Setting up a Google Shopping feed: show products free and in ads on Google
When people search for a product on Google, they often first see product images with prices from Google Shopping. Retailers can appear there with free listings and with ads. The prerequisite is a clean product feed in Google Merchant Center. This article shows how to set it up and avoid typical disapprovals.
Merchant Center and feed
In Google Merchant Center you register your shop, verify the domain and upload a product feed. Shopify, WooCommerce and Shopware have extensions that generate the feed automatically and keep it current. What matters is that prices, availability and shipping costs in the feed always match the product page.
The most important attributes
These details decide approval and visibility:
- A unique ID, title and description naming the product the way customers search.
- Link to the product page and a high-quality image without promotional text.
- Price including VAT and availability.
- GTIN or EAN and brand where available; mark own-brand products without a GTIN accordingly.
- Shipping costs and delivery time, in Merchant Center or the feed.
- Variants such as size and colour as separate items with a shared group ID.
Common reasons for disapproval
Merchant Center often rejects products for these reasons:
- Price or availability on the page differs from the feed.
- Missing or incomplete shipping, returns or contact information.
- Images with watermarks, borders or promotional text.
- Products that violate Google's policies.
Free listings, ads and upkeep
With an approved feed, products appear free of charge in the Shopping tab and other places on Google. For Shopping ads, link Merchant Center to Google Ads; then you pay per click. Check Merchant Center weekly for warnings so no products drop out unnoticed. Setting up the feed and Merchant Center is part of our shop projects and available separately from €450 as part of the SEO setup.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Google Shopping free?
- Free product listings, yes. Shopping ads in preferred positions cost per click.
- Do I need a GTIN for every product?
- For branded products with a GTIN, it should be provided. Own products without a GTIN can be marked accordingly.
- How often does the feed need updating?
- At least daily, more often with frequent price or stock changes. Shop extensions do this automatically.
Sources
Tell us your shop system and number of products. We set up the feed and Merchant Center and fix existing disapprovals.
Set up a Shopping feed