Your CSS product page needs to match the product data submitted to Google. You should provide high-quality content and price comparison possibilities to engage better with customers.
This article explains the definition, requirements and best practices for CSS product pages.
In this article
The success of CSS product pages and our CSS partners is based on providing a high-quality experience that allows customers to confidently search for products.
Customers trust that when they follow a link to a CSS, they'll land on a product page with offers from several different merchants. The price shown on Google should match the price offered by one of the merchants.
How to submit your CSS product page
The URLs to your CSS product pages can be submitted via the following attributes:
- CPP link
[cpp_link]sends customers to the CSS product page. - CPP mobile link
[cpp_mobile_link]sends customers to a mobile-optimised version of your CSS product page. This version will be shown to customers on mobile devices such as phones or tablets.
Minimum requirements
To show CSS product pages on Google, make sure that you meet the following requirements.
Show your product and offers clearly
- Submit a product page that:
- Is on the domain associated with your CSS Centre. You may not automatically redirect customers to other domains.
- Highlights a single product and its description.
- Contains prices and selling conditions for the product offered by at least two independent merchants that have this product available for immediate purchase online.
- Ensure that:
- The product on your CSS product page and merchants' product pages is similar to what you submitted in your product data. The title, description and images don't need to be identical to the content in your product data.
- The price and selling conditions on your CSS product page match with the ones on the merchants' product pages.
- Note: If the country requires tax to be included in the product price, show all prices including tax on the CSS product page and submit the same price in your product data.
- Customers can buy the product for the price shown on your CSS product page from a merchant. This means that customers can successfully add products to a basket and get it delivered.
- Links from the CSS product page must lead directly to merchants' product pages where customers can buy the product.
- Make sure that the page displays energy efficiency class information for applicable products.
- Avoid layouts that hide key elements of the page. For example, a pop-up or banner shouldn't cover important information for your customers.
- Note: For certain products, local laws may require that your customers land on a separate page before your product page. For example, you may need to verify a user's age before they can access your site. After users get past this page, make sure that your product page meets all the same guidelines described here.
Tip
If you show a pop-up on your landing pages, such as for newsletter sign-ups or language preferences, make sure that the boxes can be closed and aren't blocking product details.
Highlight your headline offer
Headline offer is an offer that is highlighted or shown in the top three offers with prices and selling conditions from different merchants on the product page.
- Submit a product page that highlights a headline offer price. You should highlight or show upfront a merchant on your product page whose price matches the headline offer price. Learn more about the headline offer price
[headline_offer_price]attribute - Make sure that customers can buy the product from the highlighted merchant online; that means that customers can successfully add to a basket and get the product delivered. If a product in the headline offer is out of stock, then change the headline offer.
- Make sure that the product condition of the headline offer matches your product data. Learn more about the headline offer condition
[headline_offer_condition]attribute
Show consistent content across locations
Example
Imagine that you're a CSS based in Germany. You indicate in your product data that you showcase products in Germany, and submit prices in Euro and use German language.
You'd like to submit a CSS product page for a couch. If your CSS product page is visited from Poland, the page must show the same couch, including all key elements of the product and merchant's offers.
Specifically, the CSS product page must:
- Display a picture of the sofa
- Contain a list of merchants selling in Germany
- Use the same prices
- Use German language
- Use Euro as the currency
- Keep the content on your CSS product page consistent for all locations. You can perform minor content customisations, such as changing the order of offers. If you typically change your website content based on user IP location or other factors.
- Show the same language as your product data. Even for countries with multiple official languages, display the product on your website in the language that matches what you submitted in your product data. For example, if you're showcasing products in Poland, you can't submit your product data in English and show your CSS product page in Polish.
- Show all prices in the currency that matches your product data.
- Show the same prices in all the regions within a single country.
- Comply with local regulations for all pricing and other information that you submit and display.
Make sure that your pages are working correctly
- Make sure that your CSS product page is live, and that it isn't under construction or displaying an error. For example, a 404 error.
- Use a landing page, not a file or email. Avoid linking to an image, an audio file, a video, document or PDF.
- Use a mobile landing page for mobile devices and tablets. Don't include design elements that may not work properly for all mobile devices, such as Flash, Silverlight or ActiveX.
- Let people use the back button. Make sure that they can click the browser back button to return to the previous page after visiting your CSS product page.
- Only link to the domain from your CSS Centre. Don't automatically redirect people to another website outside of the domain that you provided in your CSS Centre.
Best practices
- Pre-select the correct product variant in your CSS product page URL. If a product has variants such as colour, size, pattern, material or other customisations, make sure that the variant matches the product data that appears on your CSS product page.
- Submit the CPP mobile link
[cpp_mobile_link]attribute in addition to the CPP link[cpp_link]attribute to use separate landing pages for mobile devices. - Use as few redirects as possible. Redirects increase the time between a person clicking your listing and loading your CSS product page. Redirect methods other than http 302, such as JavaScript and Meta tag, are highly discouraged.
Additional guidelines
For the product types below, review each section and follow the guidelines to make sure that your product pages can provide the best experience for your customers. You'll notice alerts for any issues or disapprovals in your CSS Centre.