Woocommerce Product Feed Export to Google Shopping: Step-by-Step Guide

Wanna hear something fascinating? 

Nearly half of all shoppers (49%) rely on Google to find and explore new products. 

That’s why, all the WooCommerce store owners are always looking for the opportunity to market their products in Google Shopping. It will enhance your product’s visibility, increase your WooCommerce sales, and create brand awareness. 

But, to promote your store’s products, you need to export the product feed to Google Shopping. So, how to perform WooCommerce product feed export to Google Shopping? 

Buckle up! In this guide, I will share a comprehensive guide on Exporting WooCommerce Products to Google Shopping. Let’s dive in! 

What is a Product Feed and How Does it Work? 

Before we get to the main part, let’s get a solid understanding of product feeds and WooCommerce Product Feeds. 

So, what is a product feed?

To put it simply, a product feed is a detailed file that includes all the important information about your products, like

• Titles, 
• Descriptions,
• Prices, 
• Availability, 
• Images etc.

Then, this file is used to create detailed product listings on different platforms and marketing channels like Google Shopping. 

So, if we talk about a product feed of WooCommerce, it’s a file that contains organized information about the products of your WooCommerce store. 

It helps you to share this product data with Google Shopping and other platforms so that products can be displayed and promoted effectively across these online channels. 

But, how does a Product Feed work?

Suppose you submit your WooCommerce store’s product feed to Google, Google then takes all the product’s key information from the feed and shows it up in the Google Shopping platform.

So, when someone searches for a product, Google uses the details from your product feed to display relevant ads to them.

If they’re interested, they can click on the Ad and be taken directly to your website to see the product. 

Now that you have a clear understanding of what a Product Feed in WooCommerce is, let’s move on to the main part. 

How to Export WooCommerce Product Feed to Google Shopping: A Comprehensive Guide

Exporting your WooCommerce product feed to Google Shopping can expand your reach and boost sales. And I assure you, the entire process is completely beginner-friendly and easy. 

Let’s break down the process into three simple parts for a smoother experience:

Part A: Creating Your WooCommerce Product Feed 

In this part, I’ll guide you through the process of making your WooCommerce store’s product feed. This step will make it easier for you to upload the products to Google Shopping. 

Part B: Setting up Your Google Merchant Center Account 

Next up, I’ll walk you through setting up your Google Merchant Center account. This platform is key for managing your product listings on Google Shopping.

Part C: Uploading the WooCommerce Product Feed to Google Shopping

Last but not least, you will get to know the process of uploading the product feed to the Google Shopping Platform. This step makes sure that your products become visible to potential customers who are searching on Google for products like yours.

By the end of this guide, you’ll be all set to showcase your WooCommerce products to a broader audience on Google Shopping. Let’s dive in!

Part A: Creating Your WooCommerce Product Feed 

There are two ways of creating a product feed for different marketing platforms.

1. Manually 
2. By using a Plugin

Now, when you go for the manual option, there are some drawbacks. It is time-consuming, you have to regularly update it and there are chances of making errors. 

That is why I would always suggest you go for the second option. But, which plugin should you choose?

Well, in this part, I’ll show you how to create a WooCommerce product feed using CTX Feed – the best WooCommerce Product Feed Manager Plugin.

Why the CTX Feed plugin?

● Unlimited products Unlimited Feeds ● Auto-Update Feature ● 100+ pre-configured templates ● Supports any type of feed file ● Supports all types of products  ● User-Friendly Interface

To begin, go to your WordPress Dashboard and search for ‘CTX Feed‘. Once you find it, activate and install the plugin to get started.

Now, it’s time to create a feed for Google Shopping. No need to worry—the CTX Feed plugin will make this task much simpler for you.

Simply go to the CTX Feed menu (It’s on the left-hand side) and click on ‘Make Feed’ to get started. This action will start the feed creation process smoothly. 

In the following page, you will find that CTX feed requires you to fill out some information in the feed window. So, fill out the information one by one. 

Here, I have selected the country as ‘United States’.

Now, you should select the ‘Google Shopping’ in the Template section. 

Note: The CTX Feed plugin comes with 100+ templates. So apart from Google Shopping, you will be able to generate-

Facebook Product Feed in WooCommerce
WooCommerce Instagram Feed, 
WooCommerce Pinterest Product Feed and many other marketing channels as well.

