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

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/bin/request.py?contact_type=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.

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?

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:

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.

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?

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?

Anything is possible. You could modify the feeder to just add this to every one of your files if you like, however, the product attributes mod is very helpful for the products you have that may offer UPC codes (google likes having this info anyways, so it's a good way to go).

This is in no way tested, but, it 'should' work.

Find the line:

$item->appendChild($dom->createElement('g:price', number_format($price, 2, '.', '')));

in includes/classes/google_base.php

then after that line, add the following:
$identifier_exists = $dom->createElement('g:identifier_exists');
$identifier_exists->appendChild($dom->createCDATASection($this->google_base_xml_sanitizer('False')));
$item->appendChild($identifier_exists);

save the file, and this 'should' make sure that every item you export has the identifier_exists attribute.

Please note, there is no way that I am aware of to make this happen without editing the module files. This isn't a core file edit, but specifically just one file in the feeder module.

You will need to have the ability to access and edit files in your zen-cart install. Additionally, I can not guarantee this edit will perform as expected as I do not currently have a non-production cart for testing, so, backup before you edit!

ZC151
multisite
ultimate seo
etc....

I installed the mod and have gotten to the point of creating the *.xml file under the "tools>google merchant center feeder"

In creating the files: I left everything at "configuration>google merchant..." at default except for entering the ftp credentials for my google merchant account.

entering some numbers in the max products field and starting point creates files under available files. There files don't have much content in it.

Clicking "upload" always display connection failed.

Can any tell me if I am doing something wrong? There doesn't seem to be much instructions on how to use this mod.

Please suggest what more info for me to post here for helping with my situation. I really don't know how to report or post for help concerning this mod.

any help is greatly appreciated.

Ok, so I have this installed and working, but of course as stated above, Google now requires a GTIN. So my question is, how do I add this to the feed. Right now I use UPC numbers in the Model Number field for my items. Is there and easy way to change the feed to update with this data vice the MPN. I sell video games, so if the UPC is mandatory, but the only info I need. I modified the MPN code to generate a GTIN, but should I create another set of code to give a mpn also and just duplicate the data?

if ($products->fields['products_model'] != '') {
$gtin = $dom->createElement('g:gtin');
$gtin->appendChild($dom->createCDATASection($this->google_base_xml_sanitizer($products->fields['products_model'])));
$item->appendChild($gtin);

If I wanted to duplicate the same data, how would I put that in the file? I attempted to just copy and paste the original code below this revised code, but it didn't work, or at least just hung up and never generated a file. Should I add it with an "elseif"? Any help would be appreciated.

Sorry for the double post, but I would also like to include the category name of my product as the brand attribute. I.e. The products in the Gameboy category would have a brand attribute of Gameboy. I'm not super code knowledgeable, so I've been doing lost of experimenting and back-ups :cool: Trying to figure out what code to insert in the /includes/classes/google_base.php to get this.

Hi everyone.
I have tis plug in installeed and working very well since over one year.
Now Google asks for a availability status.
I am not using the availabiltu status in zen cart 1.5.1. because I manage the stock externally.
Is there any way to say to insert in the file the status available for each product listed?
Thanks from Italy.
Enzo

Hi,
on zc 1.5.1 I had installed the mod and it was workng but I needed to hack the googlefrogle.php in the root in order to have the availabilty shown.
That worked but randomly some products are not given the availabiltu status and ggole refuses them
I then updated with the latest version to see if I could get a better feed but I found a different problem that seems to be related to the encoding.
The description of the products looks like this:
<description><![CDATA[ Doppia erogazione: fredda o ambiente Da non confondere con altre macchine di basso costo e prestazioni. Produzione max 15lt/h. I nostri prezzi Sistema di raffreddamento a secco mediante banco di alluminio (senza accumulo) e con serpentine in acciaio inox AISI 316, **衬**a soluzione migliore per avere sempre una erogazione di acqua refrigerata priva di contaminazioni batteriche e con il pi**ࢡ** basso consumo di energia. Assorbimento max 100 Watt. Il modello Fonte Plus serie fornisce acqua a temperatura ambiente o fredda. Design rinnovato. Disponibile in grigio metallizzato. Fornito senza bottiglia. Dimensioni L 290 P 395 H 420 Peso 26 Kg. NON DIMENTICATE DI SCEGLIERE IL TRATTAMENTO DELL'ACQUA ]]></description>
As you can see there are encoding errors.
These errors do not allow chrome or other browsers to open the file and google merchant center refuses the file.
Can someone help?
Thanks from Italy
enzo

