Promotions feed specification

This article lists all of the attributes you can provide in your promotions feed.

To use promotions, you can submit your product data to Google through a feed. The information within your feed is then distributed on relevant Shopping ads as well as free product listings appearing on the Shopping tab in the US (may also appear outside of the US as well). Promotions will display for customers on desktop and mobile devices in Australia, France, Germany, India, the UK, Canada, and the US.

Note: Submission of promotions for the Free listings destination is only available in the US.

Submit a promotions feed

File type: You can use either an XML file, tab-delimited file, or Google Spreadsheet. See a sample feed template

Registering and uploading a new feed: Follow the steps to register and upload a new promotions feed. Upload your promotions feed to the same Merchant Center account you use for your online products feed.

Google reviews all promotions against program policies and editorial requirements before displaying them.

Create promotions to target specific products

You can create promotions for specific products in the following ways:

• Apply product filter attributes in your promotion feed: If a promotion applies to specific products in your product feed, you may use product filter attributes. See Product filters.
• Map the promotion_id to products in your product feed: For Google to recognize the products included in your promotion, map a promotion_id to the eligible products in your products feed. For more information about mapping, see how to create promotion groups for specific products.

If you set product filters on the promotion feeds and explicit promotion_ids in the product feed, then the promotion applies to products selected by both applying product filter attributes and mapping the promotion_id to your products.

Basic promotions data

Include the following attributes in your feed to define how your promotions will display:

Attribute	Format	Minimum requirements at a glance
promotion_id	Required Syntax Maximum length is 50 characters Case sensitive Should not contain spaces or symbols (such as % and !)	This attribute is the unique ID of a promotion. The promotion_id is used to link promotions to specific products.
product_applicability	Required Supported values All products Specific products	This attribute specifies if the promotion applies to all products or only to specific products. If the value is Specific products, you must use product filter attributes or map a promotion_id to applicable products in your products feed. These specific products are continuously tested for the duration of the promotion. If the value is All products, you do not need to use product filter attributes or a promotion_id in the products feed. The promotion validity is tested against all of the items in your products feed.
offer_type	Required Supported values No code Generic code If offer_type is Generic code (that is, a code that is the same for all customers), the attribute below is required: generic_redemption_code	This attribute indicates whether or not a coupon code is required for customers to redeem the offer. Note: All shipping promotions must include a valid redemption code. Free shipping promotions must include a valid coupon code that customers can manually apply. Otherwise, shipping will be treated as a service that is normally offered. Learn more about how to include redemption codes for shipping promotions in the promotions program policies.
long_title	Required Syntax Maximum length is 60 characters Example Free mug with purchase	This attribute specifies the full title of the promotion. Important: Follow our editorial requirements closely. They outline title requirements and provide helpful examples of acceptable and unacceptable titles. The title should describe the promotion completely and accurately.
promotion_effective_dates	Required Syntax Start date and end date are separated by a forward slash (/). The date format is (YYYY-MM-DD), followed by the letter ‘T’, the time of day when the sale starts or ends, and an expression of the time zone for the sale. Example If your promotion was valid from 3:00 a.m. on July 19, 2009 to 9:00 p.m. on July 26, 2009 EST (Eastern Standard Time), you would submit: 2009-07-19T03:00:00-05:00/2009-07-26T21:00:00-05:00 If your promotion was valid from 3:00 a.m. on July 19, 2009 to 9:00 p.m. on July 26, 2009 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), you would submit: 2009-07-19T03:00:00+00:00/2009-07-26T21:00:00+00:00	Important: GMT is Greenwich Mean Time. -5 hours represents EST while -8 hours represents PST. Promotions have a 6-month limit (183 days). Daylight Savings: -4 hours represents EDT while -7 hours represents PDT. If you use the promotion builder, it will only support the promotion_effective_dates attribute and the time will default to the time zone of your Merchant Center account setting. If you want the promotion to be in a different time zone, adjust the time zone manually. Tip: You can validate your promotion before it starts by using the promotions_display_dates attribute. Learn more about promotions feed formatting and attributes.
redemption_channel	Required Supported values Online	This attribute indicates the promotion is valid online.
promotion_destination	Required Supported values Shopping ads Buy on Google listings Free listings Add a supported value to your feed. To submit your promotion to one or more destination, submit each destination value as a separate column: promotion_destination: Shopping ads promotion_destination: Buy on Google listings promotion_destination: Free listings	Important: These are repeated fields and values are supported simultaneously. Values indicated in this field will overwrite any product defaults. For more details on repeated fields, see About attributes with repeated fields. Note: The Buy on Google listings destination is only applicable to advertisers enrolled in Buy on Google. The Free listings destination is only available in the US, and requires an approved offer for free product listings for standard and enhanced listings. In addition, we recommend offers submitted via promotions feed be in structured format to help ensure faster approval.

