Pinterest Verified Merchant Program Fix: Merchant Does not meet minimum website quality requirements
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- Опубликовано: 16 окт 2024
- Here's the checklist to help you get verified: clicky.littleb...
Having trouble with the Pinterest verified merchant program? Don't worry, I've got you covered! In this video, I'll walk you through how to fix the "Merchant does not meet minimum website quality requirements" error. It may sound complicated, but trust me, it's easier than you think. Subscribe now and never get stuck again!
For additional errors, check the playlist here: • Fix Pinterest Merchant...
I included an example of setting the out-of-stock visibility for WooCommerce on WordPress. If you use Shopify and need to set your out-of-stock, here's the link to the instructions: help.shopify.c...
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Thank you for your videos! - many insights of error issues. I claimed my Pinterest business account yesterday successfully within my Shopify boutique and successfully connected. This afternoon, I received an email with the subject line "Notice of Merchant Guidelines Violation". They stated the reason as "Merchant's website template is incomplete and/or there are empty product categories". The appeals process is very confusing due to the fact they DO NOT state EXACTLY what to fix in layman's terms or how to fix the issues. After a lot of research, watching tutorials and going to the "get Help" icons, what exactly is the issue and how do I fix it? I did notice yesterday through the connecting/uploading my boutique process within Pinterest there was a circling icon in the middle that never ended - it seemed stuck. I did leave the page to get out of it. Not sure what I was supposed to wait for as there was no message of any kind in the process. This could be a possibility of the issues. What can I do? Its frustrating - setting up with Meta was easier than this!
I agree that the generic errors are annoying, and to be clear - I have zero affiliation with Pinterest. I made these videos to try to help others get their sites connected to Pinterest. Since you just connected the site within the last day, it is likely you just need to wait a little longer. It is very unlikely that Pinterest has ingested all details from your site. If you have a lot of products (more than a few hundred), it might take 2 more days. If it doesn't clear errors within 2 days, then Pinterest's system is not reading something. I assume you are using the Pinterest app to connect. If not, try using that- but only after 2 more days. If you are using that and after 2 days, it's not working (and everything is complete, including legal pages and product descriptions), then there is an issue. You could try (after waiting at least 2 days) to remove the app and reinstall it...but that's just guessing at that point. Right now, my best guess is that it needs more time to fully connect to your site. Initial connections rarely take less than 48 hours and sometimes longer. Wait 2 more days and see if the error still exists. If it does, then worry. For Meta, the company has its own servers (and entire buildings dedicated to the servers), so I sure hope the connection is faster for them. Pinterest seems to have older technology, so we just have to think of how this would have functioned 10 years ago...and it would have been much slower. 🤣
Here's the checklist to help you get verified: clicky.littlebizresources.com/form?am=24575&fid=33707&host=true
Thank you for this video! I'm confused about them not allowing resale or consignment products, as I see a lot of stores doing this and I'm wondering what the work around is there.
I don't know how they get away with that restriction since Etsy is both a "consignment" and has resale as a marketplace. I have a multi-shop store that I was able to get approved. The issue with it is that sales are not detected from the shop. So, I had to make products on the main site and make a purchase every now and again to remain in the program. I do not know if that is my particular multi-shop resource (a plugin on WordPress) or if that is universal.
As for resale, I do not think that is the limitation. I think the focus of that restriction is the marketplace part where you don't own the products (again, they permit Etsy, which is literally the definition of that restriction). With the WordPress plugin (I am testing Shopify soon to see how this applies there), I have a section on my products where I have to designate that the product is new OR used. If they allow "used" as an option, this tells me that they don't mind resale items. There is a warning when I get the issue that I haven't designated the product as new that Pinterest will limit the reach of the pins. I suspect that used products may also have some limitation on reach, but it depends on what someone searches.
Unfortunately, the resale/consignment marketplace requirement is just one that seems to need a better definition and clarification from Pinterest. Unless you have a specific error telling you that the issue is the resale or consignment marketplace, the issue is probably something else. I am aware of several marketplace-style websites that are part of the Verified Merchant Program. There are comments in forums from someone (not sure if she is an employee or just a 3rd party offering help) telling people the marketplace is an issue, but there was no proof that was causing the error. Most of the time, it is an issue with out-of-stock products, missing descriptions, or something else that is not related to the resale or consignment marketplace restriction.
@@LittleBizResources Thank you SO MUCH for your response. Yes it's wild that they would have that as a clause without any further definitions, since this is how so many online stores operate.
How much would you say that they care about photos not being original. We have a Shopify store with hundreds of products on it but most of the images are photos that the brands have provided, which are all high quality images, but no, not original.
@SimoneRoy-q7b I have had many people ask me about images that were not unique. Every single one of them that thought that was the issue, never changed their images and fixed other stuff. Most of them had issues with products out of stock. As far as I can tell the "no stock images" requirement is not enforced at this time.
