Guide Shopping & GMC Beyond Six — Free Resource

Google Merchant Center Step-by-Step Guide

Instructions for every item in the GMC & Product Feed Checklist. Click any section tab to navigate, then expand any item to see the full step-by-step.

⚡ Quick win — under 30 min

🔄 Ongoing — needs regular attention

💰 Direct revenue or margin impact

🔍

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Account Foundation

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Business info → Your online store.
2
Check for a green "Claimed" and "Verified" badge next to your domain.
3
If not claimed: click "Claim website" and follow the verification flow (meta tag, HTML file upload, or Google Tag Manager).
4
If claimed but not verified: re-verify using the same options.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Data sources and check the "Type" column.
2
Content API = real-time updates pushed from your platform (best — changes live within minutes).
3
Scheduled fetch = GMC pulls from a URL on a schedule (good — max 24h lag).
4
Google Sheets / Manual upload = high risk of stale data. Migrate away if possible.

1
In Merchant Center go to Settings → Data Sources and click your primary feed.
2
Go to the "Data source setup" tab.
3
Under "Fetch schedule" confirm frequency is set to Daily or more frequent.
4
Check "Last fetch" timestamp — it should be within the last 24 hours with a green status.

1
In Merchant Center go to Settings → Data Sources and click your primary feed.
2
Under "Data source setup" confirm all countries where you run Shopping ads are listed.
3
Language should match the primary language of your product data.

1
In Merchant Center go to Settings → Data Sources → Data source setup and click your primary feed.
2
Under "How the data will be used" confirm that Shopping ads, Free listings, and Display ads are ticked.
3
Missing destinations = products won't show up in those placements even if campaigns are live.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Data Sources → Supplemental sources. Verify each supplemental feed is still uploading successfully and the data is current — outdated supplemental feeds can inject stale data (e.g. last year's sale prices) into live products.
2
Google Sheets is a valid supplemental feed source. Create a sheet with a header row matching GMC attribute names, share it publicly ("Anyone with the link can view"), then paste the URL in GMC under Data Sources → Supplemental sources → Add source → Google Sheets. Useful for custom labels, formula-based overrides, and small-batch attribute fixes.
3
To unlock advanced supplemental feed management, go to Settings → Add-Ons and enable Advanced data source management.

1
In Merchant Center go to Settings → General → Account setup.
2
Look for "Product protection" and set the threshold to at least 50%.
3
This prevents the feed from uploading if more than 50% of products disappear — protecting against accidental bulk deletions.

1
In Merchant Center go to Products → Automations.
2
Enable Automatic price updates (keeps prices and availability in sync with your website).
3
Enable Automatic image improvements if relevant (removes overlaid promotional text from images).

1
Go to Google's Rich Results Test and paste a product page URL.
2
Look for Product schema results — price, availability, name, and image should all be detected.
3
Fix any missing or mismatched schema fields on the website side (usually via Shopify theme or structured data app).

1
A CSS partner replaces Google Shopping as the operator of your Shopping ads in eligible EU countries.
2
Check your Merchant Center header — if a CSS partner is active, you'll see their logo instead of "Google".
3
Contact a certified CSS partner to switch. The 20% CPC saving applies automatically once active.

Business Information & Branding

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Business info → Business details.
2
Verify legal business name, registered address, and phone number are all filled in and accurate.
3
Incomplete business info can trigger account-level reviews and affect trust signals.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Marketing → Brand (beta) → Logo.
2
Upload a square logo (1:1 ratio, minimum 100×100px).
3
Upload a rectangular logo (4:1 ratio recommended).
4
Both should be on a white or transparent background with no promotional text.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Business info → Business details → Edit business details.
2
Add your social media profile URLs (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube, X).
3
Primarily relevant for US accounts — helps Google verify your brand's online presence.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Business info → Business details → Edit business details.
2
If your business is women-owned, veteran-owned, minority-owned, or LGBTQ+-owned, tick the relevant boxes.
3
These attributes are shown on US Shopping surfaces and can improve CTR on relevant searches.

