You’ve opened Google Merchant Center and you can see an empty product list. The menu keeps talking about “data sources” when every guide you’ve read says “feed”. This guide is for store owners and marketers who need to get products into their account for the first time. By the end, you’ll know what a Google Merchant Center feed is, which method to use to add products, which attributes are required and how often your data gets refreshed.
A Google Merchant Center feed is your product data (titles, prices, images, stock status and so on) sent to Google in a structured form. Google now calls feeds “data sources”[5]. You create one under Settings, then Data sources[2]. You then choose how the products arrive: from your store, a platform, a file, a Google Sheet, by hand or through the Merchant API[5].
Good to know
This guide covers the basics for getting started. It sticks to what Google’s own help pages say and flags where something is a limit of the method rather than a recommendation.
What a Google Merchant Center product feed actually is
Think of it as a spreadsheet Google reads. Each row is a product. Each column is an attribute, which is simply a named piece of information such as price or availability. Google relies on those values when it shows your products.
The words “feed”, “product feed” and “data feed” all mean the same thing in everyday use. In the current interface the container is a data source and the data inside it is your product data. If an older tutorial tells you to “add a feed”, look for “Add product source” instead[2][5].
Why does this matter? Because the feed is the single point where your store and Google agree on facts. If the price in the feed differs from the price on the page, that mismatch can cause errors. If you want to see how those errors look and how to fix them, read the guide to fixing products not showing in Google Shopping at https://oxfordimpulse.com/fix-products-not-showing-google-shopping/ after you’ve finished your setup.
Step 1: Understand the six ways to add products
Google lists six routes for getting products in[5]:
- From your online store (the website method)
- From an e-commerce platform
- With a .txt, .xml or .tsv file
- With a Google Sheets template
- One by one, manually
- With the Merchant API
Which one should you pick? A simple rule: choose the method that keeps your data fresh without you having to remember anything. A connection that updates itself beats a file you export on Fridays.
E-commerce platform connection
If your store runs on an e-commerce platform such as Shopify or WooCommerce, start here. The platform sends product changes to Merchant Center for you. Google notes that changes made on a platform can take 24 to 48 hours to appear[1]. Plan for that delay when you change a price or mark something out of stock.
Your online store (website method)
Google can pull product information from your site[5]. It’s a gentle way in if you have no platform integration. One limit to know: the automatic website method isn’t compatible with local inventory ads or free local listings[1]. If you sell in a physical shop and want those, choose another route.
Files: .txt, .tsv and .xml
This is the classic Google Merchant Center XML feed route. It suits larger catalogues or custom-built stores. Google accepts .txt (tab-delimited) or .tsv files as well as .xml, for example RSS 2.0 or Atom 1.0[4]. A single file can be up to 4 GB[4]. Stick to those formats: if your spreadsheet tool offers comma-separated or tab-delimited export, choose tab-delimited.
If you host the file on your server, Google fetches it every 24 hours[1]. That means a stock change you make at 9am may not reach Google until the next fetch. If your stock moves fast, this is the weak point to watch.
Google Sheets template
Good for small catalogues. You fill in a Google Merchant Center feed template as a spreadsheet. The data syncs every 24 hours[1]. It’s easy to understand and easy to break. One accidentally deleted column header can wipe out a whole attribute, so keep a locked copy of the headers.
Adding products one by one
This is only available for accounts with existing offers[1]. For a brand-new account you’ll need another method first. Even afterwards, manual entry suits a handful of products rather than a catalogue.
Merchant API
The API option needs technical knowledge[2]. It suits stores with a developer who can build and maintain the connection. If that isn’t you, skip it for now.
Step 2: Create your data source
- Sign in to Google Merchant Center.
- Click the Settings icon (the gear) and choose Data sources.
- Open the Primary sources tab.
- Click Add product source.
- Choose how you want to add products (store, platform, file, Sheets, API).
- Fill in the settings Google asks for, then confirm.
That path comes straight from Google’s instructions for creating a product data source[2].
The settings you’ll be asked for
Each source has target countries, a language, a data source label and a marketing method[2]. The marketing method sets how your products can be shown to shoppers. Pick the countries and language that match the shoppers and the pages you’re sending them to. If your page is in English and priced in pounds, don’t set the source to another language.
The label is just a name for you. Make it say what the source is, like “UK main catalogue file”, so you can spot it six months from now.
Good to know
Supplemental sources, which add data on top of a primary one, need the Advanced data source management add-on[2]. You don’t need one to begin.
