20 min read•Checklist

Shopify Google Shopping Setup Checklist

Google Shopping puts your products in front of high-intent buyers. Use this 80-point checklist to set up and optimise your campaigns.

80 items10 sections

Why Google Shopping Matters

Google Shopping ads appear at the top of search results with product images, prices, and your store name. They capture shoppers with high purchase intent, often delivering better ROAS than text ads alone.

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Google Account Setup

0 of 8 completed

Create or access Google account

Set up Google Merchant Center account

Verify and claim your website URL

Create Google Ads account

Link Merchant Center to Google Ads

Set up billing in Google Ads

Configure account access for team members

Enable conversion tracking

Shopify Integration

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Product Feed Optimisation

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Ensure all products have unique titles

Write detailed product descriptions

Include primary keywords in titles

Add brand name to products

Set correct product categories (Google taxonomy)

Include GTIN/barcode where available

Add MPN for manufacturer products

Set product condition (new, refurbished, used)

Product Images

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Use high-quality product images

Main image on white background

No watermarks or promotional text on images

Correct image dimensions (min 100x100, ideally 800x800+)

Show product clearly (no lifestyle shots for main)

Multiple images per product

Images match the specific variant

No placeholder images

Pricing & Availability

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Prices match website exactly

Currency set correctly

Sale prices configured properly

Availability status accurate

Shipping costs configured

Tax settings correct for your region

Price competitiveness reviewed

No price discrepancies between feed and site

Policy Compliance

0 of 8 completed

Contact information visible on site

Refund policy page exists and is linked

Shipping policy page exists

Terms and conditions page exists

Secure checkout (HTTPS)

No prohibited products in feed

Products comply with Google policies

Campaign Setup

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Choose campaign type (Performance Max, Standard Shopping)

Set realistic daily budget

Define target ROAS or CPA

Select target countries

Configure language settings

Set up campaign priorities if multiple campaigns

Create product groups for bidding

Add negative keywords if using Standard Shopping

Performance Max Setup

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Tracking & Analytics

0 of 8 completed

Install Google Analytics 4

Set up enhanced ecommerce tracking

Configure conversion tracking in Google Ads

Link Google Analytics to Google Ads

Set up conversion value tracking

Enable auto-tagging

Verify conversion data is recording

Set up custom reports

Launch & Optimisation

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Review Merchant Center for errors

Fix any disapproved products

Start with modest budget to test

Monitor first 2 weeks closely

Review search terms report

Adjust bids based on performance

Exclude poor-performing products

Scale budget on winning products

The Google Shopping Advantage

When someone searches for a specific product on Google, they are typically further along the buying journey than social media audiences. Shopping ads capture these ready-to-buy customers by showing them exactly what they are searching for.

Why Shopping Ads Outperform Text Ads

✓Visual pre-qualification lets shoppers see the product before clicking
✓Price transparency reduces unqualified clicks from budget-mismatched visitors
✓Higher search placement at the very top of results pages
✓Clear expectations mean visitors know what they will find when they click

Product Feed is Everything

Your product feed is the foundation of Google Shopping success. Google uses your feed data to match products to search queries, so titles, descriptions, and attributes directly impact when and where your products appear.

•Poorly optimised feeds mean wasted budget on irrelevant searches
•Missing attributes cause product disapprovals
•Price mismatches between feed and site suspend your account

Performance Max vs Standard Shopping

Performance Max

• Automated across all Google channels
• Less manual control required
• Google's recommended option
• Best for most Shopify stores

Standard Shopping

• Granular bid control
• Shopping and Search only
• Manual optimisation needed
• Better for experienced advertisers

Product Feed Quick Wins

These feed optimisations have the biggest impact on performance:

1. Optimise product titles

Include brand, product type, key attributes (colour, size, material). Front-load the most important keywords.

2. Use white background images

Clean product shots on white backgrounds perform better than lifestyle images for the main image.

3. Add GTINs where possible

Products with barcodes get preferential treatment in Shopping results. Add them to maximise visibility.

4. Set correct product categories

Use Google's product taxonomy to categorise items correctly. This helps Google match your products to relevant searches.

Related Checklists

Combine Google Shopping with a complete marketing strategy:

SEO Checklist →

Align organic and paid strategies

Facebook Ads Checklist →

Complete paid media strategy

Product Page Checklist →

Convert the traffic you drive

Analytics Checklist →

Track and measure performance

Frequently Asked Questions

After setting up your feed and Merchant Center account, products typically take 24-72 hours to be reviewed and approved. However, some products may take longer if they require additional review. Once approved, your products will start appearing in Google Shopping results when your campaigns are active and your bids are competitive.

Standard Shopping campaigns give you granular control over bids, product groups, and targeting, but only show ads on Google Shopping and Search. Performance Max campaigns use machine learning to automatically optimise across all Google channels including Shopping, Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Discover. For most Shopify stores, Google now recommends Performance Max as it typically delivers better results with less manual management.

Common reasons for disapprovals include mismatched prices between your feed and website, missing or incorrect GTIN/barcode information, images with promotional overlays or watermarks, policy violations, or missing required attributes. Check your Merchant Center diagnostics tab for specific error messages. The most frequent fix is ensuring your product data matches exactly what appears on your website.

We recommend starting with a minimum daily budget of 20-50 pounds for testing. This allows you to gather enough data to make informed decisions about performance. After 2-4 weeks, you can identify winning products and scale budgets accordingly. Starting too low means your ads will not show often enough to generate meaningful data.

Focus on product feed quality first. Optimise titles with relevant keywords, use high-quality images on white backgrounds, and ensure pricing is competitive. Review your search terms report regularly to add negative keywords. Segment products by performance and allocate more budget to winners. Consider using target ROAS bidding once you have sufficient conversion data, typically after 30 or more conversions.

While you can manage feeds separately through third-party apps or manual uploads, the official Google and YouTube app from Shopify offers the simplest integration. It automatically syncs your products, keeps prices and availability updated, and reduces the risk of feed errors. For most stores, the built-in integration is sufficient. Larger stores with complex requirements may benefit from dedicated feed management tools.

Need Google Shopping Help?

Our team can set up and manage your Google Shopping campaigns for maximum ROAS.

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