It may be a smart decision to switch your Google product feed from the native Shopify API integration to a feed generated by DataFeedWatch. You will gain much better control over the optimization of your product data and thus campaigns running in Google Merchant Center.
However you need to handle the transition carefully to avoid disapproved products, or even blocking your whole GMC campaign.
Transferring your product feed from Shopify API to a tool like DataFeedWatch is a game-changer for Google advertising. It allows for better customization, improved data quality, and compliance with Google’s requirements.
You can optimize titles, descriptions, and categories, ensuring your products stand out. Feed tools also enable multi-channel management, and advanced features like dynamic pricing and keyword insertion. Plus, they save a lot of your time, reduce possibilities of errors, and boost ad performance.
Google Merchant Center requires that each product is submitted only once to avoid disapprovals. This means that you cannot have the same product in two different feeds. The only exception is if you sell in a physical store and have the same product in the main feed and the local inventory feed.
If you have used other feed tools and still have feeds containing the same products there, we recommend that you stop using them to avoid problems with Google Merchant Center. You can recreate the setup from the old tool in DataFeedWatch.
If you wish, DataFeedWatch can do this for you. You can request a one-time setup of the feed, where we copy the settings from the previous software to DataFeedWatch.
Google uses product IDs to maintain product history, performance data, and reviews. If your feed tool generates different IDs than Shopify (e.g., variant IDs vs. parent IDs), Google will treat them as new products.
What you need to do is ensure the feed tool uses the same id values as your current Shopify feed (usually the variant ID). As DataFeedWatch connects to Shopify, it allows us to automatically recreate the Shopify ID structure.
As an ID, you can use ID, SKU, variant ID, or Shopify's default:
Shopify’s API feed automatically handles variants. During the transition of the feed to DataFeedWatch, make sure each variant is exported separately and variant attributes (color, size, material, etc.) are mapped correctly.
Incorrect or untrackable URLs can lead to broken links, poor user experiences, and a loss of valuable campaign performance data.
Verify if:
Ensure that each product URL in the feed directs users to the specific variant they clicked on. For example, if a user clicks on a red, size medium t-shirt in your ad, the URL should take them directly to that variant’s page, not the default product page. This requires mapping variant-specific URLs correctly in the feed tool.
Did your campaigns have any URL tracking codes? If you use UTM parameters or other tracking codes to monitor campaign performance in Google Analytics or other tools, ensure these are included in your new feed. For example, a URL like www.example.com/product?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale allows you to track the source, medium, and campaign performance.
If your store operates in multiple regions, ensure that the feed tool generates region-specific URLs for each market. This is especially important for international campaigns to avoid directing users to the wrong storefront.
Sometimes image links might get mixed up during the transition. It turns out that the image link that was the main one is now not the main one.
Check if:
The sync of Shopify and Google Merchant Center ensures the shipping settings are correct. But once you decide to switch to a feed management tool you need to confirm shipping settings remain correct after the transition.
If they’re not, you might need to manually configure the shipping settings in Google Merchant Center or add them as feed attributes in your feed. A DataFeedWatch agent will be happy to help.
If you have created custom labels in Shopify, they’re not gonna automatically appear in the DataFeedWatch tool. You need to recreate them in a feed tool.
What types of custom labels can these be? You can use them to segment your products based on profit margins, seasonal products, bestsellers, sale items, etc. See our article on the different types of custom labels you can create.
We recommend that you use the same names for custom labels as in Shopify, e.g. custom_label_0, custom_label_1, custom_label_4.
Product type is a custom categorization field created by a user in Shopify to organize your products, while Google Product Taxonomy is a predefined categorization system required by Google for Google Merchant Center. It uses specific category IDs or paths.
You need to check whether your Shopify feed uses Product Type, Google Product Taxonomy, or both. If both are used, note any discrepancies between the two.
For example product type is "Men's T-Shirts" and product category is “Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Shirts & Tops > T-Shirts"
Map product categories in DataFeedWatch. Decide whether to use product types if your Shopify product types align with Google’s requirements or already assigned Google categories in Shopify.
Check for missing Google product categories. Use DataFeedWatch’s validation tool to identify products missing a Google Product Category and assign the correct taxonomy.
Having both the Content API and the DataFeedWatch feed running simultaneously can create issues in your GMC account. The Google App in Shopify might override the DataFeedWatch feed, potentially resulting in product disapprovals and below-standard campaign outcomes.
That’s why you need to remove the Content API connection from Shopify to prevent issues with the product submitted by the DataFeedWatch feed in your Shopify account.
To retain historical performance data, ensure the product IDs in both feeds are identical.
Read the step-by-step instruction on how to do it:
How to Remove Content API Connection from Shopify in Google Merchant Center?
Shopify's API feed updates product data in real-time, meaning any changes you make to your product catalog, such as price adjustments or inventory updates, are instantly reflected in your Google Merchant Center (GMC) feed.
DataFeedWatch operates on a scheduled update system. Depending on the tool and your subscription plan, updates may occur every 1–24 hours or on-demand (depending on your plan).
You need to ensure the update frequency is sufficient for your store, especially if you have fast-changing inventory.
Switching from Shopify API to DataFeedWatch for your Google product feed offers better control over data optimization and campaign performance, but requires careful planning. Following the steps included in this article ensures a smooth transition without disrupting your campaigns.