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I have heard that some people do that to re-trigger the process. If you don't have anything altered/customized, it seems like another simple solution. Thank you for sharing!

Art stealers have been using different tools for years. I've seen plenty before this that are just as effective and cheaper (usually a one-time cost). Adobe just finally got around to adding it. One thing I would recommend for anyone that is using a watermark - don't put the high resolution image on display. Put a low resolution image with the watermark. Then, if someone does try to steal the image...they aren't going to get a high quality one and it is less effective for them. If you're really worried about it, sneak in an additional hidden watermark that isn't noticeable (like artists that sign their name somewhere in the image, but only hardcore followers know to look for it). Then, if someone uses the image - you have a way to prove it's yours.

I have noticed that Pinterest is now providing more details on errors. I haven't heard of this one yet, but it sounds like Pinterest is not getting at least 10% of the emails from customers. It's interesting it mentions funnel events. Here are some general thoughts without knowing more about your website. 1. Warnings generally are just warnings. If there isn't some threat with it (such as Pinterest will reduce the reach), then you might be able to ignore it for a bit and see if it goes away on its own. If it's the first time you've seen this, it could just be a connection issue on the Pinterest side. 2. If you haven't had a lot of sales recently, Pinterest could be giving you that warning because it isn't detecting emails because of low sales (it is that time of year for a lot of companies) 3. If you made any changes to your website prior to this warning, that could be limiting or blocking the sending of data. Basically, this error is saying that a particular event (funnels) is not receiving enough data (emails or MAID coverage). You may need to look at your end points where people check out. Are you collecting emails on all funnel points or sales? Without getting into the system to see what's going on, this will be harder to diagnose. What sales platform are you using (for example, Wordpress/Woocommerce or Shopify, whatever you use for your site)?

Considering that the connection should be something automated, some of the “warnings” make it clear that Pinterest wants a website with regular changes. Ideally, that’s because you’re making sales and at least quantities are changing - but, that may not be enough. Adding products is probably the best way to ensure your catalog is updated. Personally, I do not believe that should be the case - but, the Pinterest system does not seem to detect removals or changes quickly. It can take days for Pinterest to update price, title, or other minor changes. If it’s working by disconnecting and reconnecting, that might be the best option for now. Pinterest is making changes to the connection, and quite quickly, so this may not always stay the case. I’m surprised it specifically says that your products are ineligible for organic distribution. I have noticed a lot of changes recently with what Pinterest is telling people, so this is very good to know. I’ll have to do some testing and see if I can find a solid solution. Do you add new products regularly?

Spoonflower has had issues with the tax submission. You may need to contact them. I had to contact them when the tax verification process changed. I just tested a design I had in my shop that was pending and was able to use the digital proof. It may be limited until your account is verified. I recommend contacting them if you are unable to proof with the digital tools. This page might help with how to create a digital proof: support.spoonflower.com/hc/en-us/articles/205308430-Proofing-Your-Design

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.

If I understand you correctly, you're not quite to the point where the catalog connection works so you want to use RSS? Pinterest has a built-in RSS option, but I cannot get it to work for eCommerce and haven't tested it for regular blogs. I have only been able to get it to work with tools like Publer. Here's a video where I show using an RSS feed with Publer. That should help, but if not, hop into the Facebook group and ask me more questions. Here's the video that shows RSS with Publer: czcams.com/video/VrsBAhd5VkM/video.html Here's the Facebook Group link: fb.com/groups/littlebizresources

@@LittleBizResources thank you and yes its been like a month i am trying to fix it but the its not workout i will try your group thank you

I am almost done with an eguide and checklist that might help you get verified. I will make sure to let everyone know when it is ready.

I created this video to focus on RSS and how you can automatically create pins. I hope this answers your question (if not, let me know if the group where you are stuck): czcams.com/video/oKKcwOf7JuM/video.htmlsi=LU-Iwt0G1_v2K6Tq

There could be a few reasons. Were you approved recently (within the last day or two)? Or did you have the blue checkmark and it went away? Is your domain at least 13 months old?

@@LittleBizResources i was haveing it

@@Nasar1999 If you had the checkmark and it went away...then, something is wrong with the connection. You should see an error if there is something wrong. If the checkmark disappeared and doesn't come back within a day or two, you should have an error pop up. You can also follow the guidance in the video and make a purchase on your site to see if that fixes it. Do NOT zero out the product price though. That doesn't work anymore. Instead, you can use a coupon code to make the product price zero. It's also possible Pinterest is just testing things and it will come back. If you don't have an error at all and don't see the blue checkmark, check to make sure that your products show up. Here's a video that helps you see that the pins are still showing: czcams.com/video/iYvJjzJSMGw/video.html

@@LittleBizResources Can i remove all the pins in bulk?

