Each year, we make changes to the Merchant Center product data specification to create a better experience for people who are searching for products online.
What’s changing this year
Changes beginning immediately (April 8, 2025)
We will stop supporting the price [price] attribute for down payments on products with installment pricing. You must use the down payment [downpayment] sub-attribute of the installment [installment] attribute and price [price] must be the alternative price when paid in full up-front instead of in installments.
The energy efficiency class attributes will be replaced in …
Read more Merchant Center announcements change log
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Merchant Center product data specification update 2025
April 8, 2025
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Policy update: Vehicle ads will now accept RVs and Campers
February 28, 2025
Vehicle ads will be expanding to include recreational vehicles (RVs) and campers! This means you'll be able to advertise your RV and camper inventory on Google, reaching a broader audience of potential buyers. Licensing requirements: Just like with other vehicles advertised through vehicle ads, dealerships must have a valid dealership license in the states, territories, or provinces where the RVs and campers are located and/or offered for sale. Learn more about Vehicle ads policies (Beta) for requirements on advertising RVs and campers and to ensure your inventory is eligible.Read more -
Product Studio is now available in 15 new countries
December 2024
Product Studio, the suite of AI-powered tools designed to help businesses create and enhance product images, is now available in 15 new countries, including the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine. This expansion brings the total number of countries where Product Studio is accessible to 30, building upon its existing presence in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United Stat…Read more -
Policy update: Inconsistent language between the feed and the website
December, 2024
In December, 2024, we are relaxing the supported language policy to allow some differences between your product feed language and website language. Product information including title, description and variant information that are in a different language from your designated feed language will be allowed as long as the majority of the product data matches the feed language. However, these offers might have limited performance since the information provided will not match a user’s search terms and expectations in a given language. Elements of the checkout process that enable the user to navigate…Read more -
Update to Political Content policy
November 8, 2024
Google provides translated versions of our Help Center, though they are not meant to change the content of our policies. The English version is the official language we use to enforce our policies. To view this article in a different language, use the language dropdown at the bottom of the page. On November 11, 2024, Google will update the Political Content policy to lift the temporary restrictions on ads relating to the US elections as follows: We will remove the restrictions on ads relating to US elections serving in the US which started after the last polls closed on election day, November …Read more -
Update to Political Content policy
October 17, 2024
Google provides translated versions of our Help Center, though they are not meant to change the content of our policies. The English version is the official language we use to enforce our policies. To view this article in a different language, use the language dropdown at the bottom of the page. In October 2024, Google will update the Political Content policy to include temporary restrictions on ads relating to the US elections as follows: We will pause ads relating to US elections from serving in the US after the last polls close on election day, November 5th, 2024. This will include US Elect…Read more -
Launching a new Google Shopping
October 2024
Today on the Keyword, we introduced the new Google Shopping, which starts rolling out today in the US. This new experience will make it easier for shoppers to find the products they're looking for and create new opportunities for merchants to connect with shoppers and grow their business. A few key updates for merchants to be aware of: An enhanced shopping experience: The new visually rich, intuitive, and personalized experience elevates larger product images, popular categories, and a clean, modern feel - creating a new home for shoppers to browse, get inspired, research and find merchants on…Read more -
Video generation launching in Product Studio
October 2024
Starting Oct 2024, Product Studio now offers AI-powered video creation tools to help you effortlessly produce high-quality product videos. With this new feature, you can transform existing product images into dynamic videos in just a few clicks, saving valuable time and resources. Choose the product you want to feature and select a video theme. Google’s AI-powered tool will customize the video to match your brand, enhance your images, and highlight product attributes. You can also add audio and customize the headline to promote a sales event, share your brand values, or call out what makes you…Read more -
Amazon MCF integration announcement: Empowering retailers with enhanced shipping data
October 2024
We're excited to announce our upcoming integration with Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF). The integration is set to greatly improve how retailers using Amazon MCF display their shipping speeds on Google. The integration will provide retailers with the tools to display more accurate delivery speed estimates and improve the shopper experience by showcasing 3 days fast delivery provided by Amazon MCF service. What’s changing Facilitated merchants participation: Amazon will provide an intake form accessible in Seller Central. MCF merchants can click the form link, and provide their website U…Read more -
