some ad spending and I want to make sure that our products are actually being advertised.

[HugeBouquets]

same problem. Please infrom us if you found solution

[claricelin]

Hi @sap @Daadian @HugeBouquets 

This is a new error recently flagged up by Google related to the unit price measurement of each product.

These are the two affected attributes: unit pricing measure and unit pricing base measure. Previously they were optional fields but it looks like Google would now like all merchants to provide this information for every variant.

Once the units and base units measure are provided, those errors would be resolved.

I have a short clip: https://youtube.com/shorts/xgEkf0ECRBM that also talks about this issue.

You can resolve this issue directly in Google Merchant Center, or submit a supplemental product feed to update those fields.

Best,

Clarice

[sap]

I don't think these are attributes that you can address in Shopify, let alone the bulk editor. But even when I go to Google Merchant Center I'm confused as to the measurement I should use for a book. Ounces? Inches? It doesn't have option for Pieces or Units. I'm not sell perfume or lotion by the ounce. Erg. And any way you slice it, I don't want to have to hand correct 400 records in the merch center. 

[Daadian]

I used 1 for the number area and there is an option for pack in the dropdown list.

We have the same thing. Its a single item. A chair. It's an EACH scenario. Each isn't in the list. But pack makes some sorta sense.

As for the edit. It does work .....one by one ... and there does seem to be a corresponding change viewable after I edit the items. So it does seem to do something. But I can't edit these one by one .... I have 500+

[Daadian]

Replying to myself for others the correct option in the dropdown for an each type item is "ct" count.

https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7052112?hl=en&visit_id=638369700016839510-3151746147&rd=...

[wdurrani]

If the item is sold as per unit, then for each item, you have to put. 

1 ct 

for both [unit_pricing_measure] and [unit_pricing_base_measure]

For bulk edit - Select all the products in the "Products" section using the "bulk edit" option at the bottom. Then, make these two attribute columns appear using the "columns" tab in the top right corner.

Thanks

[sap]

I've looked through Shopify bulk edit a few times and don't see anything like these attributes as choices in the column selector.

[Daadian]

Okay the 1 ct is right as I discovered. 

I was very hopeful about the bulk edit but alas the fields were not available in the select columns.

Here is my progress ....

Found the bulk edit option inside of shopify products list.

Did NOT find the columns available to even show inside the available columns list.

As a side note. Inside of merchant center, you can't add those fields to that column chooser either. 

[wdurrani]

Hi Daadian & Sap,

I just checked. Those columns disappeared from the "bulk edit" but I am sure they were there half an hour ago. You can still bulk edit via the Google & YouTube app if you are using it for your product data feed.

Please check the screenshot below. I think that's how it should be done

[wdurrani]

[sap]

LOL. THERE IT IS. There's another way into the bulk editor in the Google & YouTube section and it has none of this. Manage Products is the key.  Here's hoping!

[wdurrani]

I think this is how it should be done ... ???

[Daadian]

THANK YOU !

[wdurrani]

Although the attribute values seem to be updated in the products now but

but the warnings are not going away.....how about yours?

[Vic25]

My error only goes away if I enter the data directly into the merchant center (one by one, there is no option to do it in bulk). If I do it through Shopify, the error does not go away. 

[wdurrani]

Yes, I am finding the same issue.

[Daadian]

Yup it seems only doing it one by one in merchant center seems to work

[wdurrani]

My errors are not going away even if I directly put the values in GMC. How did you do it?

[donnamac]

Yes, I'm trying to correct via a feed rule, but do not know what the correct values are to make this correction.  I tried '1 ct'  and '1ct' and it did not correct.  

Any insight?

[MônFurniture]

Hi Clarice,

Thanks for sharing your content!

For some reason, my merchant centre doesn't display the measurement field when editing products. Do you know why? 

[Brett21]

Claricelin I think your talking about another issue what the people above and I are referring to are the way the price is displayed and currency in merchant center compared to the website. I will explain further here to why I say that. When i apply the fix wrong for what Claricelin suggested two more failed attributes pop up on merchant center for that field. Once I add it correctly those two new attribute warnings go away but not the ones pertaining to the price whole numbers and currency those are still there.  

(Invalid real number [unit pricing measure]......and.....Invalid whole number [unit pricing base measure]. So when you click on more info these two warning pertain to price showing up like this on website $22.00 and like this on merchant center $22) even though the information is perfect on the site, somewhere the schema info is changing. I also have the image warning flags on most of my products that seem to have something to do with the googlebot crawling wrong. These are multiple issue popping up at the most inconvenient time. As of right now I do not have a solution to this except for waiting on google or shopify, in the meantime feed rules are there for you to try and resolve this but I do not know the correct info to put in. Hopefully someone can point us in the correct way to do so. 

[Janit_Calvo]

What does this have to do with the original question? I thought we were trying to resolve the Invalid Attribute Value [image link] error?

[donnamac]

You are right. This morphed into an answer on another questions someone
asked in the same thread. It should have been separated out. Happens alot.

[wdurrani]

yes exact same issue here

[donnamac]

I noticed these errors for our site too.

If you have created 'feed rules' in Merchant Center, that will load the field on the merchant center side during the Shopify feed. 

I am going to try to set mine up today.  The bad thing is, for products already in Google, it won't be updated in the Shopify Google feed sends it over again (when you add/update a product).   p.s. I requested a long time ago a way to re-feed our entire catalog when needed.... but haven't heard anything being done on it.

I do this for several other fields already and it saves us a bunch of time that we end up spending on something that doesn't really change anything or help sell products better online.  

