Walmart.com continues to attract brands wanting to diversify their business to other marketplaces. The reason? It has a massive retail presence that counts as a big advantage and even competes with Amazon’s hard-to-beat infrastructure.
However, Walmart is not as accessible as some sellers may think. It has a very strict approval process, and the rules of the game are quite different. Basically, what works in other marketplaces is very likely not to work here.
In this article, we’ll break down the most common challenges Walmart sellers face while also offering visual insights from inside the Walmart Ad Console.
1. Listing Errors and Content Rejections
Hundreds of reports are issued with sellers pointing out that their product listings are not going live due to “unclear rejections” while learning the basics of Walmart selling. Unlike Amazon, Walmart’s listing system is less forgiving. Here are some common Walmart Listing Errors that new sellers usually face:
Price Parity Not Satisfied
Walmart rejects listings if their prices aren’t comparable across different platforms. Sellers usually face this listing error when their prices undercut their Amazon or direct-store listings.
This is part of what Walmart calls “comparison price rules”, and they’re very serious about them.
That’s why you have to ensure your pricing stays consistent across all channels.
But it’s not that simple. Price parity issues often trigger the need for a repricing strategy. Because of this, you have to understand what the marketplace expects from sellers.
Walmart’s Repricer Tool
Walmart adheres to an Everyday Low Price (EDLP) Policy, where it seeks to offer customers the lowest prices possible without the use of discounts or other offers.
A significant consequence of these policies is that prices at Walmart vary consistently over time. As a new seller, it can be very challenging to keep up.
The solution they came up with is Walmart Repricer, a tool available to all sellers that automatically adjusts your prices according to specific rules you set up.
This tool offers three types of automated strategies:
- Buy Box Price: The prices adjust to win and maintain the Buy Box.
- External Price: Your prices adjust to beat or meet prices on ther eCommerce platforms.
- Competitive Price: Adjust your price to beat whatever is the most competitive between the other two options.
Issues with product titles
Sellers may encounter an error that looks like this: “DEEP_MATCHING_MISMATCH_DETECTED”
It indicates that something is wrong with your product’s title or price. Why? Walmart likes products of the same category to have similar titles, descriptions, and prices.
This is another policy that differentiates Walmart from other retailers. Amazon, for example, is much more relaxed on how your product can vary from others, and they allow you to include more keywords in your listings.
Walmart doesn’t like too much variety. If your price varies too much from your competition, or your title and descriptions are too unique, you’ll get flagged with the “DEEP_MATCHING_MISMATCH_DETECTED” error.
This mistake is easily correctable. But if you don’t spot any issues, don’t hesitate to contact Walmart Support.
Issues with product variations
Sellers often run into the following error when setting up variant products: “Unable to complete the product data setup process. The variant data is either missing or invalid.”
This error typically appears when there’s a problem with how your SKUs are grouped under a product family. Variant data refers to the attributes that differentiate one version of a product from another such as color, size, or pattern.
But don’t worry! This usually means that Walmart is still processing the data (especially if it’s your first time sending SKUs)
The other possible reason is that some variation attributes are missing, incorrectly mapped, or not assigned.
You can fix it by double-checking that the info is filled out correctly.
2. Achieving High Visibility in Walmart
Walmart’s search engine is much less intuitive than Amazon’s established system. Even live listings may remain buried unless they’re fully optimized for visibility.
In this marketplace, the official principle that makes an excellent listing is Walmart’s Optimization Triangle.
Walmart highlights five reasons why Listing Optimization matters:
- You get to gain more product visibility in search results.
- High visibility gets you more marketing opportunities.
- You have a higher chance of winning the Buy Box.
- An optimized listing improves your conversion rates.
- You minimize customer returns and gain loyal customers.
The main challenge sellers face when optimizing product listings on Walmart.com is how to adapt to the algorithm quickly without losing too many sales. Here are some quick tips that will help you dominate each vertex of the Optimization Triangle:
Content
Stick to the technical details of your product in the description. Walmart advises to include 3-10 key features with a Detailed description paragraph of at least 150 words. Use keywords and avoid generic phrases.
