Overview

AI-generated Key Takeaways

• The Merchant API is the new version of the Content API for Shopping, allowing merchants to create and manage their online store catalogs on Google Shopping.

• Merchants can utilize the products resource to add, update, or remove product information individually or in batches, offering faster response times compared to traditional feed uploads.

• Google Shopping enforces its advertising and free listing policies, holding merchants accountable for compliance.

• Product data uploaded through the API is stored in the Shopping Merchant Center database, and Google offers automatic improvements for certain product attributes.

• The term "product" in this context specifically denotes the physical item displayed on a merchant's product detail page for online listings.

Merchants can use the products resource to create an online store catalog, that is a list of products and offers that are available on Google Shopping. Merchants can use the products resource once they have created their merchant center account, and are ready to upload an initial set of products through the API.

Merchants are responsible for complying with the Shopping ads and free listings policies. Google Shopping reserves the right to enforce these policies and respond appropriately if we find content or behavior that violates these policies.

The products resource uploads product information to the Shopping Merchant Center database. It also provides a number of methods that let you access, update or delete product information one at a time, or many at a time in batch mode.

Although merchants have the ability to load products using a file called a Primary Feed, there are several advantages to creating, updating, and deleting products using the Content API, including faster response time and the ability to update multiple products in real time, without the need to manage multiple supplemental feeds. It may take up to several hours for product changes made by API calls to show in the Shopping Merchant Center database.

Google can help maintain certain attributes of your products automatically. See Enable automatic improvements for more details.

Here's a diagram of how you can manage products:

The term "product" refers to the physical unit that is to be displayed on a merchant's Product Detail Page for listing in an online location like Google Shopping.