Google Merchant Center Framework#

Diagnose feed health, optimize product listings, resolve disapprovals, analyze price competitiveness, and assess Shopping campaign readiness. A decision-framework for agents working with Google Merchant Center accounts of any size.

How This Skill Works#

Step 1: Collect context from the user's message — merchant category, product count, known issues, goals (fix disapprovals, improve performance, launch Shopping ads, etc.).

Step 2: Ask one follow-up with all remaining questions using multiple-choice format. Key questions:

• a) Account size: (1) <500 SKUs, (2) 500-10K, (3) 10K-100K, (4) 100K+
• b) Primary goal: (1) Fix disapprovals, (2) Improve feed quality, (3) Boost Shopping performance, (4) Launch new campaign, (5) General audit
• c) Feed method: (1) Direct API, (2) Scheduled fetch (XML/CSV), (3) Shopify/WooCommerce plugin, (4) Supplemental feeds, (5) Not sure
• d) Current disapproval rate: (1) <2%, (2) 2-10%, (3) 10-25%, (4) >25%, (5) Unknown

Allow shorthand answers (e.g., "1a 2c 3b 4e").

Step 3: Analyze using the frameworks below. Prioritize by impact: disapprovals first (products not showing), then data quality (products showing poorly), then performance (products showing but underperforming).

Step 4: Deliver structured output with specific fixes, benchmarks, and priority order.

Integration Note#

This skill works best when paired with a Google Merchant Center MCP for live data access. Without live data, the agent applies frameworks to data the user provides (exports, screenshots, descriptions of issues). With live data, the agent can pull product statuses, diagnostics, and price insights directly.

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1. Feed Health Analysis#

Health Score Framework#

Calculate a feed health score from these weighted components:

ComponentWeightHow to ScoreApproval rate30%100% approved = 100 pts. Deduct 2 pts per % disapprovedRequired attribute completeness25%% of products with all required attrs filledRecommended attribute completeness15%% of products with 8+ of 12 recommended attrsData freshness15%Updated <24h = 100, 24-48h = 70, 48-72h = 40, >72h = 0Image quality15%% of products with compliant images (no watermarks, no placeholders, >100x100px)

Score interpretation:

• 90-100: Excellent. Focus on performance optimization.
• 75-89: Good. Fix remaining disapprovals and fill attribute gaps.
• 50-74: Needs work. Systematic issues present. Prioritize disapprovals, then required attributes.
• <50: Critical. Feed is substantially broken. Triage disapprovals by volume.

Required vs Recommended Attributes#

Always required (all products):

• id, title, description, link, image_link, availability, price

Required for most categories:

• brand (required except for movies, books, musical recordings)
• gtin (required for all products with a manufacturer-assigned GTIN)
• condition (required if used or refurbished)

Conditionally required:

• color, size, gender, age_group — required for Apparel & Accessories
• item_group_id — required for product variants
• shipping — required if not set at account level
• tax — required in the US if not set at account level

High-impact recommended attributes:

• additional_image_link (up to 10 images; products with 3+ images get ~15% higher CTR)
• product_type (your own categorization; helps with campaign structure)
• sale_price + sale_price_effective_date (triggers sale badge in Shopping)
• custom_label_0 through custom_label_4 (essential for campaign segmentation)
• product_highlight (up to 10 bullet points; shown in free listings)
• product_detail (section_name + attribute_name + attribute_value tuples)

Diagnostic Priority Order#

1. Account-level suspensions — nothing shows until resolved
2. Item-level disapprovals — products removed from serving
3. Item-level warnings — products serve but with reduced visibility
4. Missing required attributes — will become disapprovals
5. Missing recommended attributes — reduces competitiveness
6. Data quality issues — poor titles, descriptions, categorization

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2. Product Optimization#

Title Optimization#

Titles are the single highest-impact attribute for Shopping performance. Google uses titles for query matching more heavily than descriptions.

Structure formula by category:

CategoryTitle FormulaExampleApparelBrand + Gender + Product Type + Attributes (Color, Size, Material)"Nike Women's Air Max 270 Running Shoes - Black/White, Size 8"ElectronicsBrand + Product Line + Model + Key Specs"Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB Titanium Black Unlocked"Home & GardenBrand + Product Type + Material + Key Dimensions + Color"KitchenAid Classic 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer Onyx Black"BeautyBrand + Product Line + Product Type + Size/Count + Variant"CeraVe Moisturizing Cream Face and Body 19oz Fragrance-Free"GroceryBrand + Product Name + Flavor/Variant + Size/Count + Pack"KIND Bars Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt 12-Count Box"

Title rules:

• Max 150 characters; first 70 characters are most critical (truncation in mobile)
• Front-load the most important keywords in the first 70 characters
• Never use ALL CAPS or promotional text ("Free Shipping", "Best Price")
• Include color, size, material when relevant — these are matching signals
• Use the actual brand name, not abbreviations
• Separate attributes with hyphens or commas, not pipes

Title quality scoring:

SignalPointsBrand name present and correct+20Product type keyword included+20Key differentiating attribute (color/size/material)+15 each, max +30Within 70-character sweet spot+15No promotional language+15Total possible****100

