Google Merchant Center Feed Setup Guide 2026

Your product feed is the foundation of everything in Google Shopping. A poorly configured feed means disapprovals, low visibility, or suspension. This guide walks through the setup process from scratch.

Step 1: Choose your feed format

Google Merchant Center accepts four feed types:

• Scheduled fetch: Google pulls a file (XML or TXT) from a URL you provide, on a schedule you set. Best for most stores. Your platform (Shopify, WooCommerce) generates the file automatically.
• Google Sheets: You maintain a spreadsheet directly in Google Drive. Good for small catalogs you manage manually.
• Direct upload: You upload a file manually to Merchant Center. Practical for testing, not for ongoing use.
• Content API: Pushes product data programmatically in real time. Best for large catalogs with frequent price changes.

Step 2: Required attributes

Every product in your feed must include:

• id: Your internal product ID, unique per product.
• title: Product name, up to 150 characters. Include key descriptors (brand, size, color).
• description: Product description, up to 5000 characters. Plain text, no HTML tags.
• link: Full URL of the product page, including https://.
• image_link: Full URL of the main product image. At least 100x100 pixels for non-apparel, 250x250 for apparel.
• availability: in_stock, out_of_stock, or preorder.
• price: Format: 19.99 USD (price space currency code).
• brand: Brand name of the product.

For apparel, electronics, and media products, additional attributes are required or strongly recommended: gtin, mpn, condition, google_product_category, and color / size for variants.

Step 3: Setting up a scheduled fetch

In Merchant Center: go to Products, then Feeds, then click the plus icon to add a new feed. Select your country and language. Choose "Scheduled fetch." Enter the URL where Google will retrieve your feed file. Set the fetch frequency (daily recommended). Google will fetch the file at the scheduled time and process it.

Make sure your feed URL is publicly accessible without authentication. If your feed is behind a password, Google cannot fetch it.

Step 4: Common setup errors

• Missing GTIN: For branded products with a known GTIN, you must provide it. "Identifier exists: false" is only valid when you manufacture the product yourself.
• Invalid price format: Price must be formatted as a number followed by a space and the ISO 4217 currency code (e.g., 29.99 EUR). No currency symbols.
• Landing page does not match: Every product URL must resolve to a page with the product, matching price, and purchase option. Redirects to homepages or category pages cause disapprovals.
• Images too small or wrong format: Use JPEG or PNG, minimum 100x100 pixels, ideally 800x800 or larger. White background preferred for apparel.
• Titles too generic: A title like "T-shirt" is rejected. Include brand, color, size, and material: "Nike Dri-FIT Training T-Shirt Blue Large."

Step 5: After submission

After Google processes your feed, go to Products and check the diagnostics. Sort by disapproval reason. Address each error type systematically, starting with the ones affecting the most products. Re-fetch or re-upload your corrected feed. Disapprovals typically clear within 24 to 72 hours after you fix the underlying issue.

Frequently asked questions

What format should my Google Merchant Center feed be in?

Google accepts feeds in XML, TXT, Google Sheets, and via the Content API. For most stores, a scheduled XML or TXT fetch is the most reliable setup.

What attributes are required in a Google Shopping feed?

Required for all products: id, title, description, link, image_link, availability, price, brand. Additional attributes are required for certain categories.

How often should my feed update?

At least once every 30 days. For frequently changing prices or stock, daily or real-time updates via the Content API are better.