Use the
title [title] attribute to clearly identify the product that you're selling. The title is one of the most prominent parts of your ad or free listing. A specific and accurate title will help us show your product to the right users.
When to use
Required for each product
Format
Follow these formatting guidelines to make sure that we understand the data that you're submitting.
| Type | String (Unicode characters. Recommended: ASCII only) |
|---|---|
| Limits | 1–150 characters |
| Repeated field | No |
| Schema.org property (What's this?) |
Product.name, Type: Text |
| File format | Example value |
|---|---|
| Text feeds | Google Organic Cotton Men's T-Shirt - Blue - M |
| XML feeds | <g:title>Google Organic Cotton Men's T-Shirt - Blue - M</g:title> |
To format your data for Content API, have a look at the Content API for Shopping.
Guidelines
Follow these guidelines to make sure that you submit high-quality data for your products.
Minimum requirements
These are the requirements that 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 on the Diagnostics page of your Merchant Center account.
Note: If your title does not fit within the maximum character limit, Google will truncate it to fit. You will receive a warning indicating that the title has been truncated.
- Use a relevant title that clearly describes your product.
- Describe the product shown on your landing page. Make sure that your title describes the product that you're linking to.
- Distinguish between variants.
- Add the distinguishing details of each variant to the title. For example, Google T-Shirt, Red. Don’t forget to submit these details also through the appropriate attributes such as
color [color],size [size], orage_group [age_group]. For product design elements that don’t have a corresponding attribute, such as flavour, add them to the title. - Be specific. The more specific you are with your title, the easier it is for users to identify the correct product and any of its possible variants on your landing page. For example, you are selling curtains and have listed 7 different curtains on your landing page, all distinguished by different sizes and colours. Users need a simple way to quickly identify the product that they were looking at initially. A specific title can help with that.
- Add the distinguishing details of each variant to the title. For example, Google T-Shirt, Red. Don’t forget to submit these details also through the appropriate attributes such as
- Use professional and grammatically correct language. Correct grammar is easier to understand and gives you a more professional appearance, which can lead to more clicks. Also avoid gimmicky ways of drawing attention such as all caps, symbols, HTML tags and promotional text. Learn more about the editorial and professional requirements
- Don't use words from foreign languages unless they're well understood, such as a product with a foreign name or title.
- For example, sushi is a word well understood outside of Japan.
- Write foreign words using the alphabet of your target language. For example, avoid Japanese characters when targeting the United States. Letters with accents, like 'Les Clés' are allowed.
- Don't use foreign characters for gimmicky purposes. This technique is common in spam and untrustworthy ads. For example: (ಠ_ಠ)
- Don't use capital letters for emphasis. Capitalised text is common in spam and untrustworthy ads. You should still use capitalisation when it's appropriate, including for abbreviations, phone numbers, countries and currency. For example, ADHD, UNICEF, 1-555-CALL-NOW, UK and USD.
- Don't include promotional text. Don't add information such as price, sale price, sale dates, delivery, delivery date, other time-related information, or your company's name. Include this information with the other attributes such as sale price or delivery.
- Don't use extra white spaces. Instead, use those characters in a more effective way to describe your product.
Best practices
These best practices can help you go beyond the basic requirements to optimise your product data for performance.
- Use all 150 characters. Your title will be used to match your product to a user's search. Include the important details that define your product.
- Put the most important details first. Users will usually see only the first 70 or fewer characters of your title, depending on screen size.
- Use keywords. Keywords will help connect your product with a user's search and help the user recognise what you're selling. Your keywords could include these types of product details:
- Product Name
- Brand
- Specific details about the product area such as 'maternity' for clothing or 'waterproof' for mascara
Additional guidelines
Review each section closely to determine whether the requirements apply to your country or product. If you don't follow requirements that apply to you, we'll disapprove your product and let you know in Diagnostics in your Merchant Center account.
