Overview

Sellers encounter error 90194 when Amazon’s catalog validation rejects a product attribute because the entered value does not follow the exact pattern required for that field. The issue appears during listing creation or bulk upload, halting the product from going live. Resolving the mismatch quickly is essential to keep inventory visible and sales flowing.

Key Points

• Pattern mismatch trigger — The error appears the moment an attribute value deviates from the precise format Amazon mandates, such as using “Men” instead of the required “mens”.
• Fixed‑value lists — Certain attributes accept only a predefined set of entries; any value outside that list, even by a single character, will generate error 90194.
• Case‑sensitive validation — Capitalization, punctuation, and spacing are strictly enforced; “Baby‑Boys” and “baby‑boys” are treated as different inputs.
• Error text is diagnostic — The message itself cites the offending attribute and displays the acceptable pattern or list, giving sellers the exact clue needed for correction.
• Bulk‑upload vulnerability — When using flat files or feeds, spreadsheet auto‑formatting can silently alter values (e.g., trimming spaces or converting text to title case), leading to hidden mismatches.

How Error 90194 Is Generated and Fixed

1. Attribute value submitted — A seller uploads a product record containing a value for a required attribute, such as the “department” field for apparel. Example: the seller types “Boy’s” in the spreadsheet cell.
2. Catalog engine checks pattern — Amazon’s backend compares the submitted string against the attribute’s regex or enumerated list stored in the Browse Tree Guide. Example: the system expects one of “baby‑boys”, “baby‑girls”, “mens”, “womens”, or “unisex‑adult”.
3. Mismatch detected — Because “Boy’s” does not exactly match any allowed entry, the validation routine flags the record and returns error 90194. The error message reads: “Attribute ‘department’ does not match required pattern: baby‑boys|baby‑girls|mens|womens|unisex‑adult.”