Today I want to talk about an important email that most merchants have recently received regarding the migration from Google’s Content API to the new Merchant API. This is a critical update that affects how your Google Shopping feeds connect to Merchant Center, and there are specific deadlines you need to be aware of.
What’s Changing?
Google is replacing the old Content API with a new system called the Merchant API. The new API comes with enhanced features and improved functionality for managing your Merchant Center account and accessing data and insights. While this is a positive change in the long run, it does require action from merchants to ensure a smooth transition.
Important Deadlines
Google has set the following migration deadlines based on your current setup:
- Beta Merchant API users: February 28, 2026
- Content API users: August 18, 2026
- Non-API users: Can migrate at any time
Don’t leave this until the last minute! I know many merchants tend to wait, but getting ahead of this will save you potential headaches down the line.
How to Check Which API You’re Using
This is crucial: don’t assume that just because you’re using a new app or even the Google & YouTube app for Shopify that you’re automatically on the new Merchant API. Here’s how to verify:
- Log into your Google Merchant Center
- Navigate to Settings on the left-hand side
- Click on Data Sources
- Scroll down to Primary Sources
- Check the Source field
If it says “Content API,” you’re still on the old system and need to migrate. If it says “Merchant API,” you’re all set!
How to Migrate
For most merchants, especially those using the Google & YouTube app for Shopify, the migration process is straightforward:
- Follow the instructions provided in your app
- Or simply uninstall and reinstall the app
- The app should automatically reconnect using the Merchant API
The Feed Label Challenge
Here’s where things get a bit tricky, and this is important for your Google Ads campaigns.
What Changes
With the old Content API, you might have had a clean feed label like “US” for your United States products. After migrating to the Merchant API, this changes to a more complex format: the currency code followed by an underscore and a random number (e.g., “GBP_123456”).
Why This Matters
If you’re targeting campaigns in Google Ads by feed label (rather than by country), this is critical. When the feed label changes, your products will become disconnected from your campaigns. You’ll need to manually reattach them in Google Ads.
Note: If you’re targeting by country instead of feed label, this won’t be as significant an issue.
Can You Change the Feed Label?
Unfortunately, no. With the old Content API, you could customize the feed label by going to the data source setup and scrolling to the bottom. However, with the Merchant API, this option is no longer available. You’ll have to work with the automatically generated feed labels.
Updating Your Google Ads Campaigns
After migrating, wait approximately 30 minutes to 24 hours, then update your Google Ads campaigns:
For Performance Max Campaigns:
- Go to your Performance Max campaign
- Click on Settings
- Under Feeds, you can either:
- Select a specific feed
- Use all available feeds
For Standard Shopping Campaigns:
- Click on your campaign
- Go to Settings
- Under Feeds, select your specific feed label
Important Considerations
Single Country Targeting: If you’re only targeting one country with your campaign, you can safely use “all available feeds” without worrying about mixing up products from different regions.
Multiple Country Targeting: If you’re targeting multiple countries, I recommend specifically assigning feed labels. While it’s rare (about 5% of cases in my experience), Google can sometimes mix things up—for example, showing products in USD when they should be in GBP. Using specific feed labels prevents this issue.