How to Set Up Google Shopping Feed in Shopify (2025)

With Google moving towards a more AI-based and shopping-friendly search results page (SERP), having your products listed is essential to stay competitive.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what a Google Shopping feed is, how free listings work across various Google platforms, and how to integrate your Shopify products into Google Merchant Center.

What Is a Google Shopping Feed?

A Google Shopping feed is essentially a file or data source that contains detailed information about your products, such as title, description, price, and images that is sent to Google Merchant Center. Once Google has this information, it can display your products across the Google ecosystem, including:

The feed enables seamless synchronization between your Shopify store and Google, making sure that potential customers see accurate and up-to-date product information wherever Google decides to display it.

Free Listings Across Google

In 2020, Google rolled out free listings to complement paid ads. This means you can showcase your products for free in certain areas, allowing smaller businesses and those with tighter budgets to remain competitive. Here’s a brief overview of where free listings can appear:

1. Google Search Results: Free listings can appear as product cards or in a "Shopping" section when users search for items. For example, searching for "black backpack" might display various options with prices and images directly in the search results.
2. Google Shopping Tab: When users compare products or browse categories, free listings appear alongside paid ads. If someone searches for "lightweight backpack under $100," your products might be displayed with details, even without paying for an ad.
3. Google Images: Your product images can show up in Google Images searches, leading users directly to your store’s product pages.
4. Google Maps and Business Profiles: Free listings help customers discover available products in nearby stores. For instance, searching for "camping gear near me" might show your products on Google Maps.
5. YouTube and Google Lens: Google includes product details in video and visual searches, increasing your products' visibility if you keep your product information updated.

The overall benefit? Even without paying for ads, you get the opportunity to reach a broader audience and drive more traffic to your Shopify store.

How to Set Up Google Shopping in Shopify

Below is an extensive guide on how to set up a Google Shopping feed in Shopify.

1. What You Need Before You Start

1. A Shopify Store: Make sure your store is up and running and that you're on a paid Shopify plan (Basic or higher).
2. Google Account: You'll need a Google account to use Merchant Center, Google Ads, and Analytics.
3. Google Merchant Center: Set up a Google Merchant Center account or be ready to create one.
4. Updated Product Listings: Double-check that your product titles, descriptions, images, and prices are correct and follow Google’s rules, more on this in the 4th step.

2. Install the Google & YouTube App

Shopify has an app called "Google & YouTube" that makes it easier to sync your products with Google Merchant Center. Here’s how to get it:

1. Visit the Shopify App Store: Look for "Google & YouTube" (some might still call it "Google Channel").
2. Install the App: Click on “Add app” and follow the steps to install it.
3. Link Your Google Account: Sign in with your Google account. Use the same email you’ll use for Merchant Center.

3. Set Up Your Merchant Center

After installing the app, you’ll need to set up your Shopify store to work with Google Merchant Center:

1. Create or Link Your Merchant Center Account: If you have a Merchant Center account, sign in and connect it. If not, create a new one through the app.
2. Verify and Claim Your Domain: Google needs to know you own your website. The app usually does this for you, but check that your domain is marked as “Verified” and “Claimed” in Merchant Center.
3. Set Shipping and Tax Details: Enter your shipping options (like flat rate or free shipping) and tax info. These should match what you offer in your Shopify store.

4. Set Up Your Product Feed

Now that you’re connected to Merchant Center, decide how your product info will sync:

1. Choose Products to Sync: Decide if you want to sync all products or just certain collections. This is useful if you want to test specific items first.
2. Improve Product Info: Make sure your product titles, descriptions, images, and options meet Google’s rules. Use relevant keywords naturally to help your products show up in searches.
3. Set Product Categories: Google tries to categorize your products automatically, but you can choose more specific categories to make it more accurate.
4. High-Quality Images: Use crisp, clear, and background-free images to perform better and drive more clicks.
5. Structured Data Markup: Ensure your Shopify theme is updated to include structured data so Google can accurately parse your product details.

Check out all of the required attributes along with more insight on what your product feed should include in Google guide for free listings.

Here are all of the required attributes products should have to be shown in the Google Shopping feed:

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If you are unsure of what this will look like in a product feed file, see these Google product feed examples.

5. Check Your Products in Merchant Center

Google Merchant Center shows all products that require action, whether that would be invalid pricing, or other things that would be wrong with a certain product.

6. Keep an Eye on Performance

1. Use Merchant Center’s Performance Dashboard: Check out impressions, clicks, and conversions for your free listings.
2. Google Analytics / GA4 Integration: Track how much traffic your free listings bring to your Shopify store and see how many sales they generate.
3. Try Different Titles & Descriptions: Small changes to product titles, like adding keywords or rearranging words, can affect how Google ranks your listings.
4. Think About Paid Shopping Campaigns: Once your free listings are set, you might want to try paid ads for more exposure.
5. Consistent Branding: Keep your branding consistent across your Shopify store and Google Merchant Center to instill trust in shoppers.
6. Regular Feed Updates: Automate your feed so that whenever product details (e.g., price, availability) change in Shopify, it’s immediately reflected in Merchant Center.
7. Check Competitor Pricing: If your prices are significantly higher, you may struggle to compete. Conduct regular market research to stay competitive.

7. Setup Supplemental Feeds

If you make sure that you do not drown in the amount of products that are displaying on Google shopping, make sure that you have the optimal amount of attributes.

FeedSEO helps you automatically create supplemental feeds based on your primary feed, and automattically creates a new file with all of your products, with correct formatting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the most asked questions about Google Shopping feed in Shopify

Are free listings available worldwide?

Google’s free listings are widely available in many countries, but coverage may vary. Always check Google’s official documentation for the most up-to-date list of supported regions.

Do I need a separate app to create the product feed for Google Shopping?

In most cases, the Google & YouTube (formerly Google Shopping) app in Shopify is sufficient. However, you may use third-party feed apps for more customization or advanced reporting.

How do I track the performance of free listings specifically?

Simply go to overview anc click on “see more” on the graph that you wish to get more information on, this will give an in-depth look into the traction that your products are getting.

Can I run paid campaigns and still have free listings?

Absolutely. In fact, many merchants find that using both free listings and paid campaigns increases their overall visibility and drives more traffic.

How often should I update my product feed?

Your product feed should update automatically whenever you change product details in Shopify. Still, it’s good practice to review your feed at least weekly, especially if you frequently add or remove products.