GMC Programs

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Add-ons → Dynamic remarketing.
2
Status should be "Enabled". If not: click Enable.
3
Also confirm the dynamic remarketing tag (or GA4 event) is firing on product pages with product ID data.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Add-ons → Customer reviews.
2
Status should show "Active". If not enrolled: click "Get started" and agree to the program terms.
3
Reviews collected here feed into Seller Ratings, which appear as stars on Search and Shopping ads.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Add-ons → Product ratings.
2
Status should be "Active". If not: click "Get started".
3
You may need to submit a product ratings feed or connect a review aggregator (Yotpo, Trustpilot, etc.).

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Add-ons → Promotions.
2
Status should be "Active". If not: click "Get started" and agree to promotions policies.
3
Once active, promotions appear as a "Special offer" badge on your Shopping ads.

1
Only relevant if the brand has an existing loyalty or rewards program (e.g. points, member pricing, cashback). Skip this item if no loyalty program exists.
2
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Add-ons → Loyalty program.
3
Click "Get started" and fill in your program details: program name, member tier(s), and the benefits offered.
4
You'll need to submit a loyalty feed via the Content API or a supplemental feed that maps product IDs to member prices or benefits.
5
Once active, eligible Shopping ads can show loyalty benefits (e.g. "Member price: $X") directly on the ad, which increases CTR for loyalty-aware shoppers.

Shipping & Returns

Shipping

1
In Shopify admin → Apps → Google & YouTube, find the Shipping section and disable auto-sync to GMC.
2
Then in Merchant Center go to Shipping and returns → Shipping services and manually configure your settings.
3
Why: Shopify's auto-sync often creates inaccurate shipping settings in GMC. Manual configuration gives you full control.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Products & store → Shipping and returns → Shipping policies.
2
Confirm at least one shipping service covers each country where your Shopping campaigns are active.
3
A product without a matching shipping service for its target country will be disapproved.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Products & store → Shipping and returns → Shipping policies.
2
Confirm a shipping service exists with United States as the only target country — not bundled with others.
3
The US has unique tax and shipping expectations. Bundling it with other countries causes mismatches.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Products & store → Shipping and returns → Shipping policies → [your service].
2
Check Handling time, Transit time, and Cut-off time.
3
These three values combine to form the delivery window shown on Shopping ads. Match your actual fulfilment process.

1
Compare GMC shipping details to your website: product pages, checkout, and shipping policy page.
2
Any mismatch can trigger a shipping disapproval or policy violation flag.
3
Re-check after any website or GMC shipping update — these fall out of sync easily.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Products & store → Shipping and returns → Shipping policies → [your service] → Delivery time.
2
Enable the Delivery guarantee option when you can commit to a specific delivery date.
3
A "Guaranteed by [date]" badge on Shopping ads meaningfully improves CTR, especially around holidays.

Returns

1
Go to Merchant Center → Products & store → Shipping and returns → Return policies.
2
Confirm a return policy exists for each country you're targeting with Shopping ads.
3
A product without a return policy for its target country will be ineligible for Shopping ads in that country.

1
Click into each return policy and verify all mandatory fields are filled: return window, return method, return shipping cost, and refund type.
2
Vague entries like "contact us for returns" are not accepted — everything must be explicit.
3
Compare to your website's return policy page and ensure they match.

1
If certain products have different return terms (final sale, perishables, personalised items), go to Return policies → Add exceptions.
2
Assign exceptions using product attributes like product type or item group ID.
3
Without exceptions, GMC assumes your global policy applies to every product.

Partners & Platform Integrations

1
In Merchant Center go to Settings → Access and services → Apps and services.
2
Your Google Ads Customer ID should appear in the list.
3
To link: click "Add service", enter the Customer ID, then approve in Google Ads under Tools → Data manager → Merchant Center.

