Invalid format for sub-attributes [product detail]

[ozilya]

Suddenly I have about 300 of those issues in google merchant center. Just using stock standard shopify and have some items with 2 custom variants. such as Material and Size. 

Google merchant center is throwing up up error and says the product has limited visibility because of that.

Dear Shopify, please fix your feed into the merchant center.

[AhsenZa]

Since 2 days ago I have the exact same issue. I am also looking for a solution. My assumptions is the same: it has to do with variants as it is mentioned in the Rejected attributes field. I have been trying to edit the variable in different ways but never works

[Owner199]

Having the same issue. Couple of days ago this popped up for around 300 products (out of almost 7000). Most of the ones merchant has flagged, don't have any options or variants.

[Chadamz1]

I'm seeing this issue as well but I don't have any variants. So weird. What theme are you using? I've been having issues with my theme is why I ask.

[Owner199]

I'm using Pursuit 2.0 from Mile High Themes.

[Chadamz1]

I'm using spotlight 13.0 at the moment. I was using a data feed app to send that data to google and it might have created a variant. I deleted it so I'll check back after it updates. Honestly, Ive been having nightmare after nightmare with google merchant center and I'm beginning to think it's Shopify itself. 

[Owner199]

Yes, I think Shopify is mostly to blame. Our merchant account pulls details from Content API.

[AhsenZa]

I'm Using Pipeline.
Is there anyone that can help solve this issue?

[Owner199]

I believe this is some type of issue on Shopify or Merchants end. Shopify Plus customer service is worthless as they only read from a script with no real help. 

I'm currently waiting to chat with Shopify Plus "chat support".

I've made them aware of this issue and I've referenced this chat url. 

I'd advise everyone here that's having issues to make a complaint to Shopify.

https://help.shopify.com/en/support

Of course, Shopify says everything is absolutely perfect on their end.

[Blingschlinger]

I started to get that today. I looked in my GMC and noticed on the product, clicking on :

Rejected attributes

product detail
Variant:title:Default Title

Sooo, dont know 

[Blingschlinger]

What it looks like to me though is that they are trying to improve this and they are going to have the default title as the "Product Detail" ... they just coded it incorrectly it seems

[Owner199]

This has to be on Googles end. My Invalid format for sub-attributes [product detail] products went from 330 to 6770 today.

Also, if you have your Youtube channel tied to your store, check the link. Our Youtube social media icon link was changed to some random, incomplete Youtube URL.

[AhsenZa]

I noticed that in the products I have without variant the error is:
Variant:title:Default Title

The products with a variant the error is the variant value:

Variant:größe:50ml

So in any case we get an error

[EmmanuelFlossie]

Invalid format for sub-attributes [product detail] is related to for example adding commas in the value. Generally commas are used to separate values, and if you use this in product details, without correctly adding the structure it will break.

For example correct structure is

specifications:material:leather

incorrect

specifications:material:leather,polyester

See I added a comma, this will break in Google Merchant Center.

To learn more: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/9218260

[AhsenZa]

Hi Emmanuel, thank you for the suggestion. Below an example of a rejected attibute (invalid format)

Rejected attributes

expand_less

product detail

Variant:größe:50ml

As you can see, no commas or any other symbology

[EmmanuelFlossie]

It's possible you have UTF-8 formatting issues. Check your file format, make sure to save the file as UTF-8

[AhsenZa]

Hi Emmanuel, I am not sure what you are referring to with file formatting. I Import information to merchant through API

[LunrLighting]

Please, find problem from shopify first, there is a reason that so many people ask a same problem😅

[Sincere63]

That's I do

[David28]

I have the same issue and it affects hundreds of products. It's definitely nothing I've done as I've made no changes to anything in Google merchant center or to my products. I created a simple brand new product to test and it received the same error warning in merchant center. So it is definitely being caused by the product feed that Shopify sends to Google ("Content API"). And yet, Shopify supports insist nothing is wrong and told me to ask Google to re-sync. I submitted that request to Google who then replied to me, and said it is indeed a problem with the configuration of Content API. So we really need Shopify to realise there is a problem at their end and fix it asap.

[gb-user]

Having same issue from last 2 days. Tried multiple things but nothing worked. Should we wait for Shopify or google to review themselves and reolve this issue or is there anything we can do for now ?

[EmmanuelFlossie]

If not tried already, contact Google directly here: https://support.google.com/merchants/contact/shopify_3p_support_app

As it sounds to me the issue is the google and youtube app being used.

