Google Base

[Guest Adaytay]

Awesome Al, thanks for that...

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[Guest SwishEmporium]

Hi All

I have altered the php code that Al suggested but I recieved this email from Google

Hello Swish,

Good news - the content of your bulk upload has been approved. However, we noticed that there were a few changes you could make to help users find your items:

1. Using Froogle attributes (fields)

-----------------

1. Using Froogle attributes (fields): We noticed that your bulk upload is using attribute names specified in the old Froogle product feed format. For example, you've included "product_url" as an attribute name, although this attribute is named "link" in the Google Base format. Please convert your product feed to the new Google Base format by changing the attributes names in your header line:

http://base.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=40443

Using Google Base attributes will allow you to provide more structured information about your items, which will help us to match search queries to your items.

After you've made any changes, please be sure to re-submit the new version of your bulk upload with the same filename. If you have any questions, or need additional information about these suggestions, do not hesitate to respond to this email.

Sincerely,

The Google Team

Any clues???

[WalterL48]

I had the same problem with CC 3.0.12. (I did find the line with no problem)

I applied the fix Al posted and VOILA!

YOU DA MAN AL!

THANKS!

[Guest impactforgospel]

Hi All

I have altered the php code that Al suggested but I recieved this email from Google

Hello Swish,

Good news - the content of your bulk upload has been approved. However, we noticed that there were a few changes you could make to help users find your items:

1. Using Froogle attributes (fields)

-----------------

1. Using Froogle attributes (fields): We noticed that your bulk upload is using attribute names specified in the old Froogle product feed format. For example, you've included "product_url" as an attribute name, although this attribute is named "link" in the Google Base format. Please convert your product feed to the new Google Base format by changing the attributes names in your header line:

http://base.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=40443

Using Google Base attributes will allow you to provide more structured information about your items, which will help us to match search queries to your items.

After you've made any changes, please be sure to re-submit the new version of your bulk upload with the same filename. If you have any questions, or need additional information about these suggestions, do not hesitate to respond to this email.

Sincerely,

The Google Team

Any clues???

I changed the line that labled "product_url" and changed it to "link" I'm not sure of the line number. I used search to find it.

[Guest]

Hi All

I have altered the php code that Al suggested but I recieved this email from Google

Hello Swish,

Good news - the content of your bulk upload has been approved. However, we noticed that there were a few changes you could make to help users find your items:

1. Using Froogle attributes (fields)

-----------------

1. Using Froogle attributes (fields): We noticed that your bulk upload is using attribute names specified in the old Froogle product feed format. For example, you've included "product_url" as an attribute name, although this attribute is named "link" in the Google Base format. Please convert your product feed to the new Google Base format by changing the attributes names in your header line:

http://base.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=40443

Using Google Base attributes will allow you to provide more structured information about your items, which will help us to match search queries to your items.

After you've made any changes, please be sure to re-submit the new version of your bulk upload with the same filename. If you have any questions, or need additional information about these suggestions, do not hesitate to respond to this email.

Sincerely,

The Google Team

Any clues???

I changed the line that labled "product_url" and changed it to "link" I'm not sure of the line number. I used search to find it.

One way of overcoming the new googlebase field names is to copy the whole file into XL, change the field names and re-save the file as xxxxxx.txt

I'm sure there is a better way - too dim to find it.

Graham Hart

[Guest Kristina]

To change the header line to the proper names go to admin/products/index.php:

find this line:

$googleBaseContent = "product_url\tname\tdescription\timage_url\tprice\r\n";

change to: 

$googleBaseContent = "link\ttitle\tdescription\timage_link\tprice\r\n";

Hope this helps... I just submitted a file, but haven't gotten a response yet. I took the names from the Google Base site, so these should be correct, but I'll let you know how it goes.

Kristina

[Guest Kristina]

I had success with my file! It went through Google no problem.

HTH,

Kristina

[Guest chapter_two]

I made the change you suggested to 3.0.13 Kristina but my feed was rejected on three counts.

The first is:

1. Include attributes: We noticed that you haven't included some relevant attributes in your "Products" bulk upload. The more information you provide, the better we'll be able to match your items to users' queries.

For example, we recommend that you include at least the following attribute:

product_type

For a list of relevant "Products" attributes along with more information about the Google Base bulk upload format, please visit the following link:

http://base.google.co.uk/base/help/tab_instructions.html

Looking on the page I can see that they say the following are only 'recommended' but they've bounced me on it anyway!:

Products - items available for sale:

apparel_type, actor, artist, author, brand, colour, condition, currency, delivery_notes, delivery_radius, format, isbn, location, manufacturer, manufacturer_id, megapixels, memory, model_number, payment_accepted, payment_notes, pickup, price, price_type, processor_speed, product_type, quantity, size, upc, weight

If I then drill down to 'product_type' which is what they specifically mentioned for my upload it says:

product_type

The type of product being offered. Toys, books, flowers, etc.

Examples:

• Good: electronics

Unfortunately, I don't think this type of information is stored in CubeCart anywhere so presume I am going to have to do the export and then manually edit the file?

