Why Google Merchant Center Feeds Fail on WordPress & How to Solve Them

If you’ve ever tried to list your WooCommerce products in Google Shopping and hit a wall with Google Merchant Center feed errors, you’re definitely not alone.

A lot of WordPress store owners run into problems when setting up product feeds — and the worst part? Google’s error messages aren’t exactly beginner-friendly. But don’t worry, you don’t need to be a developer or feed expert to get things sorted.

In this post, we’ll break down the most common reasons Google Merchant Center feeds fail on WordPress, and more importantly, how to fix each one without losing your mind (or your sales).

1. Missing or Incomplete Product Data

The issue:
Google needs key product information like title, description, price, availability, GTIN/MPN (product identifiers), and images. If any of this is missing from your feed, products will be rejected.

Why it happens on WordPress:

• Not all WooCommerce fields are filled out
• Your feed plugin isn’t pulling the right info
• GTINs aren’t provided for branded products

How to fix it:

• Make sure your product titles, descriptions, and images are filled in properly
• For branded items, use a plugin like WooCommerce UPC, EAN and ISBN to add GTINs
• In your feed plugin (like CTX Feed or Product Feed PRO), double-check that it includes all required fields
• If a product doesn’t have a GTIN, mark identifier_exists = FALSE in the feed settings

2. Price Mismatch Between Feed and Website

The issue:
Google compares the price in your feed to what’s shown on your website. If they don’t match exactly, your products get disapproved.

Why it happens on WordPress:

• Sale prices not being properly reflected in the feed
• Caching plugins showing outdated prices to Google’s crawler
• Prices include tax on the site but not in the feed

How to fix it:

• Use proper sale price fields (sale_price) in WooCommerce
• Make sure your feed plugin includes both regular and sale prices
• Exclude product pages from being cached or enable dynamic pricing compatibility
• Ensure prices in the feed match the tax settings shown to users (some feeds need tax-inclusive pricing)

3. Invalid or Blocked Product URLs

The issue:
Google can’t access your product pages to verify the data, so your products get flagged or disapproved.

Why it happens on WordPress:

• Maintenance mode or password protection is active
• Product URLs are blocked by robots.txt
• Lazy loading or JavaScript is hiding product content from crawlers
• Pretty permalinks or redirects are broken

How to fix it:

• Make sure your site is publicly accessible during feed setup
• Check your robots.txt file to ensure Googlebot isn’t blocked from /product/ or /shop/
• Test your URLs in Google Search Console with the “URL inspection” tool
• Avoid using overly aggressive lazy loading or scripts that delay content loading

4. Image Issues (Wrong Size, Format, or Missing)

The issue:
Google Shopping requires high-quality, clean product images. If your images are too small, watermarked, or missing, Google will reject the product.

Why it happens on WordPress:

• Images are smaller than 250×250 pixels
• Placeholder or dummy images are used
• Your theme or plugin modifies how images are displayed
• The image URL isn’t properly included in the feed

How to fix it:

• Make sure all products have actual, high-res images (no placeholders or logos)
• Don’t use watermarks, text overlays, or borders — Google doesn’t like them
• Check the image link in your feed manually — make sure the image URL works
• If images are lazy-loaded, make sure they’re still accessible to bots

5. Missing Product Identifiers (GTIN/MPN/Brand)

The issue:
Google expects GTINs, MPNs, or brand names for most products, especially for well-known or manufactured items.

Why it happens on WordPress:

• WooCommerce doesn’t have built-in GTIN fields
• You’re selling products without identifying details (like handmade goods)

How to fix it:

• Install a plugin like WooCommerce UPC, EAN and ISBN to add these fields
• For handmade or custom products, set identifier_exists = FALSE in your feed plugin
• Always include a brand name, even if it’s your own store brand

6. Feed Format or Sync Errors

The issue:
Your feed might not be formatted properly, or it’s not updating frequently enough to reflect your store’s current inventory.

Why it happens on WordPress:

• The feed plugin is misconfigured
• You’re uploading a file instead of using scheduled fetch
• Google fetches the feed before your store updates

How to fix it:

• Use a plugin that supports scheduled feed updates (CTX Feed and Product Feed PRO both do)
• Stick to scheduled fetch instead of manual file uploads — much smoother
• Set your feed to update daily or even hourly if you make frequent changes
• Make sure your feed URL is correct and live

7. Policy Violations or Suspended Account

The issue:
Google won’t show your products if your account is suspended or your products violate its policies.

Why it happens on WordPress:

• Your site lacks a return/refund policy
• You used promotional language (like “Best Deal” or “Hurry!”) in product titles
• You’re selling restricted items without approval (e.g. supplements, medical products)

How to fix it:

• Add a visible return and refund policy to your footer
• Keep product titles factual and descriptive — no hype
• Review Google’s Shopping Ads Policies
• If suspended, appeal with a detailed explanation of the changes you made

8. Shipping and Tax Settings Don’t Match

The issue:
Google needs to match what you charge on your site with what’s shown in your Merchant Center account.

Why it happens on WordPress:

• You haven’t configured shipping and tax in Merchant Center
• The values shown to Google don’t match what your store charges

How to fix it:

• Go to Tools > Shipping and returns in Merchant Center and set up your shipping rules
• Match those rules to what’s actually set in WooCommerce
• Set up tax rules under Tools > Sales tax, especially if you sell in the U.S.
• If you offer free shipping, make sure that’s reflected in Merchant Center

Final Tips to Keep Things Running Smoothly

• Check your feed regularly. Even after setup, issues can pop up. Get into the habit of checking the diagnostics tab once a week.
• Update your products often. If you change prices, titles, or stock, make sure your feed reflects that.
• Stick to one product feed plugin. Using multiple can cause conflicting data.
• Be patient. Sometimes it takes a day or two for changes to show in Google.

Wrap-Up: Don’t Let Feed Errors Kill Your Visibility

Google Merchant Center is an incredible tool — but only if your product data is clean, accurate, and updated. A broken or misconfigured feed can quietly kill your visibility and sales potential.

If your WordPress feed isn’t working, go through the common culprits one by one. Often, a few small changes can get everything back on track.

Still stuck? Feel free to reach out, drop a comment, or ask for help. Troubleshooting this stuff can be frustrating, but once it’s working, you’ll thank yourself later when your products are showing up right where your customers are searching.

Want help optimizing your product titles or cleaning up feed errors? I’ve got you — just let me know.