{
  "id": "ucp.google.merchant-center",
  "protocol": "ucp",
  "layer": "product-data",
  "role": "merchant",
  "status": "required",
  "title": "Connect UCP on Google to your Merchant Center feed",
  "description": "UCP on Google uses existing Merchant Center product data.",
  "goal": "Google's agentic checkout reads your Merchant Center data; without it you are not eligible.",
  "note": "Updated 2026-10-15: Google says UCP checkout is live in the US via Universal Cart in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app since 15 Oct 2026, with Google Pay checkout or handoff to the merchant cart; the merchant stays seller of record. US only per Google's blog. Merchants join a waitlist (Google Merchant UCP docs, 2026-10-12). ucp.dev: Lodging draft specification available (not yet in a release; latest release v2026-08-25); Food coming soon.",
  "how_to_implement": {
    "steps": [
      "Keep an active Merchant Center feed.",
      "Follow Google's UCP onboarding in the Merchant docs."
    ]
  },
  "resources": [
    {
      "label": "Google Merchant: UCP",
      "url": "https://developers.google.com/merchant/ucp",
      "type": "docs",
      "publisher": "Google"
    },
    {
      "label": "Google blog: Universal Cart launch (15 Oct 2026)",
      "url": "https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/shopping/universal-cart-launch/",
      "type": "announcement",
      "publisher": "Google"
    },
    {
      "label": "UCP on GitHub",
      "url": "https://github.com/Universal-Commerce-Protocol/ucp",
      "type": "spec",
      "publisher": "UCP"
    },
    {
      "label": "UCP releases on GitHub",
      "url": "https://github.com/Universal-Commerce-Protocol/ucp/releases",
      "type": "spec",
      "publisher": "UCP"
    }
  ],
  "audit": {
    "method": "platform_console",
    "automatable": false,
    "human": "Products appear eligible in Merchant Center for the UCP program."
  },
  "how_to_verify": "Products appear eligible in Merchant Center for the UCP program.",
  "artifacts": [
    "Merchant Center account",
    "product feed"
  ],
  "depends_on": [
    "gmc.feed.active"
  ],
  "status_note": "Updated 2026-10-15: Google says UCP checkout is live in the US via Universal Cart in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app since 15 Oct 2026, with Google Pay checkout or handoff to the merchant cart; the merchant stays seller of record. US only per Google's blog. Merchants join a waitlist (Google Merchant UCP docs, 2026-10-12). ucp.dev: Lodging draft specification available (not yet in a release; latest release v2026-08-25); Food coming soon.",
  "verified": true,
  "slug": "ucp-google-merchant-center",
  "category": "product-data",
  "url": "https://vreeman.ai/commerce/checklist#ucp.google.merchant-center",
  "updated": "2026-10-19",
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Google Merchant: UCP",
      "url": "https://developers.google.com/merchant/ucp",
      "type": "docs",
      "publisher": "Google"
    },
    {
      "label": "Google blog: Universal Cart launch (15 Oct 2026)",
      "url": "https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/shopping/universal-cart-launch/",
      "type": "announcement",
      "publisher": "Google"
    },
    {
      "label": "UCP on GitHub",
      "url": "https://github.com/Universal-Commerce-Protocol/ucp",
      "type": "spec",
      "publisher": "UCP"
    },
    {
      "label": "UCP releases on GitHub",
      "url": "https://github.com/Universal-Commerce-Protocol/ucp/releases",
      "type": "spec",
      "publisher": "UCP"
    }
  ],
  "related_slugs": [
    "gmc-feed-active"
  ]
}