After that, you should give a file name and select a file type. For my part, I have given the file ‘ABC Business Product Feed’ name and the file type as CSV. 

What about other types of files? 

Don’t be afraid! It supports all the major file types such as XML, TSV, TXT, etc. Great, right? It actually is. 

There’s another awesome thing! When you choose a channel template using the plugin, it automatically fills in the required attributes at the bottom for you. 

Are we done with the attributes? Then scroll down below and select. ‘Update and Generate Feed’.

Now what? 

Well, here’s the best part. Just by providing these few information CTX Feed will fetch all the data and generate the product feed for you. 

But, where is this feed? You have to go to the CTX Feed menu again and select ‘Manage Feeds’.

What can you see? Yes, the feed file has been generated. 

As you can see, it is in the name of ‘ABC Business Product Feed’ and there’s a link next to it. 

And that’s it! The product feed has been created and your job for this part is done. Keep the link copied to use it in the future. The advantages of WooCommerce Google product feed for your WooCommerce store are many. So, try to create it in the best way possible. 

Part B: Setting up Your Google Merchant Center Account

I hope that you will have no trouble in creating your WooCommerce Product Feed for Google Merchant. Now it’s time to set your GMC account properly. Have a quick look at all the steps-

• Step 1: Create a Google Merchant Center Account
• Step 2: Providing Business Information
• Step 3: Verifying Ownership
• Step 4: Providing Shipping Information
• Step 5: Setting up Tax Information
• Step 6: Link Google Ads Account (Bonus) 

Let’s get into the details.

Step 1: Create a Google Merchant Center Account

For WooCommerce product feed export to Google Shopping, you’ll need a Google Merchant Center account. This one is a must!

So, head over to the Google Merchant Center website newly known as Google Merchant Center Next.

What is Google Merchant Center Next? 

Google Merchant Center Next is the updated version of Google Merchant Center. It is designed with a simpler interface and new features to make it easier to use. 

This improved platform offers a more user-friendly experience with added functionality. One quick info! The platform will be updated in the first half of 2024. So, keep an eye on it. 

Now, after visiting the website, click on ‘sign up for free’. If you already have an account then click on ‘sign in’. 

Note: You’ll need a valid email address to create your account, so make sure you have one ready before you begin the registration process.

Step 2: Providing Business Information

On the next page, you’ll need to provide some additional information, including:

• Your legal business name
• Your business country
• Your contact details
• Your Ecommerce Tools Details
• Your local time zone

Hope you’ve followed along smoothly so far. Now the next step is agreeing to the Google Merchant Center Next’s Terms of Service.  

That’s all for this step. Now click on the ‘Create Account’ button and you are all good to go. 

Step 3: Verifying Ownership

Now, you need to verify the ownership of your business. By verifying, you must confirm that the website is yours and claim the website on GMC. 

GMC will let you verify it using any of the 5 methods-

Confused about which one to choose? Well, don’t be. Let’s give you a brief idea about each one of them. 

• Business Code: Use the code sent to your business email for verification.
• Ecommerce Platform: Use the verification code in your ecommerce platform.
• HTML Tag: Put the provided HTML tag into the <head> section of your website’s homepage.
• Google Tag Manager: Integrate the Tag Manager code into the <head> section of your website.
• Google Analytics: Embed the Google Analytics tracking code in the <head> section of your homepage for analytics integration. 

Hope you will be able to verify it properly. You will be glad to know that the next steps in this part are comparatively easier. See for yourself.  

Bonus Tip: 
Many people prefer using the business code or ecommerce platform methods for verification. Personally, I opt for the ecommerce platform method because I use WooCommerce. However, always choose the option that feels most convenient and straightforward for you.

Step-4: Providing Shipping Information

In this step, you’ll need to provide your shipping information for your business. What type of information you might wonder? Check it out. 

• Countries: Simply select your preferred country.
• Products: Select the products that would share your shipping costs. You can select all products or specific types of products. 
• Delivery times: Here, you will need to provide all the delivery information. Google will give you the option to choose a delivery partner as well. 
• Shipping Costs: You have to select your shipping currency and costs. As for shipping costs, choose from any of the three options: Free shipping, Paid shipping, or free shipping over a certain amount. 

Note:
Talking about shipping reminded me of one thing! As you are a WooCommerce store owner, you can have a look at our articles about Setting Up WooCommerce Free Shipping. 

