Your pre-upload quality checklist.
Run this repeatable checklist before submitting a new catalog or updating an existing feed. Work on copies, never your only production export.
1. Freeze a baseline and confirm the file
Save a dated copy of the last accepted export. Check file encoding, delimiter and quote handling, then confirm the new feed opens with the expected header and product count. For CSV, check commas within quoted descriptions and embedded newlines. For RSS XML, inspect product item entries and the supported Google-prefixed fields.
2. Check IDs, variants and identity
Every distinct product needs a unique, stable ID. Look for duplicates, unexpected product removals and item_group_id values that merge unrelated products. Verify identifiers against actual manufacturer records; never generate a GTIN by guessing.
Compare your previous feed →3. Verify price, stock and URLs
Confirm that price and sale_price include explicit ISO currency codes where required. Compare availability with your live store, including checkout. Test a sample of product landing pages and image URLs manually: local syntax validation cannot detect unreachable remote resources.
4. Sample the exported changes
Review a few products from every important category, currency, variant family and promotion group. Compare title, brand, price, shipping information and image against the storefront. A feed that parses correctly may still contain materially wrong values.
5. Upload, then read platform diagnostics
Submit the approved copy to your chosen destination. Inspect processing status, rejected items and account-level policy notices. Resolve the specific diagnostics and take another snapshot. Approval and free-listing eligibility are controlled by the destination, not by this site.