Google Merchant Center Account Application & URL Verification

Verifying Google Merchant Center (GMC) in SHOPLINE Admin allows you to manage products and ads for Google Shopping centrally. If you want to place Google Ads, please use a business Gmail account and consult the Google Merchant Center onboarding guide to set up a Google Merchant Center account.

After creating a Google Merchant Center account, follow the steps below to claim and verify your store's website. Also, please carefully review GMC's regulations as only one account holds the right to upload product data for this URL. Before verification, please confirm your GMC account with the relevant personnel and ensure that your shopping ads are running to avoid disruptions to your ad operations.

⚠️ Please note:

• If you are using YouTube LIVE Shopping, ensure that you use the same email address for both your Google Merchant Center account and your YouTube channel account. If not, please go to Google Merchant Center > Tools and Settings > Account access > Users > Add User, enter the YouTube channel account email address and allow "Admin" access.
• Each store can only be connected to one Google Merchant Center account. If you are running Google Ads through the SHOPLINE Ads team, you don't need to set it on your own. Please request GMC access from your ad optimizer.

 

This article will introduce the following:

• Setting up a GMC account
• Getting a GMC verification code
• SHOPLINE Admin verification

 

1. Setting up a GMC account

i. Classic Merchant Center interface

Step 1

Go to Google Merchant Center. Click on Get started and follow the steps to log in using a store-linked Gmail account.

 

Step 2

Enter your store's name and other details, then scroll down and agree to Google Merchant Center's terms of service. Once you have done this, click Continue.

 

ii. Merchant Center Next interface

In the second half of 2023, Google introduced Merchant Center Next for new users. If you are a new user, please follow the steps below to change into the Classic Merchant Center account.

Step 1

Go to Google Merchant Center and click Sign up for free. Please use your store email address.

 

Step 2

Tell Google about your business:

• Do you sell products online?
• Do you have a brick-and-mortar store?

 

Step 3

Fill in the relevant fields and click Go to Merchant Center.

Your Merchant Center Next account has been created successfully.

 

Step 4

Click the Help icon on the top right of Merchant Center Next and select Use classic Merchant Center.

 

2. Get GMC verification code 

Step 1

After you have set up a GMC account, click on the "settings" icon and select Business information. Go to the "Website" tab, enter your web address, and click Continue.

 

Step 2

Scroll down to the verification options and click on Add an HTML tag or upload an HTML file to your website, then click Add an HTML tag.

 

Step 3

Copy the part of the HTML tag after content=, not including the "" symbols. 

 

3. Add verification code in SHOPLINE Admin 

Step 1

Go to SHOPLINE Admin > [Settings] > [Basic Settings] and scroll down to the "Third Party Domain Tools" section. Paste in the verification code copied from Google Merchant Center and enter the Merchant Center ID.

Where to get your Merchant Center ID?
You can find the ID on the top right corner of Google Merchant Center.

 

Step 2

Upon completion, click Update.

 

Step 3

Go back to Google Merchant Center and click Verify website to complete the process. 

 

Confirm that your website has been verified and claimed.

 

 

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