What do I need to get started with Google Merchant Center?

You’ll need a Google Account (like Gmail) to sign up. Then go to Merchant Center to tell us about your business, choose where your customers will check out (on your website, on Google, or at your local store), and add your products. Our beginner’s guide to Merchant Center can teach you more about getting started. You’ll learn how to submit your products and manage how they show across Google.

How can I use Merchant Center to add my products to Google for free?

Listing for free allows you to add products to Google, for free, and reach customers who are looking for products like yours. Free listings vary based on data requirements. For example, enhanced listings on the Shopping tab require more product data and require you to comply with both policies for free listings and Shopping ads. Create a Merchant Center account to start adding your products to Google. You’ll need a Google Account (like Gmail) to sign up.

How can I promote my products with Merchant Center?

First, you’ll need to upload your product data to Google Merchant Center , so shoppers can see your inventory. Next, link your Google Merchant Center and Google Ads accounts, then create your product advertising campaign. Decide on a monthly cap for your budget, and then you’re all set. You’ll pay when people click through to your site or view your inventory.

Merchant Center: Promote products online

How it works
Where your products appear
Link your online shop
FAQ

How Merchant Center works

If you're on an e-commerce platform, like Shopify or BigCommerce, you can connect your shop to automatically add your products. You can also upload a spreadsheet or add items one by one.

Your products can appear across Google websites and apps like Search, Maps, YouTube and more when customers search for your product offerings or directly for your business.

When someone clicks, Google sends them to the product's page on your website. If you have a physical shop, you can direct customers there instead.

Your product offerings can appear across the Google ecosystem – for free

Running shoe listings containing a product photo, product information, and ratings at the top of the Google Search Results Page. Shown on a smartphone

Running shoe listings containing a product photo and product information below a shoe store on Google Maps. Shown on a smartphone

Running shoe ads containing a product photo, product information, and ratings below a YouTube video. Shown on a laptop

On their smartphone, a user has searched for running shoes on Google Images. Running shoe listings appear at the top of the results page. Listings contain a product photo, product information, and the number of stores selling the product.

List your products on Google straight from your
e-commerce
solution

You can automatically add your products to Google when you link your e-commerce shop to Merchant Center. Plus, any future changes that you make to products are automatically synced to Google.

Not on one of our partner e-commerce providers? No problem, you can upload a file or spreadsheet or enter individual products instead.

500,000+ online businesses use Google Merchant Center

400% growth in online shopping revenue

Free listings is a great addition to the impact that Google's retail ads and commerce solutions have made to our e-commerce growth this past year.

Connor Sheridan, Strategist, Tinuiti

5% increase in revenue

We've been using Shopping ads for eight years to connect meaningfully with our audience. Supplementing our existing campaigns with free listings was key to lifting our visibility during a time when consumers were increasingly shopping online.

Marcus Regan, Marketing Manager, Woodland Direct

35k lift in Free Clicks

Adding free listings to our marketing mix was easy and painless. Combined with Shopping ads, we are now able to reach and service even more customers at a time when overall demand in online retail is high.

Alex Wargo, Director of Digital Marketing, Sharper Image

When you're ready, boost your sales with paid ads

Promote your products to reach more customers. Advertising on Google lets you promote your online and local inventory to increase traffic to your site or local shop. The best part? You only pay when someone clicks on your ad and visits your shop.

Frequently asked questions

Is it really free?

Yes. You can show your products and shop on Google for free, just like you can show your website in Google search results at no cost.

When you're ready, you can supplement your free listings with paid advertising. Paid product ads show up more prominently and can reach even more potential customers. With Google Ads, you choose the goals that you want to achieve and you'll never pay more than your monthly budget cap.

What do I need to sign up to Merchant Center?

You need to be a retailer selling products through a website, in a physical shop or both. To sign up, you'll need a Google Account. If you don't have one yet, you can create one for free here. Then go to Merchant Center to tell us about your business, choose where your customers will check out (on your website, on Google or at your local shop) and add your products.

Our beginner's guide to Merchant Center can teach you more about getting started and how to manage your presence across Google's platforms.

How do I upload my products to Merchant Center?

If you use Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, PrestaShop or another supported e-commerce platform, you can automatically add your products to Google when you link your e-commerce shop to your Merchant Center account. Any future changes that you make to products are automatically synced to Google.

If you don't use a supported platform, you can upload your product offerings via a file or spreadsheet, or manually enter individual products.

Where will my products show?

Once your products are added and confirmed as eligible, they can show across different Google surfaces, such as Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Shopping tab and Google Images.

Learn more about where products show and the requirements.

Will Google deliver my products?

No. Google helps customers to find your products and your shop. When they are interested in buying from you, they visit your website and go through your checkout process like any other website visitor. You decide how to deliver the products.