The Google Merchant Center integration lets you connect your ecommerce store to Google Merchant Center and automatically keep your product catalog synchronized with Google.
Once the initial connection is complete, eligible products assigned to your store are sent to Merchant Center. Supported changes to product information, variants, images, pricing, inventory, and availability continue syncing automatically, reducing the need to maintain a separate product feed.
What is Google Merchant Center?
Google Merchant Center is a free Google tool that lets merchants add and manage product information used across Google.
Once your products are submitted and approved by Google, eligible products may appear through free listings across surfaces such as Google Search, Shopping, Images, Lens, YouTube, Maps, and Gemini. Paid Shopping ads require separate Google Ads setup.
Learn more:
What does the integration do?
The integration connects an ecommerce store with a Google Merchant Center account and handles ongoing product synchronization.
After setup, it can:
Sync eligible products assigned to the connected store
Sync product information and images
Sync supported product variants
Keep prices updated
Keep inventory and availability updated
Automatically sync newly added eligible products
Automatically sync supported changes made to existing products
Show synchronization errors and warnings
Surface product issues that may affect Google approval
Allow a manual Force Sync when needed
Support connections between multiple stores and Merchant Center accounts
The goal is to let you manage products from your ecommerce store while the integration keeps the corresponding Merchant Center catalog updated.
Before you begin
Before connecting your store, make sure you have:
A Google account
An ecommerce store with a live, connected domain
A Google Merchant Center account, or the ability to create one during setup
Your shipping origin country and language configured
Products assigned to the store you want to connect
Your store needs a valid domain because Google receives the product landing page URL for products submitted through the integration.
Google also requires merchants to verify their online store URL. Merchant Center may be able to verify some websites automatically. If automatic verification is unavailable, Google will provide options to complete verification manually.
Useful links:
Connect your store to Google Merchant Center
1. Install the Google Merchant Center app
Open the Marketplace, search for Google Merchant Center, and install the app.
After installation, start the Google account connection process.
2. Connect your Google account
Sign in with the Google account you want to use.
Use an account that either:
Already has access to your Merchant Center account, or
Will be used to create and manage your Merchant Center account
After authorization, the app automatically retrieves the Merchant Center accounts available to the connected Google account. You do not need to manually enter a Merchant Center account ID.
3. Select or create a Merchant Center account
If Merchant Center accounts are available, select the account you want to connect.
If you do not have one yet, use the Create New GMC Account option or the setup documentation provided within the app. Account creation is completed with Google rather than automatically by the integration.
You may also need to complete Google's business information and verification requirements before your products can become eligible to appear across Google.
Learn how to set up Merchant Center
4. Verify your store domain
Make sure the domain connected to your ecommerce store has been verified for use with Merchant Center.
If Google cannot automatically verify the domain, follow Google's verification instructions.
Learn about website verification
5. Select your ecommerce store
Choose the store you want to connect to the selected Merchant Center account.
Products are synchronized based on their assignment to this store. Products that exist in your account but are not assigned to the connected store will not be included in the synchronization.
6. Complete the connection
Confirm the store-to-Merchant Center mapping.
Once the connection is created, the initial product synchronization starts automatically.
Google may require additional time to process, review, and approve newly submitted products. A successful synchronization means the product was submitted to Google. It does not mean the product has been approved or is already visible to shoppers.
Which products are synchronized?
Only eligible products assigned to the connected ecommerce store are synchronized.
Supported
Products with a one-time payment option are supported in the current version.
Supported product data can include:
Product information
Images
Variants
Price
Inventory
Availability
New eligible products and supported changes to existing products continue syncing after the initial setup.
Not currently supported
Products that only use recurring payment options are not synchronized through this integration.
Google also has its own product eligibility, data, and policy requirements. A product being supported by the integration does not guarantee that Google will approve it.
Review Google's current requirements here:
Google's product data specification defines the data and formatting requirements used when submitting products to Merchant Center. Products that don't meet Google's requirements may be limited or not approved.
Automatic product updates
Once the connection has been completed, supported product changes are automatically synchronized.
For example, if you update a supported product's price or inventory in your ecommerce store, the integration sends the updated information to Merchant Center.
The same applies when eligible new products are added to the connected store.
This means you generally don't need to maintain the same catalog separately in Merchant Center.
Understanding the "leadconnector" data source
When the integration is connected, a data source named leadconnector is created in Google Merchant Center.
The data source is created using the country and language configured for your shipping origin.
Google Merchant Center uses data sources to receive and manage product information.
Do not delete the data source unless necessary
Deleting the leadconnector data source from Merchant Center removes the products synchronized through that data source.
If the data source is deleted accidentally or needs to be rebuilt, use Force Sync from the integration. A new data source will be created and eligible products will be submitted again.