1
In Merchant Center go to Settings → Access and services → Apps and services.
2
Look for your GA4 property in the list. Status should show "Active".
3
To link: click "Add service", select Google Analytics 4, choose your GA4 property, and confirm.
4
Once linked, GMC can share product and Shopping data with GA4, enabling richer ecommerce reporting and audience building.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Products & store → Store quality and check the Purchase experience scorecard.
2
Ensure your storefront accepts Google Wallet, Apple Pay, and Amazon Pay in addition to standard card payments. This is configured on your website/Shopify, not inside GMC.
3
More accepted payment methods = higher Purchase experience score = better Store Quality rating.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Business info → Accepted payment methods.
2
Status should show "Connected".
3
To link: click "Edit payment methods" and log into your PayPal business account to authorize.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Access and services → Apps and services and review the full list.
2
Check for available integrations: loyalty programs, review platforms, price comparison tools.
3
Each active connection improves data quality and capabilities in Merchant Center.

Product Feed Health & Diagnostics

1
In Diagnostics filter by "Disapproved".
2
Click each issue type — Merchant Center shows the specific attribute causing the disapproval.
3
Fix in your feed/platform, re-upload, then verify in Diagnostics within 24–48 hours.
4
Common causes: price mismatch, availability mismatch, missing GTIN, image policy violation.

1
In Diagnostics filter by "Warning".
2
Warnings don't disapprove products but limit reach and eligibility for Shopping features.
3
Prioritise warnings affecting large numbers of products or revenue-driving attributes.

Product Feed: Attributes

Required Attributes

1
In Merchant Center go to Products → All products and inspect a few product IDs.
2
Never change a product ID — doing so resets the product's performance history and quality score to zero.
3
If on Shopify the default ID is the variant ID, ensure your feed uses consistent, permanent IDs.

1
Review a sample of 20–30 titles across key categories in Products → All products.
2
Check: does the title front-load the most important keywords? Does it include material, color, size, brand, and model?
3
Bad: "Product 42B Blue" | Good: "Navy Blue Leather Crossbody Bag — Small — Genuine Leather"

1
Click into a product and view the description field.
2
Descriptions should list product attributes: materials, dimensions, features, compatible uses.
3
Remove: promotional phrases, comparisons to competitors, and brand slogans.
4
Treat descriptions as attribute lists, not ad copy.

1
Click a product in Products → All products and verify the "Link" URL.
2
Open the URL in a browser — it must load a live product page (not a 404 or redirect loop).
3
For variant products, the URL should ideally point to the specific variant pre-selected.

1
Check product thumbnails in Products → All products across categories.
2
Images should be: minimum 100×100px (800×800px+ recommended), product prominently visible, no watermarks or overlaid text.
3
Check Diagnostics for "Image policy" disapprovals — common causes: promotional text, placeholder images, low resolution.

1
Check Diagnostics for "Availability mismatch" issues — one of the most common disapproval types.
2
Compare availability status on the live product page to the value in your feed.
3
If the feed says "in stock" but the page says "Out of stock", the product will be disapproved.

1
Check Diagnostics for "Price mismatch" issues.
2
Compare the price in your feed to the price shown on the actual product page.
3
For EU countries: the feed price must include VAT if VAT is shown on the product page.
4
Even a small rounding difference will trigger a disapproval.

1
Filter or click products in Products → All products to check the brand attribute.
2
Every product should have a brand value. For own-brand products, use your brand name. For resellers, use the manufacturer's brand.
3
Missing or incorrect brand reduces product eligibility and match quality.

1
Click a product and check the "GTIN" field under Identifiers.
2
GTINs should be submitted for all branded products — Google uses them to match your listing to its product catalogue.
3
If reselling branded products without GTINs, look them up via GS1 or the manufacturer.

1
Set to "no" only for products that genuinely have no GTIN and no MPN + brand combination (handmade, custom, vintage).
2
Setting identifier_exists = "no" on products that do have GTINs is a policy violation.
3
Check in product detail view under Identifiers.

1
Check the condition attribute for a sample of products in Products → All products.
2
Valid values: new, refurbished, used.
3
Most brands only sell new products — confirm all products are tagged as "new".

1
Google's AI auto-assigns this attribute based on your product title, brand, and GTIN — but your submitted value overrides the AI. Always submit it explicitly; never rely on auto-assignment.
2
Go as deep as possible and aim for 5 levels. Example: "Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Activewear > Running Clothes > Running Shorts" instead of just "Apparel & Accessories".
3
Use Google's product taxonomy browser to find the exact category ID. Search by keyword, then copy the full path, not just the final node.

