Should you really send EVERY product to Google now?

Why is Google changing its stance on product feeds?

Historically, sending your entire catalog to Google Shopping via Merchant Center feeds was often counterproductive. E-commerce merchants filtered their feeds to only push profitable products, in stock, with enough margin to support CPC.

The logic shifted with the introduction of free listings in organic search and the Shopping tab. Google opened these channels without direct acquisition cost — at least in theory. Alan Kent, a technical figure at Google, confirms that this change makes selective approaches obsolete: why limit your exposure when Google offers you visibility without payment?

What does this concretely change for an e-commerce site?

Technically, this means revising your filtering rules in product feeds. Many sites excluded out-of-stock products, low-margin items, unpopular color variants. Google now suggests sending everything.

The argument is: even a marginal product can capture a long-tail query and generate qualified traffic. If you sell shoes, why exclude a size 47 pair in olive green just because no one clicks on it in paid ads? Someone might be specifically looking for that.

What is the actual scope of this recommendation?

Google does not specify if this strategy applies equally across all sectors. A catalog of 50,000 SKUs in fashion does not have the same dynamics as a B2B site with 200 technical references.

The statement remains vague about the quality criteria of product listings. Sending your entire catalog with poor descriptions or inaccurate images guarantees nothing. Google still filters low-quality content on the Merchant Center side — and on the organic side, relevance remains the ultimate judge.

• Free listings in Shopping and organic search change the ROI calculation of product feeds
• Providing the entire catalog becomes relevant if the listings are of sufficient quality
• The recommendation remains vague on exclusions to maintain (out-of-stocks, unavailable products, prohibited items)
• No guarantee that every product sent will generate traffic — organic relevance still plays a role
• The B2B context or niche markets is not explicitly addressed by Google

Is this statement consistent with what we observe in the field?

Yes and no. Free listings exist and do generate traffic — but their volume remains very uneven across sectors. In fashion, consumer electronics, cosmetics, we see interesting performances. In B2B, specialized tools, products with long sales cycles, the impact is anecdotal.

Google is highly interested in you sending as much product data as possible: it enriches its index, improves long-tail coverage, and feeds its machine learning algorithms. What is good for Google is not necessarily good for you — especially if your stock management or logistics do not keep pace. [To be verified]: Google provides no quantitative data on the actual ROI of a complete feed versus a filtered feed.

What concrete risks does sending a complete catalog pose?

Sending products frequently out of stock or with ultra-limited stock can generate clicks without conversions — and degrade your availability rate in the Merchant Center. Google may suspend your account if too many displayed products are unavailable upon arrival.

Another issue is the cannibalization of visibility. If you have 50 variants of the same product (colors, sizes), Google may display the least relevant one at the expense of your best-seller. The quality of titles, descriptions, and structured attributes becomes critical — and many catalogs are not up to standard.

In which cases does this rule not apply?

If your business model relies on custom or configurable products, sending every possible combination makes no sense. The same goes for B2B catalogs with negotiated pricing, products under NDA, or obsolete references kept for customer service.

Let's be honest: Google gives a generic directive that ignores business specifics. An automotive parts distributor with 200,000 SKUs where 80% generate less than one sale per year should not send everything without intelligent filtering. The arbitration remains to be made by e-merchants, not by Google.

What should you actually do if you manage an e-commerce site?

Start by auditing your current filtering rules in your product feeds. Identify the criteria that exclude references: minimum stock, margin, sales history, promo status. Ask yourself if these exclusions remain relevant now that exposure is free.

Next, check the quality of the product listings you plan to add. Generic titles, empty descriptions, low-resolution images? These products will not generate any traffic even if sent to Google. Prioritize enhancing the listings before expanding the feed.

What mistakes to avoid when sending a complete catalog?

Don't fall into the trap of raw sending without curation. A feed of 50,000 products with 30% of references in chronic out-of-stock status exposes you to Merchant Center sanctions. Google monitors the availability rate — and it can block your entire account.

Another common mistake: neglecting structured attributes (GTIN, MPN, brand, category). Google uses this data to match your products with queries. A product without a GTIN or brand will have nearly zero visibility, even in a comprehensive feed.

How to verify that your feed strategy is working?

Monitor the performance metrics in Google Merchant Center: impressions, clicks, CTR per product. Identify references that generate traffic but do not convert — either the product does not match or the listing is misleading.

Compare the performances before/after expanding the feed. If you add 10,000 products and total traffic stagnates, it means the long tail is not capturing anything — or your new listings are not of high enough quality. Test gradually: first add a category, measure, then expand.

• Audit the current filtering rules of your product feeds
• Enhance product listings before expanding the feed (titles, descriptions, images, structured attributes)
• Check the availability rate to avoid Merchant Center suspensions
• Monitor metrics product by product in Merchant Center (impressions, clicks, conversions)
• Test gradual expansion and measure the real impact on qualified traffic
• Exclude prohibited, obsolete, or unstockable products in the short term