Merchant Center Help Center now fully supports Merchant Center Next
October 1, 2024
All merchants have now been migrated to Merchant Center Next. Accordingly, we've updated the Merchant Center Help Center to primarily show Merchant Center Next content instead of classic Merchant Center Next content. What’s changed You'll now find Merchant Center Next articles by default when searching the Help Center. Some new or renamed features in Merchant Center Next include: Product Studio, a free suite of AI-powered tools to enhance product images. It's Currently available in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, and India with more regions coming soon. Data sources (previously referred …Read more -
Vehicle ads have become available to advertisers in the United Kingdom
September 2024
Effective October 2024, vehicle ads will be available to all United Kingdom advertisers and will be expanded to more countries at a later date. Vehicle ads are a performance focused, omnichannel, lower funnel ad format which allows auto advertisers to promote their entire inventory to interested customers shopping for vehicles on Google.com. This format shows customers an image of the car, plus information such as make, model, price, kilometers, and advertiser name. Clicking on a vehicle ad takes the customer to the Vehicle Description Page (VDP) on the advertiser’s website, where they can per…Read more -
Top tips to optimize for the holiday season and beyond with Google AI
August 27, 2024
The holiday season has evolved. It's no longer just about Black Friday or Cyber Monday. For example, did you know that in 2023 there were 8 days in December that had higher spend than Cyber Monday?1 From the excitement of double-digit sale days, to the post-holiday "new year, new me" resolutions, we’re here to help you anticipate the unexpected and drive profitable growth year-round. Discover the latest products and features designed to help you win the peak days you know and the new ones you don’t with Google AI. Set yourself up for success with insights and optimizations powered by Google Wi…Read more -
Merchant Center Next: Upgrading all retailers by September
August 2024
We're excited to announce the full rollout of Merchant Center Next, replacing the classic Merchant Center experience. By September, all retailers will be upgraded to Merchant Center Next, which includes new insights reports, generative AI imagery tools and a more intuitive interface. Last year, we introduced Merchant Center Next, our simplified platform for businesses to manage how their products show up on Google. Merchant Center Next is easier to use, lets you control how your products appear across Google, and gives you valuable insights about your business, products, and market. What's new…Read more -
Policy update: British Columbia political content
August 2024
In August 2024, Google will update the Regional Restrictions under the Shopping Ads Political content policy to include regional restrictions in Canada. In British Columbia, the following is not allowed on Google platforms: Election advertising as defined under the Election Act, RSBC 1996, c 106. During the pre-campaign period, as defined by the British Columbia Election Act, ads sponsored by a third party sponsor that directly promote or oppose a registered British Columbia political party or the election of a candidate for member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. During the ca…Read more -
Policy update: Linked account suspension
August 2024
We’ve updated our Abuse of the network policy. What’s changing We’ve updated our prohibited practices for Free Listings to include the “Linked account suspension” status. This status is a clarification of our existing enforcement to provide retailers with better instructions on how to resolve their account issues. The “Linked account suspension” status indicates that a suspended Google Ads account is linked to your Merchant Center account. You have to fix the Google Ads suspension before your Merchant Center suspension can be reviewed. Learn more about Abuse of the free listings network polici…Read more -
Manage your product data sources with ease!
We're excited to announce a new set of Help articles covering the advanced data source management features in Merchant Center Next. These articles provide clear, step-by-step guidance on using these features to optimize your product data and resolve issues. We've simplified complex processes to make managing your product information easier than ever. Unlock powerful data management capabilities with the new Advanced Data Source Management add-on in Merchant Center Next. This add-on gives you access to features like attribute rules and supplemental data sources, allowing you to fine-tune your p…Read more -
Product Studio country expansion and feature enhancements
June 2024
Product Studio has expanded to merchants based in the UK, India, and Japan! Now, merchants with Merchant Center Next accounts based in the US, UK, CA, AU, IN, and JP can access the suite of free, AI-powered tools to help you create high quality images that you can use across your marketing channels. Get started using Product Studio in Merchant Center Next or within the Google & YouTube app on Shopify. Product Studio also has the following updates, so you can update your product images even faster: File upload: You can now upload a new product image directly to Product Studio. After you've gene…Read more -
Policy update: Restrictions on promoting deepfake sexual content
May 2024