Russia only
- Add the age rating to the beginning of the title for information products such as books, printed media, digital media and products that include age-restricted information. Use one of these age ratings:
- 18+
- 16+
- 12+
- 6+
- 0+
- Follow this format when adding the age rating: '(age rating)' + 'title of your product'
For example: (18+) Братья Карамазовы
Mobile phone or tablet with a contract
The title that you submit depends on the type, condition and manufacturer of the third party product that you're selling. Learn more about requirements for compatible or refurbished third-party products
- Explain in your title that your product requires a contract of a certain duration. For example, include phrases such as:
- with contract, 12 monthly payments
- with plan, 24 monthly payments
- with subscription, 18 monthly payments
Printer cartridges
The title that you submit depends on the type, condition and manufacturer of the printer cartridge that you are selling.
Learn more about requirements for printer cartridges
Learn more about requirements for printer cartridges
Compatible or refurbished third-party products
The title that you submit depends on the type, condition and manufacturer of the third party product that you're selling. Learn more about requirements for compatible or refurbished third-party products
US only – Mobile phone or tablet with instalment plans
- Explain in your title that your product requires an instalment plan of a certain duration. For example, include phrases such as:
- with 12 monthly payments
- with 10 monthly instalments
Customised goods
- Include a description of the product's customisation details. For example, if a product can be engraved with text, add that information to the title. Learn more about requirements for customised products
Product Samples
If the product you want to show is sold only in bulk quantities, but you also allow people to purchase samples individually, you can show the sample instead of the bulk quantity. To do so, submit the price of the sample in the feed and begin the title with sample.
Merchant-defined bundles and multipacks
- Describe the entire product bundle or multipack. For example, for a bundle, you might include a description of everything sold together with the main product. For a multipack, you might include information about how many products are sold together.
Software subscriptions
- Include the word 'subscription' and the subscription duration in the title for software subscriptions. For example, for a product with a one-year subscription, you might submit: Google Chrome (one-year subscription). Learn more about software subscription requirements
Examples
Relevant title
Make sure your title describes the product on your landing page.
| Product | Google shoes |
title [title] |
Original Google shoes, mens, size 8, blue and orange |
Mobile phones
| Product | Google Nexus 6 |
title [title] |
Google Nexus 6 - 32 GB - Midnight Blue - unlocked |
| Product | Google Nexus 6 |
title [title] |
Google Nexus 6 - 32 GB - Midnight Blue |
Products without variants
| Product | Android Squishable |
title [title] |
15" Android Squishable Organic Cotton |
Product with variants
| Product | Skater dress in black, green |
size [size] |
S |
color [colour] |
Black |
title [title] |
Sleeveless Polka Dot Skater Dress, Small, Black |
| Product | Skater dress in black, green |
size [size] |
S |
color [colour] |
Green |
title [title] |
Sleeveless Polka Dot Skater Dress, Small, Green |
| Product | Skater dress in black, green |
size [size] |
M |
color [colour] |
Black |
title [title] |
Sleeveless Polka Dot Skater Dress, Medium, Black |
| Product | Skater dress in black, green |
size [size] |
M |
color [colour] |
Green |
title [title] |
Sleeveless Polka Dot Skater Dress, Medium, Green |
| Product | Skater dress in black, green |
size [size] |
L |
color [colour] |
Black |
title [title] |
Sleeveless Polka Dot Skater Dress, Large, Black |
| Product | Skater dress in black, green |
size [size] |
L |
color [colour] |
Green |
title [title] |
Sleeveless Polka Dot Skater Dress, Large, Green |
Products with unsupported variants
Sometimes the distinguishing detail for a group of variant products doesn’t have a corresponding attribute. You can still add details about these variants to your title. For example, flavour doesn't have an attribute, but you can still add these details to the title.
| Product | Chocolate |
title [title] |
Organic milk chocolate |
| Product | Chocolate |
title [title] |
Organic dark chocolate |
Software subscription
When advertising a software subscription, make sure to include the word 'subscription' and the subscription duration in the title [title].
| Product | Google Software |
title [title] |
Google Software - 1-year subscription |
google_product_category [google_product_category] |
Software > Computer Software |
Bundles
| Product | Merchant-defined bundle containing camera, lens and bag |
title [title] |
Camera - black + 18-55 mm lens and blue bag |
is_bundle [is_bundle] |
more |