Product attribute
Also known as: Feed attribute
In short
A named field that describes one aspect of a product, such as its color, material, price, or availability.
An attribute has a name and a value. In color: navy, color names the attribute and navy is the value for one product. A product record combines multiple attributes so another system can interpret the item consistently.
Some attributes describe the product itself, such as its material. Others describe the offer, such as its price or availability. Product feeds commonly carry both.
Names, values, and requirements
The destination defines its attribute names and accepted formats. Google Merchant Center distinguishes fields that are always required from those required for particular products or markets. Other fields provide additional information.
Some attributes accept text you supply. Others require specific values. For example, Merchant Center’s availability field uses values such as in_stock and out_of_stock. Replacing these with a store’s internal status code does not preserve the expected format.
Google expects attribute names and standardized values in English. Free-text product information follows the language of the data source. Localizing a title therefore does not mean translating every field name.
Example
Imagine a cotton shirt offered in navy, size M. Three illustrative attributes might be:
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
color |
navy |
size |
M |
material |
cotton |
The product title can mention those details, but the destination may also require them in their dedicated fields. Google explicitly asks merchants to submit variant details through the relevant attributes, even when those details appear in the title.
This small example shows the relationship between names and values. It is not a complete product record.
Avoid filling gaps with guesses
Mapping connects a field in your store to the destination’s attribute. It can also translate an internal status into an accepted value. It cannot establish a fact missing from your source data.
If the material is unknown, verify it before publishing a value. Apply the same care to price and availability: a correctly formatted attribute still needs to describe the current offer accurately.