Invalid MPN

What Google requires

A real part number, under the limit

The mpn is the manufacturer's own part number, up to 70 characters, and it only makes sense alongside a brand. It is not a field for filler: a placeholder tells Google you have no identifier, which is the opposite of what the attribute is for. Google reports the problem as Invalid MPN, Incorrect MPN, or the broader Incorrect product identifier.

What Google does

The identifier is discounted, and matching weakens

A placeholder or an obviously wrong MPN is treated as no MPN, so the product loses one of the identifiers that lets Google match it to the wider catalogue. That rarely blocks the item on its own, but it weakens matching and thins the data-quality signal, and where a GTIN is also absent it can tip a product from healthy to under-identified. An over-long MPN is refused on length.

How to fix it by hand

Use the real number or leave it out

• Replace placeholders with the actual manufacturer part number, or omit the attribute entirely rather than filling it.
• Keep the MPN under 70 characters and free of the product title or description.
• Where a product genuinely has no MPN, rely on GTIN and brand instead of inventing one.

What FeedMender checks today

3 checks apply, read from the scanner's registry

The scan recognises the common placeholders and the values that cannot be part numbers, and checks the MPN against the length limit.

• mpn_too_longblocks
• mpn_placeholderat risk
• mpn_suspiciousunderperforming

What the scan does not check today: whether the part number is the correct one for the product; it flags placeholders and length, not identity against a manufacturer catalogue.

The quicker way

Let the scan spot the fillers

Run the free scan and it lists the placeholder MPNs, the suspicious ones, and any part number past the limit. The scan to identify errors is free and shows every finding before you pay anything. You only pay for the fix.

Scan your feed