Google Merchant Center Feeder for ZC v1.5.x [Support Thread]

[tucson]

I am using Google Merchant Feeder v1.13 and Zen Cart v1.5. I had previously gotten exemption from Google Merchant Center for providing unique product identifiers. Now they have changed their requirements and as of July 15th, I am no longer exempt, but must put in an "identifier_exists" attribute and set the value to none. I have no idea how or where to do this. Is this something the feeder should do for me? Perhaps Numinix has just not got around to updating the Merchant Feeder add-on to reflect these new requirements by Google. Please help as now my feed gets errors when I try to upload it to google, saying it lacks unique product identifiers, which my products do not have. Each one is a unique one of a kind piece.

[Serious]

I am using Google Merchant Feeder v1.13 and Zen Cart v1.5. I had previously gotten exemption from Google Merchant Center for providing unique product identifiers. Now they have changed their requirements and as of July 15th, I am no longer exempt, but must put in an "identifier_exists" attribute and set the value to none. I have no idea how or where to do this. Is this something the feeder should do for me? Perhaps Numinix has just not got around to updating the Merchant Feeder add-on to reflect these new requirements by Google. Please help as now my feed gets errors when I try to upload it to google, saying it lacks unique product identifiers, which my products do not have. Each one is a unique one of a kind piece.

Did you ever get this figured out?
I'm having the same issue and can't figure out where or how to add a "Unique Product Identifier".

I've looked at Admin>Configuration>Google Merchant Center Feeder Configuration and I don't see any options for this at all.

What am I not seeing?

[leviathan]

Did you ever get this figured out?
I'm having the same issue and can't figure out where or how to add a "Unique Product Identifier".

I've looked at Admin>Configuration>Google Merchant Center Feeder Configuration and I don't see any options for this at all.

What am I not seeing?

If you are still looking for help here, I have a small code edit you can do to get this working. The code edit is simple (about 4 lines) and will insert the identifier_exists = false element into the XML output. It will ONLY insert this if you DO NOT have UPC/ISBN/EAN set for your products. You will have to have the "UPC/ISBN/EAN" configuration option set to true in the google merchant configuration area, and this does require numinix product fields being installed.

STEP 0: BACK UP your_catalog/includes/classes/google_base.php
Step 1: Open your_catalog/includes/classes/google_base.php
Step 2: Go to ~ line 409
Step 3: Replace the following:

} elseif ($products->fields['products_ean'] != '') {
$ean = $dom->createElement('g:ean');
$ean->appendChild($dom->createCDATASection($this->google_base_xml_sanitizer($products->fields['products_ean'])));
$item->appendChild($ean);
}
}

with

} elseif ($products->fields['products_ean'] != '') {
$ean = $dom->createElement('g:ean');
$ean->appendChild($dom->createCDATASection($this->google_base_xml_sanitizer($products->fields['products_ean'])));
$item->appendChild($ean);
} else {
$identifier_exists = $dom->createElement('g:identifier_exists');
$identifier_exists->appendChild($dom->createCDATASection($this->google_base_xml_sanitizer('False')));
$item->appendChild($identifier_exists);
}
}

Step4: Save the file.

You can verify that the feed is correct by viewing the xml source and searching for identifier_exists. Any product without UPC/ISBN/EAN should have this field set.

Enjoy!

Lev

[kitcorsa]

heads up!

> Hello,
>
> Thank you for your interest in Google Shopping. We’re reaching out today
> to inform you about some upcoming changes to the way that we enforce
> valid ‘gtin’ attribute values.
>
> Starting on 17 September 2013, we’ll require that all values included in
> the ‘gtin’ attribute be valid ‘gtin’ values. Items that include invalid
> values for the 'gtin' attribute will generate errors and will not appear
> in Google Shopping. We will start enforcing this requirement in
> Australia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the
> Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. This requirement is already
> in effect in the US.
>
> In a recent review of your items, we noticed that some of your items have
> invalid values for the 'gtin' attribute.
>
> For any ‘gtin’ value that you are submitting, please make sure that the
> value is a valid UPC-A (GTIN-12), EAN/JAN (GTIN-13) or GTIN-14. You can
> often find the correct ‘gtin’ value right next to the barcode printed on
> the item's packing. Learn more by visiting
> https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/160161.
>
> Items with invalid ‘gtin’ values currently generate warning messages that
> are displayed in the “Feed status summary” section of your Google Merchant
> Center account (or generate warnings during API item insertion). You can
> access the “Feed status summary” section of your account by clicking on
> the status message in the ‘Status’ column on the Data Feeds tab of your
> Merchant Center account.
>
> Below are some common reasons for invalid ‘gtin’ values:
>
> - Too many or too few digits
> - Letters or symbols (instead of numbers only)
> - Invalid check digit (the check digit is a digit within the GTIN that can
> be used as a mathematical check to make sure that the product identifier
> is accurate).
>
> To avoid disruption to your products, we encourage you to review the
> warnings in the “Feed status summary” section of your account and to make
> any necessary corrections to the GTINs that you are submitting. If you
> have any questions or concerns with this change, please contact us at
> http://support.google.com/merchants/...ype=item_error
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
> The Google Shopping Team
>
> © Google Ireland Ltd., Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland
> Registered in Dublin, Ireland
> Registration Number: 368047
>
> You have received this mandatory email service announcement to update you
> about important changes to your Google Merchant Center account.
>

