DO NOT USE GOOGLE MERCHANT CENTRE AUTOMATED PRODUCT DATA OPTIMISATIONS IF YOUR USING THE GOOGLE & YOUTUBE SHOPIFY APP!

Written By Oliver Hunt.

Here is where they are. Google sell them so well!
These are also promoted across Google Merchant Centre (GMC) + inside the Google & YouTube Shopify App and can be turned on via one simple click.

I have no issue with these automations, many are pretty useful but just in my experience sooner or later these automations will stop the content API from updating your products daily if your automatically syncing your products using the Google & YouTube App. New products won’t be picked up, data will become inaccurate and its a pain to fix. Took me a few days between asking PPC chums, research on Google + Reddit + YouTube, contacting Google support and fiddling around nervously myself to try fix it.

The Fix and Fingers Crossed This Works (or you need to do a fresh install)

  • Go to GMC > Products > Automations > Turn them all off.

  • Go to the Google & YouTube Shopify App > Find the settings tab > Under product sync settings click manage. Switch to manually add your products or sync them using a third party app for 5-10 minutes only and then switch back to automatic. Give it a few hours and you should see your products recently updated in GMC again.

  • If it does not work delete the feed in GMC and try again. You have nothing to lose at this stage and may avoid a fresh install.

If it does not work you will have to do a fresh install. Bummer!

  • Make triple sure you have all the right accesses ready for Google Ads (GADS), GMC, YouTube … and worth jotting down your app + GMC settings in fine detail.

  • Delete the app in Shopify.

  • Delete the feed in GMC.

  • Reinstall the app in Shopify. You can do it straight away after a sign out & in.

  • The negative of this route is it will reinstall GADS App Tracking for a second time (if you use it) and the first install will stop working. Secondly you will need to go through a longer process to get back up (with likely some downtime while your products are under review) and will take a few days versus a few clicks (if the above fix works).

DISCLAIMER: I’m not an expert on this, just went through it a few times, found little info to help on the web, hard to get the right answers from Google support so I wrote this blog just to help any others who get caught out like I did. I’m hoping that good Juju will come my way from it. I accept no responsibility whatsoever.

Oliver Hunt.
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