1
Use at least 3 levels of breadcrumb with '>' as the separator. More levels give Google stronger context for query matching. Example: "Clothing > Men's Clothing > Activewear > Shorts > Running Shorts".
2
Mirror your website's breadcrumb structure exactly. This creates a double SEO benefit: your feed taxonomy and site architecture reinforce the same keyword signals.
3
Unlike [google_product_category], this attribute uses your language — so use the terms your customers and your team actually use.
4
This attribute is weighted for query matching but invisible in the ad itself. Most brands underinvest in it. A well-structured [product_type] is one of the highest-leverage feed improvements you can make.

1
Search for an item_group_id in Products → All products to pull up all variants.
2
All variants (colors, sizes, materials) should share the same item_group_id.
3
Missing item_group_id means Google can't identify variants as belonging to the same product.

1
Required for apparel in most countries — missing it on clothing products causes disapprovals.
2
Valid values: newborn, infant, toddler, kids, adult.
3
Missing age_group on apparel products causes disapprovals.

1
Required for apparel in most countries — missing it on clothing products causes disapprovals.
2
Valid values: male, female, unisex.
3
Missing gender causes disapprovals on apparel and removes products from gender-filtered Shopping searches.

1
Required for apparel in most countries — missing it on clothing products causes disapprovals.
2
Values must match how sizes are displayed on your website (e.g. S, M, L, XL or 38, 40, 42).
3
Size values that don't match the size selector on the landing page can cause disapprovals.

1
Required for apparel when submitting [size].
2
Valid values: US, UK, EU, DE, FR, JP, and others. Set to the sizing convention used in your size values.
3
Example: EU sizes → size_system = EU.

1
Required for apparel when submitting [size].
2
Valid values: regular, petite, plus, big and tall, maternity.
3
Set to "regular" for standard sizing. Use specific values for specialty sizing lines.

1
Required by EU law for applicable electronic products (fridges, TVs, washing machines, etc.).
2
Valid values follow the EU energy label scale: A+++ through G.
3
Missing energy_efficiency_class on applicable products causes disapprovals in EU countries.
4
Deprecated since April 2025. Use [certification] instead for new and updated product submissions in EU countries.

Recommended Attributes

1
Add the [sale_price] attribute to your feed when a product is on sale.
2
Also add [sale_price_effective_date] to define the promotion window.
3
Active sale_price triggers a sale badge (strikethrough original price) on Shopping ads, which visually increases CTR.

1
Add up to 10 additional image URLs to each product in your feed.
2
Images should show different angles, detail shots, size reference, packaging, or in-use photos.
3
Users can swipe through images in Shopping ad listings — more images = more engagement.

1
Add a lifestyle image URL showing the product being used in a realistic setting.
2
Used by Google in certain Shopping placements where context-rich images perform better than plain product shots.

1
Color values should describe the product as customers would search for it — not internal codes.
2
Bad: "#0A2D5F" or "SKU-NAVY-42" | Good: "Navy Blue"
3
For multi-color products, list up to 3 colors separated by " / " (e.g. "Black / White").

1
Use materials as customers would describe them: "leather", "cotton", "stainless steel", "recycled polyester".
2
Avoid internal codes or abbreviations.
3
Material expands your match surface for material-specific searches.

1
Use for products where the pattern is a selling point: "striped", "floral", "plaid", "camouflage".
2
Helps match products to pattern-specific searches and Shopping filters.

1
Add the MPN if your product has one — especially relevant for electronics, auto parts, tools.
2
Used together with [brand] as a product identifier when a GTIN isn't available.

1
Format: section_name / attribute_name / attribute_value triplets.
2
Example: "Technical specs:Bluetooth version:5.2" or "Dimensions:Weight:250g".
3
Use for products where technical specifications matter (electronics, tools, appliances).

1
Add 2–10 short bullet-point-style sentences highlighting key product benefits.
2
Keep each highlight under 150 characters. Written as fragments, not full sentences.
3
Example: "Waterproof up to 50m", "Compatible with iOS and Android".

