Google Shopping XML feed: spec, optimization, and dynamic images for 2026.

• April 14, 2026 — new attributes go live: handling_cutoff_time, minimum_order_value, video_link, plus loyalty program sub-attributes. Optional initially, but products with these attributes get richer SERP treatment.
• June 30, 2026 — video submissions become eligible for display on Google Shopping listings. Products without video work, but losing share to listings that have it.
• January 31, 2027 — minimum image size of 500×500 pixels enforced. Was previously 100×100 (non-apparel) and 250×250 (apparel). Products under 500×500 get warnings now and disapprovals after this date.

Google strictly requires only seven fields for every product. The rest are conditional — required only when certain other fields are set. Emberfeed's validator runs against the live spec and shows which products fail before you ship.

Strictly required (all products)

• idUnique stable identifier per product. Don't reuse, don't change.
• titleProduct name. ≤150 chars. Or use structured_title for AI-readable structured data.
• descriptionUp to 5,000 chars. Or use structured_description.
• linkProduct page URL. Must be live (200) when GMC fetches.
• image_linkPrimary product image URL. 500×500 min enforced January 31, 2027.
• availabilityin_stock, out_of_stock, preorder, or backorder.
• priceNumber + ISO 4217 currency code. e.g. "299.00 CZK".

Conditionally required

• conditionRequired for used or refurbished products. Values: new, refurbished, used.
• brandRequired for new branded products — except movies, books, and musical recordings.
• gtinRequired when manufacturer-assigned GTIN exists for the product.
• mpnRequired only when product has no manufacturer GTIN.
• identifier_existsSet false when product has no GTIN/MPN. Violations are now warning-only (not disapproval) since late 2023.
• availability_dateRequired when availability = preorder.

Optional: google_product_category — Google auto-classifies if omitted, but setting it manually improves Performance Max optimisation.

• →Minimum: 500×500 pixels (enforced January 31, 2027). Already a warning before that date. Apparel was historically 250×250 — that drops too.
• →Recommended: 1500×1500 pixels or larger. Google upscales aggressively in some placements; oversized originals look better than scaled-up small ones.
• →Max file size: 16 MB. Max megapixels: 64.
• →Formats: JPEG, WebP, PNG, GIF (non-animated), BMP, TIFF.
• →Background: Solid white or transparent. Product fills 75–90% of the frame.
• →Forbidden: two canonical diagnostics — "Promotional overlay on image" (any promotional text/graphics: "SALE", "20% OFF", urgency banners, price stickers) and "Generic image" (logo as the product image, placeholders, single-colour squares, stock photos). Also: borders, watermarks, brand overlays as decoration.
• →AI-generated images REQUIRE IPTC metadata — mandatory since February 2024. Set DigitalSourceType to one of: TrainedAlgorithmicMedia, CompositeSynthetic, AlgorithmicMedia. Applies to image_link, additional_image_link, lifestyle_image_link.

The trickiest GMC image rule is the prohibition on promotional overlays. You can't put "SALE" or "20% OFF" text on theimage_linkyou submit — Google rejects it. But Meta lets you, and TikTok lets you. So the same product needs different image variants for different platforms.

Emberfeed solves this with profiles. Create a Google profile with a clean, no-overlay template (logo only, white background, product fills 80%). Create a Meta profile with the same source feed but an aggressive promo template (price overlays, "SALE" badges, brand frames). Each profile serves a different URL. The same product, automatically rendered the right way for each platform.

Plus: Emberfeed's validator runs Google's rules in real time. If your template would trigger a "promotional overlay" rejection, you see the warning before Google does.

DataFeedWatch and Channable are the standard enterprise solutions — both gate pricing behind quotes/packages on their own pages, but third-party reviews put both in the multi-hundred-euros-per-month range for working e-commerce stacks. Cropink's entry tier is $39/month (≤100 products); Marpipe starts at $199/month; Confect publishes $299/$499/$999 tiers. In Czech market the popular stack is Mergado base (~286 CZK/mo) + feed-image-editor.cz (1,986 CZK/mo) = ~2,250 CZK combined for the dynamic-image side of things, plus extra Mergado apps for advanced data work.

Emberfeed combines feed editing and AI catalog image generation in one tool. ~€20/month per feed. Same GMC validation, same dynamic image capabilities, no separate tools to wire together. Free for 6 months on one feed up to 1,000 products.