For your products to appear in Google's Shopping tab and in Shopping ads, Google needs to know their names, prices, images and stock. Every day the shop collects this data into a file at a fixed address. Google downloads it regularly, so you do not need to send anything.
Before you start
- a Google Merchant Center account (merchants.google.com) linked to your website,
- the shipping and returns details that Google requires in Merchant Center.
1. Switching it on
Stores › Configuration › Magelan › Google Shopping feed
In the scope switcher at the top left, choose the shop language (store view) you want ads for. Google shows the language and prices of that store view.
In the General group, set Generate this feed to Yes.
- Generate this feed - Yes switches on the preparation of the file.
- File name - a separate name for each language.
- Feed address - the file address for Merchant Center, shown after saving for the selected store view.
In File name, keep the suggested name or enter your own, for example
google_si.xml. If you have several languages, give each its own name (google_si.xml,google_hr.xml).Click Save Config. The file is created during the next overnight run; if you need it straight away, write to us.
2. Connecting to Merchant Center
Once the file is ready, its address appears under Feed address. Copy it.
In Merchant Center, open Products › Feeds and add a new feed with Scheduled fetch. Paste the address and choose a daily fetch.
Google's first review takes a few days. You can see rejected products and the reason in Merchant Center under Diagnostics.
3. What is in the list
Below the file address you will find a summary of the last run: how many products are in the list, how many were left out and why, and which details your products are missing (for example barcodes).
In the Which products go in group you choose which products to leave out:
- Leave out products that are out of stock - Yes.
- Leave out products priced at 0 - Yes.
- Leave out products not visible individually - Yes.
- Only these categories - empty for all products.
| Setting | What it means | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Leave out products that are out of stock | sold-out products are not advertised | Yes - you pay for a click on a sold-out product, but nobody can buy it |
| Leave out products priced at 0 | products without a price are not included | Yes |
| Leave out products not visible individually | variants (sizes, colours) do not have their own page | Yes |
| Only these categories | you advertise only selected categories | empty for all products; otherwise tell us which categories |
4. Excluding or adding a single product
Catalog › Products › (product)
On the product, the Product feeds section has two fields for this:
- Force into the Ceneje feed - sends the product to Ceneje even when it is disabled in the shop.
- Force into the Google Shopping feed - forces the product into the Google feed.
- Keep out of the Ceneje feed - the product is not sent to Ceneje.
- Keep out of the Google Shopping feed - excludes the product from the Google feed.
- exclude from the feed (Keep out of the Google Shopping feed) - the product is not advertised but stays in your shop (for example low-margin products).
- force into the feed (Force into the Google Shopping feed) - only works if we have switched this option on for you; it sends the product even when it is disabled in the shop.
5. The details Google uses to find you
The Field mapping group defines where the shop takes the brand, barcode and description from. We set these up during installation; you will usually only change:
- Google product category - Google's category for all products (for example "Office Supplies"). Without it, Google guesses.
- Brand when the attribute is empty - the brand for products that do not have one filled in. If the products are not your own brand, leave it empty.
- Description comes from - the short or the full product description.
- Google product category - one category for all products.
- Brand when the attribute is empty - the brand for products without one.
- Description comes from - short or full description.
6. Shipping
In the Shipping group you can enter, for all products, the Country code (SI), the Shipping cost and Free shipping from, the amount above which shipping is free. If you leave the country empty, Google uses the shipping you set up in Merchant Center.
- Country code - for example SI.
- Shipping cost - the price of shipping.
- Free shipping from - the amount above which shipping is free.
Common problems
Google says it cannot download the file
The site must be publicly accessible. On a password-protected test site, Google cannot get the file. If this happens on your live shop, write to us.
The price in Google does not match the price in the shop
The list is prepared once a day, and Google downloads it on its own schedule. After a price change it can take up to a day. For special offers, check that the product has the special price dates filled in.
A product is missing from the list
Check that it is in stock, has a price and an image, is not excluded from the feed (the Keep out of the Google Shopping feed field) and is in the selected categories. The summary below the file address tells you how many products were left out and why.