My other two failures were on invalid URLs (which seems to be related to the SEO mod and I've posted on .org) and:

3. Generic images: Please don't include anything in the "image_link" attribute for an item that doesn't have an image. If there is no image for an item, simply leave the attribute blank instead of using an image that says "Coming Soon." For example, the "image_link" attribute for the item titled "Classic Winnie-the-Pooh Notecards with Envelopes" should be left blank.

I don't use generic images and all my items have unique images and that particular image was taken by me with my digital camera so it couldn't be less generic! I'm just going to have to edit the file to meet their requirements and then upload manually again.

[Guest Kristina]

Hummm.... well I have the same problems with mine, but they accepted it. I'm also in the US, but it looks as though our requirements are the same. Not sure why mine was accepted as I have images that are no product image availabe and didn't include a product_type in my attributes.

I noticed that the attributes say required on them though. I find that interesting because not every product has an actor...lol... so this is obviously only if it applies to your item. Is there a way to write them and ask specifically what you are missing? I noticed color is one of the required attributes too.

Looks like Cube Cart may need to look into this further. Sorry, but not sure I can help with this one. If I get a chance i'll look into it some more, but just not sure this is something that I can fix. For sure the image link thing needs to be fixed. I'll have to manually edit my feed for this one next time I submit. Wondering if they can use the category for the product type and print out the options as further attributes... looks like you can specify your own attributes too. Although, I don't use the options because they don't have stock levels and I like to have seperate pics for each one.

Also just curious, is this a new account? I already had an account, so maybe they aren't manually checking mine and that's why it was accepted. The titles though for what Cube Cart has included are correct.

Anyone else with some ideas....

[Guest chapter_two]

Thanks for the update Kristina. I went and checked Froogle when I read your post and voila my items are there but when you click on them the error I had means that they aren't working so although my listing is there it doesn't work! My account is new as this is a new domain.

I've resubmitted and added the product_type column and the 'label' information which is keywords by another name. Now my submission has to be reviewed by somebody to ensure that my product_type and label information is correct

I thought that Google Base was meant to be an improvement on Froogle but so far, not so!

[Guest chapter_two]

Things are going from bad to worse!

I have now had my Google Base feed disapproved again:

Thank you for submitting a bulk upload to Google Base. We have reviewed your bulk upload and need you to make changes. Your bulk upload has been disapproved due to the reason(s) listed below.

Issues:

1. No purchasing means

2. Out of stock items

-----------------

1. No purchasing means: Google Base requires that the links for products lead to pages that list the product price and provide a means for users to purchase your products. It seems that when one attempts to add an item to their basket, and chooses to view their basket, no items appear. For example, when adding the item titled "Classic Winnie-the-Pooh Moneybox" from the item page you provided, nothing registers in the shopping cart:

http://www.chapter-two.co.uk/shop.php/sonn...eybox/p_32.html

Be sure that your cart is functioning properly, or else users will not be able to purchase your items.

My cart is working perfectly and when you click on the link they claim doesn't work, you are taken to a working page where 'add to basket' functions and the item is added to the basket!

I've just tested it myself.

Out of stock is another nightmare. There's no rule in CubeCart to stop the Google Feed taking items that are out of stock so I'll have to delete them manually. Luckily we don't have many items (35) but if you had a large store this would be very time consuming.

Kristina - I also had to take out your text and replace with the original to make a fix for the SEO mod on .org work. I have tried a new feed since. I'm working with the one from before!

[Guest Kristina]

Those two things don't have anything to do with the fix that I have supplied here. The fix is only to change from the old titles(froogle) to the the new required titles(google base). I think probably what happened here is that the person reviewing didn't see the shopping basket on left side of your page... you might want to email them back explaining that when you add products it doesn't redirect to the cart as most shops do. I think the cart boxes are easily overlooked sometimes. I checked your link too and it does work. Out of stock items...probably another one for Cube Cart to work on as an exclusion thing... Did you get a fix for your links and SEO thing? Just thinking others might be interested. I don't have that mod, so no clue as to how that works.

Kristina

Things are going from bad to worse!

I have now had my Google Base feed disapproved again:

Thank you for submitting a bulk upload to Google Base. We have reviewed your bulk upload and need you to make changes. Your bulk upload has been disapproved due to the reason(s) listed below.

Issues:

1. No purchasing means

2. Out of stock items

-----------------

1. No purchasing means: Google Base requires that the links for products lead to pages that list the product price and provide a means for users to purchase your products. It seems that when one attempts to add an item to their basket, and chooses to view their basket, no items appear. For example, when adding the item titled "Classic Winnie-the-Pooh Moneybox" from the item page you provided, nothing registers in the shopping cart:

http://www.chapter-two.co.uk/shop.php/sonn...eybox/p_32.html

Be sure that your cart is functioning properly, or else users will not be able to purchase your items.

My cart is working perfectly and when you click on the link they claim doesn't work, you are taken to a working page where 'add to basket' functions and the item is added to the basket!

I've just tested it myself.

Out of stock is another nightmare. There's no rule in CubeCart to stop the Google Feed taking items that are out of stock so I'll have to delete them manually. Luckily we don't have many items (35) but if you had a large store this would be very time consuming.

Kristina - I also had to take out your text and replace with the original to make a fix for the SEO mod on .org work. I have tried a new feed since. I'm working with the one from before!