Full Google Product Category List and Category Finder for Merchant Center

How to search the Google product category list with this finder

The Google product category list is the fixed set of categories Merchant Center accepts in google_product_category. This page lets you search that list and map whole files to it, using Google's official taxonomy file and the rules on the Google product category [google_product_category] page.

1. Add your products. Load a feed or shop export, or paste a list of product names or of your own category names. Click Try sample data to see it work first.
2. Check the columns. The product name and your own category (product_type) are what the finder reads. Add the id column to get a ready supplemental feed, and the current google_product_category to have it checked.
3. Choose what to keep. Keep valid categories you already set, or ask for a suggestion on every row. Pick how confident a match must be to go into the download.
4. Check the weak matches. Each product gets a confidence level and three alternatives in the review file. Search the list below the tool when none fits.
5. Download. Get the supplemental feed (id and google_product_category), the review file and a table that maps each of your categories to a Google one.

Google product taxonomy with IDs: version and download

Google's file has not changed since version 2021-09-21. It holds 5,595 categories in 21 main branches, up to seven levels deep. The download above splits every path into one column per level, which is easier to filter in Excel than Google's own taxonomy-with-ids text file.

When setting the category still matters

Google assigns a category to every product on its own, so the attribute is optional. Sending it is worth it when a category has its own required attributes (clothing, mobile phones, software), when you organize Shopping product groups by category, and for alcohol. Product groups by category work in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, the UK and the US.

What to do next with your categories

1. Fix the source when you can. In Shopify or WooCommerce, set the category on the product itself so every new export carries it.
2. Or add a supplemental source. In Merchant Center open Settings > Data sources, choose Supplemental sources and Add supplemental product data, upload the TSV and link it to your main source. The tab needs the Advanced data source management add-on.
3. Keep product_type as well. Your own category path stays useful for reporting and for splitting campaigns, because only you decide its levels.
4. Group Shopping campaigns by category. In Google Ads, open the campaign's product groups and subdivide by Category to bid differently on each branch.

Common Google product category mistakes and fixes

Category ID not in Google's list

A typo or a lost digit gives an ID that doesn't exist. Even Google's change log once printed the alcoholic beverages category as 99676; the list says 499676. The finder checks every ID against the file and suggests a real one.

ID and path in the same cell

Copying a line from Google's text file gives values like 2271 - Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Dresses. Google wants the ID or the path, not both. The download keeps one of them.

Old category paths from examples

Some help pages and old guides still show paths such as “Apparel & Accessories > Apparel > Dresses”. Google translates versions published after August 2011, but a typo in a path is never matched. The numeric ID avoids both problems.

Google product category vs product type

Putting your own menu path (“Sale > Summer > Dresses”) in google_product_category fails, because only Google's list is valid there. Your path belongs in product_type, where Google uses the first value for Shopping bidding and reports.

Ampersands in XML feeds

Many paths contain “&”. In an XML feed it must be written &, or the file breaks. Use the numeric ID in XML feeds to avoid this.

Taxonomy in another language

If Google's list isn't available in your feed's language, Google asks for the English path or the numeric ID.