How to List Your Products on Google Shopping for Free
Show your products in Google Shopping, Images and Search without paying for ads, using Merchant Center free listings.
Many small shops assume Google Shopping is ads only. It is not. Since 2020, Google shows products from Merchant Center for free in the Shopping tab, and free product listings can also appear in Google Images, Google Lens and other surfaces. If you sell online, this is free visibility you should not leave on the table.
What free listings are
Free listings are product results that appear without you paying per click. They use the same product data as Shopping ads โ title, price, image, availability, shipping โ taken from your Merchant Center account. Ads still appear at the top, but free listings fill the rest of the Shopping results.
What you need before you start
- A website where people can buy your products, with prices, a working checkout or clear ordering process.
- Visible contact details, a return and refund policy, and shipping information. Merchant Center checks for these.
- Product information: titles, descriptions, prices, images, and barcodes (GTINs) where your products have them.
Step 1: Create a Merchant Center account
Sign up at Google Merchant Center with your Google account, enter your business name and country, and add your website. Choose to show products on Google through free listings (you can add ads later or never).
Step 2: Verify and claim your website
Google needs proof that you own the site. The simplest way is to connect the Google account you already use for Search Console or Analytics, or add a small meta tag or HTML file that Merchant Center provides.
Step 3: Add your products
You have three options:
- Platform integration โ many e-commerce platforms connect directly to Merchant Center.
- A product feed โ a file (XML, CSV or Google Sheet) with all your products, fetched daily. If your site has no integration, the free Merchant Center feed generator crawls your store and builds an XML feed. See how to create a Google Shopping feed without a plugin.
- Automatic product discovery โ Google can find products from structured data on your pages. Clean Product schema helps; build it with the schema generator.
Step 4: Set shipping and returns
Add your shipping costs and delivery times, and your return policy, in Merchant Center settings. Listings with clear shipping and returns are more competitive and less likely to be disapproved.
Step 5: Fix issues and wait for review
Google reviews your account and products, usually within a few days. Check the Products and Diagnostics sections for errors such as missing GTINs, price mismatches or image problems. Our guide to fixing Merchant Center errors covers the common ones.
How to get more from free listings
- Write descriptive product titles with brand, type and key attributes.
- Use clear, high-resolution images on a plain background.
- Keep prices and stock accurate; update the feed daily.
- Offer competitive shipping โ it is shown alongside your price.
A quick launch checklist
- Contact page shows business name, address, phone and email.
- Return, refund and shipping policies are linked in the footer.
- Every product page shows price, stock status and a clear image.
- Product schema on each product page matches the visible price.
- Website verified and claimed in Merchant Center.
- Feed or integration added, with daily updates.
- Shipping costs and delivery times set in Merchant Center.
- Diagnostics checked a few days later and every error fixed.
Work through this list once and most of the common reasons for disapproval disappear before Google ever sees them.
Related guides
More free tools: browse all our free ecommerce tools, no sign-up needed.
Frequently asked questions
Are Google Shopping free listings really free?
Yes. You do not pay for clicks on free listings. Shopping ads are a separate, optional paid service.
How long until my products appear?
Usually a few days after the account and products pass review.
Do I need a website to use free listings?
Yes. Products must link to pages where customers can buy them.
Can I use free listings in India?
Free listings are available in many countries, including India. Check Merchant Center for the surfaces available in your market.