Incorrect MPN: how to fix it
What causes the "Incorrect MPN" error in Merchant Center and how to find the real manufacturer part number.
"Incorrect MPN" means the part number you submitted isn't the manufacturer's actual code, often a reseller SKU or internal reference used in its place. Replace it with the genuine manufacturer-assigned MPN, matched correctly to the brand.
What triggers it
An MPN is meant to be the code the manufacturer itself assigns to a product, unique within that brand's range. This flag fires when the value submitted looks like an identifier but isn't that manufacturer code, most often an internal SKU, a distributor's own reference number, or a reseller's stock code reused across systems because it was the easiest field to populate.
It's an easy mistake to make at catalogue scale, since internal SKUs and real MPNs both look like short alphanumeric strings, and only one of them means anything to Google's catalogue matching.
/tools validates MPN, brand and GTIN together during enrichment rather than checking each field in isolation, catching mismatches like a reseller code sitting in the MPN field before submission.
Step by step
- Check what's actually in the MPN field. Confirm whether the value is a genuine manufacturer part number or something else, an internal SKU, a supplier order code, a reseller's own reference.
- Source the real MPN from the manufacturer. Check the product packaging, spec sheet, or manufacturer's own site for the correct part number. Don't infer it from a similar-sounding SKU.
- Confirm it matches the brand attribute. An MPN belongs to a specific brand's catalogue. If the brand attribute names a different company, one of the two needs correcting.
- Resubmit. Push the corrected feed. Clears automatically once the MPN and brand agree with Google's catalogue.