Get your products on Google

The checklist for showing your products on Google at no cost, now that Google's Universal Cart lets shoppers save products from different stores in one place. From @mayorscript.

First, what changed

Google's Universal Cart is rolling out in the US, in Google Search and the Gemini app (Google, 15 October 2026).
Shoppers save products from different stores in one cart. Google alerts them when a price drops or an item comes back in stock.
The cart is built on Google's Shopping Graph, which Google says holds over 60 billion product listings.
Paying with Google Pay inside the cart is only for participating stores. For other stores, Google fills the cart on your own website and the buyer finishes there. You stay the seller.

Be honest with yourself about two things: the cart is US only for now, and being listed on Google doesn't guarantee your products will be shown. It gives you a chance to show up. Your product data does the rest.

Step 1: Set up Google Merchant Center

Go to merchants.google.com and sign in with the Google account you use for your business.
Add your business name, country and website.
Verify and claim your website when Merchant Center asks.
Add your shipping settings and your return policy. Google says shipping info is required in many countries, including the US, UK and Canada, and a clear return policy helps shoppers decide.

Step 2: Add your products

On Shopify? Install the Google & YouTube app from the Shopify App Store and connect your Merchant Center account. Your products sync from your store, so prices and stock stay up to date.

Not on Shopify? In Merchant Center, go to Products and add them one by one, upload a spreadsheet, or use your platform's Google integration if it has one (WooCommerce, Wix and BigCommerce are among the platforms Google points to).

Fill these fields well for every product. Google lists them as required:

Title: what it is, plus the detail people search for. "Handmade lavender soap bar, 100g" beats "Lavender".
Description: what it's made of, size, who it's for. Plain words, no ALL CAPS, no promo talk.
Image: a clear photo of the product on a plain background. No text, logos or "SALE" stickers on the image.
Price: exactly what your site charges.
Availability: in stock, out of stock or preorder. Keep it true.
Link: the product page on your site, not your homepage.

Also needed when they apply: brand, GTIN (barcode) or MPN, condition for used items, and colour, size, age group and gender for clothing.

Step 3: Check free listings is on

In Merchant Center, open Marketing in the left menu, then Marketing methods.
Look at the Free listings card. New accounts are switched on by default, but check.
Open Products and look at the Needs attention tab. Fix anything listed there first.

Google says free listings can show your products at no cost on Search, Images, Lens, YouTube, Gemini, Maps and the Shopping tab.

Keep it working (5 minutes a week)

Change a price on your site? Make sure it changes on Google too. The cart tells shoppers when prices drop.
Sold out? Mark it out of stock. Back in stock? Update it, because the cart can alert people who saved it.
Check the Needs attention tab once a week.
Add new products the day you add them to your site.

Sources

Checked 16 October 2026. Google changes these pages often, so if a menu name looks different, search Merchant Center help for it.