Step-5: Setting up Tax Information

Here’s an important step. You need to set up your sales tax. But how, you ask?

Well, the first thing you will get is a tax setup recommendation from Google itself based on your business location. You can opt to have Google automatically calculate the sales tax or set it up manually. 

Also, you can decide whether shipping and handling charges should be taxable. Some users use tax plugins to assist with tax calculations, which can be beneficial.

You can also take the help of WooCommerce Tax Plugins to Automate Sales Tax Calculations. It will be really helpful to you and save you a lot of time. 

Step-6: Link Google Ads Account (Bonus Step) 

Sooner or later, you will need to connect your Google Merchant Center account with your Google Ads account. So, I will show you how it’s done.

In the left-hand side of Google Merchant Center Next Homepage, you will see ‘Ad Campaigns’. Click on it. 

Then, look for the ‘Link to Google Ads‘ option on the right side of your screen and click the ‘Link’ button to proceed.

Next, you’ll be directed to the following page where you can add your Google Ads account. Now, click on the ‘link account’ button. 

What do you see? Yes, it is done and dusted. 

Note: If you decide to run campaigns, you can check out our article on how to reduce Google Shopping Ads cost. It will help you a lot to save your money. 

Part-C: Uploading the WooCommerce Product Feed to Google Shopping

It’s time for the final part. As you have already generated a feed and your GMC account is ready, it is time to upload this product feed in the Google Shopping platform. 

But, how? 

On your Google Merchant Center Next homepage, you will see a ‘Product’ option on the left-hand side. Click on it.

Now, you will see two options to upload your products. One is ‘Add another Product source’ and the other one is to upload the products one by one. 

As you already know how to make the product feed there is absolutely no need to upload the products one by one and waste your time. So, click on ‘Add another product source’. 

On the following page, you will find 3 individual options to upload those products.

Now if you’ve generated the file in CSV format like me, you can choose the ‘Use a Google Sheets template‘ option if desired. 

On the next page, you’ll find the ‘use template‘ option to proceed. Click on it. 

Now, you’ll see two choices: create a new Google spreadsheet from a template or select an existing one. 

If you choose from a template, you can fill in your product details like ID, Title, Description, Availability, Image link, Price, and any other relevant information. 

You can use the CSV file to provide these data quickly and easily. 

Once you’ve entered all the required information, return to the page and click “Continue.” Your products will be generated within a few seconds.

Here, I have generated 4 new products in just a matter of time. 

However, I would always recommend you to Add the products from a file. Why?

Well, it is really simple and now that you have a product feed it is even easier. So, choose that option and add the product feed link in the ‘enter a link to your file’ section and then click ‘continue’. 

Quick Reminder! The file must be in one of the following formats:

• .gz 
• .txt 
• .xml 
• .zip 
• .bz2 

And that will be all! 

With the Feed URL, Google Merchant Center will get your products from your WooCommerce Store. Once your products are set up, they’ll start appearing on Google Shopping for relevant searches.

But for Google Shopping ranking, or to boost visibility and attract more customers, it’s essential to actively promote your products on Google. 

Consider using Google Shopping campaigns and optimizing your product listings to get a wider audience and drive sales. Now, you can have a look at the common integration problems so that you can sort them out easily. 

5 Common Problems of WooCommerce Product Feed Export to Google Shopping and How to Avoid Them 

If you follow the above process you will be able to connect your WooCommerce store with Google Shopping very easily. But hey, there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all. 

You might face different kinds of challenges related to the overall process from time to time. So, have a good look at these key troubleshooting tips to overcome common issues of WooCommerce product feed export to Google Shopping. 

01. Missing or Incomplete Product Information

These are the most common issues. Sometimes when you upload the products, you might find that-

• some products are missing
• products from your WooCommerce store are not appearing correctly 
• or are missing entirely on Google Shopping.

So, why are your WooCommerce products not showing on Google Shopping?

There can mainly be two reasons. Give it a look. 

• It could be caused by missing or incorrectly mapped product attributes such as titles, descriptions, prices, or images. 
• Errors in the feed format (XML or CSV) can prevent accurate product listings on Google

Now, what do you do? Check out these solutions to easily troubleshoot this common problem.

• Check Product Details: Ensure all required information (like titles, descriptions, prices, and availability) is accurately mapped in your product feed.
• Validate Feed Format: Confirm that your product feed format meets Google’s requirements. Google Merchant Center accepts various feed formats, such as CSV, TSV, and XML.
• Review Data Quality: Look for errors in product data and fix any missing or incorrect information.

