Google Merchant Center Product Data Specifications: Complete Guide

Your product feed is the foundation of your Google Shopping performance. But many sellers submit incomplete or incorrectly formatted data to Google Merchant Center (GMC). Missing attributes hurt your ad eligibility. Misformatted values trigger feed errors. Incompatible data types get rejected entirely. This guide breaks down every attribute Google cares about, what's required, what's recommended, and how to format each one correctly.

Required Attributes: Non-Negotiable Fields

These fields must be present and correctly formatted for every product. If any are missing, your product will be disapproved or invisible in Google Shopping results.

Product ID (id)

Unique identifier for each product variant. Use your internal SKU or product code. If you sell the same item in three colors, each color gets its own ID. Format: alphanumeric, 1-40 characters, no spaces. Examples: SKU-12345, PROD-RED-M. Google uses this ID to track performance and prevent duplicates. If you submit the same product ID twice, Google rejects the second entry. Change your ID only if discontinuing that exact variant.

Title

Product name displayed in ads and search results. Format: 150-200 characters maximum (Google truncates longer titles). Structure: Brand + Key Feature + Category + Size/Color when relevant. Example: "Nike Air Max 2026 Black Running Shoes Size 10". Avoid keyword stuffing. Avoid special characters except hyphens and parentheses. No brand name repetition. "Nike Nike Air Max" fails; "Nike Air Max" passes.

Description

Full product details shown in ad expandable view. Format: Up to 5,000 characters. Include material, features, care instructions. Structure sentences simply. Use line breaks for readability. Avoid HTML tags in the description field itself (Google strips them). This field is where you explain what makes the product different.

Link (URL)

Full URL to the product page on your website. Format: Must be a valid, working URL starting with http:// or https://. Must resolve with a 200 HTTP status (not 404 or 302 redirects). Must load the exact product described in this row, not a category page. If your URL changes, update GMC within 24 hours. Broken links get your products suspended faster than any other violation.

Image Link

URL of the product's primary image. Format: Full URL, not a relative path. Minimum 100x100 pixels, recommended 2000x2000 or larger. Supported formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP. File size under 16MB. The image must show the product clearly. Watermarks are acceptable but should not cover more than 10 percent of the product. Multiple image links (additional_image_link) are recommended but not required.

Availability

Stock status. Allowed values: "in stock", "out of stock", "preorder", "backorder". Format: Lowercase, exact spelling. If availability is "out of stock", Google removes the product from Shopping ads but keeps it indexed. Preorder products can still appear in ads with "Available: [date]" callout. Update this field daily if stock levels fluctuate. Missing availability defaults to "in stock" which can hurt trust if the product is actually unavailable.

Price

Product price with currency code. Format: Currency code (USD, EUR, GBP) + amount. Examples: "USD 29.99", "EUR 24.99". Must include two decimal places. No currency symbols (use code instead: USD not $). Cannot include taxes (price is pretax). Cannot include shipping (that's a separate feed attribute). If price varies by location, submit the base price and use the shipping attribute to handle location-specific costs. Do not include commas: "USD 1000.99" not "USD 1,000.99".

Brand

Manufacturer or brand name. Format: 1-50 characters. Exact brand name, no abbreviations. "Nike" not "NK" or "NKE". For private label or generic products without a brand, use "Unbranded" or "Private Label". Generic products without explicit brand still need this field. Google uses brand to group similar products and improve search filters.

GTIN or MPN

Global Trade Item Number (GTIN/UPC/ISBN) or Manufacturer Part Number. Format: Numeric only, no hyphens or spaces. GTIN: 8, 12, 13, or 14 digits. UPC (12 digits) is the North American version. EAN (13 digits) is European. ISBN (10 or 13 digits) for books. MPN: alphanumeric, manufacturer's assigned code. At least one must be provided for most product categories. Missing GTIN or MPN reduces your product's visibility in Google Shopping. If the product doesn't have an official code, use the brand + model number as MPN.

Recommended Attributes: Boost Your Performance

These fields are not required but dramatically improve ad performance and search visibility. Products with complete recommended attributes rank higher in Google Shopping results.

Additional Image Links

Up to 10 additional product images beyond the main image. Format: Full URLs, one per line or comma-separated depending on your feed format. Same rules as Image Link: minimum 100x100 pixels, JPG/PNG/GIF/WebP, under 16MB. Use these to show different angles, in-use photos, color variants, or size comparison. Products with 3+ images see 20-40 percent higher click-through rates than single-image products.

Color

Product color. Format: Single color or comma-separated if multiple (e.g., "Red, White, Blue"). Use standard color names: red, blue, green, black, white, gray, pink, orange, yellow, purple, brown, beige, navy, etc. Avoid ambiguous names: "sky blue" becomes "blue", "navy blue" becomes "navy". For products with no specific color (books, generic items), omit this field. Color is how users filter Google Shopping results on mobile, so accuracy matters.

Size

Product size or dimension. Format: Size + unit (S, M, L, XL for clothing; 10x10 for furniture; 250ml for beverages). Separate multiple sizes with commas if one product ID covers variants. For clothing: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL. For shoes: numeric (7, 8, 9) with optional (US, EU, UK). For volumes: numeric + unit (250ml, 1L, 5oz). Be consistent within your feed. Do not use "One Size" unless the product truly has no size variation.