Google is committed to fostering a safe and respectful advertising environment. In line with this goal, we are updating our policies regarding the promotion of synthetic sexual content. Effective in May, Shopping ads will no longer allow the following: Promotion of services that generate, distribute, or store synthetic sexually explicit content or synthetic content containing nudity. This includes services that create "deepfakes" and other manipulated imagery. Ads for content that provides instructions on the creation of synthetic sexually explicit content or synthetic content with nudity. Exa…Read more -
Policy update: Enabling online pharmacies in Belgium to promote over-the-counter drugs
May 2024
In May 2024, Google will update the Healthcare & medicines policy for Shopping ads, free listings, local inventory ads and free local product listings to enable online pharmacies in Belgium to promote the sale of approved non-prescription (over-the-counter) drugs. In order to promote these offers, online pharmacies must be registered with the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products and certified by Google. Starting in May 2024, online pharmacies in Belgium can apply for certification here. For more information, see the Healthcare & medicines policy pages for Shopping ads, free listing…Read more -
Policy update: Brazil Political Content
April 2024
Google will be updating its Political content policy to align with the Superior Electoral Tribunal Resolution, TSE Resolution 23,732/2024. This change will take effect May 1, 2024. In Brazil, the following will be prohibited on Google platforms: Ads featuring elections, political parties, federations and coalitions, elected positions, government proposals, legislative bills, the exercise of the right to vote, and other political rights or matters related to the electoral process. This policy applies to Shopping ads and local inventory ads. Review the Political content policy update to determin…Read more -
2024 Merchant Center product data specification update
April 9, 2024
Each year, we make changes to the Merchant Center product data specification to create a better experience for people who are searching for products online. What’s changing this year? Changes beginning immediately (April 9, 2024) Introducing new product data specification attributes for AI-Generated content in Shopping ads & free listings: We’re adding new attributes that will require merchants to disclose text content that was created using generative AI. Use the structured title [structured_title] attribute and the structured description [structured_description] attribute when using AI-gener…Read more -
Update: Loyalty program now available in Japan
March, 2024
The merchant point program on free listings allows you to surface redeemable points benefits to customers across Google surfaces. Point program benefits will display across different Google properties, such as Google Search, Wallet, and Maps. Merchants listing their products in Japan via free listings are eligible to use this program. Some highlights of the program include: You can showcase your logo, the number of points your customers can earn when making purchases, alongside other details of your products on Google surfaces. You can also select third party loyalty programs or payment provid…Read more -
Incremental Feeds Deprecation
May 2024
This Incremental Feeds feature allowed merchants to create and maintain manual offers easily via uploading a feed file. Existing merchant feeds aren't impacted by this deprecation. They don't need to take any action to continue serving, but future feed files uploaded will need to be the standard primary or supplemental feed types. After the launch, merchants can freely use the same file they used previously using alternative upload method. Primary Feeds Some merchant feeds will be migrated to using Primary Feeds. Behaviors of Primary Feeds that vary slightly from Incremental Feeds uploads: Off…Read more -
Update to Product Ratings feed specification: Review ID required
April 9, 2024
Starting on July 8, 2024, a review id (<review id>) attribute will be required for all reviews when submitting a product review feed. A review ID is a permanent, unique identifier for a product review in a product review feed. This change will allow us to support additional features in Merchant Center that will require reviews to have a unique, stable ID. After July 8, 2024, any review submitted in a product review feed without a review ID attribute will not process successfully. This will impact the serving of the review and may impact account eligibility to display product ratings on ads. It…Read more -
Policy update: Vehicle ads policy update
April 2024
Starting April 2024, our Vehicle ads policies (Beta) will allow advertisers to promote vehicles with lease options on their landing pages. Here’s what’s changing Vehicle advertisers will be able to showcase both lease and purchase options alongside each other on their product pages linked to their Vehicle ads. The existing vehicle ad format itself remains unchanged. Note: Vehicle subscriptions are still not eligible for promotion through this formatRead more -
Product Studio now available to merchants in Australia and Canada
March 2024
Product Studio is now available to merchants based in Australia and Canada! The suite of free, AI-powered tools helps you create high quality images that you can use across your marketing channels. The tools can generate scenes, increase image resolution and edit backgrounds. Access Product Studio in Merchant Center Next or Product Studio in the Google & YouTube app on Shopify. Today, Product Studio is only available for merchants based in the US, Australia, and Canada. Stay tuned as we look forward to expanding to additional countries throughout the year! Note: Product Studio currently only s…Read more -
St. Patrick's Day themed templates available in Product Studio
March 2024