Offer
Faster shipping speeds are always better, just like on other marketplaces. Walmart’s TwoDay and ThreeDay programs are excellent options to address this important factor. Of course, offering free shipping will be beneficial for your ranking.
Performance
Walmart places significant emphasis on Order Defect Rate (ODR). Top Performing Sellers on the platform maintain an ODR below 2%. You can find your 90-day ODR, along with detailed reports, in the Performance section of Seller Center.
3. Dealing with Limited Advertising Options
Walmart Connect is the cornerstone of Walmart Advertising. Here are the platform’s current offerings:
- Sponsored Search Ads show up in Walmart search results when shoppers type in all kinds of keywords.
- On-site Display Ads appear as banner ads across Walmart’s website and app while people browse.
- Brand Shop and Shelf are free custom storefronts that brands can use to showcase their products.
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM) lets Walmart run Google Shopping Ads for your products using their own marketing tool.
Note: Explore the Walmart Connect Academy to discover specialized optimization techniques specific to this platform.
You can see all relevant metrics in Walmart Connect’s campaign performance dashboard. This dashboard can display up to 4 different types of metrics selected by you:
The big game-changer of Walmart Connect is that it doesn’t just show you online sales from your ads. It also tracks in-store sales. That means that if someone sees your ad on Walmart.com and then buys the product later at a Walmart store, the tool will connect that sale back to your ad.
This type of tracking is called closed-loop attribution, and it’s a big deal because it gives you a more complete picture of how well your ads are working.
Walmart Connect offers different options to evaluate performance:
Comparing Campaign Performance through different periods:
Attribute Filters:
Performance Filters:
However, due to its limitations, the most effective way to leverage Walmart Connect is by maximizing the impact of your budget on visibility. How? Use a focused approach:
- Sponsored Search Ads are the best for Return on Investment (ROI). These work really well in the weeks leading up to seasonal events. They build brand familiarity with customers and increase the chances they shortlist your product to buy it once the event arrives.
- Test different keywords to determine which ones are compatible with your product, and then optimize your bids based on that data.
- Utilize ROAS dashboards to optimize underperforming ads. Don’t hesitate to remove them so they don’t eat your budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Walmart reject my listings even if they’re complete?
Walmart is strict with how listings are formatted. Even small issues like missing variant data, inconsistent pricing across platforms, or unusual titles can lead to rejections. Use the Listing Quality Dashboard and look out for errors like ERR_PDI_0001 or “Price Parity Not Satisfied.”
How do I fix issues with product variations?
Make sure your SKUs are properly grouped and variation attributes like size, color, or pattern are filled in. If you’re submitting items for the first time, give Walmart a few hours to process them before troubleshooting.
What is Walmart’s Repricer Tool, and how does it help?
The Repricer adjusts your prices automatically to stay competitive. You can set min/max prices and let Walmart update your listings based on Buy Box or external pricing. It helps prevent price errors and protects your margins.
How can I improve my product’s visibility in Walmart search?
Focus on Walmart’s Optimization Triangle:
- Content: Use structured titles and clear descriptions with keywords
- Offer: Fast and free shipping improves rankings
- Performance: Keep your Order Defect Rate (ODR) below 2%
Check your Listing Quality Score in Seller Center to find areas of improvement.
Can Walmart ads track in-store purchases too?
Yes! If someone clicks an ad and later buys in a Walmart store, that sale will still be counted in your campaign results.
What’s the best way to test ads on Walmart Connect?
Start with a small budget focused on a few high-performing SKUs. Use Sponsored Search to test keywords, and check your ROAS dashboard to see which ones drive the most return. Pause ads that underperform to protect your budget.
Conclusion
Selling on Walmart can be tricky, but it’s a platform full of potential. With the right tools and clear strategies, you can overcome the most common challenges. Focus on good listings, competitive pricing, and smart ads to succeed.
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