What is the Google Search index link in Merchant Center?
WeAdU · Updated 5 October 2026
In Merchant Center, the Google Search index link attribute `[canonical_link]` is the URL Google should associate with the product in its Search index. It isn't the address served when someone clicks an ad or a free listing.
What it isn't
The link attribute `[link]` opens the landing page for the shopper. If you send one, the mobile link `[mobile_link]` serves mobile users. The ads redirect `[ads_redirect]` only applies to a paid Shopping ad click, and the image link opens a photo. The index link isn't served to the customer. It guides the Search index.
Figures from our homepage
Copied word for word from https://weadu.com/ on 5 November 2026.
| Block | Exact text |
|---|---|
| Clients | 70% of clients see a higher ROAS after we restructure their accounts |
| Scope | 14 of 20 clients, over 12 months |
| Spend | $32M+ ad spend managed |
| Sales | $241M+ in sales generated |
| Tracking | $132M+ tracked in Google Ads |
| Conversions | 5.3M+ conversions |
| Duration | 24+ years (2002) |
What Google's help page says
The help page, read on 5 November 2026, makes the attribute optional for each product that's eligible for free listings. It works much like a canonical URL tag on the page. If the link or mobile link carries tracking parameters, the help recommends sending a stable index link without them. If the landing page already declares a canonical URL in its markup, and the two values differ, Google picks a URL from its internal signals.
The address starts with http or https and uses the domain already verified in the account. Google must be able to crawl it. Send one value per product. Keep the URL stable, with no timestamp or segment that changes on every upload.
Why it matters in a multi-brand file
A multi-brand feed often adds campaign parameters to the link. Without an index link, the help says the link URL may be indexed as submitted. With a clean index link, the product page gets indexed, not the tracking version. Variants can share one index link: the base product page, with no variant pre-selected.
What the WeAdU audit covers
From our homepage, read on 5 October 2026: "The free audit covers Google Ads only."
Help pages
Merchant Center help page read on 5 November 2026.