You can use the Content API for Shopping to automate
[Google Merchant Center](https://merchants.google.com/) account management.

Here are some things you can do with the Content API for Shopping:

- Upload products
- Manage inventory
- Manage Merchant Center accounts
- Link your inventory to [Google Ads](https://ads.google.com)

After uploading products, you can take advantage of other
[Google for Retail solutions](https://google.com/retail/solutions/), like promoting
your products in
[Shopping campaigns](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2454022).

Merchants are responsible for complying with the [Shopping
ads](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6149970) and [free
listings](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/9261529) policies. Google
Shopping reserves the right to enforce these policies and respond appropriately
if we find content or behavior that violates these policies.

See the left navigation menu for guides to help you get started with the Content
API for Shopping, and our [reference
documentation](https://developers.google.com/shopping-content/reference/rest/v2.1) for full details on all
available features.

## Client libraries

We recommend using the [Google API client libraries](https://developers.google.com/api-client-library) when
deploying the Content API for Shopping. The client libraries are available for
many popular programming languages and simplify common API tasks including the
following:

- Authorizing users
- Sending requests
- Parsing responses

Code samples in this guide are in Python.

For a list of available client libraries and code samples, see
[Samples and Libraries](https://developers.google.com/shopping-content/guides/libraries).

## Initial setup

This guide covers the basic steps to get started with the Content API and make
your first API call:

- [Setting up your Merchant Center account](https://developers.google.com/shopping-content/guides/quickstart/setting-up-your-merchant-center-account)
- [Setting up a client library](https://developers.google.com/shopping-content/guides/quickstart/setting-up-a-client-library)
- [Making an API call](https://developers.google.com/shopping-content/guides/quickstart/making-an-api-call)
- [Exploring the Content API](https://developers.google.com/shopping-content/guides/quickstart/exploring-the-content-api)