Kontrolit Merchant Centre Feed Validator

Upload your Google Merchant Center (GMC) XML feed and we’ll scan it for common issues that stop products appearing in Google Shopping or Performance Max campaigns. It’s quick, free, and works with feeds worldwide. We don’t log or store any uploaded files or URLs — your data stays completely private and secure.

Google

Merchant Centre Feed Validator

What to get right first

  • Unique product IDs — Every item needs a unique <id>. Duplicates confuse Google and can cause items to be rejected or reporting to merge unexpectedly.
  • Product titles — Keep titles clear and front-load key terms (brand, model, variant). Google allows up to 150 characters, but listings typically truncate around 70 characters, especially on mobile — so don’t bury important info at the end.
  • Descriptions — Up to 5,000 characters are allowed, but the first sentence is what users will most likely see. Make it persuasive and include core attributes (size, colour, material, compatibility).
  • Prices & sale prices — Use the format 12.99 GBP (amount + space + ISO currency). Sale price must be lower than price.
  • Availability — Must be one of: in stock, out of stock, preorder, or backorder (spaces or underscores are fine). This should reflect the landing page to avoid policy flags.
  • Images — Use a valid, crawlable <image_link> over HTTPS. High-quality, white-background images tend to win more impressions and clicks.
  • Identifiers (GTIN/MPN/brand) — If your products have global identifiers, include them — they improve match quality and coverage. If they truly don’t exist, set <identifier_exists>false</identifier_exists>.
  • Product URLs — Link to the exact product page over HTTPS. Broken or redirected URLs can lead to disapprovals and wasted ad spend.
  • Valid XML — The feed must be well-formed XML with the expected structure (channel > item). Syntax errors will stop Google from ingesting your data.

No errors? Nice work.

The next thing to look at is how your Google Ads are set up and structured — and whether they’re really performing as well as they could.

We offer free Google Ads and Shopping feed reviews.

Next steps

Fix the issues listed above in your source data or feed generator, then re-export and re-upload your feed to Google Merchant Centre. Improvements to titles, images and identifiers typically deliver the biggest uplift in impressions and ROAS.

Need the full rulebook? Refer to Google’s official product data specification.

Change Log

  • 14th Jan 2026 - Update for more reliable fetch data from URL
  • 7th Dec 2025 - Styling change
  • 10th Nov 2025 - Improved fetch of feeds via url
  • 26th Oct 2025 - Allowed upload of CSV files or to grab a file from a URL.  Validation for different currencies not just GBP.