For
Google Shopping feeds for electronics
Electronics is the category where Google matches offers on identifiers. A phone, TV or laptop competes against every other seller of the same GTIN, so a missing or wrong barcode, a refurbished unit listed as new, or a TV without its EU energy label costs the listing outright. This page covers the attributes Google checks for electronics, the title formula that matches how people search for specs, and a feed set-up sized to an electronics catalog.
We connect your store, build the feed and keep it in sync. Updated 2026-10-27.
At a glance
- Submit the manufacturer's GTIN whenever one exists; Google says not to guess, and an incorrect GTIN causes disapproval. Without a GTIN, send brand plus MPN; with neither, identifier_exists no.
- condition is required for used and refurbished items, with the values new, refurbished or used. Brand is required for new products.
- For EU, EFTA and UK targets, products that need an energy label (displays, smartphones and tablets since June 20, 2025, fridges, light sources and more) take the certification attribute with the EPREL code.
- We set up Textfinity to validate GTIN shape with a regex condition, build spec-first titles with combine, add the EPREL prefix and publish one feed per channel; each catalog is quoted after a short call.
Identifiers in a Google Shopping feed for electronics
Google's product data specification treats gtin as required when the manufacturer assigned one, and electronics almost always have one. Accepted formats are UPC-12, EAN-13, JAN, ISBN-13 and ITF-14; the value must pass the GS1 checksum, and the restricted prefixes 2, 02 and 04 are not allowed. mpn is required only when there is no GTIN, and must be the manufacturer's most specific code, so a black and a white version of the same headphones carry different MPNs.
Brand is required for new products and must be the recognized brand. Accessories are the trap: for a compatible charger or case, Google wants the brand and GTIN of the company that made the accessory, not the brand of the phone it fits. Put the device name in the title instead ("for iPhone 15"). Only when a product genuinely has no GTIN and no MPN plus brand pair does identifier_exists go to no.
Electronics attributes Google and Meta check
| Attribute | Rule for electronics | How to build it in Textfinity |
|---|---|---|
| gtin | Manufacturer barcode, checksum-valid | Rename with condition matches regexp ^(\d{8}|\d{12,14})$, else leave empty |
| mpn | Required if no GTIN | Rename from the manufacturer part number column |
| brand | Required for new; accessory maker, not device brand | Rename; or replace from google sheet (substring find-and-replace) to unify spellings |
| condition | Required for used and refurbished | Replace from regexp on a grade column, or add static value new |
| item_group_id | Groups storage and color variants | Rename from the parent product id |
| certification | EU, EFTA, UK energy label: EC:EPREL:code | Add prefix EC:EPREL: to the EPREL registration number |
| title | Max 150 chars; add "with contract" when sold with one | Combine brand, model, key spec, color, condition |
| google_product_category | 222 Electronics or deeper, e.g. 267 Mobile Phones, 328 Laptops, 404 Televisions | Add static value with a condition on product type, or replace from google sheet with specific column A values |
From Google's product data specification, checked 2026-10-27. Meta's catalog also requires condition and one of brand, gtin or mpn.
A title formula that matches spec searches
Electronics searches are spec searches: model numbers, storage, screen size, refresh rate. Google allows 150 characters; the front of the title is what shows in most placements. A formula that works across the category is brand, model, the one or two specs that separate it from its siblings, color, then condition when it is not new: "Samsung Galaxy S24 128 GB, Onyx Black, Refurbished" or "LG 55" OLED evo C4 4K TV, 120 Hz".
Store titles in electronics often miss the spec because it lives in a separate field or a metafield. A combine transform pulls it into the title without touching the store. If a product is sold with a mobile contract, Google requires "with contract" in the title; in the US, installment offers need "with payment plan".
Channel mix and catalog size for an electronics store
Google Shopping carries most electronics demand; Microsoft Ads takes the same attributes. Meta Ads catalogs suit accessories and retargeting more than high-ticket comparison shopping. In Germany and other comparison-heavy markets, price comparison sites take a CSV: Textfinity has channel templates for Prisjakt, PriceRunner and Kelkoo, and builds a custom feed with the channel's columns for others such as Idealo.
An accessories shop may need one Google feed and a price-comparison feed; a full-range retailer with tens of thousands of SKUs runs one feed per channel and market. Each catalog is quoted on its own, based on SKUs, feeds and whether it needs AI titles.
Examples
Worked examples, by situation
Four electronics catalogs, each with a different identifier or compliance problem.
Grade column to condition, condition in the title
Before
title: Galaxy S24 128GB Black Grade A grade: A brand: (empty)
After
title: Samsung Galaxy S24 128 GB, Onyx Black, Refurbished condition: refurbished brand: Samsung
How we set it up
We map condition with replace from regexp ^(A|B|C)$ → refurbished; brand as the static value Samsung with the condition title includes Galaxy; title with an advanced rule: [brand] + " " + [model] + " " + [storage] + ", " + [color] + ", Refurbished".