1
If you sell custom bundles (products you've packaged together), set is_bundle = "yes".
2
This signals to Google that the product doesn't have a standard GTIN.
3
Only use for bundles you've assembled yourself.

1
Set to the number of identical units in the pack (e.g. "6" for a 6-pack of socks).
2
Helps Google understand the unit economics of the product for price comparisons.

1
Required for products sold by weight or volume in many EU countries (cosmetics, food, supplements).
2
[unit_pricing_measure]: actual quantity (e.g. "250ml"). [unit_pricing_base_measure]: standard comparison unit (e.g. "100ml").
3
Google displays the per-unit price (e.g. "£1.20/100ml") for transparency.

1
Assign a label string to products with non-standard shipping costs (e.g. "heavy", "oversized", "free-shipping").
2
In Merchant Center → Shipping services, create rules that apply specific costs to products with that label.

1
Add the unit COGS for each product in your feed (same format as [price], e.g. "8.50 GBP").
2
Unlocks Gross Profit reporting in Merchant Center — profit by product, not just revenue.
3
Feeds into profit-optimized bidding in Google Ads. High-impact if you have variable margins.

1
Add a short, descriptive product name of 5–65 characters. Used by Google in Demand Gen campaigns and smaller ad placements where a full title won't fit.
2
Cannot include the brand name unless you manufacture the product yourself.
3
Must refer to the same product as the landing page. Don't use it to stuff keywords — keep it natural and scannable.

1
Submit alongside [sale_price] to define exactly when the sale starts and ends. Format: ISO 8601 datetime range (e.g. "2025-11-29T00:00-05:00/2025-11-30T23:59-05:00").
2
Without this attribute, Google decides when to activate the sale badge — which can lead to the badge showing at the wrong time or not at all.
3
Always include this when running time-limited sales (Black Friday, sitewide events). It makes your sale dates explicit and reliable.

1
Add the promotion ID from your GMC Promotions setup directly to the product feed. This is the most reliable way to assign a promotion to specific products.
2
More precise than targeting by product type or brand — use when a promotion applies only to a subset of products.
3
Up to 10 promotion IDs can be assigned per product (separated by commas in the feed).

1
Use [excluded_destination] to prevent a product from appearing on specific surfaces (e.g. Shopping Ads, Free Listings, Display Ads, Demand Gen). Use [included_destination] to restrict a product to only the specified surfaces.
2
Common use case: products approved only for Free Listings but not paid Shopping Ads, or products that should appear on Display but not Search Shopping.
3
Valid destination values include: Shopping_ads, Buy_on_Google_listings, Display_ads, Local_inventory_ads, Free_listings, Free_local_listings, YouTube.

1
These are the actual product dimensions — distinct from the shipping dimensions which describe the package. Submit all four together if submitting any of them.
2
Used to help customers understand the physical size of the product — especially important for categories where dimensions are a key buying factor (TVs, furniture, appliances, gym equipment, rugs, etc.).
3
Format: number + unit (e.g. "30 cm", "1.5 kg"). Accepted units: cm, in, ft, mm, yd for dimensions; g, kg, oz, lb for weight.

1
The dimensions and weight of the shipping package — including packaging. Distinct from actual product dimensions above.
2
Used by GMC to calculate carrier-based shipping costs. Required if you're using carrier-calculated rates in your shipping setup.
3
Max accepted values: 2,000 lbs or 1,000 kg for weight; 150 cm or 60 in per dimension.

1
Shows the recurring subscription price in Shopping ads. Requires two sub-attributes: amount (price per billing period) and period (billing cycle: month or year).
2
Only supported for Physical Goods Subscriptions within specific Google product categories: Personal Care, Health Care, Home & Garden, Pet Supplies, Toys, Prepared Foods, Apparel & Accessories, Coffee, Alcoholic Beverages, Medicine & Drugs.
3
Warning: [sale_price] is ignored when [subscription_cost] is present. If you're running a sale, consider removing [subscription_cost] for the duration so the sale price displays correctly.

