Missing required apparel attributes: color and size

What this error means

For apparel and accessories, Google requires the color and size attributes so shoppers can find the right variant. When they are missing on a clothing product, the item is disapproved.

Why it happens

Apparel has stricter attribute requirements than most categories. Google expects color across apparel, and size is especially important for clothing and shoe variants, so it can distinguish variants and match searches like "blue jacket size M". The exact requirement can depend on the product type. The values are usually missing because the store keeps colour and size as variant options that are not mapped to the dedicated feed attributes, so they end up only in the title or not at all.

How to fix it

1. Add the color attribute using the actual colour name. Only combine colour names, such as "navy or white", when the item genuinely is that combination of colours, not to describe a pattern.
2. Add the size attribute using the size as customers see it, and include the size system where relevant.
3. Make sure each variant carries its own colour and size, not the parent product's.
4. Keep these in the dedicated attributes, not only in the title.
5. Update the feed and wait for re-crawl.

Fixing it in your store

Colour and size almost always exist in your store as variant options. This error means they are not mapped to the color and size feed attributes. Map the variant options to those attributes in your feed tool so each size and colour combination submits its own values. This also helps prevent variants collapsing into duplicates.

How long until it clears

Once colour and size are on each variant and re-crawled, expect the products to qualify within 1 to 3 days.