If you send a Google Shopping feed to Canada and you sell electronics or household appliances, there’s a new attribute you should add: warranty. Google added it in October 2026 so merchants can show the legal warranty duration that Quebec now requires next to the price.
In this article, I’ll explain who this affects and what Quebec’s law asks of you. I’ll also show you exactly how to format the attribute in your feed and when you’ll start seeing it in your ads. It only takes a few minutes to set up, and getting it right now saves you a headache later.
Who needs to pay attention?
This applies to you if you submit a product data feed with Canada as a target country. It doesn’t matter where your business is based:
- You’re a Canadian business selling to customers in Canada.
- You’re a foreign business (for example in the US, UK or Europe) and you target Canada with Shopping ads or free listings.
In both cases, check your catalog for new electronics and household appliances. Quebec’s rules focus on those products. If you sell clothing, furniture, or beauty products only, this change won’t affect you.
What Quebec’s Bill 29 requires
Bill 29 is Quebec’s 2023 law to protect consumers from planned obsolescence. It amended the province’s Consumer Protection Act. One key part is a legal warranty of good working order, which took effect on October 5, 2026.
For covered goods, the manufacturer and the merchant must guarantee the product works for a minimum number of years, at no cost to the consumer. If the product breaks during that period, the consumer can ask for a repair, including parts and labor. You can’t waive or shorten this warranty.
As an advertiser, the key point is this: merchants must display the warranty duration near the advertised price. This applies to every channel, including your website and digital ads such as Google Shopping.
Here are the minimum durations set by the regulation:
| Product type | Minimum legal warranty |
|---|---|
| Stoves, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps | 6 years |
| Dishwashers, washers, dryers | 5 years |
| Televisions | 4 years |
| Desktop computers, laptops, tablets, cell phones, video game consoles | 3 years |
The government can add more product types to this list later, so watch for updates. This is my summary of the law, not legal advice. Check the details with a Quebec lawyer or the Office de la protection du consommateur.
The warranty attribute explained
The warranty attribute has two sub-attributes, and for products you need both:
| Sub-attribute | Required | Value |
|---|---|---|
duration | Yes | A whole number, such as 3 |
duration_unit | Yes | month or year |
One thing to watch out for: if you leave out the unit, Google assumes month. For Quebec’s Bill 29, Google says the unit must be year. So a 3-year warranty sent as just 3 would be read as 3 months. Always include the unit.
Text feed (CSV, TSV or Google Sheets)
The column header lists the sub-attributes in brackets, separated by a colon. The value follows the same order, also with a colon and no quotation marks.
| id | title | price | warranty(duration:duration_unit) |
| TV-82-4K | VeryBright 82″ 4K TV | 1999.99 CAD | 4:year |
| PHONE-32 | Pixel Phone Frost 32GB | 799.00 CAD | 3:year |
| FRIDGE-01 | French Door Refrigerator | 2499.00 CAD | 6:year |
XML feed
<g:warranty>
<g:duration>3</g:duration>
<g:duration_unit>year</g:duration_unit>
</g:warranty>Merchant API
If you push products through the Merchant API, use the warranty field on the product attributes in productInputs. The sub-fields match the feed: duration and duration unit.
You may also see a version of the warranty attribute in the spec that includes mileage. That one is for vehicle ads in Japan. You can ignore it for Canada.
How to add warranty to your feed
You don’t need to rebuild your main feed. Here’s the approach I recommend:
- List the affected products. Filter your catalogue for the product types in the table above: large appliances, TVs, computers, tablets, phones and consoles.
- Match each product to its duration. Use the legal minimum for its category. If your own warranty is longer, check with your legal advisor which duration to show.
- Choose how to send the data.
- Supplemental data source. Create a Google Sheet with two columns,
idandwarranty(duration:duration_unit). Link it in Merchant Center as a supplemental source for your Canada feed. This is the quickest route and doesn’t touch your main feed. - Rules in Merchant Center. If your product types or categories are clean, you can set the warranty value with a rule, for example every product in your TV category gets
4:year. - Your feed app or platform. If you use a feed tool or Shopify app, map the warranty field there so it stays in sync as you add products.
- Supplemental data source. Create a Google Sheet with two columns,
- Check the diagnostics. After the next fetch, open the product in Merchant Center and confirm the warranty shows with the right duration and
yearas the unit. - Update your landing pages. Make sure the same warranty duration appears near the price on your product page. The ad and the page should say the same thing.
A tip from experience: build the duration from your product category rather than typing it product by product. When you add new products to a category, they pick up the right warranty automatically.
When it goes live
You can submit the warranty attribute right now. Merchant Center already accepts it.
The display on Shopping ads and free listings comes later. Google says it will begin later this year, so before the end of 2026. My advice is not to wait. If your data is in place before Google turns it on, your ads will show the warranty from day one. You also won’t have to rush to fix feed errors during the busy holiday season.
Optional for Google, but your responsibility
This is the part people often miss. In Merchant Center, the warranty attribute is optional. Google won’t disapprove your products if you leave it out. However this is unconfirmed, Google may at any stage decide to disapprove products or flag account wide violations.
But the law isn’t optional. Google is giving you a tool to show the information Quebec requires. You, the merchant, remain responsible for making sure your product data and the disclosures on your website comply with all applicable laws, including Bill 29.
So in practice, if you sell covered products to people in Quebec, treat the attribute as required. Here’s what I’d check:
- Every covered product in your Canada feed has a
warrantyvalue - Every value uses
yearas the unit - The durations match at least the legal minimum for each category
- Your product pages show the warranty near the price
- Someone on your team knows to add warranty data for new products
Frequently asked questions
I’m not based in Canada. Does this still apply to me? Yes, if you target Canada in your feed and sell to consumers in Quebec. The rule follows where the customer is, not where your business is.
Can I send the duration in months? Google accepts month, but for Bill 29 it says to use year. Send 3:year, not 36:month.
Will leaving out the attribute get my products disapproved? Not according to Google’s current spec, because the attribute is optional. The legal risk is separate from Google’s policies, though.
Do I need it for products I don’t sell in Quebec? The Quebec requirement covers sales to consumers in Quebec. Most Canada feeds can’t target one province, so most merchants will add it to the whole Canada feed.
When will shoppers see it? Google plans to start showing it on ads and free listings later in 2026. Submit your data now so it’s ready.
Sources
- Warranty [warranty] attribute – Google Merchant Center Help
- Product data specification – Google Merchant Center Help
- Merchant Center announcements, October 2026
- The warranty of good working order: new Quebec regulation takes effect October 5, 2026 – Mondaq
- Quebec’s warranty of availability – BLG