Start with the product page

Use a clear title, useful description and images that show the product accurately. The page should tell a customer what they will receive.

Check the essentials across systems

Compare price, currency, stock and availability in the store with the information sent to Merchant Center. Keep delivery and return details consistent with the website.

  • Product ID: use a stable identifier so you can trace the same item through your systems.
  • Link and image: open them and confirm they represent the submitted item and variant.
  • Price and availability: compare the source, landing page and checkout for the selected variant.
  • Title and description: explain the actual product; remove unsupported promotional claims.

Required attributes vary by product and destination. Use the product data specification for the relevant requirements.

Review identifiers and variants

Where applicable, use the correct brand, GTIN, category and variant details. Avoid guessing missing identifiers.

Use manufacturer-assigned identifiers when available. Do not invent a GTIN or mark identifiers as absent just because you have not found them. For a variant, check its size, colour, image and availability rather than borrowing those values from a different option.

Test and maintain

Review a small group of products, fix errors at the source and recheck after changes. Use the workbook product data and catalogue trackers to record what changed.

Worked check: one product, three places

Pick a product with a variant, such as a shirt in two sizes. Compare the store page, product data source and Merchant Center view. Do the title, image, price, availability and variant details describe the same item? If one size is out of stock, make sure the information is updated at its source rather than applying an isolated patch in a report.

Keep a short record with product ID, issue, source of truth, owner, date changed and recheck date. The goal is a repeatable review, not a one-off clean dashboard. Google advises accurate, current product data and consistency with the store in its data quality guidance.

If Merchant Center flags a problem, follow the issue review guide before changing multiple products.

Reviewed 10 October 2026. This practical guide accompanies independent PBC Courses training. Google interfaces and policies may change; review current account guidance when you take action.