Every sales channel publishes its own list of required product attributes, and each list changes by product category. A running shoe needs a different set of fields on Amazon than on Google Shopping, and a different set again from a kettle on the same channel.
This guide covers what each channel asks for, what happens when a field is missing and how to decide which optional attributes are worth filling.
What product attributes do Amazon, Walmart, Google and Target require?
| Channel | Where the rules live | Required for most products | What changes by category | If a required field is missing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Merchant Center | Product data specification | ID, title, description, link, image link, availability, price, brand for most new products, and a GTIN or MPN | Apparel and shoes in some countries also need color, size, gender and age group. Variants need an item group ID | The product can't serve in ads or free listings |
| Amazon | Product type definitions, set per product type and per store | Depends on the product type | Almost everything, including the browse node or item type keyword | A listing error, or the item is hidden from search results |
| Walmart Marketplace | Item setup spec for each product type | The fields marked "required for the item to be visible", such as country of origin and SKU | Fields marked "conditionally required based on product type" | A data error, and the item doesn't go live |
| Target Plus | The partner portal, by item type | Not published publicly | Required attributes change by item type | Not published publicly |
Why do required attributes change by product category?
All four channels set their rules by product type. Amazon defines requirements for each product type in each store. Walmart's item spec has a section of fields that are required only for certain product types. Google adds color, size, gender and age group for apparel and shoes in several countries, including the US and UK.
So the category you assign decides which attributes you need. On Google, if you don't set a product category, Google may assign one automatically, and a wrong category can change which attributes it expects.
The rules also change often. Walmart released version 5.0 of its item spec in July 2026, and Amazon updates its product type definitions continually. A field list you copied last year may already be out of date.
What does Google Merchant Center require?
Google's product data specification requires these attributes for every product: ID, title, description, link, image link, availability and price.
- Brand is required for new products, except movies, books and music.
- GTIN is required when the manufacturer has assigned one. Google says products submitted without a GTIN they have may get limited visibility, and a wrong GTIN can get the product disapproved.
- MPN is required only when the product has no GTIN.
- Product category and product type are optional, but they shape how Google classifies the product.
- Apparel and shoes sold in the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan and Brazil also need color, gender and age group, plus size for clothing and shoes. Products that come in variants need an item group ID, and material or pattern where those tell the variants apart.
For a running shoe sold in several colors and sizes, that means every color and size combination is its own item, grouped under one item group ID, with color, size, gender and age group filled on each.
What does Amazon require for each product type?
Amazon sets requirements per product type, per store and per selling account. Its product type definitions always describe the current requirements, so check them for the product type you're listing, not a general list.
The browse node or item type keyword matters too. Amazon's own documentation says that without a node, or with the wrong one, customers may not be able to find your product.
When a required attribute is missing, Amazon reports it as a listing issue. Depending on the problem, it can hide the item from search results while the listing stays live, take away the option to buy, or reject an attribute value outright.
What does Walmart require to make an item visible?
Walmart's full item setup template sorts fields into four groups:
- Required for the item to be visible on Walmart.com
- Conditionally required, based on the product type
- Recommended to improve search and browse
- Recommended to create a variant experience
Country of origin and SKU are required for item setup. Missing required or conditionally required fields come back as data errors, and the item isn't created until they're fixed. Walmart's developer documentation says the required attributes, allowed values and recommendations all vary by product type.
Does Walmart's listing quality score count attributes?
Walmart's Listing Quality dashboard scores five things: content quality, price competitiveness, shipping, whether the item is published and in stock, and ratings and reviews. Walmart describes content quality in terms of the item name, description, key features and images. It doesn't publish weights or thresholds, so treat any exact figure you see quoted with caution.
What does Target Plus require?
Target Plus is invite-only, and its item requirements sit in the partner portal, not in public documentation. Required attributes and allowed values change by item type. If you sell there, get the current requirements for your item types from your Target Plus contact or the portal, and build them into your channel rules like the others.
What happens when a required attribute is missing?
The impact depends on the channel and the field. It falls into three levels:
| Level | What happens | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Rejected | The item doesn't go live | Walmart data errors on required fields. Amazon listing issues for missing required attributes |
| Hidden | The item exists but doesn't show | Amazon items hidden from search results. Google products that can't serve in ads or free listings |
| Harder to find | The item shows, but in fewer searches and filters | Google products missing a GTIN they have. Walmart items without the fields recommended for search and browse |
The first two levels are easy to spot, because channel reports flag them. The third is harder to spot, since the product looks live but misses searches and filters it should appear in.
Which optional attributes are worth filling?
Required fields get a product listed. Optional fields decide how often it's found. For the running shoe, fields like cushioning level, heel-to-toe drop, terrain and width fitting are optional on most channels, and they're the kind of details runners filter and search by.
To choose which optional attributes to fill for each category:
- Start with the channel's own recommendations. Walmart marks fields as recommended to improve search and browse, and Amazon's product type definitions list optional attributes.
- Check your site filters and search. Attributes shoppers use to filter products, and search terms that return no results, show what's missing.
- Look at what top-ranking listings include. If competing listings for the same product type all fill an attribute, shoppers likely expect it.
- Read customer questions and return reasons. Repeated questions about width or fit point to an attribute that should be filled.
How do you find which missing attributes are costing you visibility?
Start with the channel reports. Merchant Center diagnostics, Amazon's listing issues and Walmart's Listing Quality dashboard show which items are rejected or hidden, and why.
For the quieter losses, compare attribute completeness with performance by category. If running shoes with terrain and cushioning filled get more impressions and clicks than those without, those attributes are worth filling across the range. Then fill them for one category, measure impressions and filter clicks before and after, and expand from there.
How do you manage product data across multiple marketplaces?
Keep one master product record that holds the full set of attributes every channel needs, then map it to each channel's field names and allowed values. Your record might store "Midnight navy" as the color name and "Blue" as the color family, so each channel gets the value its field expects.
Set rules for each channel and category, and check each product against them before it's sent, so errors are caught before the channel rejects them. Keeping the product taxonomy consistent helps, because the category decides which rules apply.
How does Hypotenuse AI help meet channel attribute requirements?
Channel rules split attributes into required and optional. With AI shopping, it pays to fill as many as you can. A product with only the required fields won't get rejected, but it can miss so many searches and filters that its page is close to invisible.
By hand, filling optional attributes means researching each product one at a time. With AI, required and optional attributes can both be filled across the catalog. Hypotenuse AI fills missing attributes from the web, UPCs, images and spec sheets, and maps them to each channel's field names and allowed values. Before launch, it checks every product against each channel's rules, and your team reviews before anything publishes.
FAQs
Is google_product_category required in Merchant Center?
No, it's optional. If you leave it out, Google may assign a category automatically, and a wrong one can change which attributes Google expects.
Is a GTIN required on Google Shopping?
It's required when the manufacturer has assigned one. If the product has no GTIN, submit the brand and MPN instead. Don't make one up or reuse another product's GTIN.
What does "search suppressed" mean on Amazon?
The item is still in Amazon's catalog but is hidden from search results, usually because of a missing or invalid attribute or image. Fixing the flagged field brings it back.
Is Walmart's content quality score the same as its listing quality score?
No. Content quality is one of five parts of Walmart's listing quality score, alongside price, shipping, stock and reviews.
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