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critical PRODUCT_ID_MALFORMED

Product ID malformed

What this means

CAT_VALIDATION_ERROR_PRODUCT_ID_INVALID is raised when the product id field is empty, contains unsupported characters, or exceeds Snap's length limits. Stable, URL-safe IDs that never change between feed refreshes are required.

Why this happens

Snap Catalog Manager uses identifiers (GTIN, MPN, brand, SKU) to match catalog records. Issues come from invalid format (non-numeric in a GTIN field), brand-GTIN mismatches in GS1's database, duplicate IDs across SKUs, or missing required identifiers for the category.

How to fix it

  1. Verify GTIN ownership using GS1 GEPIR (https://gepir.gs1.org) — confirms which brand legitimately owns the code.
  2. Strip non-numeric characters from GTINs: no dashes, no letters, no spaces.
  3. Check ID lengths: UPC = 12 digits, EAN-13 = 13 digits, ISBN-13 = 13 digits starting 978/979.
  4. If your product is private-label without a real GTIN, request the channel's GTIN exemption process rather than fabricating one.
  5. Re-submit; new identifiers take 24–72 hours to propagate.

Common pitfalls