Product Feed: Optimization

Titles

1
The most important keyword must appear in the first 30–40 characters — Google truncates titles after ~70 characters on mobile, so treat the opening 5–7 words as your headline.
2
Recommended structure: [Product Type] + [Key Differentiator] + [Brand] + [Variant Details]. Lead with what the customer searches for, not your brand name.
3
Apparel: "Women's Slim Fit Jeans — Dark Blue — 32x32 — Levi's" | Electronics: "Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Headphones — Noise Cancelling — Black" | Home: "Bamboo Cutting Board — Large — 45x30cm — Juice Groove"
4
Quick test: copy the title and cut it after character 40. Does it still clearly communicate what the product is? If not, restructure.
5
Title limits: max 150 characters total; the first 70 are visible on mobile. Avoid ALL CAPS — it reduces trust and can trigger quality flags.

1
Use the Search Terms report in Google Ads to find what queries trigger your Shopping ads — those terms are your title keywords.
2
Apparel: gender + fit type + material + color. Footwear: gender + activity + material + closure. Electronics: brand + model + key spec + compatibility. Home: material + dimensions + use case.
3
Avoid stuffing — include only attributes that are genuinely part of the product. Irrelevant keywords cause low-quality clicks and wasted spend.

1
Use em dashes (—) or pipes (|) between attribute blocks. Separators make titles easier to scan and help Google parse individual attributes.
2
Good: "Leather Crossbody Bag — Navy Blue — Small — Women's" | Avoid: commas (break scanning rhythm) and slash characters (can confuse parsers).
3
Each segment between separators should be a meaningful, standalone attribute — not filler words.

Descriptions

1
The first 160–500 characters carry the most weight for query matching. Lead with: product type + key specs + material + use case. Never open with brand slogans or marketing copy.
2
Good opening: "Slim bifold wallet for men. Made from full-grain vegetable-tanned leather. 6 card slots, 2 cash compartments, RFID blocking. Dimensions: 9×11cm."
3
After the opening, expand with: compatible uses, care instructions, certifications, what's included in the box, and relevant technical specifications.

1
Descriptions are indexed by Google for query matching — even though they're not shown directly in ads. A richer description = a broader match surface = more relevant impressions.
2
Always include: material, dimensions/weight, color, intended use, compatibility, certifications.
3
Use the Search Terms report to find high-value queries that trigger your ads — verify those keywords appear in your descriptions. If they don't, add them naturally.

1
Remove: "Buy now", "Best price", "Limited time offer", "Free shipping", "Award-winning", "World's best", "Exclusive deal", "On sale". These phrases don't help query matching and can trigger content policy flags.
2
Replace promotional phrases with factual product attributes. Every sentence should describe what the product is, not why it's worth buying.
3
Shipping, return, or warranty information should not appear in descriptions — this belongs in the shipping/returns settings, not the feed.

Images

1
White or light neutral background is required for apparel and strongly recommended for all categories. The product should fill 75–85% of the frame.
2
Minimum: 800×800px. Recommended: 1000×1000px or higher for zoom functionality. Square format (1:1) preferred.
3
No watermarks, brand logos overlaid on the image, promotional badges, or text. Apparel: avoid mannequin shots — flat lay or model is preferred by Google.
4
Check Diagnostics for "Image policy" disapprovals regularly — common triggers: promotional text, low resolution, placeholder images, wrong product shown.

1
Google allows up to 10 [additional_image_link] values per product. Use as many as possible for hero products — users can swipe through images directly in Shopping listings.
2
Image sequence to aim for: (1) front view on white background (2) back/side view (3) detail or texture close-up (4) size reference (5) packaging (6–10) lifestyle/in-use shots.
3
Minimum target: 3–5 images for every product. 6–10 for bestsellers and high-AOV products.
4
More images directly improves the "Images per offer" metric in the GMC Store Quality scorecard.

1
The [lifestyle_image_link] attribute should show the product being used in a realistic, real-world setting. No white background — the context is the point.
2
Used by Google in Demand Gen campaigns, Discovery placements, and some Shopping surfaces where context-rich images outperform standard product shots.
3
Priority categories: apparel (model wearing the product in a natural setting), home decor (product styled in a real room), outdoor/sporting goods (product in use), beauty (person using the product).

