> Quick answer: Google Ads has no native catalog feature. You upload product data to Google Merchant Center, link that account to Google Ads, and your products flow into Shopping and Demand Gen campaigns automatically.
What Does It Mean to Sync a Catalog to Google Ads?
Google Ads pulls product data from Google Merchant Center, not directly from your store or a file uploaded inside Ads Manager.
The role of Google Merchant Center
Merchant Center is where your catalog lives. It stores product titles, descriptions, prices, images, and availability. Google Ads reads from Merchant Center once you link the two accounts.
Why syncing matters for Shopping and feed-based campaigns
Without a linked Merchant Center, you cannot run Shopping campaigns or product-enabled Demand Gen ads. Per Google's Ads Help Center, linking is a required step before campaign creation can begin.
What you can do once synced
After linking, product data flows into Shopping campaigns, Performance Max, and Demand Gen. Titles, descriptions, and images all sync automatically. No manual copy-paste required.
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Step 1: Set Up Your Product Data File
Your product data needs a structured file before you can upload anything to Merchant Center.
Supported file formats (.txt, .xml, .tsv)
Google Merchant Center accepts .txt, .xml, and .tsv files. Per Google's Ads Help Center, files can be up to 4 GB in size. Most ecommerce platforms can export in one of these formats out of the box.
File size limits and structure requirements
Your file must include required attributes: id, title, description, link, image_link, price, and availability. Missing required fields trigger product disapprovals. Fix those before uploading.
How to prepare your product data
Export your catalog from your ecommerce platform. Confirm prices match your product pages. Make sure image URLs return a live image. Fix broken links before you submit.
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Step 2: Add Your Products to Google Merchant Center
Upload your product file inside Merchant Center under Products > Feeds > Add Feed.
Upload directly, link via URL, or use SFTP
Three options exist. Upload a file manually. Give Merchant Center a hosted URL and it fetches updates automatically, every 24 hours by default. Or use SFTP for large catalogs and custom refresh schedules.
Auto-sync vs. one-time upload
URL-linked and SFTP feeds stay in sync with your source file. Manual uploads do not update on their own. If your inventory changes often, use URL linking or SFTP.
Reviewing product status and fixing issues
After uploading, check Products > All Products for status flags. Product-level issues must be fixed inside Merchant Center before they can appear in campaigns. Initial feeds can take up to 3 days to complete the approval review.
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Step 3: Link Your Merchant Center Account to Google Ads
Linking connects the two platforms so product data flows into your campaigns.
Linking from Merchant Center (accounts you own or manage)
Go to Settings > Access and services > Apps and services inside Merchant Center. Click Link next to Google Ads. Enter your Google Ads Customer ID. Confirm the request.
Linking from Google Ads (existing or new accounts)
Open Google Ads. Go to Tools > Data Manager > Google Merchant Center. Click Link and follow the prompts to connect your Merchant Center account.
Approving link requests if you don't own both accounts
If you manage only one of the two accounts, a link request is sent to the other. The admin of the receiving account must approve it inside Data Manager. Both accounts must be in good standing with no account-level policy violations before linking succeeds.
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Step 4: Use Your Synced Catalog in Campaigns
Once linked, your product data is ready for any feed-based campaign type.
Shopping campaigns
Create a new Shopping campaign in Google Ads and select your Merchant Center account as the data source. Google pulls titles, images, and prices directly from your feed.
Demand Gen campaigns with product feeds
Demand Gen campaigns support product feeds too. Per Google's Ads Help Center, retailers see an average 33% increase in conversions when adding product feeds to Demand Gen campaigns. Google recommends at least 4 products per campaign, with 50 or more for best results.
What data is shared between the two platforms
After linking, Google Ads receives product titles, descriptions, prices, availability, and images from Merchant Center. Square images (1:1 ratio) get the widest placement coverage. Images with a ratio between 0.6 and 1.4 also receive sufficient coverage. For Connected TV placements, the minimum image size is 500x500px.
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Optimize Your Product Ads with AI Creatives
A synced catalog only goes so far. Creative quality determines whether shoppers click.
Why product images and copy matter
Google surfaces your product image, title, and price. A low-res image or a weak title loses the click to a competitor. Stronger creatives directly improve your click-through rate.
Using Coinis to generate and refine ad creatives
Coinis does not publish directly to Google Ads today. That capability is on the roadmap. But Coinis is already the cross-platform creative engine that sharpens what you bring to Google. Use the Image Ads workflow to generate polished product images from a product URL. Use AI Copywriting to write titles and descriptions that match your brand voice, powered by your Brand Profile. Then bring those assets into your Google Ads campaigns.
Testing variations for better performance
Run two or more creative versions against each other. Coinis Revise lets you variate any image in one click. Swap colors, rewrite copy, or resize for different placements. Build a library of tested assets you can rotate across Google, Meta, and any other channel.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for my catalog to sync after linking Merchant Center to Google Ads?
Initial feed approval can take up to 3 days. After approval, URL-linked feeds refresh every 24 hours by default. Manual file uploads only update when you re-upload the file.
Can I link one Merchant Center account to multiple Google Ads accounts?
Yes. Merchant Center supports links to multiple Google Ads accounts. Each linked account can access the same product data and create campaigns from it.
Do I need Google Merchant Center to run product ads on Google?
Yes. Google Ads has no native catalog feature. Merchant Center is the required intermediary between your product data and your Google Ads campaigns. Without it, Shopping and feed-based campaign types are not available.
What file formats does Google Merchant Center accept for product feeds?
Merchant Center accepts .txt, .xml, and .tsv files up to 4 GB in size. Most ecommerce platforms can export a compatible feed file directly.