Material

Primary material composition. Format: Material name, or comma-separated for blends. Examples: "cotton", "polyester", "wool", "steel", "plastic", "leather", "silicone". For blends: "80% cotton, 20% polyester". This helps users filter by preference (allergies, vegan materials, eco-certified fabrics). Omit for products where material is obvious (books, software).

Pattern

Design or pattern. Format: Single pattern or comma-separated. Allowed values: solid, striped, floral, plaid, polka dot, checkered, abstract, geometric, animal print, tie dye, ombre, etc. Helps users refine searches: "t-shirt striped" is more useful than "t-shirt". Omit for unpatterned or solid items unless pattern is the selling point.

Item Type (Google's Product Type)

Where the product fits in your store's category hierarchy. Format: Category path (e.g., "Clothing > Men's Shirts > Dress Shirts"). Not the same as Google's product category (that's auto-assigned). This is your internal taxonomy. Helps Google group your products logically. If you submit no product type, Google infers it from your catalog structure, which is often wrong.

Attribute Formatting Rules (Common Errors to Avoid)

Price Must Include Currency Code

Incorrect: "29.99" or "$29.99" or "29,99". Correct: "USD 29.99". Google rejects prices without currency. If you're selling in multiple currencies, submit separate feeds by market or use multi-currency pricing attributes.

Availability Values Are Exact

Incorrect: "In Stock", "AVAILABLE", "yes", "1". Correct: "in stock". Capitalization and spelling must match exactly. "In Stock" (capitalized) fails. "available" (different word) fails. Use only: in stock, out of stock, preorder, backorder.

Image URLs Must Work

Test every image link before submitting. Open the URL in a browser. Does the image display? If you get a 404 or a timeout, Google won't index that product. Broken image links are one of the top feed errors. Automated crawls catch these within hours.

No Special Characters in IDs

Incorrect: "SKU-123&45", "PROD#99", "ITEM@123". Correct: "SKU-12345", "PROD99", "ITEM123". Product IDs allow alphanumeric and hyphens only. Special characters break feed parsing.

Title Character Limits Are Hard Limits

Google truncates titles over 150 characters in search results. Submitting 300-character titles wastes space on keywords no one sees. Aim for 100-150 characters, placing the most important keywords first. "Nike Air Max 2026 Black Running Shoes Men's Size 10" is better than "The Latest Nike Air Max 2026 Model Black Colored Running Shoes Available in Men's Sizes Including 10".

Common Feed Errors and Fixes

Error: Price Mismatch

Google's price in your feed doesn't match the price shown on your website. User clicks the ad, lands on product page, sees a different price. This triggers compliance violations and account warnings. Fix: Update your feed's price data within 24 hours of any price change. Automate this with a daily feed refresh. Don't manually update prices in GMC.

Error: Missing GTIN

Product has no GTIN or MPN provided. Google marks it as incomplete. Most product categories require at least one. Fix: Identify the product's UPC (scan the barcode), EAN (13-digit European code), or ISBN (books). If the product is unlabeled (private label), use the brand + model as MPN. If truly generic with no code, use "brand_custom_" + your internal ID.

Error: Title Too Short or Vague

Title is "Product" or "Item" or just the brand name. Google can't determine what the product is. Impressions drop. Fix: Add key details. Minimum: Brand + Product Type + Key Feature. "Nike Shoes" is too vague. "Nike Air Max 2026 Black Running Shoes Size 10" is searchable.

Error: Image Link Returns 404

The URL in your image field points to a file that no longer exists (you renamed the file, moved the server, or deleted the image). Google queues this product for review, finds no image, and suspends it. Fix: Audit all image URLs before uploading. Use absolute URLs (not relative paths). If you move hosting or rename images, update the feed before deactivating old URLs.

Error: Availability Not Updated

Product shows "in stock" in GMC but is out of stock on your site. Customer clicks, finds product unavailable, contacts support or leaves bad review. Fix: Automate availability updates. Pull stock levels from your inventory system daily and refresh the feed. Manual updates are too slow for inventory-heavy businesses.

Title Optimization Formula

The highest-performing titles follow this structure: Brand + Key Feature or Use Case + Product Type + Size or Color (if relevant). This gives Google every keyword-rich signal while staying under the character limit. Examples:

"Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB Space Black Smartphone" (84 characters, all critical keywords, searchable)
"Sony WH-CH720N Black Wireless Bluetooth Noise-Canceling Headphones" (73 characters)
"Levis 505 Regular Fit Dark Blue Denim Jeans Size 34x32" (56 characters)
"Dyson V15 Detect Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Silver" (51 characters)

Notice: Brand first (users search by brand), feature or use case second (why they want it), product type third (what it is), size/color last (variant detail). This order matches how users search and ensures the most important keywords aren't truncated.

Next Steps: Validate Your Feed

Log into your Google Merchant Center account. Go to Products > Feeds. Click on your feed. Review the "Issues" section. Google lists every field with errors, warnings, or missing data. Most common issues are fixable within an hour: add missing GTINs, correct price formatting, fix broken image links. Once you fix the top 20 issues, your feed passes compliance and your products become eligible for Google Shopping ads again.