@@Nasar1999 yes, but why would you want to do that? Those would be the pins auto-generated from your connection. You need to disconnect your site from Pinterest then possibly delete the pins. You bulk delete when you delete a board - but why? You could create more problems doing that, so I don't recommend it. If there is an issue, Pinterest will tell you what it is and you just need to fix that.

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!

Thank you for taking the time to comment! I appreciate you!

I am in the process of testing that now (still waiting for the auction domain purchase to process). To maintain domain age, you would have to get the domain name from auction (or a friend who has had it). I currently do not know if that will work for sure. Theoretically, if Pinterest only cares about domain age or that there was a website on the domain (with an auction domain, you can check both), then doing that should work. To be clear, this strategy is currently unknown. I'm sure Pinterest prefers that the domain and website be yours and that you have had it 13 months. That's not what the requirement says and I don't know what they use to detect a site age. I'm still a month away from testing though (I have to wait for the auction site to release the domain name and then build the site). You are welcome to give it a try. *To be clear- the only way to get an aged domain is from someone who currently owns it, or through auction. If you purchase through a domain registry as a "new" domain, even if there was history, it is highly unlikely the domain age will go with it.

Thank you very much. I'm looking forward to receiving the latest news from you. Thank you.

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. 😄

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

Thank you! And thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate you!

Thank you! I am glad it was helpful!

Not anymore. Pinterest changed the pins to organic (not running as an ad) to ad pins. On a computer, you can upload video or an image. On mobile, you can do video, image, or a combination for a multi-media pin. My accounts only recently reflect this, even though Pinterest announced the change early 2023. So, Idea Pins used to be the only way to tag products...but now it's any type of pin can tag a product.

I see! Thank you for the reply 👍

If your site is 3 years old, you shouldn't have a problem with the domain age. If you are getting that error, then Pinterest is not detecting something. There is a history of Pinterest have issues with checking domain age. Check to see that other sources see the domain age over 13 months. If other sources show that, then you can contact Pinterest with the sources details and see if they can do something. Just be persistent though because a lot of people report that support isn't very helpful. You'll have to keep at it and ask them to escalate if they can't help. You can check to see what the age reflects on this site: www.whatsmydns.net/domain-age

@@LittleBizResources thanks for the tips!

Sure. Just make the files the size you need.

Thankyou(:

I verified my account long before the change, so I had samples sent to my house. I don't remember that being a requirement for address verification. It may have existed since you couldn't activate any listings without ordering a sample (back then). If Spoonflower is requiring that for address verification, that's a weird way to verify an address, but a simple solution is to just pick a design and order the sample for 1. The setup is automated, so the only way around the automated system is to contact Spoonflower support. They may have an alternate method for address verification that doesn't require the proofs. This is new for them, so they could be testing different options.

@@LittleBizResources thank you very much!

Hi Daisy! :-) I'm a designer from Poland and have the same problem as you. Have you solved it? I wrote to Spoonflower and waiting for an answer should I order samples just once or every time.

@@DaisyXray​​⁠​​⁠​​⁠ I wondering the same thing. Did you order the sample to verify your address for one off?

Did you figure it out? I thought it just had to be one design to verify your address. I figure going for the fil-a-yard would the the best option, if that’s the case

Thank you for taking the time to comment! I hope it helped.

It is bulk, so either you didn't watch the video, you're just making a negative comment to get attention, or you are looking for a different solution and upset the video didn't solve your problem. It doesn't say it's automated.

I am so glad it worked for you! Thank you for taking the time to let me know.

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. 🤣

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

I believe I ended up choosing Publer over OneUp because I could do a version of recycled posts with Publer. I'll eventually do a video on that option, if I ever get over this round of pneumonia...but, it just uses Spintax and then setting up a schedule for when you want to post the recycled version. It's pretty cool. If you were grandfathered into Publer's earlier pricing, it might be cheaper for you to use RSS Ground and Publer - but if OneUp can both generate the Feed from Facebook and then post to GMB, that's pretty good!

​@@LittleBizResourcesYeah I get the 50% ish discount on Publer and am already paying for each social account on publer anyway, this works out as around $270 cheaper per month for me than OneUp, so I really appreciate you highlighting this blindspot

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: czcams.com/video/jkjEGZxpxwM/video.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 am happy to hear the information is useful. Thank you again for taking the time to comment.

Thank you for taking the time to comment! I appreciate you!

@@LittleBizResources Definitely appreciate you, too.

Pinterest seems to be cracking down on domain age. You can try to contact them and let them know the situation, but based on feedback from people who have interacted with Pinterest support, there is little they can do to override the automated reviews. The system checks the domain age, and many people with domains less than 13 months report issues. It's worth sending them a message with an explanation to see if they will do something. Then, if they can't help and you can't get your prior domain, the only suggestion I have is the auctions mentioned in the video...unless you have a domain 13 months or older just sitting around (I always have domains sitting around). Try working with support while looking into getting your expired domain back. Some registrars will hold it for a period of time but charge extra to recover it. Hold onto the new one and forward it to the old one (if you get it back) and just switch it when the new domain is old enough. Hopefully, Pinterest can help.

