An AI-ready product feed is complete, honest, and identical to what shows on your product page. Google Shopping, AI shopping agents, and comparison engines rank feeds that are unambiguous and match the landing page. This checklist walks every core field — title, description, GTIN, image, attributes, availability, price, shipping, taxes — with concrete examples of what to write and what to avoid.
Use it before every seasonal push and after every product page change.
Why the feed matters more than ever
AI shopping agents summarise catalogs at scale, and they cannot re-render every product page in real time. Your feed is the fastest, most reliable input they can consume. A clean feed is the difference between being included in an agent's answer and being invisible.
Titles: brand + product + key attribute
The best-performing pattern is Brand + Product type + Key attribute + Size/Colour/Model. Keep the most important 30 characters in the front — many agents truncate.
Bad: Absolute Bestseller Sweater On Sale!. Good: Northlight Merino Sweater — Men's Crew, Charcoal, L.
Descriptions: features + honest use cases
Lead with what the product is, then who it's for, then materials or spec, then use cases. Avoid keyword stuffing. AI agents penalise repetition and unnatural phrasing.
GTIN, MPN, brand
GTIN (UPC / EAN / ISBN) is the most important identifier for feed match. If you make private-label products without a GTIN, provide MPN and a real brand. Missing both is a common feed rejection reason.
Images
- Primary image on a clean background, product only.
- At least 800×800 pixels, ideally 1200×1200. Square format for shopping surfaces.
- Additional images for angles, scale, packaging, and lifestyle.
- No text overlays, watermarks, or promotional badges on the primary image.
Attributes
- Fill every relevant field: color, size, size_type, size_system, age_group, gender, material, pattern.
- For apparel: use standard sizes (US 8, UK 12, EU 40) and mark size_system.
- For electronics: fill capacity, connectivity, compatibility fields where available.
- For food and cosmetics: fill certification and allergen fields.
Availability, price, sale_price
Always live from your inventory system. If sale_price is used, include sale_price_effective_date and never leave it running past its end. AI agents lose trust in feeds that show permanent sales.
Shipping and tax
Enter shipping in Merchant Center or via shipping attribute. US sellers must configure destination-based sales tax or use marketplace facilitator handling. Agents that answer 'total to my door' pull from these values.
Custom labels for campaign structure
Use custom_label_0..4 for margin tier, seasonality, bestseller flag, and stock health. This won't reach AI answers, but it powers smarter bidding and inventory-aware campaigns.
Example calculation (USD)
Feed row — before and after
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| title | Cozy Sweater | Northlight Merino Sweater — Men's Crew, Charcoal, L |
| gtin | (empty) | 0197123456789 |
| brand | N/A | Northlight |
| color | Dark | Charcoal |
| size | Large | L (size_system: US) |
| image_link | banner with sale badge | 800×800 product on white |
| availability | always in_stock | Live from Shopify inventory |
| price | 39 | 39.00 USD |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Missing GTIN or fake GTIN codes.
- Titles written for humans-only, no attributes.
- Sale_price without an effective date.
- Feed availability different from live inventory.
- Overlays and text on primary image.
- Description copy-pasted from a manufacturer, unedited.
Best practices
- Automate feed rebuilds daily.
- Validate in Merchant Center diagnostics after every push.
- Log feed rejection reasons and fix them within the week.
- Match feed and landing page exactly on title, price, availability, image.
- Audit for duplicate offers across variants.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need one feed per country?
Yes. Currency, language, tax handling, and shipping differ. Maintain a US feed in USD and English.
Should I use supplemental feeds?
Yes for GTIN, custom labels, or seasonal overrides — much safer than editing the primary feed.
How often should I refresh?
Prices and availability at least daily. Product data on every catalog change.