WooCommerce: Google labeling In Stock products as Out of Stock

Resolved

(@glazergallery)

This is just one example of a page where Google has suddenly starting returning search results where items that are in stock are labeled as out of stock which is alarming and potentially destructive to our business, because we’re a retail store where people commonly find us first on Google. If you search for “seba cobra” on Google you will see what I mean — the page referenced here is the first result, but listed as “Out of stock.” Alternatively, if you search “seba snake” the image shows up in the top row, and if you click it, it does pop up with a link to visit the page, but the detail beneath it from the same page is labeled “Out of stock.” And this is not the only item where this is happening. Although we never use the Inventory feature, that was my first thought to check and see if something got checked as out of stock by accident. However, in every case, while looking at the page in the Product Page Editor, under Product data, in the Inventory menu we have “In stock” checked under “Stock status.” I have not added any new plugins in a very long time, and the plugin compatibility check-in is not showing anything out of the ordinary.

In the System Status Report below I spotted this which mentions “outofstock” but as I said, none of the affected products I have found are marked Out of Stock and furthermore, in the WooCommerce settings under Products: Inventory, neither “Enable stock management” nor “Hide out of stock items from the catalog” are checked either:

Taxonomies: Product Visibility: exclude-from-catalog (exclude-from-catalog)
exclude-from-search (exclude-from-search)
featured (featured)
outofstock (outofstock)
rated-1 (rated-1)
rated-2 (rated-2)
rated-3 (rated-3)
rated-4 (rated-4)
rated-5 (rated-5)

Here is the full status report saved as “copy for Github”:

System Status Report

### WordPress Environment ###

WordPress address (URL): [Redacted]
Site address (URL): [Redacted]
WC Version: 9.6.0
Legacy REST API Package Version: ✔ 1.0.5
Action Scheduler Version: ✔ 3.9.0
Log Directory Writable: ✔
WP Version: 6.7.2
WP Multisite: –
WP Memory Limit: 768 MB
WP Debug Mode: –
WP Cron: –
Language: en_US
External object cache: –

### Server Environment ###

Server Info: Apache
PHP Version: 8.0.30
PHP Post Max Size: 128 MB
PHP Time Limit: 300
PHP Max Input Vars: 10000
cURL Version: 8.11.0
OpenSSL/1.1.1w

SUHOSIN Installed: –
MySQL Version: 10.5.25-MariaDB-cll-lve
Max Upload Size: 128 MB
Default Timezone is UTC: ✔
fsockopen/cURL: ✔
SoapClient: ✔
DOMDocument: ✔
GZip: ✔
Multibyte String: ✔
Remote Post: ✔
Remote Get: ✔

### Database ###

[REDACTED]

### Post Type Counts ###

amn_mi-lite: 3
attachment: 17431
custom_css: 1
jetpack_migration: 2
metagallery: 1
ml-slide: 25
ml-slider: 2
nav_menu_item: 12
oembed_cache: 2
page: 103
post: 2
product: 2928
revision: 10289
so_wc_template: 4
wccaf: 1
wp_global_styles: 1
wp_navigation: 1
wp_template: 2

### Security ###

Secure connection (HTTPS): ✔
Hide errors from visitors: ✔

### Active Plugins (20) ###

Duplicate Page: by mndpsingh287 – 4.5.4
Duplicate Taxonomy Term: by Sebastian Pisula – 1.0.2
MetaSlider: by MetaSlider – 3.95.0
Plugin Compatibility Checker: by Dinesh Pilani – 4.0.2
Products Admin Notes Simple: by Jamie Hall – 1.1
Regenerate Thumbnails: by Alex Mills (Viper007Bond) – 3.1.6
Simple Image Sizes: by Rahe – 3.2.4
Page Builder by SiteOrigin: by SiteOrigin – 2.31.4
SiteOrigin Premium: by SiteOrigin – 1.69.0
SiteOrigin CSS: by SiteOrigin – 1.6.3
SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle: by SiteOrigin – 1.64.2
Accessibility by UserWay: by UserWay.org – 2.5.3
WooCommerce.com Update Manager: by Automattic – 1.0.3
WooCommerce Legacy REST API: by WooCommerce – 1.0.5
WooCommerce Visibility: by codemine – 4.1
WooCommerce: by Automattic – 9.6.0 (update to version 9.6.2 is available)
WooSidebars: by WooCommerce – 1.4.6
YITH Essential Kit for WooCommerce #1: by YITH – 2.39.0
YITH WooCommerce Catalog Mode: by YITH – 2.42.0
YITH WooCommerce Wishlist: by YITH – 4.2.0

### Inactive Plugins (2) ###

WP All Import - WooCommerce Add-On Pro: by Soflyy – 3.2.6
WP All Import Pro: by Soflyy – 4.6.9