Thanks for the response, I will definitely ask them about it. I actually have an over the phone appointment already set up for Monday to go over how to increase my sales with my merchant account. So hopefully they can help. Let’s say I do have to get my old domain bck will I have to change my Shopify store bck to that old domain as well, in order for it to be connected to my Pinterest account?

@@chelseyann6691 Yes, you will need to change the main domain back to it, but you can forward the new one so anyone that has the new domain will redirect to the assigned domain. While the blue checkmark is nice, you should assess whether it truly helped with conversions. Your catalog will remain connected, based on testing and observation, the only thing I see accounts lose when they lose the verified merchant status is the blue checkmark (at least for now). If the new branding is important and you are not losing conversions, it might be worth just waiting out the 13 months.

Thank you! And thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate you!

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)?

Product tagging should be automatically available once you create product pins. It is only available in select countries. If your catalog is not connected to Pinterest, you need to connect the catalog. If you are willing to provide more details, I can try to provide better guidance. What country are you in? Do you have the catalog connected to Pinterest? Are you tagging YOUR products or products on a different website (and if it's a different site, which one)?

Thank so so much for your reply. 1: i added the location of USA but i am not in the USA. my frnd also do that but he have this feature. 2: i have not connected the catalog. 3: i am doing a AMAZON AFFLIATE through my free website. so please help me what can is do now becasue im fresh now.. @@LittleBizResources

@waqasjaved7871 I am sorry for the delayed response to this. I don't get to see all of the comments for some reason. Pinterest has had massive issues with accounts tagging Amazon products. I sell on Amazon and can't tag my products. The only solution Pinterest provides for that is to contact them so they can "turn it on" for your account. I have no clue why this isn't available to all accounts, but you aren't alone! I need to reach out to them as well and find out why my account (and I am in the USA) cannot tag Amazon products. In affiliate situations, you would not have a catalog - so, I assume you are tagging product pins you create with the Amazon affiliate links. I have never seen anyone fix the issue with Pinterest intervening, so you'll likely have to contact them directly. They might try to just tell you it's not available in your country, but I would tell them you're working with clients in the USA and know that there are other accounts in your country that have this option. Here's the support ticket link: help.pinterest.com/en/contact

As long as you have had sales recently (within the past 7 days), then sales should not be an issue. The connection doesn't distinguish between people checking out from other locations or initiating from a pin (it should so you have better data, but Pinterest is like many other marketing platforms and takes credit for any sales on your site). The "shopping experience quality" is another generic phrase used to indicate an issue, but support really won't know what that issue is. What is your shopping cart? Woocommerce, shopify, etc?

It looks like your question is posted on multiple videos. Did you see my response on the other video? If you haven't had a purchase recently (7 days or more), then that is most likely the issue. Pinterest appears to provide different errors with different platforms. You may need to ask this question in the Facebook group so I can see it better and provide better details. fb.com/groups/littlebizresources

Thank you for taking the time to comment! I hope you were able to fix any tag issues.

@@LittleBizResources This is the point is that the issue ?

@@trendycatportraits With a generic error, I can't tell you for sure what the issue is. That's why I asked what platform. From my testing, it looks like Pinterest gives different issues for different platforms. You are the first person to mention this issue. If I know which platform, I might be able to narrow it down. But, if you place an order and wait 48 hours, you can narrow that down. If you haven't had an order on your website within 3-4 weeks- it is absolutely an issue. Just use a coupon code to reduce the purchase price and make a purchase. Do NOT zero the price first, that can remove the product from the catalog. Use a coupon code if you don't want to have to spend the money. Wait 48 hours to see if this updates the status of the Verified Merchant Program. If it clears the issue, you know that's what was wrong. If it doesn't, then you will have to troubleshoot more. Without seeing more, I can't give you better guidance. That's the disadvantage of generic errors. But, Pinterest set them up that way, so we are at the mercy of testing.

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment! I appreciate it.

@LadyRosOfficial I apologize for not responding sooner, I didn't see this comment until now (and it still doesn't show up for me on the actual video comments, I had to go to the YT Studio backend). If you're going to leave the out-of-stock items visible in the catalog, then you'll never get the verified merchant status back. With that said, you can leave the out-of-stock items on your website, you just have to remove them from your catalog...but that will require you to create a catalog without the automated connection. That is well beyond my expertise at this point. If you are using Wordpress, I can recommend a plugin you can try. For this discount options, I'm not sure how that's a problem. Bulk discounts are not against Pinterest's rules (or it's not listed there), just "wholesale" is an issue. But, if you create a manual feed, that might solve the problem. Since I can't see your comment on the CZcams video, if you still need help with this, I recommend hopping into my Facebook group and posting (feel free to tag me) there. fb.com/groups/littlebizresources

Thank you! I hope you were able to fix any issues. Good luck!