Learn more about how Google handles product data sources:
About Merchant Center data sources
Use Force Sync
Product synchronization is designed to happen automatically, so Force Sync should generally only be used when needed.
Use Force Sync if:
A recent product update has not appeared in Merchant Center
Products need to be resubmitted
The leadconnector data source was deleted
You need to manually refresh the catalog
Force Sync triggers a new synchronization for eligible products associated with the connected store.
Product approval, errors, and warnings
Google reviews products after they are submitted to Merchant Center.
Google currently uses statuses such as Under review, Processing, Approved, Limited, and Not approved. Google, not the integration, determines the approval status of submitted products.
The integration surfaces relevant errors and warnings during and after setup to help identify issues that may prevent products from being approved.
Issues can include:
Missing or invalid product information
Product data that doesn't match Google's requirements
Merchant Center configuration issues
Website or domain issues
Policy issues
Missing business information
Other Google Merchant Center requirements
Where available, use the issue details to navigate to the affected product or configuration and correct the underlying information.
You can also review Google's Needs attention section in Merchant Center for account-level and product-level issues.
Useful links:
Connect multiple stores
The integration supports multiple store-to-Merchant Center connections.
For example:
Store A → Merchant Center Account A
Store B → Merchant Center Account B
However, each store and each Merchant Center account can only participate in one active connection at a time.
If a store is already connected, you must remove its current connection before linking it to another Merchant Center account.
Similarly, if a Merchant Center account is already linked to a store, unlink the existing connection before using that Merchant Center account in another mapping.
Remove a connection
You can unlink an existing store from its Merchant Center account.
After the connection is removed:
The store is no longer connected to that Merchant Center account
Future product changes from that store will no longer sync through the integration
The store can be connected to another eligible Merchant Center account
The previously connected Merchant Center account can be used for another connection
Removing the connection does not control Google's independent product or account policies.
Google Shopping ads and free listings
Connecting your store to Merchant Center does not automatically create Google Ads campaigns.
Merchant Center provides the product data Google can use for different marketing methods.
Eligible products may appear through Google's free listings without paid advertising. Google states that eligible free listings may appear across surfaces such as Search, Shopping, Maps, Images, Lens, YouTube, and Gemini.
To run paid Shopping campaigns, you need a Google Ads account and the appropriate Merchant Center and Google Ads setup.
Learn more:
Troubleshooting
My products aren't syncing
Check that:
The store is still connected to Merchant Center
The product is assigned to the connected store
The product has a supported one-time payment option
Your store has a valid connected domain
The leadconnector data source still exists
There are no synchronization errors shown in the integration
If everything appears correct, use Force Sync.
My product was synced but isn't visible on Google
Synchronization and Google approval are separate.
Google reviews submitted products and determines whether they can appear across Google. Check the product's status and any issues reported by Google.
Check product status in Merchant Center
My product was not approved
Review the error or warning shown in the integration and check Merchant Center's Needs attention section.
Correct the underlying product, website, or Merchant Center issue before requesting another review when applicable.
Learn how to resolve Merchant Center issues
My domain isn't verified
Complete the store URL verification process in Google Merchant Center.
Google may verify some domains automatically. If it cannot, follow the manual verification instructions shown by Google.
About automatic website verification
I deleted the "leadconnector" data source
Deleting this data source removes products synchronized through it.
Return to the integration and use Force Sync to create the data source again and resubmit eligible products.
I can't connect a store or Merchant Center account
Check whether the store or Merchant Center account is already part of another active connection.
Each can only be used in one active mapping at a time. Remove the existing connection before creating a new one.
Frequently asked questions
Does connecting my store guarantee that my products will appear on Google?
No. The integration submits eligible product information to Merchant Center. Google independently reviews products and determines their approval, visibility, and eligibility.
Will new products automatically sync?
Yes. After the initial connection, newly added eligible products assigned to the connected store are automatically synchronized.
Will price and inventory changes automatically sync?
Yes. Supported changes such as pricing, inventory, availability, product information, images, and variants are designed to sync automatically after setup.
Are recurring products supported?
No. In the current version, only products with a one-time payment option are synchronized.
Do I need to create a product feed manually?
No. The integration creates and manages the leadconnector data source used to synchronize eligible products.
Can I connect more than one store?
Yes. Multiple connections are supported, but each store and each Merchant Center account can only be part of one active mapping at a time.
Does the integration create a Merchant Center account for me?
No. If you don't already have a Merchant Center account, use the account creation option or documentation provided during setup and complete the process with Google.
Does this integration run Google Shopping ads?
No. The integration synchronizes your product catalog with Google Merchant Center. Paid Google Shopping advertising requires separate Google Ads setup.
Is Google Merchant Center free?
Google Merchant Center itself is free to use. Paid advertising through Google Ads has separate advertising costs.