What Is the Product Data Specification?
The product data specification is Google's comprehensive reference document that defines every attribute accepted in a Merchant Center product feed. It lists required attributes, optional attributes, formatting rules, character limits, accepted values, and country-specific requirements for each field.
Think of it as the rulebook for your product data. Every piece of information you submit to Google — from product titles and prices to shipping weights and sustainability certifications — must conform to the specification. Violations result in product disapprovals or feed errors.
Google updates the specification several times per year. The 2026 version includes new attributes for sustainability data, enhanced return policy fields, and updated requirements for product identifiers.
Why It Matters for Google Merchant Center
The product data specification is the foundation of everything in Merchant Center. Your products cannot appear in Shopping ads, free listings, or Performance Max campaigns unless your feed data conforms to the specification.
Non-compliance manifests in three ways:
Product disapprovals. Individual products are rejected because a required attribute is missing or formatted incorrectly. These products cannot appear in any Google Shopping surface until fixed.
Feed-level warnings. Google flags data quality issues that do not cause immediate disapproval but degrade performance. Products with warnings receive less visibility than fully compliant products.
Account-level issues. Systematic specification violations — like consistently missing GTINs or submitting wrong prices — can escalate to account-level warnings or suspensions.
Understanding the specification is not optional. Even if you use a Shopify app or WooCommerce plugin to generate your feed, knowing what Google expects helps you troubleshoot disapprovals, optimize listings, and prevent data quality issues.
How the Specification Works
Required Attributes
Every product must include these attributes:
| Attribute | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
id | Unique product identifier | SKU-12345 |
title | Product name (max 150 chars) | Nike Air Max 90 White Men's Running Shoes |
description | Product description (max 5000 chars) | Detailed product description... |
link | Product landing page URL | https://store.com/product/nike-air-max-90 |
image_link | Main product image URL | https://store.com/images/nike-air-max-90.jpg |
availability | Stock status | in_stock, out_of_stock, preorder, backorder |
price | Product price with currency | 129.99 USD |
brand | Product brand name | Nike |
condition | Product condition | new, refurbished, used |
Conditionally Required Attributes
These attributes are required depending on the product category or target country:
gtin— Required for all products with a manufacturer-assigned GTINmpn— Required when GTIN is not available (withidentifier_exists: no)google_product_category— Required for categories like apparel, electronics, and mediacolor,size,gender,age_group— Required for apparel and accessoriesshipping— Required if not configured at the account leveltax— Required for products sold in the US if not configured at the account level
Optional but Recommended Attributes
These attributes are not required but significantly improve performance:
additional_image_link— Up to 10 additional product imagessale_price— Promotional price with optionalsale_price_effective_dateproduct_type— Your own categorization (helps Google classify products)custom_label_0throughcustom_label_4— Custom segmentation for ad campaignsproduct_highlight— Key features displayed in listings (up to 10, 150 chars each)product_detail— Additional specifications in name-value formatcertification— Sustainability and compliance certifications (new in 2026)
Common Issues and Fixes
-
Title too long or truncated — Google displays 70-100 characters depending on the placement. Front-load important keywords (brand, product type, key attributes) within the first 70 characters. The maximum accepted length is 150 characters.
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Price formatting errors — Price must include the currency code (e.g., "29.99 USD" not just "29.99"). Use a period as the decimal separator regardless of locale. Do not include currency symbols ($, EUR) — use ISO 4217 codes.
-
Missing required attributes for apparel — Apparel products require
color,size,gender, andage_group. Missing any of these causes disapproval. If the product is unisex or one-size, use "unisex" and "one size" as values. -
Image does not meet requirements — Product images must be at least 100x100 pixels (250x250 for apparel). No watermarks, promotional text, or borders. White or neutral backgrounds are preferred. See our image requirements guide.
-
Availability mismatch — The
availabilityvalue in your feed must match your website. Under the 2026 out-of-stock rules, mismatches are now classified as misrepresentation. -
Description too thin — Descriptions under 500 characters often underperform. Include product specifications, use cases, materials, and dimensions. Do not stuff keywords — write naturally for customers.
Related Terms
- Product Feed — The file containing your product data formatted per the specification
- GTIN — A key product identifier required for most manufactured products
- Supplemental Feed — A secondary feed for adding or overriding specific attributes
- Content API — Programmatic interface for submitting product data
Scan your store now to check your product data against Google's specification and catch issues before they cause disapprovals.