What is Google Merchant Center?
Google Merchant Center is a new service that makes it easy to upload and manage the Product listings you want to appear in Google Product Search, AdWords, and other Google properties.
Previously, you may have used Google Base to upload and manage Product listings. Google Base is still available for other types of structured content, but the Google Merchant Center provides a better, optimized experience specifically for merchants. The Merchant Center is where we'll continue adding features and improving the tools for uploading and managing product listings.
If you've been using Google Base for Product listings, your account has already been transferred to the Merchant Center; there's nothing you need to do. Just sign in to the Merchant Center with the same Google Account you've been using for Google Base, and all your data feeds, items, and settings will be there for you.
If you've been using Google Base for other items (vehicles, recipes, jobs, real estate listings, custom verticals, etc), please continue to use Google Base as you have in the past.
For those of you who have been using Google Base for both Products and other items, you can use the Merchant Center for your Products and Google Base for the rest of your items.
Is Google Merchant Center replacing Google Base?
No, Google Merchant Center is not replacing Google Base. We're just moving the Google Base users that upload or manage Product listings to our new service, Google Merchant Center, in order to better serve them going forward. All Google Base users that upload or manage other item types can continue to use Google Base.
Where should I upload real estate, jobs and vehicles from now on? Aren't these products as well?
Please continue to upload or manage these items in Google Base, as nothing changes for you or these verticals. While some of these items might be considered products in a broader sense, because they don't follow the Products Feed Specification, they're not considered Product listings for Google.
I am an existing Google Base user, where should I upload my items from now on?
If you upload or manage Product listings, please visit Google Merchant Center. If you upload or manage other types of items, please visit Google Base. If you have both types of items (Product listings and non-Product listings), you'll need to visit Google Merchant Center to manage your Product listings and Google Base to manage the rest.
This is true for both simple accounts and multi-client accounts.
I am a new user, where should I go to upload items?
If you want to upload Product listings, please visit Google Merchant Center. If you want to upload other items, please visit Google Base.
Will my existing account settings, data feeds or items be affected?
For the vast majority of users, existing settings, data feeds or items will not be affected. You will find everything in your account as you expect it to be.
However, a small percentage of users who have been uploading to Google Base both Product listings and other item types will need to sign in to Google Base and create new FTP settings. Otherwise, they will not be able to upload any non-Product feeds via FTP. Their existing FTP settings will work normally for Product feeds, and can be accessed in Google Merchant Center. We apologize for this unavoidable inconvenience. These users have been already notified directly by email. You can find instructions on how to change your FTP settings in Google Base here.
Will my existing FTP settings be affected?
For the large majority of Google Base users no settings, including FTP settings, should be affected by the recent changes. You might, however, belong to a small percentage of users that need to reset their FTP settings in Google Base. Please find instructions on how to do this here. We apologize for this unavoidable inconvenience.
My feed upload to Google FTP servers failed today. Is this a result of the current changes to Google Base?
If your feed contains any other type of items than Products, you might belong to a small percentage of users that need to reset their FTP settings in Google Base. Please find instructions on how to do this here and accept our apologies for this unavoidable inconvenience. If your feed contains Product listings, or the problem is not solved by changing FTP settings, please review our list of Common questions.
I recently submitted a feed, will it be normally processed?
Yes, it will be normally processed, no matter what type of items it contains. If you upload this feed to via FTP and your feed consists of non-Product items, then you might need to change your FTP settings in Google Base, please find instructions on how to do this here. We apologize for this unavoidable inconvenience.
Will my product listings continue to show on Google Product Search?
Yes, your Product listings will continue to show on Google Product Search and other Google services, such as your AdWords campaigns, normally. From now on, please visit Google Merchant Center to upload or manage your Product listings.
I use Google Base to upload product listings for use in my Google AdWords campaigns, what changes for me?
Since you upload Product listings, from now on please visit Google Merchant Center to upload or manage those. Nothing changes in your account or Google AdWords campaigns.
Will my product listings also be stored in Google Base?
No, from now on your Product listings will only be stored in Google Merchant Center. All other items will continue to be stored in Google Base.
Some settings page are missing from Google Base, did I lose my settings?
The following pages are not part of Google Base anymore: Data Quality page, Tax & Shipping settings page, Adwords settings page and Checkout settings page. These pages have always had meaning only for Product listings and are thus now obsolete from Google Base.
What is the new Dashboard front page in Google Merchant Center?
The new Dashboard page in Google Merchant Center gives you a one-page overview of your Product listings, latest feeds and performance graphs. Before, you'd have to dig into various pages to extract this information, instead this is now more easily accessible. You might also notice that we have added a yellow 'shout box' at the top of the Dashboard page, to bring to your attention important announcements from the Google Merchant Center team.
What are the terms of service for Google Merchant Center and Google Base?
The terms of service for Google Merchant Center can be found here and the terms of service for Google Base can be found here.
I am an existing Google Base API user, what changes for me?
Your use of the Google Base Data API will not change. You can use the API for managing both your Product listings as well as any other items. Also, if you use the API to search for items, the API will return both any Google Merchant Center Product listings and Google Base items.
Can I continue to manage products using the Google Base API?
Yes. The Google Base Data API will now work for both Google Merchant Center and Google Base.
I want to start using the Google Base API, what do I need to do?
You can start by reading our Getting Started Guide or by visiting the Demo Page.
What blogs and forums do I need to follow from now on?
If you'd like to discuss Google Base or Google Merchant Center with other users, please continue to visit our existing Help Forum.
If you'd like to read about our latest news and tips, please visit: http://googlemerchantblog.blogspot.com for Google Merchant Center and http://googlebase.blogspot.com for Google Base.
I need assistance with my account, who can I contact?
For all Google Merchant Center-related questions, please visit our new Help Center at http://www.google.com/support/merchants
For all Google Base-related questions, please continue to visit our existing Google Base Help Center at http://base.google.com/support