Tomas, I think it's terrific that you're addressing the new Google Attribute requirement way ahead of the deadline.

I found a Google Help article that's pretty clear about what Google is looking for in Product_Type. Essentially, they're expecting the Taxonomy from our own website, or our own Breadcrumb trail:
http://www.google.com/support/merchants/bin/answer.py?hl=en&ans...

Couldn't Highwire simply complete this attribute for us automatically based on the store category we assign an item to?

Good question, Shirley.
I was wondering about our existing products...will they be automatically updated by HW or do we have to revise each item to add the new category/taxonomy since I see that option available now but it's blank?

Please respond to Dale's question.  I understand what Google is asking for, but I am not clear how to updated the products.     Product Type is correct (I updated it to the new Taxonomy some time ago), but the Category/Taxonomy field is blank.   And I cannot figure it out from your instructions.

So If we have the taxonomy in our Product type and the Category/Taxonomy Field is Blank do we (1) complete the category/taxonomy field or (2) leave the product as it is.

Carolyn

Tomas, please let us know your next step in the preparations for the new Google requirements effective 9/22.

 For our existing products most of us have already entered the Google taxonomy string in the field that is now labelled "Product Type". We are wondering if you will migrate that data to the new field labelled Category / Taxonomy where Google expects it to reside. 

After that step is done, we then wonder if Highwire will populate the vacated Product Type field with our breadcrumb category data or if we should create that data on our own. 

Knowing your plans will help all Highwire users make their plans accordingly.

Thanks,

Susan

Austiners

I haven't entered the taxonomy string in the product type field. For example, I simply have 'books' in that field and it has worked fine. But with the new requirements, I need to know if HW will automatically fill in the taxonomy field or if we have to revise each item.

The shot above showing the changes appears to be correct - however in admin they are switched!   I've been using the Google Taxonomy for a LONG time now - these have all been moved to Product Type which is incorrect.  YIKES! 

Tomas, can you check the Apparel & Accessories>Clothing>Underwear and Socks>Lingerie category.  It does not work.  There is supposed to be one more box after lingerie but nothing is there so it wont populate.   Also, according to what I am reading from Google we have to now add GENDER and AGE GROUP attributes??  Is this mandatory? Thanks

Tomas,

I am confused, so in words of one syllable, answer the following:

Right now I have nothing in my product type field (Google shows an error, but accepts my feed).   My CAT/TAX field is complete with the correct taxonomy.  

(1) Do I have to do anything to comply with Google's new requirements?  (2).   Can I put a value in the Product Type field that is different from the CAT/TAX field?

Carolyn

Jenifer,

Mine is not populating correctly either. Shirley directed me to a taxonomy lising in google where you can just copy paste.  (Check out FB page)

Tomas... 'product type' was the name of the old attribute that showed Google's taxonomy. So in effect 'google product category' is really a replacement for 'product type'.

The highwire documentation shows the field we used to have was titled "Google Product Type/Taxonomy. Most of us had filled in that field with the Google Taxonomy. That was what that field specified should be entered and prior, to the recent changes, Google did in fact call their taxonomy Product Type... now they've changed that to call it Product_Category.

The example in your Highwire documentation clearly showed the field titled "Google Product Type/Taxonomy"... filled in with Google's taxonomy. So we users entered what your example illustrated was appropriate for that field (see attached screenshot from the Highwire documentation).

If the existing field had simply been renamed from Google Product Type/Taxonomy to Category/Taxonomy, that would have been consistent with what Google did. They simply renamed their Product Type to category. Then they REUSED the phrase "product type" to represent the website owners own taxonomy or website breadcrumb.

Now, you have renamed that field simply  Product_Type. However, Product_Type is for our own websites breadcrumb taxonomy, not the google taxonomy that your documentation showed.

Some of us need some help here. We were entering the information the Highwire documentation indicated we should enter, but now it's in the wrong field. Can Highwire please move the data from Product_Type to Category/Taxonomy for those of us who request it?

