Google making widespread logical automated edits to attributes, for once!

[JS Girard]

I've noticed dozens of attribute edits these last two weeks following certain patterns:

• Google putting "cash-only" to "no" if any alternative payment option has been set to "yes"
• Google remove the covid testing center attribute setting entirely if it is set to "no".

Both of these are logically sound, and I approve of them. I believe this is the first time I see google making this sort of things. Usually these edits are piecmeal and you were perfectly capable of setting them in contradictory ways. Heck, google itself sometimes would irreversibly set attributes contradicting each others!

Have others noticed this? We manage over 1500 GBPs so a pattern like that is immediately obvious to us.

 

[JoyHawkins]

I haven't noticed this personally but probably because we don't have many clients that had either of these attributes. I'll share this and see if anyone else is noticing it.

 

[Claudia]

Is this what you are referring to?

 

[JS Girard]

Is this what you are referring to?

Yep, that's the other one!

 

[rustybrick]

How widespread is this and is this a big issue?

 

[JS Girard]

It's not a big issue, really. It's convenient if anything. Notably since you cannot "unset" the COVID testing center attribute yourself. If anything it makes one wonder why these logical consequences were not followed before (i.e. if a business accept credit, then obviously it should be set automatically as "not only cash").

However, google used (and seemingly STILL) mark for accessibility stuff inappropriately using similar logic, so it's kind of a mixed bag. A good example of a negative case is how garages are usually accessible entrance but not by design, and so they basically never have accessible parking, which Google insists on setting at "yes" nonetheless (I've basically stopped fighting these bullshit edits). This was the state before these new edits began, so I guess it's an improvement overall, just not a consistent one.

 

[Brian - TGL]

I have had Google change several GBPs from "Not COVID-19 testing center" to "Not set" . . . The "Cash only" attribute being set to "no" at least makes sense . . . I don't follow the logic behind changing a definitive answer (Not COVID-19 testing center) to an unknown (Not set).

 

[JS Girard]

I don't follow the logic behind changing a definitive answer (Not COVID-19 testing center) to an unknown (Not set).

It seems to be happening mostly to verticals where the attribute should arguably not even be available at all (e.g. medical spas, denturists...). It's not being removed from pharmacies, for example.