How to fix: Mismatched product availability

Update your product availability to match your online store so customers know if your product is in stock

Why this issue is happening

The value that you submit for the availability [availability] attribute in your product data and the information listed on your landing page must be the same. For some of the products you provide, the value in your product data is different from that on your website. Too many products with incorrect availability can lead to account suspension.

It's possible that the availability of these products may currently match the availability on your landing page, as the products might have been updated in the meantime. However, when we compared your product data to your website (see timestamp) we found a mismatch. You can find the current approval status of a product in the “Status” column by clicking Products, then selecting the All products page.

Note: Don't set the availability [availability] attribute to “out_of_stock” to pause showing your products. Instead, use the pause [pause] attribute to temporarily pause your products for up to 14 days. If you wish to pause your products for longer than 14 days, use the excluded destination [excluded_destination] attribute.

How to fix your issue

An animation showing a product data source next to a product landing page, where the availability for the same shoe do not match.

A common cause for incorrect availability is the time difference between updates on your website and updates of your product data in Merchant Center. It's recommended that you schedule your product data updates in Merchant Center to coincide with updates to your online store. If this isn't possible or you make frequent updates to your prices and availability, it's recommended to use automatic item updates.

Fix products one by one directly in Merchant Center

Step 1 Navigate to Products in Merchant Center, then select the Needs attention tab.

Step 2 Use the filter icon above the table to find all products affected by your issue.

Step 3 Click on the title of the product you want to fix, then click Edit product.

Step 4 Make sure the value that you submit for the availability [availability] attribute in your product data and the information listed on your landing page are the same.

Step 5 Select Save.

Fix multiple products at once

Step 1 Navigate to Products in Merchant Center, then select the Needs attention tab.

Step 2 Use the filter icon above the table to find all products affected by your issue.

Step 3 Select the Download icon to download a list (.csv) of all affected products for all issues or this particular issue.

Step 4 Cross reference the downloaded list with your uploaded product data, and make sure the value that you submit for the availability [availability] attribute in your product data and the information listed on your landing page are the same.

Step 5 Reupload your corrected product data to Merchant Center using your chosen upload method.

Request a review

If your product gets disapproved you can either fix the problem and request a website check, or disagree with the issue and request a review.

After the issue has been resolved, requesting a website check will speed up the review and reapproval process. If you choose not to request a website check, an automatic review will still be performed at a later time.

It may take some time for your change to be reflected on the “Needs attention” page. This time allows us to verify the information on your landing pages. If the issue is fixed, your products will start showing up in ads and free listings again.

Note: Google may take up to 12 hours to review your website. During this period, you can't submit a new request.

If the issue still persists despite updating your feed or website, you can appeal the issue by clicking I disagree with the issue and Request review so that this can be investigated further. If the review is successful, your issue will disappear. In some cases, there's a limit on how many reviews you can request. This limit will be specified.

If the disapproval remains and you’re uncertain with how to proceed, contact us for support.

An animation that shows how to request a review for policy issues in Merchant Center.

Note: If you use a third-party platform to list your products, you may also be able to go to your third-party application to request a review.

If you’re working with a third-party platform, some of these instructions may not apply to you. Refer to your third-party platform for instructions on how to resolve the issue and request a review. Learn how to find support if you use a non-Google platform.

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