What is a Google Shopping Feed?
A Google Shopping feed is a structured data file submitted to Google Merchant Center containing your product catalog information, used to create Shopping ads and free product listings.
Required Fields
Google requires: id, title, description, link, image_link, availability, price, brand, gtin (or mpn), and condition. Missing any required field causes product disapproval.
Feed Formats
- XML (Atom): Most common, supports all attributes, preferred by Google
- CSV/TSV: Simpler but limited attribute support
- Google Sheets: Small catalogs only (under 1,000 products)
- Content API: Real-time updates for large catalogs
Optimization Tips
Title format: [Brand] [Product Type] [Key Attribute] [Color/Size]. Include the primary keyword in the first 70 characters. Use supplemental feeds to add optimized content without replacing your primary feed. Monitor disapproval reports weekly.