Accessory maker as brand, invalid GTINs left empty
Before
brand: Apple gtin: SUP-88213 title: Apple iPhone Charger 20W
After
brand: Voltaro gtin: (empty) mpn: VT-20PD-W title: Voltaro 20W USB-C Charger for iPhone, White
How we set it up
We map brand by rename from manufacturer; gtin by rename with the condition matches regexp ^(\d{8}|\d{12,14})$, otherwise leave empty; mpn by rename from part_no. Feed hygiene flags the share of empty GTINs first.
EU energy label from an EPREL lookup
Merged sheet and mapping
sheet: sku | eprel
TV-55C4 | 1543210
certification <- add prefix "EC:EPREL:" to [eprel]
=> EC:EPREL:1543210How we set it up
We join a Google Sheet keyed on sku with each model's EPREL registration number as a merged source and map certification with the prefix EC:EPREL:. Rows still missing a code show up in feed hygiene's completeness check for the eprel column.
Variants grouped, spec in the first words
Before
title: ZenBook 14 item_group_id: (empty) variant: 16GB / 1TB / Grey
After
title: ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, Grey item_group_id: UX3405
How we set it up
We map title as a combine of [brand], [model], [ram], [storage], [color] and item_group_id by rename from parent model. The same mapping goes on the Meta Ads feed, where availability is rewritten to in stock with a space.
Copy this plan
Plan: an electronics catalog to Google Shopping
01
Send us the catalog
Shopify natively, or a CSV or Google-shaped XML export by URL or SFTP. Include barcode, MPN, brand and any grade or EPREL columns.
What we set up: We connect the store or export URL.02
Profile identifiers
Feed hygiene shows how many rows have an empty GTIN or brand and where brand spellings disagree (Samsung, SAMSUNG, Samsung Electronics).
What we set up: We run feed hygiene on identifiers and brand values.03
Map identifiers and condition
GTIN only when it has a valid shape, MPN and brand from the manufacturer, condition from the grade column.
What we set up: We build the Google Shopping feed with gtin as a rename conditioned on matches regexp and condition as a replace from regexp.04
Add energy labels for EU and UK targets
Join EPREL numbers from a sheet if the store lacks them, and prefix them.
What we set up: We join the EPREL sheet as a merged source and give certification the prefix EC:EPREL:.05
Build spec-first titles
Combine brand, model and the deciding spec. For long-tail models, AI can enhance titles from the spec fields; review and accept them before they go live.
What we set up: We map title as a combine, or set up an AI config that enhances titles.06
Register the feed in Merchant Center
Add the feed URL in Merchant Center as a scheduled fetch and check identifier warnings in its diagnostics; Textfinity does not import them.
What we set up: We hand you the feed URL and register it with you: you give us access or we walk you through it.
Customization tips
Make it yours
Empty beats wrong for GTINs
An internal code in the gtin column gets the item disapproved; an empty gtin with brand and MPN only loses some matching. Gate the column with a regex condition rather than exclude the product.
Say refurbished twice
Put condition refurbished in the attribute and "Refurbished" at the end of the title. The attribute satisfies Google; the title word stops a shopper expecting new from clicking, at the cost of a few characters.
Accessories in their own feed
Accessories have low prices and huge SKU counts. A separate feed with its own filters (price floor, stock floor) keeps them from crowding main products in the same campaign, at the cost of one more feed to maintain.
Keep the EPREL sheet next to the buying sheet
New TV and monitor models arrive with an EPREL number from the supplier. Adding it to the merged sheet at purchase time is cheaper than chasing labels after Merchant Center flags them.
FAQ
Questions about google shopping feed for electronics
Do electronics need a GTIN in Google Shopping?
Yes when the manufacturer assigned one, which is the case for almost all branded electronics. Without a GTIN, submit brand and MPN; set identifier_exists to no only when the product has neither. Google says not to guess GTINs, because an incorrect value causes disapproval.
How do I list refurbished electronics on Google Shopping?
Set condition to refurbished, which is required for used and refurbished items. Keep the original manufacturer's GTIN and brand, and say Refurbished in the title so the ad matches the landing page.
Which electronics need an EU energy label in the feed?
Products targeting the EU, EFTA or UK that must show an energy label use the certification attribute with the EPREL code, in the form EC:EPREL:123456. Google lists displays, fridges, light sources, washing machines, and smartphones and tablets from June 20, 2025, among others.
What brand should a compatible accessory use?
The brand of the company that made the accessory, with that maker's GTIN. The device it fits belongs in the title, for example "for iPhone 15", not in the brand attribute.
Set up for you
Have every GTIN, condition and energy label right before Google checks.
Send us your catalog. We set up Textfinity to gate GTINs with a regex, add EPREL codes and publish spec-first titles, rebuilt on every sync.
Tell us your store and channels. We reply within 24 hours.