Short answer: Google Merchant Center is a free tool for uploading your product data, so your products can appear at no cost across Google in what Google calls free listings. New accounts are opted in to free listings by default. Each product needs a few required details, and a physical store can also show its in-store products on its Business Profile.
What Merchant Center is
Google describes Merchant Center as a free tool that helps shoppers on Google discover, explore and buy your products. You upload and manage your product data there.
With a free listing, the products you sell can appear at no cost on Google Search, Google Maps, Gemini, YouTube, the Shopping tab, Google Images and Google Lens. Free listings apply to products sold online and in stores.
Turning free listings on gives Google permission to show your products, but it doesn’t guarantee they will be shown. Google relies on the product data you provide.
How to set up Merchant Center
- Go to the Merchant Center sign-in page with your Google Account; one email address can create one account.
- Tell Google about your business and where you sell: online, in a physical store or both.
- Choose how your product information gets from your website to Merchant Center.
- If you sell through Shopify, link your Shopify account to Merchant Center.
- Make sure every product has the required details listed below.
- Add your shipping settings, which Google requires in the US, and the return policy it recommends.
- Open Marketing methods and check the Free listings card to confirm they are on.
The order is ours, drawn from Google’s guides to getting started and to free listings. If you haven’t picked a platform for your store yet, our Shopify or WordPress guide compares the two.
The product details Google requires
Google’s product data specification lists the attributes every product must have. Without them, a product can’t show in ads or free listings.
| Attribute | Code | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| ID | [id] | Your product’s unique identifier |
| Title | [title] | Your product’s name, up to 150 characters |
| Description | [description] | Your product’s description, up to 5,000 characters |
| Link | [link] | Your product’s landing page |
| Image link | [image_link] | The URL of your product’s main image |
| Availability | [availability] | Your product’s availability |
| Price | [price] | Your product’s price |
In the words of Google’s product data specification.
The link leads to the product’s own page on your website, so keep that page and the data saying the same thing. Our structured data guide covers the markup Google reads on your pages, products included.
Showing what’s in your physical store
Free local listings show your products on local surfaces across Google Search, Maps, the Products tab and your Google Business Profile. Merchant Center offers them as an add-on.
A store can also add its in-store products to Google automatically, at no charge, through the Local Inventory app, which used to be called Pointy. The store has to be in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland or Australia, in an eligible type of business, with a verified Business Profile.
It also needs a wired barcode scanner or a compatible point of sale system, and products with manufacturer barcodes (UPC or EAN). The app works with systems such as Clover, Square and Lightspeed, and Google can also take your in-store stock from delivery partners such as Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Before you count on free listings
- Your Merchant Center account is set up with the Google Account you’ll keep.
- Every product has an ID, title, description, link, image link, availability and price.
- Each product page matches the data you sent.
- Your shipping settings and your return policy are in place.
- The Free listings card shows they are on.
- If you have a store, you checked whether in-store products can be added from your Business Profile.
RememberMerchant Center is free, and new accounts start with free listings on. Give every product its required details and a matching page, and remember that Google decides which products it shows.
Our web design service builds websites in WordPress with Bricks, and an online store is quoted separately. Ask us on WhatsApp or through the form.
Common questions about Google Merchant Center
Is Google Merchant Center free?
Yes. Google calls Merchant Center a free tool. Free listings let your products appear at no cost on Google Search, Google Maps, YouTube, the Shopping tab, Google Images and Google Lens.
Do my products show on Google as soon as free listings are on?
Not necessarily. Google says the free listings status gives permission to show your products for free but doesn’t guarantee that they will be shown. It relies on the product data you provide.
Can I connect Shopify to Merchant Center?
Yes. During sign-up Google asks whether you work with a third-party platform, and if you use Shopify you can link your Shopify account to your Merchant Center account.
How long can a product title be?
Up to 150 characters, in plain text. Google’s product data specification lists the title among the required attributes, together with the ID, description, link, image link, availability and price.
Can my store’s products show on my Business Profile?
In some cases, yes. A physical store in an eligible country with a verified Business Profile can add its in-store products to Google at no charge. It needs a wired barcode scanner or a compatible point of sale system.
Sources
Sources read on November 6, 2026: Free listings for products, Get started with Merchant Center, Product data specification and Benefits of free local listings (Google Merchant Center Help). Showcase in-store products on Google Search & Maps (Google Business Profile Help).