{
  "id": "gmc.feed.active",
  "protocol": "google-merchant-center",
  "layer": "product-data",
  "role": "merchant",
  "status": "required",
  "title": "Maintain an active Google Merchant Center feed",
  "description": "Google uses this data to match products to queries and as a foundational input for its AI powered formats and experiences.",
  "goal": "Google's AI Mode and UCP checkout draw on Merchant Center data.",
  "note": "Re-verified 2026-10-12 against the product data specification. Google: if you leave out a Required attribute, the product can't serve in ads and free listings. The field lists are in gmc.feed.required-fields and gmc.feed.conditional-fields.",
  "how_to_implement": {
    "steps": [
      "Submit a feed per the Google product data specification.",
      "Also meet Google's other requirements: Shopping ads policies, landing page, shipping rate, checkout, and currency and language requirements.",
      "Fix disapprovals in Diagnostics."
    ]
  },
  "resources": [
    {
      "label": "Google product data specification",
      "url": "https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7052112",
      "type": "spec",
      "publisher": "Google"
    },
    {
      "label": "Google Merchant: UCP",
      "url": "https://developers.google.com/merchant/ucp",
      "type": "docs",
      "publisher": "Google"
    }
  ],
  "audit": {
    "method": "platform_console",
    "automatable": false,
    "human": "Merchant Center diagnostics show no disapprovals for key products."
  },
  "how_to_verify": "Merchant Center diagnostics show no disapprovals for key products.",
  "artifacts": [
    "Merchant Center feed"
  ],
  "depends_on": [],
  "status_note": "Re-verified 2026-10-12 against the product data specification. Google: if you leave out a Required attribute, the product can't serve in ads and free listings. The field lists are in gmc.feed.required-fields and gmc.feed.conditional-fields.",
  "verified": true,
  "status_rationale": "UCP on Google uses Merchant Center data; no feed means no eligibility.",
  "slug": "gmc-feed-active",
  "category": "product-data",
  "url": "https://vreeman.ai/commerce/checklist#gmc.feed.active",
  "updated": "2026-10-12",
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Google product data specification",
      "url": "https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7052112",
      "type": "spec",
      "publisher": "Google"
    },
    {
      "label": "Google Merchant: UCP",
      "url": "https://developers.google.com/merchant/ucp",
      "type": "docs",
      "publisher": "Google"
    }
  ],
  "related_slugs": []
}