Step 3: Fill in the required attributes
The product data specification is the master list of what Google expects[3]. These attributes are required for every product:
- id: a unique identifier for each product
- title: the product name
- description: a text description
- link: the product page URL
- image_link: the main image URL
- availability: whether it’s in stock
- price: the price with currency
On top of those[3]:
- brand is required for all new products except movies, books and music.
- condition is required if the product is used or refurbished.
- item_group_id is required for variants (different sizes or colours of one product) in the UK, US, France, Germany and some other countries.
Notice what’s not on the list: a sale price. It’s optional. Don’t hold up your launch looking for one.
Watch out
“required” is the minimum Google asks for. It doesn’t mean the product will perform well. Descriptive titles and clear images can help people find you, but those are quality choices rather than the minimum.
Step 4: Build the file if you’re using one
If you chose the file route, Google’s guide to creating a product file for Merchant Center is the place to check your structure[4]. A few practical points:
- Use a supported format: .xml or a tab-delimited .txt or .tsv file[4].
- Put the attribute names in the first row exactly as Google spells them, for example “image_link” and not “image link”.
- Keep one row per product (one item per product in XML).
- Keep the file within 4 GB[4].
- Either upload it directly or host it at a stable URL so Google can fetch it[1].
One easy mistake is a spreadsheet that looks right but saves with the wrong separator. Open the saved file in a plain text editor before you upload it. If you see commas where tabs should be, export again.
Step 5: Keep it fresh
A feed isn’t a one-off. Here’s what Google says about refresh timing:
- Hosted files are fetched every 24 hours[1].
- Google Sheets sync every 24 hours[1].
- Platform changes may take 24 to 48 hours[1].
There’s also an expiry. Products expire 30 days after the last refresh[6]. If your source stops updating because a connection broke or a file stopped regenerating, your products will eventually drop out. Put a weekly reminder in your calendar to open Data sources and check that each source is still updating.
Fix the source, not the symptom. If a price is wrong in Merchant Center, change it where it comes from (your platform or your file) rather than in a one-off manual edit that the next update may overwrite.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Picking the wrong country or language. Check both before saving, since they should match your landing pages.
- Leaving the currency off prices. Check the price format in the product data specification[3].
- Leaving out item_group_id on variants. In the countries listed above, variants need it[3].
- Expecting instant updates. With a 24-hour fetch, a price change won’t appear in minutes[1].
- Uploading a format Google doesn’t list. Stick to .txt, .tsv or .xml[4].
- Forgetting the 30-day expiry. A silent sync failure can cost you listings[6].
Pre-submission checklist
Start with the method that updates itself, add your required attributes, then check within a few days that your data source has updated. If you’d like help with setup or ongoing feed management, see https://oxfordimpulse.com/google-merchant-center/ for how Oxford Impulse can help.
FAQs
What is a Google Merchant Center feed?
It’s a structured list of your products and their details that Google reads. It now goes by the name data source in Merchant Center[5]. Each product has attributes such as price, title and availability.
Are feeds and data sources the same thing?
Yes, in practice. Google’s help page says data source was previously known as feeds[5]. If you see older guides talking about feeds, they mean the same thing.
How do I create a product data source in Google Merchant Center?
Click the Settings gear, choose Data sources, open the Primary sources tab and click Add product source[2]. Then pick how you want to add products and complete the settings.
What file formats does Google Merchant Center accept?
You can use .txt (tab-delimited) or .tsv files as well as .xml such as RSS 2.0 or Atom 1.0[4]. If your spreadsheet tool offers comma-separated or tab-delimited export, choose tab-delimited.
How big can a product file be?
A single file can be up to 4 GB[4]. Check your file size before you upload, especially if you have a large catalogue.
Which attributes are required in a Google Merchant Center product feed?
How often does Google update my product data?
Why did my products disappear from Merchant Center?
One possible cause is expiry: products expire 30 days after the last refresh[6]. Open Data sources and check that your source is still updating.
Can I add products manually?
Yes, but only for accounts with existing offers[1]. A brand-new account needs another method first. Manual entry also isn’t practical beyond a few items.
Do I need a developer to create a feed?
Not necessarily. The Merchant API option requires technical knowledge[2], but you can start with a platform connection, a Google Sheets template or a simple file instead.
Sources
- Google Merchant Center Help: How to upload your products to Merchant Center support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: Create a product data source support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: Product data specification support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: Create a product file for Merchant Center support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: Data source (previously known as Feeds) support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: Expiration date [expiration_date] support.google.com
