If you sell on Target+, you may see a DATA_VALIDATION: Item type does not align with the item error on one of your listings. This guide explains why it happens and walks you through the fix in Acenda.
The error message
DATA_VALIDATION: Item type does not align with the item. NOTE: Kindly update the item type to [the item type Target suggests].
The exact wording of the NOTE varies — Target phrases it differently depending on the category (for example, "Kindly Update the Item Type to Screen Protectors" or "Please change item type to 'Planters'"), but it's almost always a channel-side validation error on the item's item type, and Target names the item type it wants right in the message.
Why this happens
In Acenda, the item type Target sees for a listing comes from the category assigned to the product's Posting Template — it isn't a field you set directly on the item. This error means Target's catalog considers the assigned category a mismatch for the physical product. That generally comes down to one of two things:
Wrong category template: the product was mapped to a Posting Template for a category that doesn't fit the item (for example, a listing mapped to a general apparel category when Target expects it filed under a specific subtype like "Button-Up Sweatshirts").
Target's category list changed: Target periodically adjusts its item-type taxonomy, and a template that used to match can stop matching. If that's what happened, the fix is the same — move the item to a template for the item type Target now expects.
How to fix it
Update the Posting Template assigned to the item so it matches the item type Target named in the error.
Go to CATALOG > Items and find the affected SKU.
Click the eye icon to open the item, then open the Channel Status tab.
Find the Target+ section and click Edit Mapping.
In the Posting Template dropdown, choose the template for the item type Target named in the error, then save.
No matching template yet? Create one first under CHANNELS > Integrations > Target+ > Edit > Posting Templates — use the Category search field to find the right Target category, then click Create. See Building a Posting Template: A How-To Guide for the full walkthrough. If the category itself isn't approved for your account yet, you'll need to request it — see Requesting New Category Approvals on Target+.
Note that the Posting Template is assigned per SKU, so if only one variant in a family was mapped to the wrong category, you may only need to fix that one. That said, Acenda sends a parent and all its variants to Target together, and an error on any single SKU holds back the whole family ("Related SKUs have Error") — so it's worth checking sibling variants too if the family stops updating.
What happens after you fix it
The corrected item re-sends to Target with the next scheduled update — there's no need to do anything else to push it. Saving the mapping again without actually changing anything won't trigger a new send, since Acenda only re-sends when the outgoing data actually changes.
Item Issues (AI) doesn't offer a suggested fix for this one. This error isn't tied to a mapped product attribute — it's about which category template the item is on — so there's nothing for AI to suggest a value for. You'll need to pick the new template yourself using the steps above. For errors AI can help with, see Getting Started with Acenda IQ: AI Suggested Fixes.
Troubleshooting
The NOTE also asks me to update another attribute, not just the item type: for some categories, Target's message asks you to update the item type and a related attribute in the same note (for example, an item type change paired with an Apparel & Accessories subtype). Update both — changing only the item type can leave the listing in the same error state.
I updated the template but the error came back: double-check you picked the exact item type named in the latest error — Target's taxonomy has multiple similar-sounding categories, and the wrong near-match will fail again on the next validation pass.
Only some variants in a family show the error: each variant can be mapped to its own Posting Template, so it's possible for one variant to be on the wrong one while its siblings are fine. Fix the flagged SKU directly rather than assuming the whole family needs the same change.
Related articles
Still stuck? Contact Acenda Support with the affected SKU and the exact error text.