Just received this email from Google Shopping, posting as a FYI.
We sell product with sku and some without will the new specification get added to the Google Merchant Static Feed? Maybe there is currently a work around that I am not familiar with.
Thank you for your participation in Google Shopping. We’re reaching out today to remind you about an upcoming change in the way we handle exemptions to our unique product identifier requirements (
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/160161). As we announced on May 8th, we’re changing the way we enforce our unique product identifier requirements. You can read the full announcement at
http://googlecommerce.blogspot.com/2013 ... -feed.html
Our records indicate that your Google Merchant Center account(s) ####### received a previous exemption from our unique product identifier requirements.
Account level exemptions for unique product identifiers will no longer be supported after July 15th, 2013 in the US, and September 16th, 2013 in all other target countries. After these dates, non-compliant items might then be disapproved and disappear from Google Shopping.
We recently introduced a new attribute named ‘identifier exists’ that allows you to indicate in your feed that items such as custom goods, vintage items, or collectibles have no unique product identifiers. Since you previously received an account exemption from the unique product identifier requirements, you should add the ‘identifier exists’ attribute with a value of ‘FALSE’ for items where no identifier exists. For more information on this attribute, please visit
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/188494.
However, when an identifier does exist for a product but you do not have it, it is important to obtain and add the correct identifier for that product rather than using the ‘identifier exists’ attribute. Setting the ‘identifier exists’ attribute to FALSE for items where unique product identifiers exist could lead to item or account suspension.
For accounts that have not received exemptions in the past, enforcement for our updated unique product identifier requirements, including the new ‘identifier exists’ attribute, will start July 15th, 2013 for the US, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, and September 16th, 2013 for all other target countries. To review our updated unique product identifer requirements, please visit
https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/188494
Sincerely,
The Google Shopping Team
Thanks,
Mardukeme