This error means Target+ refused to create a new item because your Target+ seller account has reached its item limit. Target caps how many items each seller can have published or waiting for review at the same time. Once you're at that cap, Target won't accept new items from Acenda until you make room or Target raises your limit.
Nothing is wrong with the item's data. Your items that are already live on Target keep selling as usual.
The error you'll see: 403: {"message":"Forbidden","errors":["Exceeded partner item limit of 500. This is the maximum number of published + newly pending VAPs & SAs allowed"]}
The number in the message is your account's limit, so it won't always be 500. Limits we see range from under 100 to 10,000, and Target can change yours over time.
What it means
Target sets an item limit for every Target+ seller account. It counts:
VAPs (variation parents): a product family with variations, such as a shirt that comes in several sizes and colors. The whole family counts as one.
SAs (standalone items): an item with no variations.
Items that are published on Target, plus items that are newly submitted and still pending Target's review.
When a new item would push that count over the limit, Target rejects it with this error. You'll mostly see it when Acenda sends a new item, or a new product family, to Target.
Where you'll see it in Acenda
Item Issues: In the sidebar, under CHANNELS, click Item Issues. The error is listed with the item's SKU, a Source of channel_limit and an Attribute Path of partner_item_limit. The Error Source filter has no option for it, so leave it on All Sources and filter by your Target+ Subscription or search for the SKU. For more on this page, see How to Fix Marketplace Listing Errors.
On the item: Under CATALOG, click Items, click the eye icon next to the item, then open the Channel Status tab and select your Target+ channel. The error appears in the Channel Errors list. For more on this tab, see What is Channel Status?.
Tip: If many new items show this error at once, it's almost always one account-level limit, not a problem with each item. Fix the limit once rather than editing items one by one.
How to resolve it
You can either make room under your current limit or ask Target for a higher one. Many sellers do both.
Check your limit and current count in Target. Sign in to the Target Partner Portal and go to Partner Settings > Item Listings Settings. The Item Limit and Current Count (VAPs & SAs) are shown at the top of the page.
Choose items to remove from Target. Good candidates are items that are discontinued, slow sellers, or out of stock for a long time. Items Target has already removed for being out of stock are a good place to start. See Troubleshooting Target+ Error: "Item removed due to prolonged out-of-stock inventory".
Set those items to Unlist. Under CATALOG, click Items and click the eye icon next to the item. Open the Channel Status tab, select your Target+ channel, click Edit Mapping, set Listing Action to UNLIST, then click Update. To change many items at once, see Channel Mapping & Listing Actions for Multi-Channel Syndication.
Make sure Item Retirement is turned on. Unlisting only reaches Target when this setting is on. Under CHANNELS, click Integrations, open your Target+ sales channel, click Edit, open the Settings tab, then the Configuration tab. Check Enable Item Retirement and save. Many Target+ accounts have it turned off. If you can't find or change it, contact Acenda Support.
Wait for Target to retire the items. Acenda sends unlisted items to Target once a day, overnight. Check the Current Count in the Partner Portal the next day to confirm it has dropped.
Send the blocked items again. Freeing up space doesn't make Target retry the items it rejected. Make a small edit to each blocked item in a field Acenda sends to Target, such as the description or a bullet point, and save. Acenda usually sends the change to Target within an hour; Target may take longer to process it. Re-importing an unchanged file sends nothing. See Troubleshooting Target+ Error: "MINOR_DATA_VALIDATION: This item was unable to be processed.: unknown.".
Confirm the result. The error clears from Item Issues on its own once Target shows the item as approved. Check the item's Channel Status tab, or the Partner Portal, to confirm it's pending review or live.
Tip: Setting the Listing Action to ZERO only sends a stock level of 0. The item stays on Target and still counts toward your limit. Use UNLIST to free up space.
Asking Target for a higher limit
If you need more items on Target than your limit allows, only Target can raise it. Acenda can't change it for you.
Contact your Target Category Manager or Target+ Partner Support and ask for an item limit increase.
Be ready to explain why you need more space. Target may ask about your catalog and how your current items are performing.
Once Target raises your limit, the items that were blocked still need to be sent again. Follow step 6 above, or contact Acenda Support if many items are affected.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
Why does my message show a different number than 500? The number is your own account's limit. Target sets it per seller.
I unlisted items but the error is still there. Check that Enable Item Retirement is on (step 4), then wait for the overnight run. Unlisting in Acenda doesn't change anything on Target until the retirement is sent.
I freed up space but my items still aren't on Target. The blocked items aren't sent again automatically. Make a small edit to each one (step 6). An edit only triggers a send if it changes a field Acenda sends to Target.
Target raised my limit, but nothing changed. Same reason: send the blocked items again with a small edit, or contact Acenda Support for help with a large number of items.
Will this affect my live items? No. Items already live on Target keep selling, and their stock and prices keep updating.
Do pending items count? Yes. Items waiting for Target's review count toward the limit, so a large batch of new items can reach it before any of them go live.
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Still stuck? Contact Acenda Support and include the SKU and your Target+ subscription name.