Product Studio is rolling out seasonal themed templates, and with just a few clicks, you can create high-quality promotional images for different holidays. The first templates for St. Patrick's Day are now available, allowing you to quickly and effortlessly update your product images for the upcoming holiday. You can create your St. Patrick’s Day themed product images by following these steps: Go to the Products page in the “Your business” section in Merchant Center Next. Click the Product Studio tab at the top. Click Get started and you will be taken to the Generate scene tab. Select the prod…Read more -
Policy update: Teeth whitening products
February 2024
Teeth whitening products that contain equal to or less than 6% hydrogen peroxide or chemicals that emit hydrogen peroxide are allowed in the United Kingdom. Previously, teeth whitening products with more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide were prohibited in the UK. The change applies to Shopping Ads and Free Listings. The restricted content policy is designed to protect customers from products that may be harmful or ineffective. We encourage merchants to review their teeth whitening products to ensure that they comply with this updated policy. Remove ads or listings of teeth whitening products that a…Read more -
Preserving metadata tags for AI-generated images in Merchant Center
February 2024
If you’re using AI-generated images in Merchant Center, Google requires that you preserve any metadata tags which indicate that the image was created using generative AI in the original image file. Don't remove embedded metadata tags such as trainedAlgorithmicMedia from such images. All AI-generated images must contain the IPTC DigitalSourceType trainedAlgorithmicMedia tag. Learn more about IPTC photo metadata. These requirements apply to the following image attributes in Merchant Center Classic and Merchant Center Next: Image link [image_link] Additional image link [additional_image_link] Lif…Read more -
Vehicle ads have become available to advertisers in Australia
February 2024
Effective February 2024, vehicle ads will be available to all Australian advertisers. Vehicle ads will be expanded to more countries at a later date. Vehicle ads are a performance focused, omnichannel, lower funnel ad format which allows auto advertisers to promote their entire inventory to interested customers shopping for vehicles on Google.com. This format shows customers an image of the car, plus information such as make, model, price, kilometers, and advertiser name. Clicking on a vehicle ad takes the customer to the Vehicle Description Page (VDP) on the advertiser’s website, where they c…Read more -
Policy update: Inappropriate content Sensitive Events policy
February 2024
In February 2024, Free listings will update the Inappropriate content policy to clarify the definition of Sensitive Events. A "Sensitive Event" is an unforeseen event or development that creates significant risk to Google's ability to provide high quality, relevant information and ground truth, and reduce insensitive or exploitative content in prominent features. During a Sensitive Event, we may take a variety of actions to address these risks. Examples of Sensitive Events include events with significant social, cultural, or political impact, such as civil emergencies, natural disasters, publi…Read more -
Policy update: Inappropriate content sensitive events policy
January 2024
In February 2024, Shopping ads will update the Inappropriate content policy to clarify the definition of Sensitive Events. A "Sensitive Event" is an unforeseen event or development that creates significant risk to Google's ability to provide high quality, relevant information and ground truth, and reduce insensitive or exploitative content in prominent and monetized features. During a Sensitive Event, we may take a variety of actions to address these risks. Examples of Sensitive Events include events with significant social, cultural, or political impact, such as civil emergencies, natural dis…Read more -
Policy update: Incorrect value: identifier exists [identifier_exists] changing from disapproval to warning
December 2023
Unique product identifiers (UPIs) define the product you're selling in the global marketplace. They uniquely distinguish products you're selling and help match search queries with your products. Prior to this change, offers would have been disapproved if they were submitted indicating an identifier does not exist for the product but there is evidence that a unique product identifier exists. After this change the offers with the Item issue Incorrect value: identifier exists [identifier_exists] will receive a warning instead of a disapproval. If product identifier requirements are not met, then …Read more -
Policy update: Aggregators in the United States and Canada can now participate in vehicle ads
December 2023
Aggregators are now eligible to show vehicle ads in the United States and Canada. With that, vehicle advertisers that are aggregators, can promote their entire inventory of new and used vehicles to interested customers searching online for their next vehicle. Aggregators will need to upload vehicles from dealerships with valid licenses. Offers from unlicensed dealers are not supported. Learn more about the Vehicle ads policies.Read more -
Changes to Google Analytics attribution models in Merchant Center key event tracking
Google Analytics will be sunsetting first-click, linear, time-decay, and position-based attribution models. With this change, in early 2024, Merchant Center will remove the ability to select first-click, linear, time-decay, and position-based attribution models when setting up the key event source in Merchant Center. Then, starting in April 2024, we’ll switch any key event sources still using these models to data-driven attribution. If you don’t want your key events to use data-driven attribution, you’ll be able to use the last click model. Learn more about changing your attribution model in G…Read more -
Stand out on Google with the new small business attribute
November 1, 2023
