Managing Missing Unique Product Identifiers (GTIN, MPN, brand)

Understanding the Importance of GTINs

Starting from May 16th, 2016, Google has emphasized the necessity of including Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) for products listed in Google Shopping feeds. This requirement applies to all new and in-stock products that have GTINs assigned by the manufacturer. It is particularly enforced in Australia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. Ensuring your products have the correct GTIN is crucial; failure to do so may result in Google rejecting your product listings.

Handling Products Without GTINs

In instances where your products lack unique identifiers like GTINs, you can communicate this to Google by setting the “identifier_exists” attribute to ‘no’. This is especially useful for products that are custom-made, vintage or do not have identifiers assigned by the manufacturer. For feeds containing a mix of products, some with and some without unique identifiers, conditions can be applied to set the “identifier_exists” attribute based on specific product data.

Adding Unique Identifiers in WooCommerce

By default, WooCommerce does not include fields for GTIN, Brand, or other unique identifiers in its product listings. To address this, our plugin introduces the functionality to add these crucial identifiers to your products easily. Here’s how to enable and use this feature:

1. Navigate to Plugin Settings: Go to the settings page of our plugin within your WordPress dashboard.
2. Enable Product Identifiers: Look for the “Show product identifiers” option and make sure to check this box. This action will enable additional fields in your product editor where you can input unique identifiers like GTINs and brand names.
3. Save Your Settings: After enabling this option, save your changes to ensure that the new identifier fields are available for your products.

Visual Guide

For a clearer understanding of how to add unique identifiers to your WooCommerce products using our plugin, we have prepared a short video tutorial. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, ensuring you can efficiently manage your product identifiers and comply with Google’s requirements.

By following these guidelines, you can enhance the visibility and compliance of your products in Google Shopping feeds, potentially increasing your reach and sales opportunities.