Item data is too large
What causes the "Item data is too large" error in Merchant Center and how to fix it.
This error means one product's combined attribute data exceeds Google's per-item size limit, usually from an overly long description or excessive image and attribute lists. Fix it by trimming to the essentials, particularly long-winded descriptions or redundant custom attributes.
What triggers it
"Item data is too large" is about the product's total submitted data, all attributes combined, rather than any single field breaching its own limit. A description alone might pass Google's per-field length check (see text too long) but still be part of what tips the whole item over the combined limit once every other attribute is added up.
It's most often a description copied straight from a product page's full marketing copy, or a long tail of custom attributes and image links that add up product by product without anyone noticing the total.
Enrichment writes concise, shopping-appropriate copy and structured attribute values on a supplemental layer rather than carrying over bloated source text, which keeps items well under the limit rather than trimming after the fact.
Step by step
- Identify the product flagged. Diagnostics names the item; the cause is usually one oversized field rather than the item as a whole.
- Check the description length first. Long-form marketing copy pasted wholesale into the description field is the most common single cause; trim to what's actually useful for a shopping listing.
- Check for excessive or redundant list values. Very long additional_image_link lists or repeated custom attributes can push a product's total data over the limit even with a reasonable description.
- Re-submit and confirm the flag clears. Once the product's total data is under the limit and Google re-fetches the feed, the error should clear within the normal crawl window.