Many people are getting approved and then something goes wrong. So far, the majority of the ones I have talked to had out of stock products. We fixed that (there's a setting for Wordpress/Woocommerce and Shopify has steps so the platforms will automatically hide out of stock products) and they returned to verified status. I do think they are rolling out enforcement slowly. Sometimes people were verified and months later were unverified with issues on the About Page or having wholesale on their page. That tells me that they either scan sites at random or they are rolling out enforcement of items at different time. For now, stock images do not appear to be enforced but it might become an issue later on.
Thank you so much for this video! They should hire you to actually help people lol. I got this from Pinterest, emailed them about it, and got the same thing with no explaination again 🤬 though it has been less than 24 hours, so I'll wait and see if I get another email with more elaboration.
How long ago did you try to connect? If it was within 24-48 hours, give the Pinterest system time to catch up. The notice about the Pinterest account age has me worried because they started doing that to domains. The domain age used to be only 9 months, but them they changed it to 13...from what I can deduce, that was because they changed something in their software and it wasn't able to detect domain age under 1 year (hence the 13 month requirement). Accounts that met the 9 month requirement while it was still active were getting the notification well before Pinterest officially jumped it to 13 months. So, this might be the early stages of Pinterest looking to change the Pinterest account requirement. But, let's not jump to that conclusion until it's the only error you have. So, let's work through these- 1. What platform are you using? 2. Is your domain at least 13 months old? 3. How long ago did you connect the website to Pinterest?
@@LittleBizResources It hasn't been 24 hours, so they may follow up again. As for the timing, it actually hasn't been 13 months. Also, I wrote the comment before finishing your video and I have to say, thank you so much! Because I didn't think to check if I had sold out items until I watched and I bet that was it. I still think there's something very unclear and frusterating about Pinterests business policies though.
You and me both on the unclear policies! Sometimes I can't see comments, so if you continue having problems, feel free to hop into my Facebook group and tag me. fb.com/groups/littlebizresources
Hello, and thank you for your videos. We were able to solve one problem with your help! Here is another problem that we are having: "Verified merchant eligibility (Shopping experience quality) error". No one seems to get a concrete answer back from Pinterest. Is there a solution? Mind you, we have not gotten any emails about complaints about our pins.
Thank you for your comment. This looks like another generic error. What platform are you using (Shopify, WordPress, etc.)? Double-check your catalog to see if there are any errors there, too: ruclips.net/video/jkjEGZxpxwM/видео.html
Check to see if you have any out of stock items, too. Knowing the platform might help narrow this down.
Another thought I had- if you just changed whatever the other problem was, that could be the trigger and you just need to wait a couple of days to see if it clears out. If you removed something from your site, it can take longer than 48 hours to update.
I appreciate the video. I am having this error "Shopping experience quality-
Only merchants meeting high quality standards and without excessive user reports about product Pins or their shop can join the Verified Merchants Program. How can I fix this issue, please? Thank you
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Without access to your account, I'm guessing here...but it sounds like there have been reports on either pins or your shop. You need to check to see what has been reported and then resolve that first. Once you are logged into Pinterest, click the down caret/arrow next to your account profile image at the top right. Then, select "Reports and Violations Center". There are probably reports there. Check to see what is reported and how to appeal or otherwise resolve the issues. Once those are minimized, you should be able to try to join the Pinterest Verified Merchant Program again.
@@LittleBizResourcesHi there,
thank you for responding. I found the report, and it seems I posted a swimwear pin with images of my model showing the back of the bikini. According to them, it was too much exposure. There are four reports for this one pin. What should I do in this case since I believe they have already removed the pin? Do I need to remove that image from my store? Thank you.
Yes, remove the image from your store. Check your emails, too. Usually, Pinterest will send you something about the reports and instructions on how to appeal. You aren't necessarily appealing, but there may be a way to basically ask for "forgiveness" and get past the restriction for the verified merchant program. Removing the image may be enough, but it can take the Pinterest bots a while to scrape the site again and see the change. From what I have seen, the timeframe can be days or even a week. When adding items, like new products in your shop, that can be 24 hours...but removing anything just takes longer to reflect. Check for any emails and remove the image related to that pin. If there are additional steps in the emails, do those, then wait a few days to see if the Pinterest dashboard changes. Hopefully, that will get you on track.
@@LittleBizResources Yes I removed it. I appreciate you help😁
Sorry I forgot to add that under my acct option the appeals are showing deactivated but under "your reports" There is a pin of someone that has tag my store.
Do you think it would give this error because I use the same images for my website and my etsy store? I have a Shopify that I've had for almost 4 years. I was in the beginning verified merchant program as an early adopter and about 2 years later I got the reported pins error, and the minimum website quality error, I've never been able to fix it, its been down for about a year and a half. I miss my Pinterest traffic!