Figuring out HOW to create a feed rule in Merchant Center is kind of technical, but worth looking into if you are adventurous.  There are YouTube videos out there on creating Google Feed Rules.  That's how I learned.

I'll let you know how it goes.  

Hopefully, there aren't any more Google 'changes' that we have to jump through hoops to 'fix'.

[donnamac]

** Update and SUCCESS **  

I created a feed rule in Merchant Ctr that loads '1ct' to each of these fields.

So when a product is fed from Shopify, those 2 fields are filled with that value.

It looks like @Gameroomgoodies solution is very simple and is done in Shopify code.  Check their solution out if this is too much.

It is not super intuitive, but if you code, it's pretty simple once you figure it out.  I just had to test it a few times to get the results I needed. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________

In Merchant Center:

 - Under Products, click on Feeds

   - select Content API (that should be your Shopify feed unless you have somehow renamed it)

   -   click on the Feed Rules tab across the top of the block

   -   click on the blue circle with the + in the middle to add a rule

   -   type 'unit' in the box that appears, it should list those 2 fields we need

For EACH of those 2 fields create a rule:

     -  select the field

     -  on the next screen, click on the SET TO box

     - where it says 'type or select', enter 1ct and press enter.  it will be displayed below under Add Value.  Click on the value you entered.  It should redisplay the page with your value shown and the OK box at bottom right wlll be blue. Then it took your entry.  Click OK.

     -  it will redisplay the rule on the rules list under 'draft' status.

your rules should look like this when you are done.

   - At the top of the list, it should display Test changes.  DO THIS!  It will take a while depending on how many products are in your database. Took mine 20 mins

       -  You will know it is done when you see something like 'Check the test results'.  If you scroll down to the bottom of that report, it will show the list of errors from your diagnostics report.  If the rule worked, the unit pricing errors should be GONE.

LEAVE THOSE 2 RULES THERE AND IT WILL FILL THOSE FIELDS FOR ANY UPDATED OR NEW PRODUCTS THAT COME FROM SHOPIFY IN THE FUTURE.

I took some screen shots, but not enough to show what to look for at the end.  Sorry. I can publish if needed...

[wdurrani]

Hi Donnamac,

Thank you for letting us benefit from your hard work.

I'll give it a go now and update you.

I am considering learning more about Feed Rules because that will be needed again. If, in future, there is a mix of products that requires both per unit and per mil or kg measure values, then I'll have to tackle it via feed rules.

Thanks

[donnamac]

That mil/kg issue you need to address will be interesting.  on all our products, the price is per the product, so 1ct worked for us.  I'd be interested in your solution on that.  We haven't run into a situation like that...yet.  Good luck and keep us posted!

[Brett21]

Hi thank you, for that information. I have a similar issue having to do with whole numbers and the currency. For some reason integration from shopify to merchant center it's dropping the decimal point, even though it is correct on my site. I am waiting to hear back from google on this. I tried using an seo tool for json and they swear they did not do this but refused to fix it so now that's wear I am. Should have known better but did not have this fix before trying the app. 



Invalid real number [unit pricing measure]



      



Invalid whole number [unit pricing base measure]

[wdurrani]

Just follow @donnamac solution. Create a couple of simple feed rules.

[donnamac]

You might want to create a standalone question on your issue.  It will get more attention that way. 

[gwenthegoose]

This is great, thanks! Works perfectly now.

[wdurrani]

I was about to tell you to look at @donnamac 's solution.

[sap]

Thanks for this very helpful 'tutorial.' When it's still in draft mode, it said it fixed the issue. So I saved/applied the draft rules. For a while, the diagnostics showed it still to be an issue, but then after about 15 minutes the issues disappeared from the diagnostics list! Fingers crossed.

[donnamac]

Agreed. I always tend to wait a while for results when I change something in Google.  I even keep checking days later.  Sometimes it s takes quite a while for google to re-check what I did and the daggone errors show up again a week later.  I hope this one sticks!! 

[MônFurniture]

Thank you for sharing your fix - although why don't I see "feeds" after clicking on products in Merchant Center? 

[donnamac]

When you click on Products, it should open a drop down list underneath.  That is where you should see 'Feeds' if you truly have Shopify connected to merchant center.  On the right is what should display after you click FEEDS. Content API should be your shopify feed:

[donnamac]

***  Addendum ***

My example of entering '1ct' in those fields applies if the price on your product is what someone pays when they purchase ONE.  All our products are priced like this.  We try doing things as simple as possible.  Just thought I would clarify. '1ct' may not work for everyone.  If you google the field names, there is good documentation on what values are acceptable in these fields.

I also watched this video that explains what those 2 fields are and how google uses them.  it really helped me understand what they do with the info in them.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=myR5Jc

[Brett21]

Thanks for this I will see if it helps my issue as well, also sorry if I confused anyone there are similar issues with that attribute that lead me here. Fingers crossed, I wish in the future google would not do these changes right before Q4 because of the timing makes me feel like they did this on purpose. Would be a very easy way to restrict some listings and thin out products in search.  

[Daheart]

Same here, we're about spend thousands of dollars on Google Shopping and Google is telling us that all of our products have an Invalid attribute value [image link]. We've haven't touched the robots.txt so I don't understand why we should be getting this error? Shopify needs to come up with a solution to quickly as it seems to be a native issue with the platform.

[gwenthegoose]

I've got the same issue on my site, so it must be due to a recent change somewhere. Is there a fix for this in the works? Currently got 500+ products with a warning in Merchant Center.

[Gameroomgoodies]

i started seeing same thing 11 of 700 items,  

[Gameroomgoodies]

Fix i just did to my site. if your just selling single items.