Guide 3: Adding Feeds to Google Merchant Center

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Guide 3: Adding Feeds to Google Merchant Center

Overview

This is the final step in setting up Local Inventory. You’ll add the supplemental feeds generated by ShoppingFeeder to your Google Merchant Center account as “Local Inventory” data sources. This enables Google to display your in-store product availability to nearby shoppers.

Prerequisites

  • ✅ Configured locations in ShoppingFeeder
  • ✅ Feed URLs copied from ShoppingFeeder
  • ✅ Active Google Merchant Center account
  • ✅ Verified Google Business Profiles
  • ✅ Primary product feed already configured in Google Merchant Center

Important Concepts

Primary vs Supplemental Feeds

Primary Feed: Your main product catalog (already set up in Merchant Center)

  • Contains: Product details, prices, descriptions, images

Supplemental Feed (Local Inventory): Location-specific inventory data

  • Contains: Store codes, local availability, store-specific prices (if applicable)
  • Supplements your primary feed with local information

Feed Label

Your local inventory feeds should use the feed label “ZA” (for South Africa). This was automatically configured when you set up your locations in ShoppingFeeder.

Step-by-Step: Adding Local Inventory Feeds

Step 1: Access Google Merchant Center

  1. Go to Google Merchant Center
  2. Log in to your account
  3. Select the correct Merchant Center account (if you manage multiple)

Step 2: Navigate to Data Sources

  1. From the left sidebar, click on “Settings” (gear icon)
  2. Click on “Data sources”
  3. You’ll see two tabs: “Product sources” and “SFTP and Google Cloud Storage”
  4. Ensure you’re on the “Product sources” tab

Step 3: Add Local Inventory

  1. Under “Provided by you” section, locate “Supplemental sources” tab
  2. Click the “Add local inventory” button

Step 4: Choose Feed Method

You’ll see three options for adding local inventory:

  1. Enter a link to your file (RECOMMENDED)
    • This is what you’ll use for ShoppingFeeder feeds
  2. Add a file using SFTP or Google Cloud Storage
  3. Upload a file from your computer

Select the first option: “Enter a link to your file”

Step 5: Configure the Feed

Enter Your Feed URL

  1. In the “Enter a link to your file” field, paste the feed URL you copied from ShoppingFeeder
    • Format: https://sfdr.co/cf/BI1BMfM...
  2. The URL is unique to each location

Set Update Schedule

The schedule is automatically configured:

  • Automatically updates every 24 hours at 12:00 AM (SAST)
  • You can click the edit icon to modify this if needed, but the default is recommended

Authentication

  • Leave authentication as “No username and password provided”
  • ShoppingFeeder feeds don’t require authentication

Set Language and Feed Label

  1. Language: The feed will show in English
  2. Feed label: Set to ZA
    • This must match the channel you selected in ShoppingFeeder
    • Click the edit icon if you need to change it

Step 6: Submit the Feed

  1. Review all the settings
  2. Click “Submit” or “Add feed” button at the bottom
  3. Google will begin fetching your local inventory data

Step 7: Verify Feed Status

After submission:

  1. You’ll return to the Data sources page
  2. Your new local inventory feed will appear under “Supplemental sources”
  3. Check the “Last updated” column to confirm the feed is processing
  4. The “Language” should show “English”
  5. The “Used in” column should show “Local product data sources”

Step 8: Repeat for Additional Locations

If you have multiple locations:

  1. Click “Add local inventory” again
  2. Repeat Steps 4-7 for each additional location feed URL
  3. Each location will have its own supplemental feed entry

Understanding Feed Processing

Initial Processing

  • First fetch: Google fetches your feed within minutes of submission
  • Processing time: 15 minutes to several hours depending on feed size
  • Status updates: Check the Data sources page for processing status

Feed Statuses

✅ Active: Feed is processing successfully ⚠️ Warning: Feed is processing but has non-critical issues ❌ Error: Feed has critical issues preventing processing

Regular Updates

  • Feeds automatically update every 24 hours at 12:00 AM SAST
  • Changes to inventory in your platform reflect within 24 hours
  • No manual updates required

Verification Checklist

After adding all feeds, verify:

  • All location feeds are added to Google Merchant Center
  • Each feed shows correct language (English)
  • Each feed has feed label “ZA”
  • No critical errors appear in feed status
  • “Last updated” timestamp is recent
  • Primary product feed is still active and linked

Testing Your Setup

Check Feed Content

  1. In Data sources, click on your local inventory feed name
  2. Review the feed content to ensure products are present
  3. Check that store codes match your Google Business Profiles

