Why does Merchant Center say my Shopify product is missing size, color, gender or age group?

Short answer

The product is one Google treats as apparel, and an attribute Google requires there has no value. Google says missing required attributes lower a product's data quality, and that this can reduce how the offer performs in search results. On Shopify, Google's instructions are to add the values in the Google & YouTube channel's bulk editor.

What Google asks for

Google's fix page puts it in two sentences: apparel offers need gender, age group and color, and shoes need the same attributes plus size. Google says a missing required attribute lowers the product's data quality, which can reduce the offer's performance in search results. The fix page does not say the product is disapproved.

Which products the rule covers

Age group, gender and color are required for free listings for all products in Google's Apparel & Accessories category.
Size is required for free listings for products in Apparel & Accessories > Clothing and Apparel & Accessories > Shoes.
For Shopping ads, the same attributes are required when you target Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom or the United States.
Google lists sub-categories where age group and gender are optional, such as pinback buttons, tie clips and wristbands.
Outside apparel, Google's product data specification also asks for color and size on any product available in different colors or sizes, gender on gender-specific products, and age group on products with an assigned age group.

The values Google accepts

Gender: male, female or unisex. Google says the values must be submitted in English.
Age group: newborn (0 to 3 months), infant (3 to 12 months), toddler (1 to 5 years), kids (5 to 13 years) or adult (typically teens or older).

Google says age group has no default value. If you don't submit it, no value is used.

Where to add them on Shopify

See which products are affected. Shopify says you can open a product and, in the Sales channels section, click Google to view its errors.
Open the bulk editor in the channel. Google's steps for Shopify stores: in your Shopify admin go to Sales channels and select Google & YouTube, select Products, then All products. Check the products and select Edit in bulk editor.
Fill in the missing fields and save. Google's steps name age and gender among the fields you can add there. Google also says you can edit product data on the individual product pages, and that variants are updated in the Variants section of the product page.
Keep option names and values in English. Shopify says product options, including variants, need to be in English to sync with Google.
Shopify's standard product categories unlock category metafields. For a shirt, Shopify's example includes size, age group, target gender and color. We have not found a Shopify or Google page that says the Google & YouTube channel sends these to Google, so add the values in the channel as well.

After the fix

Google says it may take some time for the change to be reflected on the Needs attention page in Merchant Center.

Questions

Is the product disapproved?

Google's fix page does not say so. It says missing required attributes lower the product's data quality and can reduce the offer's performance in search results. Shopify says products in the Apparel & accessories category might require this data before they will be published.

Which countries does the rule apply to?

For Shopping ads: Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. For free listings Google names no countries. The attributes are required for all Apparel & Accessories products.

Do all four attributes apply to every apparel product?

Age group, gender and color apply to Apparel & Accessories as a whole. Size applies to clothing and shoes.

Related guides

Sources

Last reviewed 4 October 2026