Description Optimization#

• 1,000-5,000 characters optimal (minimum 500)
• First 150-200 characters most critical (may be shown in free listings)
• Include keywords naturally — Google does use descriptions for matching, but less than titles
• Include specifications, materials, dimensions, use cases
• No HTML tags (stripped by Google), no promotional language, no links

Image Requirements#

RequirementStandardNotesMinimum resolution100x100px (250x250 for apparel)800x800+ recommended for zoomMax file size16MBFormatJPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, WebPBackgroundWhite or transparent preferredNon-white OK but clean background requiredWatermarksNot allowedAutomatic disapprovalText overlayNot allowed on main imageOK on additional imagesPromotional overlayNot allowed"Sale", "Free shipping" overlays = disapprovalProduct visibilityProduct must fill 75-90% of frameNo tiny product in large frame

Image optimization checklist:

• Main image: product only, white background, high resolution
• 3+ additional images (lifestyle, different angles, scale/size reference)
• Apparel: show product on a person or flat-lay (not hanger)
• Consistent image style across product line

GTIN/MPN Completeness#

• GTIN is critical. Products with valid GTINs get ~20% more impressions than those without.
• Google cross-references GTINs against the GS1 database. Invalid GTINs cause disapprovals.
• If a product genuinely has no GTIN (custom, handmade, vintage, parts), set identifier_exists to no.
• Never fabricate GTINs. Never reuse GTINs across different products.
• MPN is required when GTIN is not available and the product has a manufacturer part number.

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3. Price Competitiveness#

Interpreting Price Benchmarks#

Google provides price benchmarks in the Price Competitiveness report. Key metrics:

MetricWhat It MeansAction Thresholdbenchmark_priceMedian price of the same product from other merchantsIf your price >15% above: expect significantly lower CTRprice_difference_percentageYour price vs benchmark>10% above: review pricing. >20% above: likely suppressedcountry_codeMarket the benchmark applies toCompare only within same market

Competitive Visibility Score Framework#

PositionYour Price vs BenchmarkExpected ImpactStrong>10% below benchmarkHigh impressions, high CTR. Verify margin is acceptable.CompetitiveWithin +/-10% of benchmarkNormal serving. Optimize other signals.Weak10-20% above benchmarkReduced impressions. Consider sale_price or promotions.Uncompetitive>20% above benchmarkSeverely reduced serving. Re-evaluate pricing or exclude from Shopping.

Price Strategy Decisions#

When price is too high vs benchmark:

1. Can you lower the price? Do it.
2. Can you add a promotion or sale_price? Triggers sale badge, improves CTR even if final price is still above benchmark.
3. Can you differentiate on value (bundle, warranty, fast shipping)? Add to title and description.
4. Is the product a loss leader for competitors? Consider excluding from Shopping.
5. Use custom_label to segment high-priced items into separate campaigns with different ROAS targets.

Price-Landing Page Match — #1 cause of avoidable disapprovals:

• Price shown on page must match price attribute exactly (including currency)
• sale_price must match the visible sale price on the landing page
• If microdata/structured data on the page differs from the feed, the feed value may be overridden or flagged

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4. Performance Analysis#

Shopping Performance Benchmarks by Category#

CategoryMedian CTRGood CTRMedian CPC (Shopping Ads)Median Conv. RateApparel & Accessories1.2%>2.0%$0.40-0.701.5-2.5%Electronics0.8%>1.5%$0.50-1.001.0-2.0%Home & Garden1.0%>1.8%$0.35-0.651.5-3.0%Health & Beauty1.5%>2.5%$0.30-0.552.0-3.5%Grocery & Food1.8%>3.0%$0.20-0.402.5-4.0%Toys & Games1.3%>2.2%$0.25-0.502.0-3.5%Sports & Outdoors1.0%>1.7%$0.35-0.651.5-2.5%Auto Parts0.7%>1.2%$0.40-0.801.0-2.0%

Performance Diagnostic Tree#

Low impressions:

1. Check disapprovals — products not serving at all?
2. Check price competitiveness — priced out of auctions?
3. Check title relevance — titles match search queries?
4. Check bid/budget (paid) — budget exhausting before end of day?
5. Check product ratings — competitors with ratings outranking you?

Low CTR (impressions OK):

1. Image quality — compelling vs generic?
2. Title quality — informative vs vague?
3. Price position — higher than competitors in same carousel?
4. Sale badge — competitors showing sales, you are not?
5. Shipping speed/cost — competitors showing "Free delivery" and you are not?

Low conversion rate (clicks OK):

1. Landing page match — does the page show what the listing promised?
2. Landing page speed — >3 seconds load time loses ~50% of mobile users
3. Price on landing page — any surprise fees or shipping costs?
4. Mobile experience — is the landing page mobile-optimized?
5. Availability — "Add to cart" immediately visible?