 

Note: Some of the names for product destinations have been updated. You may have previously submitted the following values as destinations for your products: Shopping Actions, Surfaces across Google, Local surfaces across Google. These values will still be accepted, but we recommend that you update your products to include the new values for these destinations: Buy on Google listings, Free listings, Free local listings.

Product filters

If you create a promotion that only applies to specific products in your product feed, use the product filter in your promotion feed. The product filter attributes only apply when product_applicability is set to Specific products. All the attributes under this section are repeated fields with a limit up to 1,000 in XML/CSV.

The product filter attributes in the table below determine the products that apply for a promotion. When the same attribute is used more than once, the product must match at least one of the attributes for the filter to apply. When there are multiple filters, only the products that pass all filters are selected for the promotion. If a filter excludes a product and another filter includes the same product, the product will be excluded from the promotion.

Example:

For example, if you create a promotion for brand = “example1'” and product_type = “Tshirt”, the promotion will apply only to those products in the product feed that have brand =“example1” and product_type = “Tshirt”.

Alternatively, you can also link a product to a specific promotion by setting the promotion_id in the product feed.

Attribute	Format	Description
item_id	Syntax String Maximum length is 50 characters	The promotion only applies to products that match the item_id specified in this attribute. Note: The item_id attribute matches the id attribute in the products feed spec.
product_type	Syntax Unicode characters. Recommended: ASCII only. Maximum length is 750 characters. Case sensitive. Must match the product feed.	The promotion only applies to products that match the product type specified in this attribute.
brand	Syntax Unicode characters. Recommended: ASCII only. Maximum length is 70 characters. Case sensitive. Must match the product feed.	The promotion only applies to products that match the brand specified in this attribute.
item_group_id	Syntax String Maximum length is 50 characters Case sensitive. Must match the product feed.	This promotion applies to products that match the item_group in this attribute.
item_id_exclusion	Syntax String. One or more item IDs. Maximum length is 50 characters. Case sensitive. Must match the product feed.	Products with one of these item ids are excluded from the promotion.
product_type_exclusion	Syntax Unicode characters. Recommended: ASCII only. Maximum length is 70 characters. Case sensitive. Must match the product feed. Example Rings	Products with one of these product types are excluded from the promotion.
brand_exclusion	Syntax String. Maximum length is 50 characters. Case sensitive. Must match the product feed. Example Acme Products	Products with one of these brands are excluded from the promotion.
item_group_id_exclusion	Syntax String. Maximum length is 50 characters. Case sensitive. Must match the product feed.	Products with one of these item_group_id_exclusion are excluded from the promotion.

Promotion details

The following sections describe the different attributes you can use to create structured promotions, such as “Buy N, get M”.

• Preconditions are used to set up the requirements that must be met for the user to redeem the promotion
• Promotion categories determine the type of promotion
• Limits determine the restrictions you can apply to your promotions (for example, you can set a limit on the minimum price or quantity of eligible purchases required for a user to receive a promotion)

Preconditions

This attribute communicates the precondition (a minimum purchase amount) that a user needs to meet to redeem a promotion. It does not filter the products that are eligible for a promotion. To filter, use product filters.

For example, if you want to create:

• A “Free shipping with $50 purchase” promotion, set the minimum_purchase_amount to 50 USD.
  A “Free tote bag with $100 purchase” promotion, set the minimum_purchase_amount to 100 USD.

Attribute	Format	Description
minimum_purchase_amount	Optional Syntax Promotions feeds only support currencies of the specified locales. Example 20 USD	This attribute sets the minimum purchase amount for the promotion to be redeemed. For example, for X amount of purchases of the same product or a combination of products, the user will receive promotion Y.

Promotion categories

The table below shows the types of promotion categories. Specify a promotion category to create a structured promotion, such as a “Buy 1, get 1 free” promotion. Learn more about structured data attributes

You can associate only one promotion category with a promotion_id. You can further restrict a promotion category with limits. See Limits.