I forgot to say that the encoding problems are on accented words.
Thanks

Why I've always free shipping? In my zencart I use zones as shipping, but google merchant feeder show shipping cost =0

Please go to admin - configuration - Google Merchants Configuration and set up the shipping cost.

100asa:

Why I've always free shipping? In my zencart I use zones as shipping, but google merchant feeder show shipping cost =0

cvhainb:

Please go to admin - configuration - Google Merchants Configuration and set up the shipping cost.
I can see only:
shipping option (I don't know what it is)
Tax on Shipping
Select Shipping Method
Shipping Country
Shipping Region
Shipping Service
and no more

NathanielB:

Hi, I'm trying to install the latest copy of this from numunux website but when I do the database all I keep getting is "WARNING: An Error occurred, please refresh the page and try again."

INSERT INTO configuration (configuration_id, configuration_title, configuration_key, configuration_value, configuration_description, configuration_group_id, sort_order, date_added, use_function, set_function) VALUES
(NULL, 'Third Party Inventory Plugin', 'GOOGLE_PRODUCTS_SWITCH_STOCK_PLUGIN', 'none', 'Does your system use a third party plugin for managing variant/attribute inventory? Select the plugin used or leave as 'none' for default action:', " . $configuration_group_id . ", 560, NOW(), NULL, 'zen_cfg_select_drop_down(array(array('id' => 'none', 'text' => 'none'), array('id' => 'stockbyattributes', 'text' => 'Stock By Attributes'), array('id' => 'numinixproductvariants', 'text' => 'Numinix Product Variants')),');

> 
> Please can someone help me to get this working?
Your post is a bit dated, but I just wanted to add my observations..

I downloaded and installed v.1.14.1 from numinix site. The install sql in the 1.14.1 package was the exact same install sql from the older 1.13.  

So to update I downloaded the 1.14.0 mod and ran just the 1.14.0 update sql you posted above, and received the same error. 

I haven't investigate the sql code it as I won't be installing stock by attributes or similar, at least not yet. For now I will be manually "massaging" (editing) my feed xml until I'm happy with the format, then revisit stock by attributes and the patch issue. Or maybe someone has already solved the issue and I missed seeing it in this thread.

I then ran the 1.41.1 update sql without issues. If i do decide

AivarasTR:

I'm frustrated, I can't seem even to install this addon.

I followed instructions on readme file(changing UTF-8 characters and stuff). But I don't understand few steps like:

"CHMOD feed and sub-directories 777 or sufficient write permissions" What do I need to do here?

Also "Go to Admin->Configuration->Google Merchant Center Configuration and setup all parameters"

I don't have Google Merchant Centre tab in my configuration list.. I placed all the files and installed sql patch... but I can't see any Merchant Center configuration..

Try "Tools>admin setting>check all options>update save" you should find that on "configuration" and "Tools"

Greetings, I was able to install fine and generate the XML.
But XML has encoding error:** error on line 31 at column 329: Encoding error**
Please help!!!

Line 31: <description><![CDATA[.... <Has Special characters>.... ]></description>

You can re-check your charset for this problem.

dealssteals:

Greetings, I was able to install fine and generate the XML.
But XML has encoding error:** error on line 31 at column 329: Encoding error**
Please help!!!

Line 31: <description><=!=[=C=D=A=T=A=[.... <Has Special characters>.... ]></description>

I opened the XML in text editor and was able to see the special characters, Applied 'Convert to ANSI' and the file looked and worked fine after that. Any suggestions how can this be automated??

cvhainb:

You can re-check your charset for this problem.

dealssteals:

I opened the XML in text editor and was able to see the special characters, Applied 'Convert to ANSI' and the file looked and worked fine after that. Any suggestions how can this be automated??
I've follow your instruction, but always same error!