Google Product Category for Jeans, Socks & Apparel (ID List)

Looking for the right Google product category for jeans or socks? Here are the answers, straight from Google’s official taxonomy file:

• Jeans: Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Pants (ID: 204)
• Socks: Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Underwear & Socks > Socks (ID: 209)

Copy either the ID number or the full breadcrumb path into the google_product_category attribute in your product feed. Both formats are accepted by Google Merchant Center.

Yes, you read that right. Jeans do not get their own category. That surprises a lot of merchants, so let’s clear it up, then cover the rest of the apparel tree so you can map your entire clothing catalog correctly.

💡 Need a different product? Use our free Google Product Category mapping feature to search and add all 5,000+ categories instantly.

Why jeans map to “Pants” (ID 204)?

Google’s product taxonomy intentionally stops at a certain level of detail for some product types. There is no “Jeans” leaf category anywhere in the taxonomy file. The most specific valid category for any pair of jeans, whether skinny, bootcut, raw denim, or distressed, is:

204 - Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Pants

So where does “jeans” go?

Into the product_type attribute. This is the part most merchants miss. google_product_category must come from Google’s fixed list, but product_type is free text that you define yourself. Use both together:

Attribute	Value	Who defines it
google_product_category	204	Google (fixed list)
product_type	Men’s > Denim > Slim Fit Jeans	You (free text)

Google uses your product_type for campaign organization and as an extra relevance signal, so “jeans” absolutely belongs in your feed. Just not in the category field.

The same logic applies to “pairs of jeans” or “mens jeans” or any variant of the query. The quantity, gender, fit, and wash never change the category. They are attributes (or title keywords), not categories.

Google product category for socks: ID 209

Socks do get a dedicated category, and it lives somewhere many merchants don’t expect, under Underwear:

209 - Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Underwear & Socks > Socks

A few things worth knowing:

• All sock types use 209. Ankle socks, crew socks, compression socks, wool hiking socks, novelty socks. One category covers them all. Put the specifics in your title and product_type.
• Pairs and multipacks do not change anything. A 6-pack of socks is still ID 209. Quantity is handled by your title (“6-Pack”) and pricing, not by the category.
• Two exceptions exist: Baby and toddler socks have their own category, Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Baby & Toddler Clothing > Baby & Toddler Socks & Tights (ID: 5423). And Japanese tabi socks are classified as a traditional clothing accessory (ID: 5685).
• Don’t confuse socks with hosiery. Tights, stockings, and pantyhose belong to Hosiery (ID: 215), which sits in the same Underwear & Socks branch.

The full apparel category cheat sheet

Here are the verified IDs for the most commonly mapped clothing categories. All paths begin with Apparel & Accessories > Clothing:

Product	Category ID	Path (after Apparel & Accessories > Clothing)
Jeans, trousers, chinos	204	> Pants
Socks	209	> Underwear & Socks > Socks
Shirts, t-shirts, blouses	212	> Shirts & Tops
Shorts	207	> Shorts
Dresses	2271	> Dresses
Skirts	1581	> Skirts
Coats & jackets	5598	> Outerwear > Coats & Jackets
Swimwear	211	> Swimwear
Underwear	2562	> Underwear & Socks > Underwear
Bras	214	> Underwear & Socks > Bras
Lingerie	1772	> Underwear & Socks > Lingerie
Hosiery (tights, stockings)	215	> Underwear & Socks > Hosiery
Shapewear	1578	> Underwear & Socks > Shapewear
Pajamas	2580	> Sleepwear & Loungewear > Pajamas
Robes	2302	> Sleepwear & Loungewear > Robes
Suits	1594	> Suits
Activewear	5322	> Activewear
Baby & toddler clothing	182	> Baby & Toddler Clothing

Two related branches sit outside Clothing but inside Apparel & Accessories: Shoes (ID: 187) covers all footwear including slippers and sneakers, and Clothing Accessories (ID: 167) covers belts, hats, scarves, gloves, and similar items.

5 common apparel mapping mistakes (and how to avoid them)

1. Inventing categories that don’t exist. “Jeans,” “hoodies for men,” and “white lingerie” are not categories.

If a value isn’t in Google’s official taxonomy file, Merchant Center either rejects it or silently reclassifies your product, often incorrectly. Always pick from the real list.

2. Putting color, material, or gender in the category. A query like “white lingerie” or “cotton socks” mixes attributes into classification. Color goes in the color attribute, material goes in material, gender goes in gender.

The category stays the same regardless: 1772 for lingerie, 209 for socks. Google uses those separate attributes for filtering, so stuffing them into the wrong field actually hurts your visibility.

3. Stopping at “Clothing” (ID 1604). Technically valid, practically harmful. A generic parent category gives Google almost no relevance signal, which means worse ad matching and wasted spend.

Always go as deep as the taxonomy allows: 204 instead of 1604 for jeans, 209 instead of 213 for socks.

4. Using outdated category names. Google revises the taxonomy periodically, renaming, merging, and removing categories.

If your feed was set up years ago with hand-typed category strings, some may no longer exist. Check the version header in the official file and re-validate after each update.

5. Forgetting the baby exception. Adult and kids’ clothing share categories, but baby and toddler items have their own branch (ID 182 and its children).

Submitting baby socks as ID 209 instead of 5423 is one of the most common misclassifications in apparel feeds.

How to set Google product categories automatically in WooCommerce?

Mapping categories by hand works for ten products. For a real apparel catalog with hundreds of variations, you need automation.

CTX Feed Plugin includes a built-in Category Mapping feature that connects your existing WooCommerce categories to Google’s taxonomy:

1. Install CTX Feed and go to CTX Feed > Category Mapping.
2. Click Add New Mapping and select Google Shopping as the merchant.
3. Your WooCommerce categories appear in a list. Next to each one, start typing in the Google category field, type “pants” and select Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Pants, and the plugin fills in the correct ID automatically.
4. Save the mapping and select it when you generate your Google Shopping feed.

From that point on, every product in your “Jeans” WooCommerce category automatically gets ID 204 in the feed, every product in “Socks” gets 209, and new products inherit the right category the moment you publish them.

No spreadsheets, no copy-pasting from the taxonomy file, no expired category strings.

FAQ:

Need the category ID for a different product? Search the complete, always-current taxonomy with our free Support Google Product Category Finder, or let CTX Feed Plugin map your entire WooCommerce catalog automatically.