Alternatively, manually edit the data in Google merchant center or use a supplement feed to overwrite the data.

[David28]

The issue seems to be in the configuration of the Content API feed that Shopify sends to Google. They've altered something and it now has an attribute configured incorrectly. Any new products created in the Shopify admin end up with the same error. Merchants can't alter Content API so there's nothing we can do until Shopify take a closer look at it. Google have already advised the same.

[David28]

Open a support ticket with Shopify and reference this thread. They don't think there's an issue at the moment so the more merchants that report it to them, the more likely they'll fix it.

[gb-user]

I have a detailed conversation with Shopify support and they admit their mistake and said that we already know that many of merchants are facing this issue and our developers are working on it. I am attaching some screenshots of my chat for reference 

 

  

[David28]

That's good to hear.  They insisted there was no issue at their end when I spoke to them. Hopefully now, they'll work on it.

[Jakob1]

The frontline tech support reps are the last to know. They have very little power or knowledge. Sounds like the information has finally trickled down to them. So, now we wait.

[Twiggy]

Same here! 
the last two days i spend searching what the problem might be, and i found the problem might probably with the app! So glad i read here that’s actually the case!

i went from 0% errors and warnings to 100% warnings, which is 297000 products in my case!

I changed some prices for apparel in my shop, and that triggered the first warnings. But when i opened the bulk editor in the app on Shopify, trying to fix the warnings, all my items were affected, even the ones without variants.

For the apparel, which has size variants within my listings, i added a Google:size column in the bulk editor as these were the problem with apparel ( variant: size: L, or other size). This didn’t help.

For other listings without variants, it’s the default title, for which i didn’t fint a column to add or to change in the bulk editor.

Glad i finally know it’s a common issue and i can get some sleep instead. 

[Owner199]

You still need to contact google and shopify with a reference to this thread. The more complaints the better.

[ImartPL]

Problem is with ":" in Api Content file... Now is Color: Red / Size: XL and should be Color:Red:Size:XL

[Jakob1]

Ok, so it's not just me. I've got this on about 15K variants at the moment. They're all dead in the water on Merchant Center. Shopify, please fix.

[Jakob1]

Been on chat support for the last 20 minutes or so and, during that chat, all my products fixed themselves. Anybody else's products get fixed?

[Owner199]

Mine are still messed up.

[ImartPL]

Mine too...  

[vitamin-place]

We have been experiencing this for about a week now. Each day, more and more products get flagged for this issue. Shopify says it's not their fault and Google doesn't know what to look for, even with specific steps. This issue needs to be escalated and looked into, it has to be impacting everyone's products in some capacity if you're using variants. It looks like the variant attributes aren't reading formats properly from the Content API into Merchant Center.

[Owner199]

Make a complaint with Shopify support and give them the URL to this chat.

[vitamin-place]

Thanks - I just submitted it

[mccorma1]

FWIW, I just had a chat with support as well to report the issue. I had 150 of this error yesterday, and that has jumped to 1100 today (July 29).

[Owner199]

What did they tell you? Did they deny the issue?

[mccorma1]

They didn't deny it. Basically I provided enough info to the agent that she would pass it on to the development team. I sent screenshots to them and and I sent this discussion link. Mainly just wanted to build onto the voices of others who have been contacting them.

[Sincere63]

I search and I found that solution and it works

https://youtu.be/Eb2l502UGw0?si=tvIsaRd0AOKstQgf

[JAMES83]

Thank you,  fixed it for me saved 4000 items!

[vitamin-place]

Thank you - this saved me!

[Sincere63]

It's my pleasure friend

[EmmanuelFlossie]

The downside of the video you shared, is that now you will not know when Google is fixing the issue. As submitting product details helps improve your ranking, not having the data will possibly lower your performance.

It's actually better to keep the error, as it will just be rejected. Or alternatively submit a supplement feed with correctly formatted data.

[ImartPL]

It is true - for shops with variants it is shooting yourself in the foot... And next one is strike from google...

[ImartPL]

Hi, I don't recomend it... if you delete product detail, all variable products don't get variants. If you want do it next is add to name all variant names... 

[Owner199]

This will probably hurt your ad performance in the long run.

[vitamin-place]

Hasn't impacted my performance today, in fact, my sales and conversion have actually increased! I'll keep watching ranking and performance to see if it declines, and keep watching for updates from Google to see if a real resolution comes to be

[Sincere63]

Ok, thank you