Anthony McGrath

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How to build and fix a Google Shopping product feed

Live guide · Checked 26 October 2026 · Updated 26 October 2026 · Checked every week against Google Merchant feed's own help pages

Create a clean product feed with a Google Sheet or file, schedule it to update, and use rules to fix titles and missing data.

Time
1 hour
You will need
  • Google Merchant Center already set up
  • Your product list (export from your store or a spreadsheet)
  • Product barcodes (GTINs) where you have them
Stuck?
Troubleshooting or ask me a question

Step by step

  1. Pick your feed method

    For a small range, use a Google Sheet. For a store, use the platform app (Shopify, WooCommerce). For larger catalogues, export a scheduled XML or CSV file from your system.

  2. Create a data source

    In Merchant Center, go to Settings > Data sources and click Add product source. Choose your method and name it clearly, for example "Main feed".

  3. Use the template

    If you chose Google Sheets, let Merchant Center create a sheet from a template. It adds the right column headers for you.

  4. Fill in the required columns

    Add these column headers: id, title, description, link, image_link, availability, price, brand, gtin, mpn, condition. Then fill in id, title, description, link, image_link, availability (in_stock or out_of_stock), price (for example 24.99 GBP), brand, gtin or mpn, and condition.

  5. Add the columns that help sales

    Add the extra column headers that help sales: product_type, google_product_category, color, size, gender, age_group, item_group_id, sale_price, additional_image_link. Use item_group_id to link variants.

  6. Schedule updates

    Set the source to fetch daily (or more often if stock changes fast) so prices and availability always match your site.

  7. Improve titles with rules

    Open the data source and add Attribute rules to rebuild titles, for example Brand + Product type + Colour + Size, without changing your website.

  8. Use supplemental feeds

    Add a supplemental source (a second sheet) to add or override data such as custom labels, without touching the main feed.

  9. Add custom labels

    Use custom_label_0 to custom_label_4 to group products by margin, best sellers or season, so you can bid differently in Google Ads.

  10. Check diagnostics weekly

    Review Products > Needs attention every week and fix warnings before they become disapprovals.

Tips from 22 years of doing this

  • The title and image matter more than anything else in a feed.
  • Never show a different price in the feed from the one on your website.
  • Exclude products that are out of stock for long periods.

Troubleshooting: questions and answers

The feed fetch is failing.

Open the data source to see the error. Common causes: the file address changed, the file is not public, or the column headers are misspelt. Headers must match Google's names exactly, for example image_link, not "Image link".

Variants are showing as separate products.

Give each variant its own id but the same item_group_id, and include the attributes that differ (color, size).

My titles were rewritten by Google.

Google sometimes changes titles that are too short or stuffed with keywords. Use the formula Brand + Product type + Key attribute, keep it under 150 characters and put the most important words first.

Official help pages

Want this done for you?

I have set these up for over 500 businesses in 22 years. If you would rather spend your time on the business, I can set it up properly, check your tracking and get it working for you.

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