Also, since Highwire creates the breadcrumb for each of the items we list, can't Highwire simply auto-complete the Product_Type field for us? Here is what Google states is expected for that field:
"This attribute contains the category of the product according to your taxonomy. As with the 'google product category' attribute, include the category with full “breadcrumb” information. For example, 'Books > Non-Fiction > Sports > Baseball' is better than just 'Baseball'. Any separator such as > or / may be used."

Thanks much!

Again, do we have to manually add the new taxonomy to each of our products or will HW do this?

I am definitely SEO challenged... so I will do my best to explain what is happening.  I am receiving email from Google every morning telling me NO ITEMS INSERTED, as follows:  *No items inserted Uploaded at: September 5, 2011 1:00:00 AM PDT Processed at: September 5, 2011 1:03:47 AM PDT For more details on the status of your data feed, go to http://www.google.com/merchants/showfeedsummary?fid=3406655 This is a computer-generated email. Please do not reply. You can change your notification settings at http://www.google.com/merchants/basicsettings *

But when I click on the link to actually look at the feed results this is what I see:  Uploaded on Sep 5, 2011 12:16 am EDT 630 of 648 items inserted - Processed on Sep 5, 2011 12:17 am EDT Destinations: Product Ads, Product Search, Search API for Shopping.

So it look like most were actually accepted, but then below is a long list of errors, warnings or recommendations, as follows:

Too many attribute values for attribute: title (18 errors)

The attribute title does not support the number of values provided.
Examples:

Missing recommended attribute: brand (643 warnings)

Missing recommended attribute: mpn (642 warnings)

Missing recommended attribute: google product category (587 warnings)

Unrecognized attribute: type (130 warnings)

Missing recommended attribute: description (8 warnings)

Invalid string value in attribute: description (8 warnings)

Unrecognized attribute: species (8 warnings)

Unrecognized attribute: style (6 warnings)

Unrecognized attribute: department (1 warning)

Your feed contains an attribute name our system doesn't recognize. Please verify your attribute name as necessary, and please be aware that this attribute may no longer be included in our Feed Specification. Learn more.
Examples:

NOW -  I have always just entered 2 attributes - Condition and Manufacturer.

I am now receiving Unrecognized attribute warnings for the following attributes:  Style, Type, Species and Department -- and I don't enter these attributes!  Yesterday, I deleted these attributes for each product listed and this morning they are back again ??????  Help!

I am also receiving warnings for "recommended" attributes; mpn and brand.  I have begun changing 'manufacturer' to 'brand' and have also added the mpn.

In addition, I read in the google tutorial that each variant (example: color, size, etc.) must have it's separate SEO.  Where would I put separate attributes?  Many of my products come in different sizes, and I use the Highwire variants feature so that the size can be selected from the Dropdown

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

aviananticsbirdtoysI see About 629 results in Google shopping for your store. 

Google wants the MPN, Brand and UPI for products - they added these requirements a few months ago.  Your items are in GS but the warnings will continue until you add the attributes to your products.  I don't think your type items require size or color attribute.  Don't know why the other attributes are showing up without you adding them.  I would contact support for that issue :-) 

http://www.google.com/support/merchants/bin/answer.py?answer=188494

Avian... it can also take several days for the warnings in Google to catch up with any changes/corrections/deletions you've made. If you've deleted the unrecognized attributes, in another day or so those warnings will be gone.

Thank you gonefunky and stone hill.  I recently set up a 2nd store and created a google account for it yesterday.  This morning I find that all 56 items were rejected due to the product URL.  I have no idea how to change that or even what is wrong:  here is an example of the URL: 

http://avianantics.highwire.com/product/bagelduck

I think it might be because my domain (and what I registered with Google) is:  www.aviananticsboutique.com  But the store still can be accessed via avianantics.highwire.com.  I know that somewhere there is (or was) documentation about how to change this, but I can't seem to find it.  Anybody have any ideas?

I can't help alot... But I believe that the domain you have set in your Highwire Admin MUST match EXACTLY whatever the domain is you've set up in Google Merchant Center.

In Highwire Admin see what domain you've entered into the last box in Marketing > Google Merchant Center
The domain in your Google Merchant Center account must be exactly the same (and make sure both are either with or without the www.)