What Are Local Inventory Ads?
Local Inventory Ads (LIAs) are a Google Shopping ad format that displays your product availability at physical store locations to nearby customers. When a user searches for a product on Google, LIAs show which local stores have that item in stock, along with the price, store address, and distance. Clicking the ad leads to a Google-hosted local storefront or your own website showing store-specific inventory.
LIAs bridge online search and in-store shopping. They target the growing number of consumers who research products online before visiting a physical store — a behavior Google calls "near me" shopping. For brick-and-mortar retailers, LIAs capture high-intent local traffic that standard Shopping ads miss.
Why It Matters for Google Merchant Center
Local Inventory Ads require a Google Merchant Center account with specific configurations beyond what standard Shopping ads need. You must maintain two types of data in Merchant Center:
- Standard product feed — Your regular product catalog with titles, descriptions, images, and prices
- Local inventory feed — Store-level inventory data showing which products are available at which physical locations, with local prices if they differ from online
Both feeds must comply with Google's product data specification, and the local inventory feed has additional requirements for store codes, local availability, and local pricing. Feed accuracy is especially critical for LIAs because customers use the information to decide whether to visit your store — showing an item as available when it is not is a direct misrepresentation.
Merchant Center also needs your physical store locations registered through Google Business Profile. The connection between Merchant Center, Google Ads, and Google Business Profile must be properly linked for LIAs to function.
How Local Inventory Ads Work
Where They Appear
LIAs appear in:
- Google Search results — With a "Pick up today" or "In store" badge
- Google Shopping tab — Filtered by nearby availability
- Google Maps — When users search for products near them
- Google Images — With local availability indicators
The Local Storefront
When a customer clicks an LIA, they land on either:
- Google-hosted local storefront — A Google page showing your product details, local price, stock status, store location, hours, and directions. This is the default and requires no website changes.
- Merchant-hosted local storefront — Your own website with store-specific inventory information. Requires implementation of local landing pages on your site.
Requirements
To run Local Inventory Ads, you need:
- Physical store locations registered in Google Business Profile
- Google Business Profile linked to your Merchant Center account
- Local inventory feed submitted to Merchant Center with store-level availability
- Standard product feed with all required Shopping attributes
- Local inventory verification — Google may send a representative to verify your store inventory matches your feed data
- Google Ads account with Shopping or Performance Max campaigns configured for local inventory
Local Inventory Feed Format
The local inventory feed is separate from your standard product feed. Required attributes:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
store_code | Matches your Google Business Profile store identifier |
id | Matches the product id in your standard feed |
quantity | Number of units available at this store |
price | Local store price (if different from online) |
availability | in_stock, out_of_stock, or limited_availability |
Common Issues and Fixes
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LIAs not showing — Verify all three accounts (Merchant Center, Google Ads, Google Business Profile) are linked correctly. Check that your local inventory feed has been processed without errors. Ensure your Google Ads campaign is configured for local inventory.
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Inventory accuracy complaints — Google takes local inventory accuracy seriously. If customers report that advertised items are not actually in stock, Google can suspend your LIA access. Sync your local inventory feed at least daily — twice daily or real-time is better for stores with fast-moving inventory.
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Store not appearing in LIA results — Your Google Business Profile listing must be verified, active, and accurately represent your physical location. Stores with incomplete profiles, unverified addresses, or restricted operating hours may not qualify for LIAs.
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Local prices do not match — If your in-store price differs from your online price, you must submit the local price in your local inventory feed. If the same price applies everywhere, the local feed's price attribute can be omitted and the standard feed price is used.
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Verification visit failed — Google may send a representative to your store to verify inventory. Ensure your physical stock matches your local inventory feed data. Large discrepancies during verification can result in LIA suspension.
Related Terms
- Shopping Ads — Standard product listing ads that LIAs complement with local inventory data
- Product Feed — The standard product data feed required alongside the local inventory feed
- Merchant Center Next — The updated Merchant Center interface where local feeds are managed
- Free Listings — Local products can also appear in free local listings without paid campaigns
Scan your store now to verify your product data compliance before setting up Local Inventory Ads.