Google Merchant – Missing Value [Availability] even though it passes Rich Result Tester

Troubleshooting Google Merchant Center Disapproval: Missing ‘Availability’ Despite Passing Rich Result Tests

Managing a large online retail inventory can be complex, especially when it comes to ensuring that product data complies with Google Merchant Center requirements. Recently, a high-volume merchant operating a seven-figure revenue store encountered an issue where approximately half of their products were disapproved due to missing ‘availability’ information, despite the data seemingly being correct and passing relevant verification tools.

Understanding the Issue

The merchant maintains about 9,000 products listed on Google Merchant Center, with product data automatically generated from microdata embedded on their website. Despite this, many products are flagged for lacking the ‘availability’ attribute, a critical component for Google Shopping listings. Interestingly, these listings appear accurate when tested with the Rich Results Tester and are visible with correct data in Google Search Console, which suggests that the microdata might be correctly embedded on the pages.

Potential Causes and Troubleshooting Steps

This discrepancy raises common questions about data consistency and verification methods. Here are some insights and steps to consider:

1. Cross-Verification of Microdata and Structured Data

• Ensure Correct Use of Schema.org Microdata: Verify that the ‘availability’ property is correctly implemented within the Offer schema. The value should be one of the accepted enumeration types, such as InStock, OutOfStock, PreOrder, etc.

• Consistent Implementation Across Pages: Confirm that every product page consistently includes the ‘availability’ field, without typos or structural errors.

• Use Google’s Rich Results Test and Structured Data Testing Tool: These tools are valuable for identifying markup issues, though, as noted, passing these tests does not always guarantee acceptance in Google Merchant Center.

2. Analyzing Google Merchant Center Disapprovals

• Detailed Disapproval Reasons: Carefully review the disapproval notices in Google Merchant Center. Sometimes, they provide hints beyond the generic message, or suggest that the issue is related to schema interpretation.

• Check for Data Discrepancies: If the structured data on your pages shows ‘InStock’ but Merchant Center still disapproves, consider potential discrepancies such as:

• The product data feed not being synchronized correctly.

• Variations in the schema when the page renders versus what is detected by crawl tools.

3. Rendering and Data Injection Considerations

• Server-Side vs. Client-Side Data: If your website uses