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Missing availability

Availability is required on every product. Derive it from real Shopify stock, not a guess.

What this error means

The availability attribute tells Google whether an item is in stock, out of stock, available for preorder, or on backorder. Google requires it for every product. Missing availability means the value is absent from your feed; the related Invalid product availability means a value was submitted but it does not match one of Google's accepted values, or does not match what your live storefront shows.

Why it happens on Shopify

  • A feed source that does not reliably read Shopify's inventory or sale status for every variant.
  • A mismatch between what your storefront shows a shopper and what the feed submits. Google actively checks that these agree, and flags the difference.
  • A custom app or theme label ("Ships in 3 days," "Back soon") that is not one of Google's recognized values.
  • Multiple variants on one product where only some are out of stock, so a feed that reports availability at the product level instead of the variant level ends up wrong for at least one variant.

How to fix it manually

  1. Filter Diagnostics for "Missing availability" or "Invalid product availability."
  2. Confirm the product's real stock state on your storefront: in stock, sold out, or preorder.
  3. Make sure your feed submits one of Google's accepted values, in English regardless of your storefront language: in stock, out of stock, preorder, or backorder.
  4. For preorder or backorder items, also submit availability_date with a realistic ship date.
  5. Keep Shopify inventory tracking accurate; it is the source of truth most feed tools read from.

How Feed Doctor finds and fixes it

Feed Doctor reads the product variant's real Shopify availableForSale flag, the same signal your storefront's own Add to Cart button relies on, and derives availability automatically: true becomes in_stock, false becomes out_of_stock. Because it is the same source your live page uses, the feed and the storefront agree, which avoids Google's mismatch check. If Shopify's own sale status cannot be resolved for a variant, Feed Doctor does not guess; it flags the product for manual review instead.

Feed Doctor's automatic fix currently covers the in-stock and out-of-stock cases derived from Shopify's sale flag. Preorder and backorder timing, the availability_date value, still needs to be set by you to match your real shipping schedule.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the accepted values for availability?

In stock, out of stock, preorder, and backorder, submitted in English regardless of your storefront's language. See Google's official attribute page for the current full list and requirements.

Why would my in-stock product be flagged as missing availability?

Usually the feed source never populated the field, or read it from a page element that later changed. Feed Doctor reads Shopify's own availableForSale value directly instead of scraping the storefront.

Does Feed Doctor change my actual Shopify inventory?

No. Feed Doctor only reads your existing Shopify stock status and writes the matching value to the feed attribute. It never edits your inventory counts.

Does Feed Doctor handle preorder and backorder automatically?

Not yet. Its automatic fix maps in-stock and out-of-stock from Shopify's sale flag. Preorder and backorder dates still need to be set by you so they match Google's requirements.

Related fixes

Source: Google Merchant Center Help: How to fix missing availability · Google Merchant Center Help: Availability [availability]