Use the product type
[product_type] attribute to include your own product categorization system in your product data. Unlike the Google product category [google_product_category] attribute, which uses a collection of predefined categories, you choose which value to include for product type. The values you submit can be used to organize the bidding and reporting in your Google Ads Shopping campaign.When to use
- Optional for each product
Format
Follow these formatting guidelines to make sure Google understands the data you're submitting.
| Type |
String (Unicode characters. Recommended: ASCII only) |
|---|---|
| Limits | 0 - 750 characters |
| Repeated field | Submit up to 5 times, but keep in mind that only the first value will be used to organize bidding and reporting in Google Ads Shopping campaigns. Separate multiple different product types with a comma (,). Do not use a comma (,) within an individual product type value, since Google will interpret this as a separation of different product types. (For example, if you submit "House, Garden & Kitchen", the value "House" is interpreted as a separate product type from "Garden & Kitchen".) |
| File format | Example value |
|---|---|
| Text feeds |
|
| XML feeds | <g:product_type>Home > Women > Dresses > Maxi Dresses</g:product_type> |
To format your data for Content API, see the Content API for Shopping.
Minimum requirements
These are the requirements you'll need to meet to show your product. If you don't follow these requirements, we'll disapprove your product and let you know in the Diagnostics page in your Merchant Center account.
- There are no minimum requirements for this attribute. Keep in mind that you still need to follow the formatting guidelines or the information you submit can't be used.
Best practices
These best practices can help you go beyond the basic requirements to optimize your product data for performance.
- Use
>to separate multiple levels in a category. Also, include a space before and after the > symbol. For example: Home > Women > Dresses > Maxi Dresses. - Submit this attribute for products used in any campaign type. When you submit a product type, we can better understand what you're selling, and when we understand what you're selling, we can help connect users with your products. Plus, you can also use the values you submit to organize your Shopping campaign by values of your own choosing.
- If you use product type to organize your bidding and reporting in Google Ads, we recommend that you submit only 1 value. (If you submit more than one value, only the first value will be used.) Learn about managing your product groups with product type
- If your own product categorization includes multiple levels, include all the levels. For example, if your products belong in "Maxi Dresses", list the full string: Home > Women > Dresses > Maxi Dresses.
- Use the full “breadcrumb” information. Wherever possible, we recommend you include more granular categories as it classifies your product more precisely. For example, "Books > Non-Fiction > Sports > Baseball" is better than "Baseball". Learn more about using product type to organize your Shopping campaigns
- It's OK to provide the same value for the Google product category
[google_product_category]attribute and the product type[product_type]attribute, but that value must be a supported Google product category.
Examples
Product type with multiple levels
| Product data for a maxi dress | |
| Attribute | Value |
Product type [product_type] |
Home > Women > Dresses > Maxi Dresses |
| Product data for a Google Pixel 3 | |
| Attribute | Value |
Product type [product_type] |
Product > Mobile Phones > Android |
| Product data for an SLR Camera Lens | |
| Attribute | Value |
Product type [product_type] |
Home > Photography > Lenses > SLR Lenses |