If you’ve got a WordPress store (especially if you’re using WooCommerce) and you want your products to show up in Google Shopping, you’ll need to set up Google Merchant Center.
At first, it might feel a little overwhelming — Google throws a lot of jargon at you. But once you break it down, the process is totally doable. In this guide, I’ll walk you through it step by step, no tech degree required.
Step 1: Create Your Google Merchant Center Account
Before anything else, head over to Google Merchant Center.
- Click “Get Started” and log in with your Google account.
- Add your business info — name, country, website, that sort of thing.
- Agree to the terms and click through the setup.
That’s it — you’ve got your account. Now we need to connect it to your actual website.
Step 2: Verify That You Own Your Website
Google needs to know you’re the real owner of the site you’re linking. There are a few ways to do it, but here are the easiest options if you’re using WordPress:
Option 1: Use the Site Kit Plugin by Google
This one’s super easy and requires no code.
- Go to your WordPress dashboard.
- Head to Plugins > Add New and search for Site Kit by Google.
- Install it, activate it, and follow the prompts to connect your Google account.
- It’ll take care of the verification behind the scenes.
Option 2: Add a Code Manually
If you’d rather do it manually (or just want full control):
- In your Google Merchant Center account, go to Settings > Business Info > Website.
- Choose HTML tag as your verification method.
- Copy the meta tag Google gives you.
- Paste it into your site’s header — easiest way is using a plugin like Insert Headers and Footers.
- Click Verify back in Google Merchant Center.
Once verified, be sure to hit “Claim Website” so you lock it in.
Step 3: Create a Product Feed from Your Store
Now it’s time to give Google your product data — things like titles, images, prices, and availability. This is called a product feed, and you’ll need a plugin to generate one from your WooCommerce store.
Two solid options:
- CTX Feed – Easy and lightweight
- Product Feed PRO – More advanced customization
Let’s use CTX Feed for this walkthrough:
- Go to Plugins > Add New in WordPress and search for CTX Feed.
- Install and activate it.
- In your dashboard, go to Product Feed > Make Feed.
- Choose “Google Shopping” as your template.
- Select which products to include and generate the feed.
The plugin will give you a feed URL (it usually ends in .xml). Keep that link handy — we’ll use it in the next step.
Step 4: Add Your Feed to Google Merchant Center
Now that your feed is ready, you need to let Google know where to find it.
- In Merchant Center, go to Products > Feeds.
- Click the + button to add a new feed.
- Choose your target country and language.
- For input method, pick “Scheduled fetch”.
- Give your feed a name (like “WooCommerce Feed”).
- Set how often Google should check for updates — daily is a good default.
- Paste the feed URL you got from your plugin.
- Click Create Feed.
Google will now fetch your product data directly from your site on a regular basis.
Step 5: Clean Up Any Errors
After Google processes your feed, it’ll flag any issues. This is where you do a little troubleshooting.
- Go to Products > Diagnostics in Merchant Center.
- Look at the issues listed — you might see things like:
- Missing GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)
- Image size problems
- Pricing mismatches
- Click on each issue to see which products are affected.
- Fix those problems in WooCommerce or in your feed plugin settings.
- Re-generate your feed and let Google pull the updates.
Don’t stress if you see a bunch of warnings at first — it’s totally normal. Google just wants things to be as clean and consistent as possible.
Step 6: Set Up Shipping and Tax Info
Google needs to know how much your customers will pay, including shipping and taxes.
Shipping:
- In Merchant Center, go to Tools > Shipping and returns.
- Click Add shipping service.
- Set up rules that match what you offer on your store — like flat rate, free shipping, or calculated rates.
Tax:
- If you’re based in the U.S., go to Tools > Sales tax.
- Add tax rules by state or enable automatic tax calculation.
- Make sure this aligns with your WooCommerce settings.
This step helps avoid those annoying price mismatch errors.
Step 7: (Optional) Link Merchant Center to Google Ads
If you’re planning to run Shopping ads (totally optional but great for sales), you’ll want to connect Google Merchant Center to Google Ads.
- In Merchant Center, go to Settings > Linked Accounts.
- Click on Google Ads.
- Enter your Google Ads Customer ID.
- Then head to Google Ads and approve the connection.
This makes it easy to run ads using your product feed — no extra steps later.
Step 8: Keep Your Feed and Store in Sync
After everything’s set up, make sure it stays that way.
- Set your product feed to update daily.
- Keep your product info accurate in WooCommerce (especially prices and stock).
- Check your Merchant Center dashboard once a week for any new warnings or issues.
Keeping things up to date is what helps your listings stay live and error-free.
Final Tips to Make Life Easier
- Use real product photos with no watermarks or added text.
- Add GTINs or barcodes for branded products — Google loves that.
- Avoid spammy or salesy phrases in product titles like “Best Deal” or “Limited Offer.”
- Make sure your product pages are mobile-friendly and load quickly.
- Consider using an SEO plugin like Yoast WooCommerce SEO to help with product schema and structured data.
You’re All Set
Once you’ve got Google Merchant Center connected to your WooCommerce store, you’ll be able to show your products in Google Shopping — one of the best places to catch buyers while they’re actively searching.
It takes a little setup, but once it’s running, it’s mostly hands-off. And the visibility boost is totally worth it.
If you run into any issues with your feed or Merchant Center account, don’t panic. Most errors can be fixed with a few tweaks. Just check the diagnostics, follow the suggestions, and update your feed.
And hey — if you ever want help cleaning up your product listings or running ads, I’ve got your back. Let me know.
