Documentation
Google Merchant Feed: Full Guide & Shopping Setup
Google Merchant Feed (google-merchant-feed) exports your LiteShoper catalog as an RSS 2.0 XML product feed for Google Merchant Center, so products can appear in Google Shopping and related surfaces.
On this page: Overview · Prerequisites · Install · Merchant Center account · Claim website · Feed URL · Settings · Product IDs · What the feed sends · Go-live · Disapprovals · Troubleshooting
1. Overview
- Token-protected feed URL:
/google-merchant-feed.xml?token=… - One feed item per product variation
- Uses store default currency for prices
- Optional GTIN, MPN, Google product category, condition, exclude-from-feed
- Optional per-item shipping attributes (or configure shipping in Merchant Center)
In-store: Integrations → Google Merchant · Spec: Google product data specification
2. Prerequisites
- Plugin activated (Marketplace License if your store requires it for marketplace plugins)
- Store on HTTPS
- Published products with clear titles, descriptions, prices, and images
- A Google Merchant Center account
- Website claimed / verified for the same domain as your LiteShoper store
3. Install the plugin
- Install / activate
google-merchant-feed - Open Google Merchant → Setup Guide or Settings
- Copy the Feed URL shown (includes a secret token)
4. Create a Google Merchant Center account
- Go to https://merchants.google.com/
- Sign in with a Google account and create a Merchant Center account
- Enter business name, country, and timezone as prompted
- Complete any business information / tax / payments steps Google requires for your region
Help: About Merchant Center
5. Claim / verify your website
- In Merchant Center, open website / domain verification
- Add your LiteShoper storefront URL (exact HTTPS domain)
- Verify ownership (HTML tag, DNS, or Google’s other methods)
- Claim the site so product landing pages match the feed links
Landing pages in the feed use /shop/{product-slug} on your store domain.
6. Configure LiteShoper feed settings
Go to Google Merchant → Settings:
- Review Feed preview counts (items in feed, excluded, OOS skipped, no-image skipped)
- Copy the Feed URL and keep the token private
- Optional toggles:
- Include out-of-stock variations — off by default
- Skip variations with no image — recommended on
- Set Default brand and Default condition (new / refurbished / used)
- Optional shipping: country (ISO, e.g.
MY), service name, price — or leave empty and set shipping in Merchant Center - Save settings · Open feed in a browser to confirm XML loads
If the token is leaked or you need to rotate it: Regenerate feed token, then update Merchant Center immediately.
7. Add the feed in Merchant Center (scheduled fetch)
- Open merchants.google.com
- Go to Products → Add products (or Product sources)
- Choose Add products from a file / Scheduled fetch
- Paste your LiteShoper feed URL
- File type: XML
- Fetch frequency: daily or more often (recommended)
- Save and wait for the first fetch + diagnostics
8. Product IDs (GTIN / MPN / category)
Open Google Merchant → Product IDs for published products:
- GTIN — barcode when available
- MPN — manufacturer part number
- Google product category — taxonomy ID or path
- Condition — override per product
- Exclude — omit product from the feed
If neither GTIN nor MPN is set, the feed sends identifier_exists=false (allowed for many custom/handmade cases; Google rules still apply by category).
Taxonomy: Google product categories
9. What LiteShoper sends
| Google attribute | Source |
|---|---|
g:id |
Variation SKU, or ls-{variation_id} |
g:title |
Product name + variation attributes |
g:description |
Product description (HTML stripped) |
g:link |
/shop/{slug} |
g:image_link |
Variation image or primary gallery image |
g:price |
Variation price + store currency |
g:availability |
in_stock / out_of_stock / backorder |
g:brand |
Product brand or Settings default |
g:gtin / g:mpn |
Product IDs page |
g:identifier_exists |
false when no GTIN and no MPN |
g:item_group_id |
LiteShoper product ID |
g:shipping |
Optional Settings shipping fields |
10. Admin pages
| Page | Path | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Guide | google-merchant/setup-guide |
In-admin steps |
| Settings | google-merchant/settings |
Feed URL, options, token |
| Product IDs | google-merchant/products |
GTIN, MPN, category, exclude |
11. Go-live checklist
- Products published with images (≥ 100×100; larger is better)
- Brands set (or default brand in Settings)
- GTIN/MPN filled where required by Google for your category
- Feed URL opens in browser as valid XML
- Merchant Center website claimed
- Scheduled fetch configured (XML)
- Landing-page price matches feed price (default currency)
- Review diagnostics after first fetch
12. Common disapproval reasons
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Missing image | Add a primary image; keep “Skip variations with no image” on |
| Price mismatch | Feed uses store default currency — don’t show a different converted price on the ad landing page |
| Missing identifier | Add GTIN/MPN, or leave blank so identifier_exists=false is sent |
| Feed 403 | Wrong/regenerated token — copy the current URL from Settings |
| Website not claimed | Verify domain ownership in Merchant Center |
13. After go-live
- Check Merchant Center diagnostics after each fetch
- Update stock and prices in LiteShoper — the next scheduled fetch picks them up
- If you regenerate the feed token, update the scheduled URL immediately
Official references:
Google Merchant Center · Product data specification · About Merchant Center · Google product categories · In-store: Google Merchant → Setup Guide