Errors and Solutions

This guide contains the most common errors when using the WPify Woo Feeds plugin and steps to resolve them.

Feed Generation Errors

Feed file is empty after generation

Cause: The feed was generated but no products matched the criteria, or there is a file permission issue on the server.

Solution:

1. Verify that you have products published and in stock
2. Check that product categories are mapped to feed categories (if “Exclude items without category” is enabled)
3. Verify file permissions on the wp-content/uploads/xml/ directory — the web server must have write access
4. If the directory does not exist, delete it and let the plugin recreate it on the next generation
5. Contact your hosting support if file permission issues persist

Feed generation times out or does not complete

Cause: Too many products are being processed in a single batch, or the server has strict execution time limits.

Solution:

1. Lower the Products per run value in the global settings (try 50 or even 25)
2. Check your server’s PHP max_execution_time and memory_limit settings
3. Try generating the feed via WP-CLI: wp wpify_woo_feeds generate {feed_name} — this bypasses web server timeouts
4. If using a caching plugin, ensure it does not interfere with the background processing

Feed URL returns 404 error

Cause: The feed file has not been generated yet, or the uploads directory path is incorrect.

Solution:

1. Go to the plugin settings and click Generate for the desired feed
2. Check that the feed URL in the settings table points to an existing file
3. Verify that wp-content/uploads/xml/ directory exists and is accessible
4. Flush WordPress permalinks: go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save Changes

Product Data Errors

Products are missing from the feed

Cause: Products may be excluded by stock status, missing category mapping, or per-product exclusion settings.

Solution:

1. Check if Exclude out of stock items is enabled — products without stock will be omitted
2. Verify that product categories are mapped to feed service categories
3. Open the product edit screen and check the feed-specific tab — make sure “Exclude from feed” is not enabled
4. For variable products, check both the parent product and individual variations

Duplicate products in the feed (variants)

Cause: Variable products generate separate entries for each variation by default.

Solution:

1. This is expected behavior — each variation appears as a separate item in the feed
2. If you want to exclude specific variations, use the per-variation settings in the product edit screen
3. Use the {feed_name}_skip_product filter to programmatically control which variations appear

Wrong product title or name in the feed

Cause: The feed may be using a cached or incorrect product name, especially for Heureka feeds where title and name are separate fields.

Solution:

1. Check the product’s feed-specific tab in the product edit screen for custom title/name overrides
2. Try regenerating the feed completely
3. Use the wpify_woo_feeds_item_title or wpify_woo_feeds_item_name filter to customize

EAN/GTIN values are missing or incorrect

Cause: The EAN source field is not configured correctly.

Solution:

1. If using the built-in EAN field, ensure Add EAN field is enabled in global settings and values are filled in for products
2. If using a custom field, verify the field slug is correct in the feed settings
3. When no EAN field is configured, the plugin falls back to the product SKU

Service-Specific Errors

Google Merchants rejects the feed

Cause: Feed does not meet Google’s product data specification requirements.

Solution:

1. Ensure all required fields are populated: title, description, price, availability, link, image
2. Map all product categories to Google product categories
3. Set a product condition (New/Used/Refurbished)
4. Configure the brand or GTIN — Google requires at least one product identifier
5. Check that product descriptions don’t contain HTML markup from page builders

Heureka reports missing delivery methods

Cause: Delivery methods are not configured in the Heureka feed settings.

Solution:

1. Go to the Heureka feed settings and configure Delivery methods
2. Select methods from Heureka’s predefined list and enter shipping costs
3. Add cash-on-delivery surcharges where applicable

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How often should I regenerate feeds?

For most stores, regenerating once or twice daily is sufficient. Use the cron URL or WP-CLI for scheduled generation. The Auto regenerate on product update feature keeps feeds current for individual product changes, but should be disabled during bulk operations.

Can I customize which products appear in a specific feed?

Yes, use the per-product settings in the product edit screen (each feed has its own tab), or use the {feed_name}_skip_product filter for programmatic control. You can also exclude products by stock status or missing category mapping globally.

What is the difference between the main Heureka feed and the availability feed?

The Heureka feed (CZ or SK) contains full product data — title, description, images, price, parameters, etc. The Heureka Availability feed only provides stock availability information and is updated more frequently. Both should be registered with Heureka for optimal results.

Can I generate feeds via command line?

Yes, use WP-CLI: wp wpify_woo_feeds generate {feed_name}. This is recommended for large catalogs as it bypasses web server timeout limits. Available feed names: feed_google_merchants, feed_heureka_cz, feed_heureka_sk, feed_heureka_availability, feed_zbozi, feed_alza.

Why does my feed contain editor markup in product descriptions?

If you use page builders (Elementor, WPBakery, etc.) for product descriptions, their shortcodes or HTML markup may appear in the feed. Switch the Description setting to Short description to avoid this, or use the item data filter to clean the output.

The feed shows "pa_znacka" or another slug instead of the actual brand name

Cause: The Brand field and Brand value type field work together. If you enter a product attribute slug (e.g., pa_znacka) but leave the type set to “Text”, the feed will output the literal text “pa_znacka” instead of the actual brand name.

Solution:

1. In the feed settings, find the Brand and Brand value type fields
2. If you enter a product attribute slug (e.g., pa_znacka), select the type Taxonomy
3. If you enter a custom field slug, select the type Custom field
4. If you enter text directly (e.g., “MyBrand”), keep the type as Text
5. Save settings and regenerate the feed

How do I add custom labels (custom_label_0–4) to the Google Merchants feed?

Custom labels can be set in two ways:

1. Per product: In the product edit screen, open the Google Merchants Feed tab and add a parameter with the name custom_label_0 (through custom_label_4) and the desired value in the Custom fields section.
2. Programmatically: Use the wpify_woo_feeds_google_merchants_item_data filter — see example in the developer documentation.

Heureka does not support WEBP image format — how to send JPG?

If your website uses WEBP images (either uploaded directly or converted by a plugin), Heureka may not accept them. The solution depends on your setup:

1. Images also exist in JPG: Use the wpify_woo_feeds_heureka_item_data filter to replace the extension in image URLs — see example in the developer documentation.
2. Per product: In the product edit screen under the Heureka Feed tab, you can manually override the image URL to the JPG version.