### Dropin Plugins () ###

install.php: install.php
maintenance.php: maintenance.php

### Must Use Plugins (1) ###

WP Staging Optimizer: by René Hermenau – 1.1

### Settings ###

Legacy API Enabled: ✔
Force SSL: –
Currency: USD ($)
Currency Position: left
Thousand Separator: ,
Decimal Separator: .
Number of Decimals: 0
Taxonomies: Product Types: external (external)
grouped (grouped)
simple (simple)
variable (variable)

Taxonomies: Product Visibility: exclude-from-catalog (exclude-from-catalog)
exclude-from-search (exclude-from-search)
featured (featured)
outofstock (outofstock)
rated-1 (rated-1)
rated-2 (rated-2)
rated-3 (rated-3)
rated-4 (rated-4)
rated-5 (rated-5)

Connected to WooCommerce.com: ✔
Enforce Approved Product Download Directories: –
HPOS feature enabled: –
Order datastore: WC_Order_Data_Store_CPT
HPOS data sync enabled: –

### Logging ###

Enabled: ✔
Handler: Automattic\WooCommerce\Internal\Admin\Logging\LogHandlerFileV2
Retention period: 30 days
Level threshold: –
Log directory size: 643 B

### WC Pages ###

Shop base: #5 - /shop/
Cart: ❌ Page visibility should be public
Checkout: #7 - /checkout/ -  Contains the [woocommerce_checkout] shortcode
My account: #8 - /my-account/
Terms and conditions: #20359 - /privacy-policy/

### Theme ###

Name: Vantage Child
Version: 1.0.0
Author URL: http://siteorigin.com/
Child Theme: ✔
Parent Theme Name: Vantage
Parent Theme Version: 1.20.27
Parent Theme Author URL: https://siteorigin.com/
Theme type: Classic theme
WooCommerce Support: ✔

### Templates ###

Overrides: –

### Admin ###

Enabled Features: activity-panels
analytics
product-block-editor
coupons
core-profiler
customize-store
customer-effort-score-tracks
import-products-task
experimental-fashion-sample-products
shipping-smart-defaults
shipping-setting-tour
homescreen
marketing
mobile-app-banner
onboarding
onboarding-tasks
pattern-toolkit-full-composability
product-custom-fields
remote-inbox-notifications
remote-free-extensions
payment-gateway-suggestions
printful
shipping-label-banner
subscriptions
store-alerts
transient-notices
woo-mobile-welcome
wc-pay-promotion
wc-pay-welcome-page
launch-your-store

Disabled Features: product-data-views
experimental-blocks
coming-soon-newsletter-template
minified-js
product-pre-publish-modal
settings
async-product-editor-category-field
product-editor-template-system
blueprint
reactify-classic-payments-settings
use-wp-horizon
add-to-cart-with-options-stepper-layout
blockified-add-to-cart

Daily Cron: ✔ Next scheduled: 2025-02-20 14:21:12 -05:00
Options: ✔
Notes: 178
Onboarding: completed

### Action Scheduler ###

Complete: 315
Oldest: 2025-01-19 20:00:03 -0500
Newest: 2025-02-19 14:23:45 -0500

Failed: 3
Oldest: 2023-03-06 11:41:33 -0500
Newest: 2024-01-10 17:36:20 -0500

Pending: 1
Oldest: 2025-02-20 09:30:04 -0500
Newest: 2025-02-20 09:30:04 -0500


### Status report information ###

Generated at: 2025-02-19 15:09:45 -05:00

This topic was modified 9 months, 2 weeks ago by glazergallery.
This topic was modified 9 months, 2 weeks ago by glazergallery.
This topic was modified 9 months, 2 weeks ago by glazergallery.

The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 8 replies - 16 through 23 (of 23 total)

← 1 2

Plugin Support LovingBro (woo-hc)
(@lovingbro)

9 months ago

Hi @glazergallery,

I understand how concerning this issue must be, especially when your customers rely on Google Search to find your products. No worries; I will explain why the thread was marked as resolved and give you some guidance on the next steps.

This thread was marked as resolved because, based on the information you’ve provided and our checks, the issue appears to be originating from Google’s end. Since you’ve noticed that other businesses using different platforms, not just WooCommerce, are experiencing the same problem, it suggests that Google may have made a change affecting product availability labeling in search results. Unfortunately, this is not something WooCommerce has direct control over.

Regarding Google Merchant Center, it’s a valuable tool for promoting your business and products beyond just Google Search. By connecting to the Merchant Center, your products can appear in Google Shopping, and you can also run ads to enhance their visibility. Setting up Google Merchant Center for your WooCommerce store requires the Google for WooCommerce plugin. You can learn more about it here: https://woocommerce.com/document/google-for-woocommerce/

While integrating with Google Merchant Center may help correct the stock availability issue on Google Search, I also recommend troubleshooting your Google Search Console for any possible errors or reaching out to Google for further clarification if the issue persists.

Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions related to WooCommerce or its add-ons. You can create a new thread here: https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/woocommerce/#new-topic-0

Thread Starter glazergallery
(@glazergallery)

6 months, 3 weeks ago

I have an update to this thread. It is now partially, but not completely corrected, but I cannot discern any pattern that makes sense of why this randomness. When searching keywords on Google, the results for some of our items that were incorrectly listed as “out of stock” are now either listed as “in stock” or omit any reference to whether they are in or out of stock (which is fine with us). The cobra print I originally asked about is one of them, but there are others that were still labeled out of stock after that one seemingly corrected itself. I did not do anything else other than what I described in the previous threads, so I have no idea what accounts for the ones corrected and the ones not corrected. This remains a cause of frustration, because some items are still incorrectly listed.

Zee
(@doublezed2)

6 months, 3 weeks ago

Hello glazergallery,

Thank you for your reply.

I understand you’re still seeing inconsistent stock statuses for some products in Google search results, even though you haven’t made any additional changes.

Since the issue seems related to how product data appears on Google, I noticed you’re not using a plugin that manages structured data specifically for Google. I suggest trying the Google for WooCommerce plugin by WooCommerce. You can also use general SEO plugins like Yoast or Rank Math, but they aren’t focused on syncing with Google Merchant Center.

Please let me know about your thoughts.

Best regards.

Thread Starter glazergallery
(@glazergallery)

6 months, 3 weeks ago

Hi Zubair,

I looked into that plugin, but determined that Google Merchant Center is not right for our business because we are selling one-of-a-kind art and antiques that each have their own shipping requirements, so we also omit shipping methods. Therefore we disable the “shopping cart” feature and use the Yith plug-in that converts WooCommerce to “catalog only.” And that worked great for nine years — people contact us when they want to buy online or make an appointment to visit the shop. On a Google Search help forum another store owner experiencing the same problem offered this idea and I wonder what you at WooCommerce think of this:

“I have been looking in the structured data which is supplied on the product pages of your website.
At first sight everything looks correct with the Google Search Central documentation and schema testing tools. The product data results in a ‘product snippet’ and a ‘Merchant Listing’. Only for the merchant listings there is a separate documentation with requirements. https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324448

“In this document not only the mapping for the availability is explained (where InStoreOnly is mapped to out_of_stock), but also the Minimum requirements are defined for the products. And on the top of this section is stated when you don’t follow these requirements, we disapprove your product. One of requirements is the “Match your product availability with your account shipping”, that you should list a shipping method in the data. I think this is were yours availability is switched to “out of stock”.

“I also noticed that there are products which don’t have a price mentioned on the product page and therefore also have no product schema data on the page. When I look up these items in the search results I don’t see a “out of stock” mentioned.

“For us the solution is/was to remove the product schema data from the product pages. We see that the “out of stock” mention is (mostly) deleted from the search results. And the prices are still visible for the products. I hope this info helps you to get forward in solving this annoying problem.”

So my question to you all at WooCommerce is: Can you offer some code people like me who are experiencing this problem can copy and add to my Child Theme to remove the product schema data?
Mahfuzur Rahman
(@mahfuzurwp)

6 months, 3 weeks ago
Hi @glazergallery,

Thanks for sharing all the context, I can see how frustrating it must be to have your products marked as “Out of stock” in search results when that’s not the case.

You’re right that Google’s Merchant Listings can interpret missing shipping info as not meeting their requirements, which may lead to incorrect availability display. Since you’re running a catalog-only store and not using structured product data for Google Shopping, removing the WooCommerce-generated product schema can be a helpful workaround.

If you’d like to remove product schema markup from your site, you can add this line to your child theme’s functions.php file:
```
add_filter( 'woocommerce_structured_data_product', '__return_false' );
```
Thank you, I hope this helps!
Thread Starter glazergallery
(@glazergallery)

6 months, 3 weeks ago

Thank you, Mahfuzur — I just added the code and will follow up after I see how it is working.

—HG at GlazerGallery

Thread Starter glazergallery
(@glazergallery)

6 months, 2 weeks ago

Just to update, as of now I have tried some random searches and a full week after removing product schema with the code provided above by @mahfuzurwp it appears the “out of stock” notices on Google searches have finally disappeared. Thank you!

Plugin Support shahzeen(woo-hc)
(@shahzeenfarooq)

6 months, 2 weeks ago

Hi there!

Thanks so much for the update — we’re really glad to hear that the issue has been resolved and the “out of stock” notices have disappeared from Google search results!

If everything is working well now, we’d truly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a review for the WooCommerce plugin. Your feedback helps us improve and continue supporting store owners like you.

You can leave a review here:
👉 https://wordpress.org/plugins/woocommerce/#reviews

Thank you