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# Troubleshooting Product Feed Not Updating Correctly

When a product feed does not update as expected, the issue is usually related to product identifiers, feed structure, or feed settings. This guide summarizes common causes and fixes based on real cases.

## 1. Check Product Identifier Matching
Stock Sync updates products only when the identifier in the feed matches a product in your store. If only one product is updated or none are updated:

* Verify that the barcode, SKU, or product code used in **Field Mapping** matches the identifier used in your store. For example, if the feed has an `ITEM` column rather than a `handle` column, map the SKU to `ITEM` instead of `handle`.
* Ensure each row in the feed contains the correct identifier.
* Check for spaces, capitalization, leading zeros, prefixes, or hidden characters in identifiers.
* If the store contains multiple products with the same SKU, enable **Update duplicate products with same product identifier**.

## 2. Verify Quantity and Other Field Mappings
If a matching product still shows the old quantity, confirm that the mapped source column is the one containing the value you need. Similar column names can map to the wrong data—for example, map Quantity to `Total:` rather than `Totals` when `Total:` contains the stock value. Column names are also case-sensitive in some feed files, so map `QUANTITY` if that is the exact header in the source.

Only mapped fields are updated. If the feed column was renamed, select the current column in **Step 2** and save the mapping before rerunning the feed.

## 3. Verify Feed Structure (XML Files)
Some XML feeds use unique node names such as `item_0`, `item_1`, etc. This prevents proper row detection.

**Fix:** Apply a custom parser such as `values(root)` so Stock Sync can read all nodes. Contact support if the XML structure is unusual and cannot be adjusted from the interface.

## 3. Ensure Correct Feed Type (Add vs Update)
* **Update Feed** updates only existing products.
* **Add Feed** imports new products.

If new products do not appear, confirm that an **Add Feed** is used.

If the Add Feed shows "0 added" but no errors:
* Download the **Changelog** from the recent successful run to verify what was processed.
* Clear all **filters** and test import 2–3 products to ensure filters are not excluding items.
* Make sure no other feeds are currently running or queuing, as only one feed can process at a time.
* For Shopify, avoid option names containing the sequence " / " (space-slash-space), example: "Color / Finish". Shopify rejects these; use "Color/Finish" instead.

## 4. Check Stock Location Settings
If a product shows the wrong quantity or is not updated:

* Confirm that the **Location** selected in the feed matches the location used by the store.
* A mismatch prevents quantity updates even if the SKU matches.

## 5. Review Feed File Reading (Row Separator)
If the preview shows errors or missing rows, the file may not be read correctly.

* Adjust the **row separator** if supported.
* Some file formats require backend adjustment—contact support for assistance.

## 6. Verify Feed Automation and Scheduling
If updates work manually but not automatically:

* Open the feed detail page and click **Set automation**.
* Ensure the schedule is enabled (e.g., Daily at 1 pm).

## 7. Check for Duplicate Products Causing Conflicts
If a SKU does not update but appears correct:

* Search the SKU in your store.
* If both an **Active** and **Draft** product share the same identifier, Stock Sync may update only one.
* Enable “Update duplicate products” if needed.

## 9. Validate Feed Content
If some variants are not updating:

* Confirm the feed contains all variants.
* Check for missing or inconsistent identifier values.

## 10. Recover Products After an Unintended Overwrite
If a sync has overwritten product titles or descriptions and you need to restore an earlier version:

1. Remove the affected fields from the feed mapping to prevent further overwrites. Keep fields such as Price and Quantity mapped only if you still want them updated.
2. Create a recovery feed for the affected fields and run a **Preview Sync** first. A preview generates a change log without modifying live products.
3. Review the change log to confirm that the proposed values are correct.
4. After confirming the preview, run the recovery update and verify the products in your store.

If you continue experiencing issues, gather a sample SKU and contact support so the team can inspect sync logs and feed structure.

## Additional Common Causes
* **Missing URL protocol (e.g., images without "https:")**: Feeds may appear incomplete if image or document URLs lack the required protocol. Adding the correct prefix (such as "https:") ensures the system can fetch images and complete the import.
* **Store variant limit exceeded**: When the store exceeds its variant limit, feeds may stop updating until the limit is increased.
* **Filters excluding products**: If vendor or other filters are applied, products not matching the filter (e.g., different vendor names) will not update.
* **Feed file suddenly shrinking in size**: A significantly smaller file (e.g., 10,741 rows down to 1,100) can cause many products to show as missing in feed.
* **Payload too large / 499 errors**: Large payload sizes may cause update failures; reducing the pagination or payload size resolves this.
* **Unmapped fields remain unchanged**: Only mapped fields update. Unmapped fields like Title or Description stay untouched.