Brand and MPN
How to fix a missing brand or MPN in Google Merchant Center
Submit the real product brand and manufacturer-assigned MPN, or use identifier_exists only when unique product identifiers genuinely do not exist.
Reviewed against Google Merchant Center documentation on August 25, 2026. Independent guide; not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.
What the diagnostic means
Brand, MPN, GTIN, and identifier_exists work together to identify a product. Missing or contradictory values can keep Google from confidently matching an offer to the correct product.
Common causes
- A store vendor or manufacturer field did not map into the brand column.
- The merchant used an internal SKU where a manufacturer-assigned MPN was expected.
- A product without a GTIN also omitted brand or MPN.
- identifier_exists was set to false even though the product has manufacturer identifiers.
- A variant inherited the wrong brand, GTIN, or MPN from a parent product.
Resolution checklist
Fix it step by step
- Check the product or packaging for a manufacturer-assigned GTIN and use it when available.
- Submit the brand customers recognize; do not invent a placeholder value.
- When no GTIN exists but the manufacturer assigned an MPN, submit the correct brand and MPN.
- Set identifier_exists to false only when the product genuinely has no GTIN, brand, or MPN combination to submit.
- Check each variant separately and resubmit the corrected data.
Before you resubmit
- Brand names come from the product or manufacturer rather than a placeholder such as N/A.
- MPNs are manufacturer-assigned values, not merchant SKUs, unless the merchant is the manufacturer.
- identifier_exists agrees with the identifiers that actually exist.
- Each variant uses the identifiers assigned to that exact variant.
Manufacturer product without a GTIN
Before
gtin: [blank] brand: Northstar mpn: [blank] identifier_exists: yes
After
gtin: [blank] brand: Northstar mpn: NS-MUG-12-BLU identifier_exists: yes
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my SKU as the MPN?
Usually no. Google says to use the manufacturer-assigned MPN. A merchant that manufactures its own product can create the relevant identifier for that product.
Should I enter N/A when a brand is missing?
No. Do not invent a placeholder. Determine whether a real brand, manufacturer, or merchant-manufacturer name applies, and use identifier_exists correctly when no unique identifiers exist.
Does identifier_exists false mean the GTIN field is blank?
No. It is a factual statement that the product does not have the relevant unique product identifiers. A blank field caused by incomplete catalog data is not the same thing.