What is the product type in Merchant Center?
WeAdU · Updated 5 October 2026
The product type `[product_type]` carries, in Merchant Center, the store classification. It does not replace the Google product category.
What does it not name?
It is not a custom label, not the feed label, and not Shopping campaign priority. The custom label follows a merchant grid. The feed label chooses the source. This type describes the store path, from general to precise.
Which figures are on the homepage?
Exact text from the homepage, read on 5 October 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) |
How does the help want the path?
The > sign separates the levels, with a space before and after. Send the full path: a precise string is better than a single word. The same value may also go into the Google category, only if that value is an accepted Google category.
What does Shopping keep if several values are sent?
You can send several values: the help keeps five at most. Only the first one organizes bidding and reporting for Shopping campaigns. For that use, a single value is enough. The help recommends submitting it for every campaign type.
How does the Google category stay apart?
Two Google help pages, read on 5 October 2026, do not say the same thing: the `[google_product_category]` page calls this category optional, because a category is already assigned, and the `[product_type]` page calls it mandatory for classification in the system, while `[product_type]` is optional there. If no Google product category fits, or if you submit your own category, use `[product_type]`.
The category page names the countries where it organizes Shopping product groups. Elsewhere, this type is the only one that organizes them.
Where is the catalogue already described?
Homepage, Automate step, read on 5 October 2026: "Daily product classification, custom label updates, and feed maintenance." The article on Performance Max structure, linked below, is the catalogue source.
What does the WeAdU audit cover?
On the homepage, read on 5 October 2026: "The free audit covers Google Ads only." No Google Ads account figure here.
Help pages
Merchant Center help pages read on 5 October 2026.