The Google Product Category Attribute: How Do You Get it Right in 2025?

I still remember the early days of Google Shopping feeds, back when we had to manually dig through Google’s taxonomy to find the most suitable product category. It was a chore, but it mattered because Google demanded it.

Fast-forward to 2025, and the attribute is no longer strictly required in Merchant Center. Yet it remains relevant, especially if you want to take advantage of specific ad features, tax settings, or regulated product compliance.

Today, I want to simplify the Google Product Category attribute, explain exactly how it works in 2025, and show you how you can turn it into an advantage instead of an afterthought.

The Evolution of Google Product Category

Years ago, the Google Product Category was essential. Each feed submission involved checking official documentation so we’d get the category name just right.

After March 27, 2019, Google made it optional. That brought relief to many merchants, but it also created some uncertainty. Did this mean the category was suddenly unimportant?

Not exactly. While Google began auto-assigning categories if we didn’t provide them, the automated system was not always accurate.

Overriding Google’s choices became necessary for certain verticals, especially regulated ones like alcohol or tobacco. By 2022, many merchants learned that ignoring the category attribute might not ruin their campaigns, but using it thoughtfully could still improve performance.

Why the Attribute Still Matters in 2025

In 2025, the Google Product Category attribute stays in a gray area between optional and sometimes very valuable. On one hand, automated systems work better than before, but they still aren’t correct every time.

On the other hand, not using the category completely can mean missing opportunities if you have diverse product lines or rely on precise tax or compliance settings.

Where It Makes a Real Difference

1. Sales Tax Calculations in the US: Certain states have specific tax rules for different types of products. Choosing the right category ensures the proper tax is applied.
2. Vertical-Specific Requirements: For example, apparel has extra attributes like size, color, and gender. Labeling your product as apparel helps Google display these details.
3. Regulated Products: For alcohol or adult products, the category attribute helps Google correctly manage ads for these sensitive areas.
4. Category-Specific Campaigns: Some advertisers still structure campaigns or adjust bids by category. This approach can be useful for very targeted campaigns.

Carving Out a Clear Advantage

Here is a quick story to show the difference careful categorization can make. Last year, I worked with a niche electronics retailer. Their feed was well-organized except for their VR headsets.

Google was placing them in a general “Electronics” category because nothing more detailed was specified. A quick change to “Electronics > Video > Video Accessories > 3D Glasses” improved their VR ads’ click-through by about 8%. That single adjustment justified regularly reviewing all product categories.

Best Practices for 2025

I like to keep things simple. These recommendations are my core ideas:

1. Use the Most Specific Category: If you sell a specialized product, avoid generic terms like “Electronics.” Select the most detailed option in Google’s taxonomy so your listing is precise.
2. Prefer Numerical IDs Over Text Paths: Google might change text paths or localize them by region, but numeric IDs remain more constant.
3. Check Taxonomy Updates Regularly: Google updates its taxonomy periodically. If your product lines change or new subcategories appear, stay aware of those updates.
4. Manually Override Critical Products: If you see that Google’s auto-assignment is too broad or misses the mark, make the necessary adjustments yourself.

A single category mistake probably won’t ruin your campaign, but a series of small errors across many products can weaken performance.

Keeping up with these best practices helps ensure your product listings get the attention they deserve.

When Overreliance Can Hurt

Some new advertisers expect great results from the category attribute by itself. In reality, the category is only one element of a successful Shopping campaign.

The Product Type—the internal categorization you provide—is often more important for structuring and bidding. You can use custom labels or break down product groups based on that attribute, giving you more control over your campaign strategy.

In other words:

• Google Product Category = Google’s official taxonomy.
• Product Type = Your custom system that highlights your business’s unique classification.

Keep using Google’s categories for compliance and specific ad features, but avoid depending solely on them.

Combining Category and Product Type

The best results often come when these two attributes work together. Google might still auto-categorize your products if you leave the category blank, but pairing a carefully selected Google Product Category with a well-planned Product Type creates extra clarity.

This combination helps the algorithm decide when and where to show your product ads. It also makes it easier for you to organize your feed in Merchant Center.

Sometimes, you can let Google’s auto-assignment handle broader items that do not require detailed classification. In those cases, you might simply add your own product types and rely on auto-categorization for the rest.

