Channable & Google’s Guide to Creating the Perfect Google Shopping Feed

That’s why we’ve teamed up with Google to put together a list of helpful tips. It’s based on the most common issues sellers face and will help you get your feed fully optimized and ready to run smoothly on Google Shopping.

API & Feed

To get your products listed on Google Merchant Center, your product feed needs to meet all of Google's requirements and pass their checks the first time around. The good news? With Channable, you’ve got two simple ways to send your product data to Google: through a live API, or you can send Google Shopping feeds that update periodically.

The two systems operate independently, yet both options receive platform support. The Help Center at Channable provides you with this article explaining the differences between these two options

The necessary fields that Google needs for acceptance are listed within the platform at:

• ‘Finalize’ (if you're building a Google Shopping feed), or
• ‘Build > Item’ (for API connections).

Caution: The rejection of a product by Google requires just a single misplaced comma, among other things. The key to success lies in the proper preparation of your Google Shopping feed before activation starts.

The following section details all necessary elements that should be included in your Google Shopping integration for maximum effectiveness.

Start with a filter rule to clean up your Google Shopping feed

As part of your Google Shopping integration, we recommend setting up what Channable refers to as a _filter rule_. A defined rule in your system will automatically remove items that would not pass Google's approval process or those you wish to keep out of the advertisement stream.

For example, you can exclude:

• Products that have no image,
• Items with a price of €0,
• And everything you plan to keep hidden from promotion.

Channable processes rules in order. It means that all valid promotion products remain after you establish a filter rule that protects them from invalid products. The early removal of problematic items reduces both processing time and initial approval success rates for your ads.

Do you need guidance for implementing this procedure? The Help Center provides instructions for implementing this process.

Required information and how to submit it to Google

Required Info	What Exactly?
Image link	Images are crucial to the success of any Google Shopping feed and e-commerce performance. It’s strongly recommended to create a filter rule during your rule setup to automatically exclude any product missing an image link. This prevents you from wasting time on products that will be rejected anyway. To learn more about minimum image dimensions, accepted formats, and quality standards, check out Google’s official guide.
Availability	This field is mandatory for Google to accept your item. You’ll need to send one of the following three values (in English only): * in stock, * out of stock, * preorder. You don’t have to send exact inventory numbers, but the availability value must match what appears on your website. To include this information in your feed for Google Shopping, use Channable’s _“set to value”_rule and assign a value based on actual stock levels in a newly created field.
GTIN / EAN (1)_Important: For your products to be accepted, Google requires you to submit at least two out of the following three identifiers: GTIN, MPN (Manufacturer Part Number), or Brand. If you’re unable to meet this requirement, we recommend reading_ _this Channable help guide__._	_GTIN_ stands for Global Trade Item Number and includes identifiers such as _EANs_, _UPCs_, or _ISBNs_. It’s the barcode you’ll find printed on a product's packaging. If you don’t yet have _GTINs_, you can purchase them from certified platforms or request them from your supplier. Do not invent them: Google will detect false data and reject the products from your Google Shopping feed.
Titre	This required field must clearly describe the product. It’s usually already available in your source feed, but can often be enhanced. For instance, you might want to include the color, material, or size of the item. Use the “_combine value_” rule in Channable to merge multiple fields into a single, optimized one for your feed for Google Shopping.
Description	Just like the title, your product description is usually imported automatically from your source feed. If it’s missing, you can easily build one by combining fields such as brand, material, or product type. One key point: the text you send to Google must not contain any HTML code. To clean up your content before sending it in your Google Shopping feed, apply Channable’s “_modify text_” rule to strip out unwanted tags and formatting.
Link	This is the URL of your product page. It should lead directly to the item shown in your Google Shopping ad. Make sure the link is live and doesn’t redirect or contain tracking issues, as Google requires a clean and accurate destination in your Google Shopping feed.
Brand	Your product’s brand may already exist in your source feed. It’s one of the three core identifiers Google checks (alongside _GTIN_ and _MPN_). If the brand is mentioned only in the description or title, you can isolate it using a value search and place it into a dedicated brand field. Important: Google will not accept your ads if the mark is missing, except in rare cases.
Condition	Google requires that every product include a condition field with one of the following values: _‘new’_, _‘used’_, or _‘refurbished’_. If this isn’t already in your feed, you can create a custom field and apply the _“__set to value__”_ rule in Channable. If left blank, Google assumes the item is new, but accuracy is essential, especially for used goods.
Category	The second step in your Channable setup involves assigning the correct product category. If you're using the _API_ and your _EANs_ are well-known, Google might auto-categorize. Otherwise, you must manually assign each item to one of Google’s predefined categories using the _“Category (internal)”_ field in Channable. For more info, visit the Help Center.
Price	Your price field is typically pulled directly from your source feed. Make sure it matches what's listed on your website. Google checks for consistency, so avoid rounding, formatting differences, or currency mismatches that might trigger a disapproval.
Shipping price	If your feed doesn’t already include shipping costs, you can manually add them. For example, if shipping is free for orders over €50, create a rule: _IF price >= 50 THEN set shipping cost to 0._ Alternatively, configure shipping directly in your Google Merchant Center account.
MPN / SKU (1)	Google requires that you provide at least two of the following: _GTIN_, _MPN_, or Brand. If you don’t have _GTINs_ but do have internal _SKUs_ or Manufacturer Part Numbers (_MPNs_), be sure to include them. If none of these are available, refer to this Help Center article for alternative setups.
Shipping country	Specify the country from which your product ships. In most cases, this is a fixed value (e.g., _“France”_ or _“Germany”_). You can add it by creating a new field and using the ‘set to value’ rule.
ID	This is a unique identifier for each product in your feed. It can be any alphanumeric code, as long as it doesn’t repeat across items. Google uses this ID to track each product individually in your Google Shopping integration.
Size (2)	For fashion products, you must include a size. If this information is part of the title or description, extract it using the _“__split text__”_ rule and map it into a dedicated size field.
Age group (2)	Also required for fashion items, the accepted values for age group are: _“newborn”_, _“infant”_, _“toddler”_, _“kids”_, and _“adult”_. You can define rules to match specific sizes or keywords and automatically assign the appropriate age group.
Color (2)	Google doesn’t enforce a list of accepted color names, so feel free to use what you have in your feed. If the color is embedded in another field, extract it and place it into a dedicated color field.
Gender (2)	Gender is only mandatory for fashion products and must be one of the following: “_male_”, _“female”_, or _“unisex”_. If all your items are for the same gender, apply the ‘set to value’ rule across your feed.
Currency (3)	Only required when using the API connection. You can choose from _‘EUR’_, _‘USD’_, _‘GBP’_, etc., either via the dropdown in Channable or by creating a new field and using _“set to value_”. Make sure this matches the currency displayed on your product page.

Notes :
_(1) You must provide at least two of the following identifiers: GTIN, MPN, or Brand._
_(2) Required only for fashion products._
_(3) Required only when using the Google Shopping API integration._

A well-structured Google Shopping feed is everything

That wraps up our guide to creating a high-performing Google Shopping feed. By ensuring all the required fields listed above are correctly included in your Google Shopping integration, your products stand a much higher chance of getting approved the first time around.

And remember: the more relevant data you provide, the more trustworthy your store appears to shoppers.

Want to create your feed for Google Shopping using Channable? Sign up here for an unlimited free trial, or reach out to a Channable expert.

Also, Channable and Store Growers recently covered these best practices in a dedicated session, sharing even more tips on dealing with disapproved items. You can watch the session here.

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