Learn how to boost your Google Shopping performance using the right feed strategy — from primary feeds to remarketing and local inventory formats.

Google’s Merchant Center is more than just a database for your products. It’s a dynamic engine for ROI—if you understand how to use the different feed types to your advantage. This guide breaks down each feed type, what it does, and when to use it. Most advertisers stick to basics. Here’s how you go beyond.

Google Merchant Center Primary Feed (Default Setup)

The primary feed is your core product data source. It provides Google with essential product details, such as:

• id, title, description, link, image_link
• price, condition, availability, brand
• gtin or identifier_exists
• Apparel-specific attributes: age_group, gender, color, size, material

Pro tip: Always include product_type and google_product_category for better targeting.

But here’s what most guides miss: your primary feed is not a one-size-fits-all tool. Treat it as the clean base layer — everything else extends from here.

Google Supplemental Feed: Extend and Enrich

Supplemental feeds are your flexible friend. They don’t replace your primary feed — they enrich it.

By matching products via id, you can patch missing data or test attribute changes without touching your core feed.

Use cases:

• Add missing GTINs or sale prices
• Override titles or labels for A/B testing
• Exclude products from specific destinations
• Resolve disapprovals quickly

This is your tactical toolkit for agile campaign adjustments.

Google Promotions Feed: Boost Click-Through Rates

Want to stand out in Shopping results? Use the Promotions Feed to show time-sensitive deals directly on your ads.

Supported regions: US, UK, AU, FR, DE, IN
Required fields: promotion_id, offer_type, long_title, promotion_effective_dates, redemption_channel

What works:

• Flat discounts («10% off» > «up to 10% off»)
• Free shipping codes
• Physical gifts (excludes digital-only products)

Most campaigns ignore this lever. You shouldn’t.

Google Local Inventory Feed: Bridge Online & Offline

Local Inventory Ads (LIAs) allow you to show real-time in-store availability to nearby customers.

Minimum fields: store code, id, quantity, price
Optional: sale_price, availability, sale_price_effective_date

Use this if you have brick-and-mortar stores in:

• US, UK, CA, AU, JP, FR, DE

Choose wisely:

• Use full feeds if your stock rarely changes
• Use incremental feeds if you update stock daily

Want to skip manual work? Google partners with POS providers to automate this.

Google Manufacturer Feed: Control Your Brand Narrative

If you’re a brand or OEM, this feed is your source of truth for how your products appear across Google.

Required: id, gtin, title, description, brand, image_link
Optional (recommended): mpn, product line, release date, videos, MSRP, etc.

Benefits:

• Override inconsistent reseller content
• Provide rich features and branding assets
• Track listing quality and competitor data

Think of this as your brand control panel.

Dynamic Remarketing Feed: Bring Users Back

Already got site traffic? Dynamic remarketing feeds let you retarget cart-abandoners or browsers with personalized ads.

What you need:

• Google remarketing tag installed
• Conversion tracking with transaction values
• At least 100 users & 20 conversions in 45 days

Steps:

1. Upload feed to Merchant Center
2. Link to Google Ads
3. Launch a dynamic remarketing campaign

Your ads adapt to each shopper’s journey—automatically.

Product Ratings Feed: Build Trust, Drive Conversions

Want product stars in your Shopping ads? You’ll need the Product Ratings Feed.

Requirements:

• 50+ reviews total
• Participation in Google’s Product Ratings program

How to connect:

• Use Google Customer Reviews
• Partner with a review aggregator
• Submit your own feed manually

Tip: If you use a trusted aggregator, Google will pull the feed for you.

Choosing the Right Feed for Your Objective

Here’s a cheat sheet to help you decide which feed to use:

Objective	Best Feed
Core listings	Primary Feed
Attribute overrides	Supplemental Feed
Limited-time offers	Promotions Feed
Drive in-store visits	Local Inventory Feed
Brand storytelling	Manufacturer Feed
Retargeting site visitors	Dynamic Remarketing Feed
Add product reviews	Product Ratings Feed

Google Shopping Feed Best Practices

To stay competitive, follow these:

• Reupload feeds every 30 days
• Don’t reuse the same id across feeds
• Split massive feeds into logical groups
• Use the Content API for scalable sync
• Monitor disapprovals in Merchant Center weekly

Want to see if your feed setup is holding you back?

Run a free ad audit to identify immediate optimization opportunities.

Still wondering which feed combo is best for your business model?
Compare your setup with our advanced Shopping campaign playbook.