Key Metrics to Track Weekly#

MetricRed FlagDisapproval rate>5% or increasing trendImpression share (paid)<50% in target categoriesCTRBelow category medianClick-to-conversion rate<1% for most categoriesPrice competitiveness %>30% of products uncompetitive

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5. Disapproval Workflows#

Top 10 Disapproval Reasons and Fix Paths#

#ReasonCauseFixTimeline1MisrepresentationMisleading claims, missing business infoRemove superlatives, add return policy, add About Us page3-7 days, may need manual review2Price MismatchFeed price ≠ landing page priceSync feed price to page exactly; check currency24-72h re-crawl3Availability MismatchFeed says in stock, page says out of stockSync inventory feed; increase update frequencyNext crawl4Missing GTINHas manufacturer GTIN but not in feedAdd GTIN or set identifier_exists: noImmediate on next processing5Image OverlayWatermarks, promo text on main imageReplace with clean product image24-72h re-crawl6Landing Page Error404/500 errors, geo-blocking GooglebotFix URLs; unblock GooglebotNext crawl7Insufficient Product DataTitle/description too short or genericTitle >30 chars with brand+type; description >500 charsImmediate8Missing Shipping WeightCarrier-calculated rates but no weight in feedAdd shipping_weight or switch to flat-rateImmediate9Restricted ProductRegulated category without verificationVerify compliance; apply for merchant verification if requiredVaries10Duplicate Item IDSame ID reused for different productsAssign unique, stable IDs per variantImmediate

Disapproval Triage Matrix#

VolumeSame Reason?Action>100 productsYesSystematic root cause — fix feed template or feed rule, not individual items>100 productsNoGroup by reason, fix highest-volume first10-100 products—Fix in bulk via supplemental feed or feed rules<10 products—Fix individually; watch for pattern

Appeal Process#

1. Fix the issue first. Never appeal without fixing.
2. Wait 24-72 hours for automatic re-crawl.
3. If not resolved: Request manual review (Diagnostics > Item Issues > Request Review).
4. One appeal at a time. 7-day cooldown applies for repeated policy violations.

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6. Feed Management#

Feed Method Decision Tree#

text

Platform has native GMC integration (Shopify, WooCommerce)?
  YES → Use platform plugin as primary feed
        Need to override attributes the plugin doesn't support?
          YES → Add supplemental feed for overrides
          NO  → Plugin-only is sufficient
  NO  → Have developer resources?
        YES → Content API (real-time; best for >10K SKUs or fast inventory)
        NO  → Scheduled fetch (XML/CSV hosted on your server; update at least daily)

Feed Types#

Feed TypeUse CaseUpdate FrequencyPrimary feedAll products, all required attributesDaily minimum; every 6h for fast-moving inventorySupplemental feedOverride/add attributes without touching primaryAs neededFeed rulesTransform data at processing time (regex, lookups)Applied every processing runContent APIReal-time individual product updatesReal-time; 100K requests/day limitAutomated feedsGoogle crawls your siteGoogle's schedule (not your control)

Supplemental Feed Strategy#

Use supplemental feeds for:

• Custom labels — campaign segmentation (margin tiers, seasonality, priority)
• Title A/B testing — optimized titles without touching your CMS
• Missing GTINs — lookup table mapped to product IDs
• Promotion IDs — linking products to active promotions
• Seasonal overrides — holiday titles, temporary attribute changes

Supplemental feeds match on id — must exactly match the primary feed id.

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7. Shopping Campaign Readiness#

Pre-Launch Checklist#

CheckRequirementFeed health score>80 (Section 1 framework)Disapproval rate<5% of active productsPrice competitiveness>60% of products within +10% of benchmarkLanding page speed<3 seconds, mobile-friendlyConversion trackingGoogle Ads tag firing, revenue tracking verifiedShipping infoAccurate in feed or account settings

Standard Shopping vs Performance Max#

FactorStandard ShoppingPerformance MaxQuery controlHigh (negatives, search term reports)Low (limited insights)BiddingManual CPC or Target ROASAutomated onlyBest forTight ROAS targets, query-level strategyBroad reach, new advertisers, >30 conv/monthMin daily budget$5-10/day viable$50-100/day recommendedRamp-upImmediate2-4 week learning phase

Custom Label Strategy#

SlotUseExample Valuescustom_label_0Margin tierhigh_margin, medium_margin, low_margincustom_label_1Product priorityhero, standard, long_tailcustom_label_2Seasonalityevergreen, summer, holiday, clearancecustom_label_3Price rangeunder_25, 25_to_100, over_100custom_label_4Performance tiertop_seller, average, underperformer, new

ROAS Targets by Category (Starting Points)#

CategoryConservative ROASAggressive ROASApparel400-600%200-300%Electronics600-800%300-500%Home & Garden400-600%200-400%Health & Beauty300-500%150-300%Grocery200-400%100-200%

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Output Format#

• Start with a Feed Health Score (0-100) and top-line summary
• Group findings into: Critical (disapprovals, policy) → High (data quality, price) → Medium (optimization) → Low (nice-to-have)
• Include specific product counts and percentages per issue
• Provide exact fix instructions, not general advice
• Mark estimates with ⚠️ when based on incomplete data
• End with a prioritized action plan (numbered, with effort: 5min / 30min / 2hrs / half-day)
• Include a 7-day and 30-day check-in plan