Note: Sometimes we make errors in the data feed and that often leads us to many problems. So, I suggest you have a look at our in-depth article on Common Product Data Feed Errors To Avoid. 

02. Merchant Center Account Issues

Account issues like suspension or policy violations in Google Merchant Center are pretty much common. And it can occur due to various reasons, such as:

• inaccurate product information, 
• prohibited content,
• or policy violations. 

This can lead to products being disapproved or not shown on Google Shopping. Now, you don’t want that, do you? 

So, here’s the first thing you should do-

Address any policy violations promptly by correcting inaccurate product information or removing prohibited content. Try to take your time while doing it. 

But, what if you are already facing suspension issues? Don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world.

You can easily go for a re-review process of your store. Just go through the following steps – 

Click “Settings” ➜ Select “Request re-review” ➜ Complete and submit the form on the Google Merchant Help page.

Note: 
It will be really beneficial for you to have an idea of the common GMC errors and their solutions. This will help you to properly use your GMV account and the Google shopping platform. So, have a look at one of our top articles on  How to Fix Common Google Merchant Center Errors.

03. The Feed is not Updating

Some people have found out that whenever changes are made to products in WooCommerce they are not updated in the Google Shopping platform. 

But why, you ask?

This can occur if automatic feed updates are not set up or if manual updates are not performed regularly. 

Solution:

You can always manually update your product feed. But hey, I will never advise you to do it. 

Like I said earlier, it will cost you a lot of time and you can make errors anytime. 

So, what should you do?

Go for a plugin that auto-updates your feeds. You will be glad to know that CTX Feed has an auto-update feature. 

How to set up an auto-feed update? 

• First, go to CTX Feed. 
• Click on  ‘Manage Feeds’ 
• and adjust the automatic feed update interval.

Then the plugin will look for changes and update your feeds according to your desired time. 

04. Image Issues 

High-quality product images are crucial for attracting customers in Google Shopping. We all know that.

But here’s the bad news! One common issue when uploading WooCommerce product feeds to Google Shopping is inadequate image quality.

Low-resolution, blurry, or improperly sized images can result in disapproved listings or reduced visibility on the platform. 

There’s one more thing to remember! Using images with watermarks, logos, or promotional text can violate Google’s image guidelines, leading to listing rejection.

So, how to solve this problem?

• You need to meet the Google Shopping Ads Image Requirements. (This one is a must) 
• Use high-resolution images with a clear focus on the product
• Avoid using watermarked or promotional images
• Optimize image file names and sizes for faster loading times and improved user experience. 
• Regularly review and update product images to maintain the quality 

Bonus Tip: Consider using a consistent image style across all your products. This creates a professional and visually appealing look for your Google Shopping listings.

05. Category Mismatch

Let’s start with an example. Imagine you sell cool trucker hats in your online store. You have them listed under “Hats” on your website (WooCommerce). 

But Google Shopping, the platform showing your hats to potential buyers, has more specific categories like “Trucker hats for Men”. What will happen now?

This mismatch can hide your awesome hats from the right customers! 

This is what happens when products are assigned to incorrect or inappropriate categories. It leads to confusion and lower visibility for your listings.

How to Fix It:

• Try to Match Categories: You have to be a matchmaker! Look at both the categories on your WooCommerce site and Google Shopping. Try to find the category on Google Shopping that best describes each of your hats (e.g., “Trucker Hats”). 

• Think Like Google: When unsure, choose Google Shopping’s categories. They’re designed for how people search, so using them can make your hats easier to find.

• Get Specific: Google Shopping has more specific categories. Instead of just “Hats,” use “Men’s > Accessories > Hats >  Trucker Hats” for a trucker hat.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Note: To know more about the optimization tricks, you can have a look at our in-depth article on How to Optimize Your Google Merchant Product Feed. 

Final Thought 

Hope now you know the process of WooCommerce product feed export to Google Shopping properly. If you find any of the three parts difficult, then go through it one more time and I believe you will be able to pull it off. Remember to take your time while creating the feed and your GMC account. No need to rush at all.

Also, keep an eye on the common problems and their solutions as it will save you a lot of trouble in the future. That’s all! Enjoy your WooCommerce Journey!