identifier_exists tells Google whether a product has unique product identifiers at all: yes/true or no/false, to be used only when you are certain the product has no GTIN, MPN or brand, as with custom, handmade or vintage goods. Set to false on a product Google can see is branded and barcoded, it is reported as an incorrect value.
| Attribute | identifier_exists |
|---|---|
| Requirement | Optional; submit false only for products without unique product identifiers. |
| Format |
|
Accepted values
true (yes) | The product has identifiers; Google expects gtin, or brand and mpn. |
false (no) | The product lacks a brand, GTIN or MPN; Google says to still provide the identifiers you have. |
Google’s rules for identifier_exists
- Use false only when certain the product has no assigned identifiers.
Common mistakes, and the error each one becomes
- false set on the whole catalogue to silence GTIN warnings. → Incorrect value [identifier_exists]
- false next to a filled gtin.
Where the value comes from on a connected store
| Shopify | Not sent. In the Google, Meta, Microsoft and custom feeds, a variant with a valid barcode is sent with gtin; without one, with mpn only when the sheet on the Corrections page or a feed rule sets it and the product has a brand. |
|---|---|
| WooCommerce | Not sent from plugin 1.0.12. A valid GTIN from WooCommerce’s field or from Google for WooCommerce is sent as gtin. |
The free feed check reads this attribute from any feed file and reports the defects above; every check is listed.
Questions merchants ask
Does false remove the brand requirement?
Google’s product data specification says: “If set to no, still provide the UPIs you have.” A brand you have, including your own label, still goes in brand.
What is the default?
True (yes). Google’s product data specification says: “If you don’t submit the attribute, the default value is yes.”
Can I use it for resold products whose barcode I don’t know?
No. Those products have identifiers; you just don’t have them to hand. Find the barcode, or leave gtin empty: for products with identifiers you don’t have available, Google says to leave the attribute blank, and it says products may be disapproved or their performance may be limited if they are submitted without a unique product identifier when one is available.
Sources
- Identifier exists [identifier_exists] — Google Merchant Center Help
- About unique product identifiers — Google Merchant Center Help
- Product data specification — Google Merchant Center Help