Once approved to participate in Google Shopping Actions, you’ll need to create a product data feed.
This is virtually seamless if you’re already utilizing Google Shopping, as you can use your existing product data for Shopping ads. In fact, all of your existing Google Shopping products will be opted in by default—unless you manually exclude those products, which we’ll get to.
Regardless, creating a feed is a fairly straightforward (albeit dense) task.
If you don’t already have Google Shopping product data, you’ll want to consider all the possible fields you can assign to your products. Check out our Google Shopping Feed Specs Guide for the majority of what Google Shopping Actions will require for your products.
If you have an existing Shopping feed, you can use a supplemental feed to append attributes and their respective values.
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As for attributes unique to Shopping Actions, here’s what you need to know:
Google Shopping Actions Attributes
excluded_destination
Optional
Although optional, this attribute is required for any and all products you have on Google Shopping that you don’t want on Google Shopping Actions.
To exclude a product, use the excluded_destination attribute and set the value to “Shopping Actions.”
You’ll want to consider the types of items prohibited on Google Shopping Actions:
- Items on final sale
- Custom and personalized products
- Bundled service plans
- Used or refurbished products
- Digital goods
- Digital subscriptions
- Products that require in-store activation
- Products sold by marketplace sellers
For more information, review the Terms of Services in your Merchant Center account, the Shopping ads policies, and Google payments center content policies.
min_handling_time, max_handling_time
Required
To specify the number of business days between the time an order is placed and when that item leaves the warehouse, use these attributes. Google uses these, combined with the transit time specified in your shopping settings, to estimate delivery.
- Orders are considered late if they’re not shipping within the specified max handling time.
- The max handling time for all Shopping Actions products is 4 days (any products with a greater handling time will not be considered by Shopping Actions).
- For more information, refer to this article.
sell_on_google_quantity
Optional
Use this attribute to specify the number of individual SKUs available for Shopping Actions. If you provide an item-level value, Google updates the quantity available for purchase each time you sell an item.
- Every time you submit a new product feed, it overwrites previous submissions.
- If you can’t provide on-hand inventory for products, or choose to not limit quantity, Google uses the existing availability attribute in your Shopping ads data.
purchase_quantity_limit
Optional
This attribute specifies the limit on the number of items your customers can buy on their first order. Assign a whole number or leave it empty.
product_highlight
Optional
File formatExample Text feed “Knife Block Set Includes: 5-inch Forged Serrated Utility Knife, 8-inch Forged Chef’s Knife, and 9-inch Sharpening Steel”, New curved forged bolster for improved balance, Made in Spain
Use this attribute to provide short bulleted lists of the most relevant product highlights. This should provide shoppers with easily consumable information that answers common questions, or that focuses on the most important attributes of the product.
Format:
- Type: String (Unicode characters. Recommended: ASCII only)
- Limit: 1-150 characters (per highlight)
- Repeated field: Yes. Recommended 4-6, Minimum 2, Maximum of 10
For minimum requirements and best practices, refer to this article
product_detail
Optional
File format Example value Text feed General:Product Type:Digital player,General: Digital Player Type:Flash based,Display:Resolution:432 x 240,Display:Diagonal Size:”2.5”””
This attribute provides technical specifications or additional details. Use this to describe any aspect of the product not explicitly covered by other attributes. This attribute should provide shoppers with readable, structured data. It also helps Google surface individual products based on user queries.
Format:
- Type: String (Unicode characters. Recommended: ASCII only)
- Sub-attributes:
- Section name [section_name] (optional)
- Attribute name [attribute_name] (required)
- Attribute value [attribute_value] (required)
- Limits:
- Section name: up to 140 characters recommended
- Attribute name: up to 140 characters recommended
- Attribute value: up to 1,000 characters
- Repeated field: Yes, up to 1,000
For minimum requirements and best practices, refer to this article.
Shopping Actions diagnostics
Once your feed is set up, the Diagnostics section in Merchant Center offers Shopping Actions issue reporting. Learn more about Merchant Center diagnostics.