People want to shop with small businesses: 84% of people say supporting local and small businesses is important to them. To help shoppers identify you as a small business, we’re making it possible for you to add a new small business attribute to your listings across Search and Maps. If you’re a small merchant using Merchant Center or Business Profile in the U.S. or the Google & YouTube app on Shopify, you can add the attribute to your account: In Merchant Center, you’ll go to the “Business information” tab, then navigate to either “Details” (in Merchant Center Next) or “About your business” (i…Read more -
Policy update: E-juice is considered a dangerous product
November 2023
E-juice, a product designed to simulate tobacco smoking, is considered a dangerous product. As such, it is not allowed and is listed as an example under the Dangerous product policy, which applies to both Shopping ads and free listings. In simpler terms, e-juice cannot be listed on Shopping ads or listed for free because it is considered a dangerous product. This policy is in place to protect customers from buying products that could harm them.Read more -
Policy update: Changes to the promotion of healthcare products in Brazil
November 2023
Creatine, carnitine, and l-carnitine can be promoted as supplements in Brazil, as long as they meet the specified dosage and labeling requirements. Artichoke Polyphenol (Polifenol de Alcachofra) products and treatments are still not allowed. This policy update affects both Shopping ads and free listings. In other words: Creatine, carnitine, and l-carnitine can now be promoted as dietary supplements in Brazil, but only if they meet certain requirements. Artichoke polyphenol products and treatments are still not allowed to be promoted in Brazil. This policy update applies to both paid and free l…Read more -
Policy update: Abusing the ad network
November 2023
The Shopping ads and free listings Malicious or unwanted software policy will be split into 3 separate policies: Malicious software, Compromised sites, and Unwanted software. We will begin enforcing these policies in December, with full enforcement ramping up over approximately 4 weeks. Until these policy changes are brought into effect, we will continue to enforce the current malware policy. What is changing Malicious software: The scope of the Malicious software policy is narrowed to prohibit the intentional distribution of malicious software or “malware” that may harm or gain unauthorized a…Read more -
Four ways to prepare for the holiday season
August 7, 2023
Holiday season 2023 is coming soon! Here are four things you can do right now to prepare your business and help turn more shoppers into customers: 1. Showcase fast, free deliveries and easy returns Be sure to feature shipping information and, if you can, adopt practices that could appeal to holiday shoppers: free shipping, fast delivery, free and extended return policies. You can even showcase a “same-day delivery” if that’s a service you offer. Google can add your shipping speed automatically if you’re a retailer who ships to the United States. Share your carrier info with us, and we’ll calcu…Read more -
Stay on top of trends with the Insights page
November 19, 2020
Consumer behavior continues to change as people adjust to their new normal. We’ve seen a surge in searches for patio heaters, pajamas, and sleds in the past month–and queries like “online gift” have grown by 80% year over year.1 To help you stay on top of these emerging trends and more, we're rolling out the Insights page as a beta over the next few months globally. Discover insights tailored to your business The Insights page makes it easy for you to explore insights and emerging trends based on your business. Let's say you're a pet store looking to reach more customers. With the Insights pag…Read more -
Get discovered by deal seekers with new features for listing your promotions (U.S. only)
October 22, 2020
While deal seeking behavior is not new, shoppers are more price-conscious this year. In fact, 58% of U.S. holiday shoppers will hold off on buying gift items until they’re on-sale.1 When looking for these competitively-priced products, 40% of global shoppers say they turn to Google to find the best deal.2 Since many of these shoppers have already started their gift search, adding promotions to products that you sell on Google now can help drive more sales to your business. This holiday season, we’re doing more to help you get discovered by these deal seekers. We’re making it easier to upload a…Read more -
Easily respond to real-time holiday demand with Smart Shopping campaigns
October 22, 2020
Last holiday season, U.S. shoppers used Google for shopping more than any other source.1 As more people are already shopping for the holidays, we’re offering ways to help you capture real-time holiday demand with Smart Shopping campaigns.2 These new features will help boost your visibility to new customers, showcase your brand and products in rich creatives, and uncover meaningful insights from your performance. Get in front of new shoppers this holiday season 58% of U.S. holiday shoppers bought at least one brand last holiday season that they hadn't bought before3. In July, we introduced impr…Read more -
Conversion tracking is now renamed to key events
February 2025
We are updating the name for free listing conversion experiences in Merchant Center from conversions to key events. Previously, important events marked as conversions in Google Analytics were measured differently from how conversions in Google Ads are measured, leading to discrepancies between Google Ads and Google Analytics. To address this, “conversion tracking” is being redefined to align with recent Google Analytics and Google Ads updates for unified conversion reporting. From now on, the term “conversion” is used only within the ads context to track ad campaign performance and optimize bi…Read more