Did you ever add the code to remove out of stock products? Shopify does not do that automatically. If you have out of stock items, that will trigger the error. I have the first version of the checklist available. If you want to go through the checklist (which accompanies the eguide I am polishing now) you can do that to see if you can narrow down the issue. The images are probably not an issue, but we have to narrow down any other problems. This is the sign up for the eguide notification but it should email you the PDF after you verify the double opt-in: littlebizresources.com/pinterestsignup
Hi Kim, I have a reasoning stating merchant does not meet minimum website quality requirements with a recommendation to review our merchant guidelines for...
I am currently using stock images bc my vendor allows it & created my website for me but that's the only reasoning stopping me from getting verified. Can you make a separate video or online posting/course of how to get past this to get verified? According to the info I've seen in your other videos, it seems that all my other ducks are lined up & this is my only obstacle. I would really like to get verified ASAP & not have to wait a whole 30 days as this is my last strike. Thanks in advanced!
I have worked with many people who have used stock images. So far, none of them had to change their images to get approved. Every single one of them had something else that was wrong (even though it just said the generic error mentioned on this video). Once they fixed other things, they were able to get approved. Even though the merchant guidelines say stock images, you should consider it is something else. You may end up putting a lot of work into your images and that's not the issue. What platform are you using (WordPress/WooCommerce, Shopify, etc.)?
@@LittleBizResources I'm using Shopify
@@LittleBizResources I also have a reasoning of merchant's domain is incomplete. With a recommendation of ensuring that your domain is complete without missing products, product images, or text. I thought I deleted/ hide all the out of stock items but there may have been more that became out of stock since the last time I've done so
The out of stock is almost always the issue. You need to set it up so Shopify will automatically hide out of stock products. Here's the instructions page: help.shopify.com/en/manual/products/inventory/getting-started-with-inventory/hide-out-of-stock
@@LittleBizResources thanks a ton! I'll get on this ASAP & keep you posted!
Mine says …… Product descriptions are not original and/or there are no product categories on the Merchant's website…. Now I did use XML to bring over my products that I get manufactured for my brand. I did change the name of a few products. Does changing the name make it now match up with the URL or something cuz it’s weird?
The only time I have seen that was when there are missing product descriptions. What platform are you using (ex. Shopify, WordPress, etc)? Do you have product descriptions?
If you are using a manual feed, then you need to look in those sections as well as how you have it coded. Manual feeds get tricky because you can have one tiny thing off and it messes up the feed. It depends on which platform you use if it will change the URL...it might.
@@LittleBizResources thanks for the info. I think it’s because some products descriptions are “partially” copy & paste so maybe too simpilar. I’m using woocommerce on Wordpress. I go to sync my site & it sends me that email. I gotta wait another 12 months till I guess my site is old enough anyhoo lol. Wish they had certain checklists & links to the data they collected to tell us why. If someone typed in an Algo & it is triggered by the data on our sure, they can at least give us a detailed readout to fix each issues. Maybe even AI automated screen grabs & highlights of these issues. These sites are too poorly mismanaged. They aren’t a beginner like me & many others so they should have it together already lol.
The xml was off. Every price & it didn’t grab all the info from contrado like they said it would. Only 871 files came over from 1287. I even followed the video like they had it. (Used WP all import & it’s eehh. If you know a better one to work with Woo, I’m all ears. )
@@eXodusArtisan For the merchant verification program, there is a listed requirement of 13 months. That might just be the domain age needs to be that old, or it might look for history of the website existing (I think it's domain age). However, for "Rich Pins", including product pins, the requirement is listed as 9 months and specifically says domain. Of course, that's what it says now...and it might just not be updated, but I think it is possible to get Rich Pins earlier than qualifying for the Verified Merchant Program. So, that's something to consider. For connecting to Pinterest, I use the Pinterest for WooCommerce app. The connection minimizes the vast potential of mistakes that can happen with a manual feed. On the other hand, with as many products as you have - if you can get the feed right, then you can add in some of the components that are only manual with the automated connections. That means your manual feed would have a better optimization than the automated connection. One thing to note about any connection is that with more than maybe 100 products, it will take longer than 24 hours to update. I have no idea why, it just doesn't take all the information on the first round when you have a lot of products (I don't know the actual number, I just know it's a relatively low number). With bigger catalogs, it takes longer to see real issues. So, to know your real waiting time - what is your domain age? That tells us how long we have to get everything set up correctly. 😄
Thank you for this video, heres what mine says. Where do i even start to fix this 😭.
-Incomplete home page (incomplete template, missing pictures that are not of the products, missing text or visible lines of code).
- Merchant does not meet minimum website quality requirements"
It sounds like the automated scan is not reading everything on the home page. If you have everything mentioned, then there is an issue with what the automation can see. What platform are you using (shopify, WordPress, etc)?
Thank you very much.
Thank you for taking the time to comment! I appreciate you!
@@LittleBizResources Definitely appreciate you, too.
Thank you
Thank you for taking the time to comment! I hope it helped.