Verify in Product Feed

  1. Go to Products in left sidebar
  2. Select a product from your catalog
  3. Look for local inventory information
  4. Verify store codes and availability appear correctly

Search Preview

After 24-48 hours:

  1. Search for your products on Google
  2. Check if “In stock nearby” or local availability appears
  3. Verify correct store locations are shown

Common Feed Settings

Recommended Settings

  • Fetch frequency: Every 24 hours (default)
  • Fetch time: 12:00 AM SAST (matches ShoppingFeeder update time)
  • Authentication: None
  • Feed label: ZA

Optional Settings

  • You can adjust fetch frequency if you need more or less frequent updates
  • Maximum: Every hour (for rapidly changing inventory)
  • Minimum: Every 24 hours (recommended)

Troubleshooting

Issue: Feed fetch failed

Possible Causes:

  • Incorrect feed URL
  • ShoppingFeeder service not active
  • Network connectivity issues

Solution:

  1. Verify the feed URL is correct
  2. Test the URL in a browser – it should download an XML file
  3. Check ShoppingFeeder service status
  4. Contact ShoppingFeeder support if issue persists

Issue: No products appearing in feed

Possible Causes:

  • Location not configured correctly in ShoppingFeeder
  • No inventory assigned to location in your platform
  • Primary feed not yet processed

Solution:

  1. Check location configuration in ShoppingFeeder
  2. Verify inventory exists for the location in Shopify/your platform
  3. Ensure primary product feed is approved and processing
  4. Wait 24 hours for initial sync

Issue: Wrong store code in feed

Possible Causes:

  • Incorrect store code entered in ShoppingFeeder
  • Store code doesn’t match Google Business Profile

Solution:

  1. Return to ShoppingFeeder → Inventory Locations
  2. Verify and correct the store code
  3. Save changes
  4. Wait for next automatic update (or manually re-fetch in Merchant Center)

Issue: Feed shows warnings

Possible Causes:

  • Missing optional attributes
  • Formatting recommendations
  • Non-critical data quality issues

Solution:

  1. Review warnings in Google Merchant Center
  2. Most warnings don’t prevent the feed from working
  3. Address critical warnings first
  4. Update ShoppingFeeder configuration or primary feed as needed

Issue: Products don’t show local availability on Google

Possible Causes:

  • Feeds still processing (wait 24-48 hours)
  • Local Inventory Ads not enabled for your account
  • Google Business Profiles not verified

Solution:

  1. Allow 24-48 hours for initial processing
  2. Verify all Google Business Profiles are approved
  3. Check if your Google Merchant Center account is approved for Local Inventory Ads
  4. Contact Google Merchant Center support for account eligibility

Monitoring Your Feeds

Regular Checks

Perform these checks weekly:

  • ✓ Feed status is “Active”
  • ✓ Last updated is within 24 hours
  • ✓ No critical errors
  • ✓ Product count is as expected

Feed Performance

Monitor in Google Merchant Center:

  • Impressions: How often products appear in searches
  • Clicks: How often users click to view store availability
  • Store visits: Track foot traffic (requires Google Ads integration)

Maintaining Your Setup

When to Update Feeds

Update ShoppingFeeder configuration when:

  • Adding new physical locations
  • Closing existing locations
  • Changing Google Business Profile information
  • Moving to a new physical address

Update Google Merchant Center when:

  • ShoppingFeeder feed URLs change
  • You need to adjust fetch frequency
  • Changing primary product feed configuration

Best Practices

  • Keep store codes synchronized between ShoppingFeeder and Google Business Profile
  • Monitor feed health weekly
  • Update inventory regularly in your e-commerce platform
  • Respond promptly to feed errors or warnings

Completion Checklist

You’ve successfully completed Local Inventory setup when:

  • Subscribed to ShoppingFeeder Local Inventory
  • Configured all locations in ShoppingFeeder
  • Added all supplemental feeds to Google Merchant Center
  • All feeds showing “Active” status
  • No critical errors in any feed
  • Products displaying with local availability

Next Steps

Optimization

  • Monitor which locations drive the most searches
  • Optimize inventory levels based on local demand
  • Use Google Ads to promote local availability

Expansion

  • Add more locations as you open new stores
  • Experiment with location-specific promotions
  • Track performance by location

Additional Resources

Congratulations! Your Local Inventory feeds are now set up. Customers can discover your in-store product availability when searching on Google.

Need Help? Contact ShoppingFeeder support or Google Merchant Center support for assistance with feed issues.