This error means Target+ reviewed the content Acenda sent for an item and decided some of the wording (or, less often, an image) doesn't fit Target's content and merchandising guidelines. It comes from Target's own review, not from a problem in Acenda. You clear it by changing the flagged content so Target reviews it again.
The error you'll see: MINOR_DATA_VALIDATION: Item may not align with Target's merchandising strategy.
You may also see it starting with DATA_VALIDATION, ending in - Pending Review, or with a note from Target such as NOTE: Kindly remove the word "…". They all mean the same thing, and the note, when there is one, tells you exactly what to change.
Where you'll see it
Item Issues: In the sidebar, under CHANNELS, click Item Issues. The error is listed with the item's SKU and a Source of channel, which means it came from Target. The Attribute Path column shows which part of the listing Target flagged, for example Product Title, Parent Title, Description, Bullet Feature 1 or Additional Image 2. If it shows unknown, Target didn't name a field, so check the title, description and bullets.
On the item: In the sidebar, under CATALOG, click Items, click the eye icon next to the item, and open the Channel Status tab. Then click the Target+ tab (or whatever you've named your Target+ channel).
Why it happens
Target reviews listing content against its own guidelines, and it can flag any customer-facing text, not just the title. Across Acenda, descriptions and bullet points are flagged about as often as titles. Target doesn't publish a full list of terms it flags, so use the list below as a guide, not a complete rulebook.
Words and topics Target has asked sellers to remove or replace include:
Other marketplaces: mentions of other retailers or marketplaces, such as "Amazon".
Suggestive language: words like "Sexy", "Flirty" or "Stripper".
Holiday and seasonal terms: for example "Spooky" or "St. Patrick's Day".
Size wording in titles: such as "Plus" or "Plus Size".
Cultural, heritage or identity references: for example "Tribal", "Native American" or "Black History", and garment names Target asks to replace (Target has asked for "Duster" instead of "Kimono" and "Pullover" instead of "Poncho").
Gendered or weapon terms Target prefers worded differently: for example "Gender Neutral" instead of "Unisex", or "Toy Blasters" instead of "Gun".
Images: an image Target feels doesn't fit or doesn't show the whole product.
Promotional claims ("Best", "#1") and health or medical claims ("cures", "prevents") also tend to break marketplace content rules, so they're worth removing while you're editing.
What it means for your listing:
If the item is already live on Target+, it usually stays live with its previous content. The flagged update waits until Target accepts new content.
If the item isn't live yet (for example, a new item), it won't go live until the flagged content is fixed.
If the message includes "Suspended", Target has suspended the listing. Fix the content first, then contact Acenda Support if it doesn't come back.
How to fix it
Find what Target flagged. In Item Issues, note the Attribute Path and read the whole Error Message. If Target added a note naming a word or image, that's what to change.
Review the text. Read the flagged field (or the title, description and bullets if the path is unknown) and look for the kinds of words listed above. Replace them with neutral, descriptive wording. A small example:
Before: "Sexy Spooky Season Plus Size Lace Kimono"
After: "Women's Lace Duster Cardigan"
Edit the item in Acenda. Under CATALOG, click Items, click the eye icon next to the item, and open the Details tab. Click the pencil, update the Name (the title) or Description, then click the save (disk) icon. Bullet points are usually in the Additional Attributes section of the same tab.
Not sure which field feeds Target? On the item's Channel Status tab, open your Target+ tab and hover over the attribute. It shows which Acenda field the value is Mapped from, so you edit the right one.
Let Acenda resend it. Saving a real change automatically queues the item for its next update to Target+. Acenda usually sends the change to Target within an hour; Target may take longer to process it. Target can take several business days to review the new content, and the error clears once Target accepts it.
Tip: change it for Target+ only. If you want to keep your current title on other channels, change just the Target+ value instead. On the item's Channel Status tab, open your Target+ tab, click Override value next to the attribute, choose Manual Override, enter the new text and click Apply Override. You can review your overrides later under CATALOG > Attribute Overrides.
Tip: use an AI assistant to review your text. Paste your title, description and bullets into an AI tool with a prompt like: "Review the following text for Target+ content compliance. Check for prohibited claims, promotional language, deceptive terms, grammar, readability and formatting problems. Provide detailed feedback and a fully corrected version." To review many items at once, you can connect your AI assistant to Acenda. Note that Item Issues (AI) doesn't suggest fixes for this error, because it's a Target review decision rather than missing or invalid data.
Don't change the SKU or UPC to force a resend. That can create a duplicate listing on Target instead of fixing this one. See Can I Change SKU Values for My Marketplace Listings?
Troubleshooting
I saved the item but nothing changed. Acenda only resends when the content actually changes, and Target won't re-review identical content. Saving without editing the flagged text won't clear the error.
The error came back after I edited it. Target may have found another word, or flagged a different field this time. Check the Attribute Path again, and review the description and bullets as well as the title.
Many items have this error. Go to Item Issues, set Error Source to Channel, and click Export CSV to get the list. You can then update titles in bulk with a catalog import that includes the sku and name columns (or the column for whichever field Target flagged). See Using the Import Feature: How to Import Product Data into Acenda.
Is my item still live on Target+? If it was live before the error, it usually stays live with its previous content. You can check its status on the item's Channel Status tab.
Did Acenda send my change? Use Channel Events to see what Acenda last sent to Target+ and when. Channel Events show what Acenda sent, not Target's reply. Target's reply appears in Item Issues.
I can't tell what Target objects to.Contact Acenda Support with the SKU and the full error text.
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Still stuck? Contact Acenda Support with the item's SKU and the full error message.