[bi11i]

this has been a great addition to my site, however my products do not have branding, manufacturers, or UPC has I sell herbs. Google requires that i include an identifier as described below:

Please know that Unique product identifiers are product codes or other identifying values associated with an individual product. For all of your items, we recommend submitting all three attributes (‘brand’, ‘mpn’, and ‘gtin’) where available. In categories where unique product identifiers are required, merchants must submit the ‘identifier exists’ attribute with a value of FALSE when the item does not have unique product identifiers appropriate to its category, such as GTIN, MPN, and brand.
When to include: Required according to the Unique Product Identifier Rules for all target countries except for Canada and India. This attribute is recommended for Canada and India.

Type Boolean: TRUE or FALSE
Text/Tab delimited FALSE
XML <g:identifier_exists>FALSE</g:identifier_exists>

Is there any easy way to add this either via the config or in a text editor for each product?

[leviathan]

this has been a great addition to my site, however my products do not have branding, manufacturers, or UPC has I sell herbs. Google requires that i include an identifier as described below:

Is there any easy way to add this either via the config or in a text editor for each product?

If you go back one page in this thread, there is information on how to do this. It's a pretty simple edit. Make sure you install numinix product attributes, or it won't work.

[bi11i]

i apologize, i forgot to include the desired requirement of not having to edit core code (ie, install the product fields module.)

would it be possible to enable a feeder attribute that isn't needed and do a find and replace in a text editor?

[vandiermen]

If you are still looking for help here, I have a small code edit you can do to get this working. The code edit is simple (about 4 lines) and will insert the identifier_exists = false element into the XML output. It will ONLY insert this if you DO NOT have UPC/ISBN/EAN set for your products. You will have to have the "UPC/ISBN/EAN" configuration option set to true in the google merchant configuration area, and this does require numinix product fields being installed.

STEP 0: BACK UP your_catalog/includes/classes/google_base.php
Step 1: Open your_catalog/includes/classes/google_base.php
Step 2: Go to ~ line 409
Step 3: Replace the following:

} elseif ($products->fields['products_ean'] != '') {$ean = $dom->createElement('g:ean');$ean->appendChild($dom->createCDATASection($this->google_base_xml_sanitizer($products->fields['products_ean'])));$item->appendChild($ean);} } 

with

} elseif ($products->fields['products_ean'] != '') {$ean = $dom->createElement('g:ean');$ean->appendChild($dom->createCDATASection($this->google_base_xml_sanitizer($products->fields['products_ean'])));$item->appendChild($ean);} else {$identifier_exists = $dom->createElement('g:identifier_exists');$identifier_exists->appendChild($dom->createCDATASection($this->google_base_xml_sanitizer('False')));$item->appendChild($identifier_exists);}} 

Step4: Save the file.

You can verify that the feed is correct by viewing the xml source and searching for identifier_exists. Any product without UPC/ISBN/EAN should have this field set.

Enjoy!

Lev

Code has not impact on my output xml. There is no EAN field and there is no EAN:False

before http://www.solarcamper.com.au/domain..._en_before.xml
after http://www.solarcamper.com.au/domain...s_en_after.xml




===========================================
I want to use this to value False on EAN(GTIN) and brand, and see if that helps my failing submission (rather than using attributes controller to add all of them).

Brand:

      if ($products->fields['manufacturers_name'] != '') {        $manufacturers_name = $dom->createElement('g:brand');        $manufacturers_name->appendChild($dom->createCDATASection($this->google_base_xml_sanitizer($products->fields['manufacturers_name'])));        $item->appendChild($manufacturers_name);      
// same as above ?
} else {$identifier_exists = $dom->createElement('g:identifier_exists');$identifier_exists->appendChild($dom->createCDATASection($this->google_base_xml_sanitizer('False')));$item->appendChild($identifier_exists);        } 

===========================================
My Error: Insufficient product identifiers: Missing two out of three attributes [GTIN, brand, mpn]22 errors.

Google requires GTIN, I am hoping they see EAN as the same.

My MPN's are not missing but incorrect.



Google says: if the required data does not currently exist then the item may be submitted with an identifier_exists and a value of FALSE

if the data exists but is not submitted then that is grounds for disapproval or suspension at any time; invalid or self-assigned data is not allowed.

So because Brand and EAN probably exist but are not entered I may still get errors using value False, so maybe I do need to enter them but first I would like to test the false value without needing to add it in attributes controller if possible.

[vandiermen]

Code has not impact on my output xml. There is no EAN field and there is no EAN:False

I installed numinix product fields, and optional_fields\upc_isbn which has the EAN field. I can now add the EAN field directly to items but still no default false

[vandiermen]

if anyone has made a numinix product field for brand, can you send it to me or post it here... Oh I forget: the Manufacturers (admin> catalog> Manufacturers) are used for brand... ignore this question.