Attribute	Format	Description
percent_off	Optional Syntax Must be an integer Example 10	This attribute specifies the percentage discount offered in the promotion. For example, 10% off.
money_off_amount	Optional Syntax Must be a number and the currency Example 20.00 USD	This attribute specifies the discount amount. For example, $20.00 off.
get_this_quantity_discounted	Optional Syntax Must be an integer Example 2	This attribute specifies the number of items to which the promotion or discount applies For example, set this attribute to 1 for a “Buy 2, get 1 free” (100% off) promotion.
free_shipping	Optional Supported values Free shipping standard Free shipping overnight Free shipping standard	This attribute specifies the type of free shipping offered in the promotion.
free_gift_value	Optional Syntax Must be a number and specify currency Example 400.00 USD	This attribute specifies the monetary value of the free gift offered in the promotion.
free_gift_description	Optional Syntax String should not exceed 100 characters Example Free tote bag with $100 purchase.	This attribute is the description (but not the value) of any free gift offered in the promotion. Use the free_gift_item_id attribute instead when the product is in your product feed.
free_gift_item_id	Optional Syntax Unicode characters. Recommended: ASCII only Maximum length is 50 characters	This attribute specifies free gift if it is an item in your product feed. The item_id specified in this attribute is the product that the user will receive as free gift. The item_id should map to the ID from your product feed.

Limits

These attributes communicate the limits that a user needs to meet to redeem a promotion. Limits do not filter the products that are eligible for a promotion. To filter, use Product filters.

For example:

"Buy 1 get 1 free, up to 10 items" set limit_quantity to 10.

"10% off, up to order value $100", set limit_value to $100.

Attribute	Format	Description
limit_quantity	Optional Syntax Must be an integer Example 5	This attribute is used to communicate the maximum number of items that can be bought using this promotion.
limit_value	Optional Syntax Must be a number and specify currency. Example 50.00 USD	This attribute communicates the maximum item value allowed for this promotion.

Additional attributes

Attribute	Format	Description
promotion_display_dates	Optional Syntax Start date and end date are separated by a forward slash (/). The date format is (YYYY-MM-DD), followed by the letter ‘T’, the time of the day when the sale starts or ends, and by an expression of the time zone for the sale. Example If your promotion was valid from 3:00 a.m. on July 19, 2009 to 9:00 p.m. on July 26, 2009 EST (Eastern Standard Time), you would submit: 2009-07-19T03:00:00-05:00/2009-07-26T21:00:00-05:00 If your promotion was valid from 3:00 a.m. on July 19, 2009 to 9:00 p.m. on July 26, 2009 GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), you would submit: 2009-07-19T03:00:00+00:00/2009-07-26T21:00:00+00:00	Important: GMT is Greenwich Mean Time. -5 hours represents EST while -8 hours represents PST. Promotions have a 6- month limit (183 days). Daylight Savings: -4 hours represents EDT while -7 hours represents PDT. This attribute specifies the date and time frame when the promotion will be live on Google.com and Shopping ads. If the promotion_display_date attribute is not specified, the promotion_effective_dates determine the date and time frame when the promotion will be live on Google.com and Shopping ads. This optional attribute is supported by the regular Promotions feed only.
description	Optional Syntax String Maximum length is 2,500 characters	This attribute specifies the promotion description. The description is not shown to users
generic_redemption_code	Optional Syntax String Maximum length is 20 characters Example EXTRA20	This attribute specifies the code that users can use online to redeem the promotion. It is required if offer_type is Generic code. Note: All shipping promotions must include a valid redemption code. Free shipping promotions must include a valid coupon code that shoppers can manually apply. Otherwise, shipping will be treated as a service that is normally offered and must be specified in the product feed. If the promotion is offered for a specific duration, then the duration must also be reflected in the product feed. See promotions program policies for more information.
image_link	Optional Syntax The image_link must be a URL The linked image must be at least 200 x 200 pixels There is no required aspect ratio	This attribute is a link to an image that features the promotion or the promotional item.
fine_print	Optional Syntax String Maximum length is 500 characters.	This attribute is the text of any terms and conditions that apply to the promotion, such as restrictions and exclusions. The terms and conditions will be shown to the user along with generic_redemption_code.
promotion_price	Optional Syntax Must be a number and the currency. Example 15.00 USD	This attribute is the promotional sales price of an item or category (for example, a promotion in which all jeans are $50). The promotion price is available to users who enter a promotion code or meet the promotional requirements.

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Related links

• Best Practices: Setting up promotions