However, for your top-selling products—especially in areas where detail matters—manually specifying the right categories can help improve performance.

A Quick Comparison Table

For a brief look at the differences between broad and specific category usage, consider this table:

Note: The numerical IDs shown are examples and may not be the exact current IDs in 2025—always check Google’s latest taxonomy list.

Implementation Strategies

Here are two practical ways to create a strong category framework:

1. Hierarchical Classification

For many retailers with diverse catalogs, a five-level hierarchy works well. For example, consider wireless headphones:

• Level 1: Electronics
• Level 2: Audio Devices
• Level 3: Headphones
• Level 4: Wireless Headphones
• Level 5: Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones

This structure usually appears in your Product Type attribute. Then you can map the final sub-category or the entire path to the correct numeric ID in the Google Product Category, keeping them coordinated yet distinct.

And what does that look like in practice? Well that depends on whether you are writing in a text feed or XML feed.

For text feeds an example would looke like this:

Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Dresses

For XML feeds it would look like this:

<g:google_product_category>Apparel &amp; Accessories &gt; Apparel &gt; Dresses</g:google_product_category>

If you dont have it yet, getting these written and inserted into a feed can be very tiresome, luckily there are feed optimization tools out there that can do this for you in. minutes- ours being one of them.

2. Hybrid Manual/Automatic Assignment

For very large catalogs, manually classifying each product can require too much time. Hybrid approaches work best in those cases.

Set rules in your feed management tool to automatically assign a broad category, then manually adjust key SKUs that contribute most to your revenue. This method balances effort with the benefits of precise categorization.

Tax and Compliance

Sales tax compliance remains a challenging issue in the United States. Some product categories, like food or children’s clothing, have special tax rates in certain states.

Relying solely on Google’s automatic categorization may lead to general classifications, which can result in charging too much or too little tax for customers in specific regions.

There is also the matter of regulated or restricted products. For example, if you sell alcohol, Google requires certain advertising disclaimers, location restrictions, and age-targeting measures.

Choosing the correct category helps the system display your ads only where allowed. It can be the difference between proper compliance management and experiencing ad disapprovals or limited visibility.

Real-Life Example: Unintended Comedy

A colleague once mentioned listing a children’s toy that came with a small battery. Google’s automated system mistakenly categorized it under “Adult Toys” because the brand name contained the word “toy” in an unexpected context.

As a result, the ad approvals became unusual, and it took several days to pinpoint the issue. A quick manual adjustment to “Toys & Games > Toys” fixed the problem immediately.

This story might bring a smile, but misclassification can seriously impact impressions, conversions, and brand trust. Making sure your categories are accurate helps prevent later complications.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Some common mistakes include:

• Forgetting to review your categories regularly. As your product offerings change, your category selections may no longer match your current SKUs.
• Choosing overly broad categories in the hope that the system will figure out the details. That approach weakens the connection between your product and its target audience.
• Overlooking the intricacies of tax rules. If your range includes items in different tax groups and you rely only on auto-categorization, you might face compliance problems.
• Depending exclusively on Google Product Category to segment campaigns. This can limit your ability to optimize by other important factors like brand or profit margin.

Building Category Authority

Another factor in 2025 is that Google increasingly checks your feed data against your site’s organization. When your on-site SEO, product groups, and category landing pages match your feed data, it establishes stronger category relevance.

This benefits both your paid ads and your organic Shopping placements.

• Create detailed category pages that clearly define each grouping.
• Use rich product schemas to better structure the data around your products and categories.
• Maintain consistency between your site descriptions and your feed. For example, if your site specifies “Men’s Athletic Shoes” but your Shopping feed simply claims “Footwear,” the mismatch can reduce effectiveness.

My Recommendations for New Advertisers

For those who are new to Shopping ads, here are several starting points:

1. Download the latest Google Taxonomy to become familiar with the available categories and numeric IDs.
2. Manually categorize your top 20% of products—focus on your bestsellers or items with high margins where careful detailing can improve returns.
3. Check items that require regulatory compliance to ensure they are in the correct categories and avoid ad disapprovals.
4. Sync your website structure with your Product Type so your feed matches your online store organization.
5. Regularly review Merchant Center notifications and performance data to catch any classification issues early.