Pricing

1
When running a sale, always submit [sale_price] in your feed alongside the original [price] — don't just update [price] to the discounted amount.
2
The sale badge (strikethrough original price + discounted price) only appears when both [price] and [sale_price] are present and the discount is meaningful (typically 5%+ reduction).
3
Add [sale_price_effective_date] to define the promotion window — this ensures the badge disappears automatically when the sale ends.
4
The visual impact of a strikethrough price in Shopping results is significant and consistently improves CTR. Make this a standard part of any promotional campaign.

Custom Labels

1
You have 5 custom label slots. Define a strategy for each before implementing. Suggested framework: custom_label_0: Margin tier (high/medium/low). custom_label_1: Performance tier (bestseller/standard/slow-mover). custom_label_2: Season (SS25/AW25/evergreen). custom_label_3: Price competitiveness (competitive/neutral/above-market). custom_label_4: Campaign flag (new-arrival/clearance/hero-product).
2
Document the label strategy in a Google Sheet so the logic is consistent and understood by everyone managing the account. Label values should be lowercase, hyphenated, and consistent.
3
In Google Ads, use these labels to create product groups with differentiated bids — e.g. bid higher on "high-margin + bestseller" products, lower on "above-market + slow-mover" products.
4
In Products → All products, add the custom label columns to verify they're populating correctly. Review quarterly — margin tiers and performance tiers shift as the catalogue evolves.

Reviews & Ratings

Note: How you audit this section depends on how Product Ratings and Seller Ratings were set up. If you're using a third-party platform like Yotpo or Reviews.io, most of the configuration lives there — not in GMC. Product Ratings are stars on individual product listings. Seller Ratings are store-level stars on branded Search ads. They require separate setup — don't confuse the two. The best way to validate that ratings are showing is to search for your products and brand name on Google and check whether stars appear.

1
If using a third-party platform (Yotpo, Okendo, Trustpilot, Bazaarvoice), check that the Google integration is active inside that tool — not in GMC.
2
If using GMC natively: go to Merchant Center → Growth → Manage programs → Product ratings and confirm status is Active.
3
Product ratings are one of the highest-impact CTR drivers in Shopping — prioritize getting these live.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Settings → Add-ons → Your add-ons.
2
Seller Ratings are store-level stars shown on branded Search ads and Shopping results.
3
Minimum requirement: 100 reviews in the past 12 months with an average ≥ 3.5 stars.

1
Monthly: Google search "[your brand name]" and/or "[your brand name] [top product]".
2
Stars should appear next to Shopping ad results and organic Shopping listings for both searches.
3
If stars aren't showing: check program enrollment, review count minimums, and whether your review tool's Google integration is active.
4
Common reasons for missing stars: quality standards not met, reviewer email issues, or flagged review content.

Promotions

1
Go to Merchant Center → Marketing → Promotions.
2
Every current promotion on your website should have a corresponding active promotion in GMC.
3
Cross-check against your brand's marketing calendar and newsletter schedule.
4
Shopping ads with a "Special offer" badge consistently outperform those without.

1
Review each promotion title in Marketing → Promotions.
2
Titles must be specific: "10% off all orders", "Free shipping on orders over £50".
3
Disapproved examples: "Special offer", "Great deal", "Save now", "Limited time" (without specifics).

1
Click into each promotion and go to the Products tab.
2
Verify the filter logic: are the right products included? (all products, specific brand, product_type, item_group_id, or custom label).
3
Test by searching a specific product in the preview — the badge should appear on intended products.

1
The "Promotion code" field should only be filled if customers need to enter a code at checkout.
2
For automatically-applied discounts, leave this field blank.
3
Entering a code for an auto-applied discount will confuse shoppers and likely get disapproved.

1
Verify start and end dates match exactly when the promotion is live on your website.
2
Maximum promotion duration is 183 days.
3
A promotion expiry date in the past will cause the badge to stop showing.

1
Promotions saying "Ends in 6 months" are not credible to shoppers and may be flagged as misleading.
2
Break ongoing promotions into 30–60 day windows and renew them regularly.

