What we handle in your Merchant Center
Merchant Center is where Google reads your products for Shopping ads, Performance Max and free listings. If the feed breaks there, every campaign on top of it loses reach. We handle this layer for Shopify brands:
Connection and settings
App link, business info, shipping, returns and target markets checked and complete.
Diagnostics
Disapprovals and warnings worked through item by item, with the fix made where it lasts.
Attribute rules
Feed titles, product types and normalized values built from Shopify data on every processing run.
Supplemental data sources
custom_label, missing attributes and GTIN fixes added without touching your store.
Multiple markets
Country data sources per market, with rules rebuilt where Google doesn't carry them over.
Campaigns on top
A clean feed is the base for Google Shopping for Shopify by margin.
How Shopify connects to Google Merchant Center
- Make contact details, shipping and return policies visible in your store. Merchant Center checks them.
- Install the Google & YouTube app from the Shopify App Store and connect your Google account.
- Link an existing Merchant Center account or create a new one.
- Set target countries, currency and shipping costs.
- Let the app sync your products, then open diagnostics in Merchant Center and check for disapprovals.
According to Google Merchant Center Help, products keep syncing automatically whenever information changes in Shopify. That's convenient, and it's also why direct edits in Merchant Center don't last.
Where a change to your product data sticks
Google's help page for Shopify users says it plainly: information from your Shopify account always overwrites the information in Merchant Center. Campaigns are the exception. This table shows where to make which change:
| Where you change it | Does it stick? | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Product in Shopify | yes, Shopify is the source | price, availability, images, barcode, base data. The title changes in your store too. |
| Product directly in Merchant Center | no, the next sync overwrites it | a quick test at most |
| Attribute rules in Merchant Center | yes, they apply on every processing run | building feed titles, normalizing values |
| Supplemental data source | yes, it enriches the Shopify data | custom_label, missing attributes, GTIN fixes |
| Campaign settings | yes, Shopify doesn't touch them | budgets, targets, listing groups |
According to Google, a supplemental data source can't add or remove products. It only adds or updates attributes on products your primary source already sends. For Shopify stores, the app stays the primary source, and the supplemental sheet carries your labels.
Most Shopify stores need attribute rules plus one supplemental data source with margin tiers. A separate feed app pays off with many variants or markets.
Common diagnostics and where to fix them
| Diagnostic | Typical cause in Shopify | Where we fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Price mismatch | sale app or market price differs from the feed price | Shopify pricing or market settings |
| Availability mismatch | inventory tracking off, preorder items marked in stock | Shopify inventory settings |
| Missing GTIN | barcode field empty | Shopify barcode field or supplemental data source |
| Missing shipping or returns | no shipping or return policy in Merchant Center | Merchant Center settings |
| Promotional overlay on image | badges or text on the main image | new main image in Shopify |
| Title too generic | short brand-style product title | attribute rule for the feed title |
Google Merchant Center Help allows titles up to 150 characters and says shoppers usually see the first 70 or fewer. Promotional text such as prices or sale dates doesn't belong in the title.
Selling in more than one market
If you use Shopify Markets with overlapping countries, Google Merchant Center Help describes how the app creates standalone country data sources, each labeled with a two-letter country code. Two consequences matter:
- Performance history resets for products that move into a new country data source.
- Attribute rules don't transfer. You have to recreate them in each new source, or your feed titles and labels disappear in that market.
We map every market's data source and rebuild the rules before campaigns in that country go live.
Who this fits
- Shopify brands with disapproved products or warnings nobody has cleared.
- Teams whose feed edits vanish after every sync.
- Stores selling in several countries through Shopify Markets.
A clean feed brings more qualified clicks. What happens after the click is the job of Shopify checkout optimization, and buyers who already ordered come back through Shopify email marketing. All levers together are on our page as a Shopify agency. Below $3M annual revenue the guarantee doesn't apply, and you can still book a call.
How we work together
- 01
Intro call with Tobias
30 minutes. We look at your Merchant Center, campaigns and numbers.
- 02
Day 0: analysis and baseline
Diagnostics, data sources and rules audited. Baseline: the same 90 days last year plus your trend, measured in the Shopify admin minus returns.
- 03
Day 1 to 14: stop the waste
Clear disapprovals, fix price and availability mismatches, pull losing products out of the budget.
- 04
Day 15 to 45: rebuild
Attribute rules, supplemental data source with margin tiers, campaigns split by tier.
- 05
Day 46 to 89: scale
Move budget to the products that bring contribution margin.
- 06
Day 90: measurement in the shop backend
+$100,000 in revenue or all three monthly retainers back.
Results with feeds and Google
We have managed $720M in revenue in total. At NuBest we reworked the feeds together with Google Ads. At Luca Faloni we segmented Shopping by product labels:
Revenue +90%. Same budget.
ROAS 2.5 → 5.5 after restructuring Google Ads and feeds
Italian premium fashion.
Google Shopping segmented by product labels
Google Ads profitable within a month.
Full data clarity in 30 days
We run the math before we start. If we don't see the $100,000, we don't offer the guarantee. The conditions are written into the contract.
+$100,000 revenue in 90 days at the same ad spend.
No +$100,000 on day 90? All three monthly retainers back. Measured in your shop backend, not the ad account.
The guarantee starts at $3M annual revenue. You can still book a call below that. See the conditions
Google Merchant Center for Shopify FAQ
How do I connect Shopify to Google Merchant Center?
Install the Google & YouTube app from the Shopify App Store, connect your Google account and link or create a Merchant Center account. The app then syncs your products automatically.
Why do my Merchant Center edits disappear?
Shopify data overwrites Merchant Center data on every sync. Make lasting changes in Shopify, in attribute rules or in a supplemental data source.
What is a supplemental data source?
A secondary data source that adds or updates attributes on products your primary source already sends, such as custom_label or GTIN. It can't add or remove products.
Why are my Shopify products disapproved?
Common reasons are price or availability that differ from the product page, a missing GTIN, missing shipping or return settings and promotional text on the main image. Diagnostics in Merchant Center names the reason per item.
Do I need a feed app instead of the Google & YouTube app?
Most stores don't. Attribute rules plus a supplemental data source cover titles and labels. A feed app helps with very large catalogs, many variants or several markets.
What does Harucon charge for Merchant Center work?
That depends on your catalog and starting point. After the intro call you get a fixed offer in writing, before anything starts.
Why are your products disapproved?
On the intro call, Tobias opens your Merchant Center diagnostics with you and shows you which fixes free up the most reach. 5 quick questions, then book straight into his calendar.
Book your free intro call→