Solving Google Merchant Center Disapprovals After Removing a Shopify Language

Hey everyone,

As a Shopify expert and someone who spends a lot of time digging through the community forums, I often come across those head-scratching moments that make you want to pull your hair out. One such scenario recently popped up, and it's a classic example of how an intended fix on Shopify can create unexpected headaches with Google Merchant Center (GMC).

Our friend Shivam_Verma from luxebykan.com shared a common but incredibly frustrating problem: GMC was disapproving a chunk of products with the reason "product is not available in Arabic" — even though Arabic had been fully removed and archived from their Shopify store! They had done all the right things:

• Archived Arabic in Settings → Languages.
• Archived the Arabic catalog in Markets → Catalogs.

Everything looked clean on the Shopify side, with the storefront only loading in English. So, what on earth was going on?

The Persistent Problem: Old Language Feeds Haunting GMC

Shivam_Verma's core questions really hit home for anyone who's dealt with similar issues:

1. Was there a hidden setting in the Google & YouTube channel app or Shopify Markets feed config that needed updating?
2. Where was this ghost Arabic-language product data still coming from? Cache? The app?
3. What's the cleanest way to truly purge these old language products from GMC?

It sounds like a simple task — remove a language, and it should be gone, right? But as many of us know, integrations between platforms can be a bit... stubborn.

Community Insights: The Google & YouTube App Can Be Buggy

The community quickly chimed in, and Amlani's response provided a crucial piece of the puzzle: "the google and youtube app is buggy. even if you remove a feed, there is a chance it keeps sending those products to merchant center."

This insight is golden. It points directly to the Google & YouTube sales channel app as the likely culprit. While Shopify's backend might correctly reflect your language changes, the integration app might not always catch up and refresh its feed configuration immediately or completely.

Another helpful thought came from mastroke, suggesting to "check the language setting and wait for 3-4 days." While patience is often a virtue with Google, and checking GMC's language settings is always a good first step, for a persistent issue like Shivam_Verma's, a more direct intervention is usually needed.

The Go-To Solution: Reinstalling the Google & YouTube App

Based on the community's experience, the most effective solution when the Google & YouTube app is acting up — especially after major changes like removing a language — is to give it a fresh start. This often forces the app to re-read your store's current configuration and generate a clean, updated product feed.

Here's a step-by-step guide to tackle this issue:

1. Double-Check Shopify Language & Market Settings:

   • Go to your Shopify admin.
   • Navigate to Settings → Languages. Ensure Arabic (or whichever language you removed) is indeed archived.
   • Head to Markets → Catalogs. Confirm that the Arabic catalog is also archived.
   • Verify that your storefront is only loading in the desired active language(s).

2. Remove the Google & YouTube Sales Channel App:

   • In your Shopify admin, go to Sales Channels (usually found in the left-hand navigation).
   • Find Google & YouTube.
   • Click on it, then look for the option to Remove app or Uninstall. This might be in the app settings or by clicking the "..." next to the app name. Confirm the removal.
   • This step is crucial as it disconnects the potentially "buggy" feed connection.

3. Wait a Little While (Optional but Recommended):

   • Give it an hour or two, or even overnight if you can, before reinstalling. This allows any lingering connections or caches to clear.

4. Reinstall the Google & YouTube Sales Channel App:

   • Go back to Sales Channels in your Shopify admin.
   • Click + Add sales channel.
   • Search for and select Google & YouTube.
   • Follow the prompts to reconnect your Google Merchant Center account. Make sure you select the correct primary language for your feed during setup.

5. Monitor Your GMC Feed:

   • Once reinstalled, the app will start sending a fresh product feed to Google Merchant Center. This process can take some time (up to 24-48 hours for Google to fully process).
   • Log into your Google Merchant Center account.
   • Go to Products → Feeds. Check the status of your primary product feed.
   • Monitor Products → Diagnostics for the next few days. The disapprovals related to the removed language should start to clear as the new, clean feed is processed.

What If It Still Doesn't Work?

Amlani also mentioned a backup plan: "if it still doesn’t, please note you might have to go ahead with another google shopping feed solution." While reinstalling usually does the trick, sometimes a more robust, third-party product feed app from the Shopify App Store is necessary. These apps often provide more granular control over your product data and can be a lifesaver for complex feed requirements or persistent issues.

The key takeaway here is that while Shopify makes managing multiple languages and markets relatively straightforward, the integration with external platforms like Google Merchant Center can sometimes have its quirks. Don't be afraid to give the integration app a "reboot" — it's often the quickest path to resolving these kinds of lingering feed issues and getting your products back in front of the right audience.