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Google Shopping with your product collections (Merchant Center)
Updated 2026-10-13
In CustomIQ you send a product collection to Google Merchant Center and launch Google Shopping and Search campaigns from it. Pick your Merchant Center account in General settings, press "Sync to Google" on the collection, then "Launch strategy". It is not yet available on every account: it is rolling out gradually.
What is Google Shopping with collections in CustomIQ?
It is sending the products of one of your Collections to Google Merchant Center and advertising them on Google with photo and price. From that collection CustomIQ can launch a Shopping campaign, a Search campaign, or both. It is rolling out gradually, so it is not yet available on every account.
What do I set up from the dashboard first?
In General settings, Google Ads card, connect Google Ads. A "Merchant Center" picker then lists your Merchant Center accounts: choose one and save it. The card shows whether that account is linked to your Google Ads account. If it is not:
- In Merchant Center go to Settings › Linked accounts › Google Ads and link your Google Ads customer ID.
- In Google Ads go to Tools › Linked accounts › Google Merchant Center and approve the request.
- Back in CustomIQ press "Check again".
CustomIQ does not create Merchant Center accounts: Google requires a verified and claimed website, and you create the account at merchants.google.com.
How do I send a collection to Google?
In Collections each collection card has a "Google Shopping" row. Press "Sync to Google" to upload the collection's products with title, description, price, availability, images and product URL. The row then shows how many products Google approved, has pending or disapproved, plus the most common issues Google reports. You can sync again every 10 minutes. Google takes a few minutes to review new products.
Which Google campaigns can I launch from a collection?
Press "Launch strategy" on the collection and select Google. You choose the Google campaign:
- Shopping + Search (default): creates two Google campaigns.
- Shopping only: a Performance Max campaign with the collection's products, combining Shopping ads with generated images and headlines, limited to that collection.
- Search only: a Search campaign with ad groups per sub-theme of the collection, each featuring different products.
Shopping needs at least 5 products approved by Google.
How is the budget estimated?
The budget step in Campaigns shows clicks, conversions, revenue and ROAS per day, based on Keyword Planner cost per click and search volume and on the collection's average price. Revenue and ROAS show "—" when the products have no price or their price is in a different currency from your Google Ads account.
Why can't my Shopping campaign start?
The campaign page in Campaigns explains the reason and links to the fix:
- Merchant Center is not linked to Google Ads.
- No Merchant Center account is selected.
- Too few products are approved by Google.
- The products could not be sent to Merchant Center.
Can I do it from the IQ chat?
No. Choosing the Merchant Center account, syncing a collection and launching its Google strategy are done from the dashboard, in General settings and Collections.
Steps
- Connect Google Ads. In General settings connect Google Ads; if Google asks you to reconnect, accept the Shopping permission.
- Choose the Merchant Center account. In the Google Shopping (Merchant Center) picker select your account and press "Save account".
- Link it to Google Ads. If it shows not linked, link your Google Ads customer ID in Merchant Center, approve it in Google Ads, then press "Check again".
- Sync the collection. In Collections press "Sync to Google" on the collection card and give Google a few minutes to review the products.
- Launch the strategy. Press "Launch strategy", select Google and choose Shopping + Search, Shopping only or Search only.
- Review the budget. In Campaigns check the daily estimate of clicks, conversions, revenue and ROAS before approving the budget.
Frequently asked questions
- Does CustomIQ create my Merchant Center account?
- No. Google requires a verified and claimed website, so you create the account yourself at merchants.google.com and then pick it in General settings.
- Why does Google ask me to reconnect?
- Shopping needs the permission "Manage your product listings and accounts for Google Shopping". Reconnect Google and accept it; the rest of your Google Ads connection stays the same.
- What product data is sent to Google?
- Title, description, price, availability, images and product URL of each product in the collection. Only products in stock with an image and a link are sent.
- How often can I sync a collection?
- Once every 10 minutes per collection. Sync again after fixing issues in Merchant Center or in your store.
- How many approved products does a Shopping campaign need?
- At least 5 approved by Google. Pending and disapproved products do not count; the collection card shows each count and the most common issues.
- Why do revenue and ROAS show "—"?
- The collection's products have no price, or their price is in a different currency from your Google Ads account, so only clicks and conversions are estimated.
Related
- Connect Google Ads to CustomIQHow to connect your Google Ads account from Connections or from the chat so CustomIQ can create search campaigns.
- Create a Google Ads campaign (search / SEM)How to create a Google Ads search campaign with CustomIQ: you ask in the chat and review keywords and ads in Campaigns.
- Add a product collection to a Meta or Google campaignHow to add a product collection to an existing campaign in the chat: generated creatives, native catalog or both.
- Products and collectionsWhat products and collections are in CustomIQ, where they are managed and how campaigns and content use them.