Google Merchant Center Feeder

[edcplus]

So a number of months ago I installed the UTF-8 character set, then installed Google Merchant center feeder. I've never been able to get google to accept my feed because of the errors in my Feed.

The product description on my website the characters are fine, but when the feed is exported to XML I see tons of # symbols in place of bullet points and (R) symbols and stuff. I believe this is why google is rejecting my feed. It happens on probably 50% of my product descriptions. Typically the errors are on product descriptions that contain bullet points or (R) symbols or other non-plane text formatting.

Can someone advise what I may be doing wrong?

I also noticed in "Configeration > Google Merchant Center Feder Configeration > Enable Advanced XML Sanitization > if this is set to False which is default the XML file is not formatted correctly at all, but if its set to True it actually looks like a proper XML file. I examined a friends ZC XML feed which his feed is accepted by google, and he doesn't have any of the random # in place of symbols that I have.

Please advise. Thanks in advance!

-Jason

[torvista]

This was a bit of a mess previously as there was a load of code to "clean up" an 8859 charset to UTF8 which didn't work properly and indeed required some careful hacking to get a feed accepted.
Now Google is less strict (at least for the UK and Spain) with respect to the characters and that bit of code has been deleted from the current version of the mod (which you should be using). So, upgrade to 1.5 now and try again with the latest version.
Post problems in the support thread
http://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.p...-for-ZC-v1-5-x

[edcplus]

Thanks for the response.

I really do not want to upgrade to 1.5 yet, as I'm afraid it might mess up some of my plugins or my template or something. My friend has v1.39h, and the same plugins like UTF-8, SEO URL's, USPS module, and his feed works just fine. There are no random # symbols in the product description like there are in mine.

Here is an example from the XML feed for a random product description that is messed up. Link to the product here.

Product description on webpage:

Specs:
Ranger Green
CORDURA® Fabric (3x as durable as nylon fabric)
Duraflex® Stealth Buckle
Drain hole, for water
Snaps onto a belt, or could be cliped onto a bag
Weight: 50g
Size: 144x45x55mm
Interior: 137x37x37mm
What is CORDURA® fabric?

CORDURA® fabric is what the most respected brands, retailers and militaries around the world use when they need to make a product that’s durable, versatile and reliable. Constructed using high tenacity fiber technologies, weight for weight, CORDURA® fabrics are exceptionally durable. Fact is, no matter the application, our fabrics are “best-in-class.” But more importantly, they have to pass our own stringent test criteria before they can earn the CORDURA® brand name. They’re available in a wide range of weights – from ultra lightweight to heavy weight. And CORDURA® fabrics come in many different constructions and textures. All in all, they’re the fabrics that make strong, long-lasting products even tougher in several categories - from outdoor gear and workwear to luggage, military and upholstery.

And here is the extracted product description from the XML feed:

<description><![CDATA[Specs: Ranger Green CORDURA&#194;&#174; Fabric (3x as durable as nylon fabric) Duraflex&#194;&#174; Stealth Buckle Drain hole, for water Snaps onto a belt, or could be cliped onto a bag Weight: 50g Size: 144x45x55mm Interior: 137x37x37mm What is CORDURA&#194;&#174; fabric?  CORDURA&#194;&#174; fabric is what the most respected brands, retailers and militaries around the world use when they need to make a product that&#226;e(TM)s durable, versatile and reliable. Constructed using high tenacity fiber technologies, weight for weight, CORDURA&#194;&#174; fabrics are exceptionally durable. Fact is, no matter the application, our fabrics are &#226;eoebest-in-class.&#226;e  But more importantly, they have to pass our own stringent test criteria before they can earn the CORDURA&#194;&#174; brand name. They&#226;e(TM)re available in a wide range of weights &#226;e&quot; from ultra lightweight to heavy weight. And CORDURA&#194;&#174; fabrics come in many different constructions and textures. All in all, they&#226;e(TM)re the fabrics that make strong, long-lasting products even tougher in several categories - from outdoor gear and workwear to luggage, military and upholstery.]]></description>

Any suggestions?