---
title: "Solve Attribute-Related Issues"
slug: "solve-attribute-related-issues"
description: "Troubleshoot incorrect or outdated Smart Recommender product attributes by checking your Clickstream, XML, or Catalog API data source."
tags: ["clickstream", "not updated attributes", "ProductFeedETL", "xml based product catalog"]
updated: 2026-10-22T10:11:37Z
published: 2026-10-22T10:11:37Z
canonical: "academy.insiderone.com/solve-attribute-related-issues"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://academy.insiderone.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Solve Attribute-Related Issues

If you encounter issues with incorrect or outdated attributes for [Smart Recommender](https://academy.insiderone.com/docs/smart-recommender-overview), the steps you need to follow are the same as those for [out-of-stock items](/v1/docs/handle-out-of-stock-items). The additional steps based on the source that you should check are:

- [ProductFeedETL (Clickstream)](/v1/docs/troubleshooting-for-attribute-related-issues#productfeedetl-clickstream)
- [XML](/v1/docs/troubleshooting-for-attribute-related-issues#xml)
- [Catalog API](/v1/docs/troubleshooting-for-attribute-related-issues#catalog-api)

## ProductFeedETL (Clickstream)

To check whether the attribute is collected correctly on your website:

- To see the custom attribute, copy **Insider.getCustomProductAttributes()** and paste it into the Console.
- The product must be visited for attributes to be updated on the feed.
  - If a product attribute, such as price, is updated but the product hasn’t been visited, the attribute won’t be updated in the feed.

## XML

**An attribute value still appears after I removed it from my XML file:**

Removing an optional attribute from your XML feed doesn’t clear its stored value. The product keeps its last stored value.

To clear the stored value of an optional string attribute that accepts empty values:

1. Keep the attribute’s XML field in your feed.
2. Keep the corresponding product attribute mapping.
3. Send the XML field with an empty value.
4. If the mapping uses a Custom Match expression, make sure it handles empty values and returns an empty string rather than a fallback value.
5. After the next successful scheduled synchronization, open the affected product in Catalog Manager and confirm that the stored value is empty.

Don’t use this method for required attributes, price, or currency.

For mapping and synchronization guidance, see [Integrate Your Catalog with XML](/v1/docs/integrate-your-catalog-with-xml).

## Catalog API

When sending data via the [Catalog API](/v1/docs/product-catalog-api-introduction), ensure you use the correct attribute names in your request.

## Related

- [Handle Out-of-Stock Items](/handle-out-of-stock-items.md)
- [Product Catalog](/product-catalog-api-introduction.md)