1
The person managing the GMC account should be subscribed to the brand's marketing email list.
2
Promotions are often announced via newsletter without a direct heads-up to the agency.
3
Also ask the client to add you to any internal marketing calendar or Slack channel.

Ongoing Monitoring Cadence

Weekly

1
Every week, go to Merchant Center → Products → Diagnostics.
2
Check the "Item issues" tab for any new disapprovals (red) or warnings (yellow) since last week.
3
For each new issue: identify the root cause, fix in your feed, and verify within 24–48 hours.

1
Open Merchant Center → Home (the dashboard).
2
Look at the Business Visibility card: clicks, impressions, and visibility score.
3
A sudden drop with no campaign changes often signals a feed issue, new disapproval wave, or policy problem.

Monthly

1
Go to Products → Feeds → [your feed] → Rules.
2
For each rule: is it still needed? Is the logic still accurate?
3
Common stale rules: title prefixes for old products, category overrides that no longer match your catalogue.

1
Go to Products → Feeds → Supplemental feeds.
2
Check last upload timestamp, product count, and any upload errors.
3
Stale supplemental feeds override primary feed attributes with outdated values.

1
Export products and sample 20–30 titles across top categories.
2
Review against current search term data (Google Ads Search Terms report).
3
Update titles for seasonal products and high-revenue items first.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Growth → Price competitiveness.
2
Sort by "Price difference from benchmark" to find most uncompetitive products.
3
Flag products >20% above benchmark. Also flag products significantly below benchmark — possible pricing errors.

1
Monthly: Google your core product terms and look at the Shopping image grid. Compare your thumbnails to competitors — does yours stand out, blend in, or look worse?
2
If all competitors use white-background product shots, a lifestyle image in the grid will stand out and attract more clicks.
3
Test: duplicate a product and test a lifestyle image vs. white background as the primary image. Monitor CTR difference over 4 weeks. Use the winner as your new standard.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Growth → Market insights.
2
Look for trending products in your categories that you're under-representing.
3
Use this data to inform buying decisions, feed prioritisation, and budget allocation.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Shipping and returns → Return policies.
2
Scan for any yellow or red status flags — return policies disapprove without email notification.
3
Takes 30 seconds and can save you from silent product suppression.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Business information → Branding → Logos.
2
Check the status of each logo — look for a red "Disapproved" flag (no email notification is sent).
3
Common disapproval reasons: promotional text overlaid, low resolution, non-white background.
4
If disapproved, re-upload a compliant version and monitor for reapproval — it typically processes within 24 hours.

Quarterly

1
Go to Merchant Center → Shipping and returns → Shipping services.
2
Review each service: are rates still accurate? Have carrier transit times changed? Are all target countries correct?
3
Compare to your current carrier contracts and website shipping policy.

1
Compare GMC return policy details to your current website return policy page.
2
Update any fields that have changed: return window, return shipping cost, refund type.
3
Verify return exceptions are still accurate.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Business information.
2
Check: business name, address, phone, website, social links, and branding assets (logos, colors).
3
Verify logos are still approved — silently disapproved logos are common.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Products & store → Store quality and check the Browsing experience scorecard.
2
For detailed diagnostics, run your homepage and top product pages through Google PageSpeed Insights.
3
Target a Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) under 2.5s and a Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) under 0.1 on both desktop and mobile.
4
For Shopify stores: compress images, remove unused apps, and use a lightweight theme. These have the highest impact on speed.

1
Go to Merchant Center → Products & store → Store quality. The overall score runs: Low → Fair → Good → Great → Exceptional (Top Quality Store).
2
Review the Shopping experience scorecard — four categories are scored: Shipping experience, Return experience, Purchase experience, and Browsing experience.
3
Each category needs to be Exceptional to achieve the top overall rating. Use the scorecard to identify which dimension is dragging the score down and action it first.
4
Quick wins: free or low-cost returns, fast delivery times, accepting digital wallets, high-resolution images with multiple angles, and fast page speed.

1
Export the full product feed and check attribute completeness for all products.
2
Sample 50 products and verify key attributes match the live website.
3
Create a prioritized list of fixes and schedule them across the next quarter.