How To Create A Promotion In Google Merchant

by Emmanuel Flossie · Updated on 2 October, 2019

Adding promotions to Google Merchant Center is pretty easy once you understand the steps that need to be taken. I will explain how to add promotions to certain products or all products. I have also written an article explaining how promotions works.

Check if promotions option is available

First check that the promotions option is available, please log in to Google Merchant Center and check in the left-hand side menu if you see Marketing > Promotions.

Google Merchant Center Marketing Promotions

Currently as of writing, not all merchants will have the promotions option available, however, you can activate this by filling out Google’s Promotions Interest Form. Within 24 hours you will have the option available. Or go to Growth > Manage programs if the option is available. (not all accounts have this option, if not you need to use the promotions interest form)

Google Merchant Center Growth Manage Program

The promotions option is available for: US, Australia, Germany, France, UK, and India.

Before You Create A Promotion

You can create promotions directly in Google Merchant Center or in FeedArmy, however, there are some extra features available in FeedArmy such as having a pre-approval process. It can take Google up to 24 hours to approve a promotion. By utilizing the pre-approval date, you can avoid any delays in having your promotion show on time.

From experience, I have noticed that if you add promotions around December, the delay of approval can be more then 24 hours, so pre approval guarantees that your promotions are approved before your effect launch date.

Creating Promotions In FeedArmy

Step 1) Basics

Country:
Select your target country

Currency:
Select your currency, the currency you choose must match the currency in the data feed and product landing page. If the currency is different from the target country, Google will automatically convert the currency using Google Finance data.

Promotion ID:
You must enter a unique promotion ID, personally I always add a date to avoid any duplication. For example: 30_discount_04_feb_2019. The promotion ID value can be 60 characters long.

Product Applicability:
Choose if you want to apply the promotion to all products or specific products. If you choose Specific Products, then you can target them using Product Filters (in step 2) or adding the Promotion ID in the manual editor.

Offer Type:
Choose Generic Code, if you have a discount code that customers need to use in the checkout if you do not have a code choose No Code.

Long Title:
Create your promotion Title, ensure you read up on the policies.

Promotion Effective Date:
Add the dates here for when your promotion is active to customers.

Step 2) Product Filters

If you create a promotion that only applies to specific products in your product feed, use the product filters. The product filter attributes only apply when product applicability is set to Specific Products. When there are multiple filters, only the products that pass all filters are selected for the promotion. If a filter excludes a product and another filter includes the same product, the product will be excluded from the promotion. If you want to specify each product one by one, then go to the Manual Editor and add the column promotion id, then enter the same promotion id as you used to create the promotion for the specific products.

Step 3) Preconditions

These attributes communicate the preconditions that a user needs to meet to redeem a promotion. Preconditions do not filter the products that are eligible for a promotion. To filter, use Product filters.

For example, if you want to create:

A “Buy 2, get 1 free” promotion for jeans, set the minimum purchase quantity to 2.
A “$10 off on 3 or more jeans” promotion for jeans, set the minimum purchase quantity to 3.

Step 4) Promotion Categories

The category options show the types of available. Specify a promotion category to create a structured promotion, such as a “Buy 1, get 1 free” promotion. See Add structured data attributes.

You can associate only one promotion category with a promotion_id, please check the box next to the category you want to use. You can further restrict a promotion category with limits. See Limits.

Percent Off:
If you are offering a discount, then add the numeric value of the percentage the customers receive.

Money Off Amount:
If you are offering a lump sum off the item purchased then add the numeric value. The currency will automatically apply from step 1.

Get This Quantity Discounted:
If you are offering a free item such as, buy 1 get one free, then enter the value of how many free items the customer receives.

Free Shipping:
If you are offering free standard, overnight or 2 day delivery.

Free Gift Value:
If you are offering a gift voucher after the purchase of the item, then add the value of this voucher. The currency will be automatically added from step 1.

Free Gift Description:
If you are offering a free item that does not exist in your product feed, then add the description of the item you are offering.

Free Gift Item ID:
If you are offering a free item that you also have in your product feed, enter the id of the item here.

Step 5) Limits

These attributes communicate the limits that a user needs to meet to redeem a promotion. Limits do not filter the products that are eligible for a promotion. To filter, use Product filters.

For example:

“Buy 1 get 1 free, upto 10 items” set limit quantity to 10.
“10% off, upto order value $100”, set limit value to $100.

Step 6) Additional Attributes

Promotion Display Date:
If you want to have the promotion approved before it is available to customers, then set this date. Make sure that when you set this date that the promotion can be tested. When Google approves the promotion it will not be shown to customers. Only the Promotion Effective Date from step 1 will be when customers can see the promotion.

Description:
This attribute specifies the promotion description. The description is not shown to users

Generic Redemption Code:
If you have selected Generic Code in the Offer Type, you can then add the discount code here.

Promotion Price:
This attribute is the promotional sales price of an item or category (for example, a promotion in which all jeans are $50). The promotion price is available to users who enter a promotion code or meet the promotional requirements.

Fine Print:
This attribute is the text of any terms and conditions that apply to the promotion, such as restrictions and exclusions. The terms and conditions will be shown to the user

Image:
This attribute is a link to an image that features the promotion or the promotional item.

Adding the promotion feed to Google Merchant Center

You only need to do this once.

Go to Data Feeds and copy the link under Google Merchant Promotions Feed by left-clicking and copy link address

Login to Google Merchant a click on Marketing > Promotions and in the top right corner you can click on promotion feeds. And now click on the blue plus sign.

Step 1: Choose standard mode

Step 2: Select your target country and click on continue.

Google Merchant Center Promotion Feed Step 1

Step 3: Enter a feed name, FeedArmy and click on continue.

Step 4: Select Scheduled Fetch

Google Merchant Center Promotion Feed Step 2

Step 5: Enter a filename, does not matter what this is.

Step 6: Set your schedule

Step 7: Paste the copied URL in File URL and click on continue.

Google Merchant Center Promotion Feed Step 3

To update the promotion immediately, click on your newely created feed and under the processing tab, click on fetch now.

Creating Promotions In Google Merchant

Select your country

As of writing, adding promotions is available in the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, India, France, and Germany.

Choose the promotion type

For me, I chose a percentage off, for each promotion type follow the instructions and choose the right options.

Once you have chosen the promotion type, you will see the option to add extra information.

Promo ID

Choose a unique promotion id.

A good tip is to add the current date as the promotion ID too, this to avoid duplication errors.

Products

You can apply the promotion to all products or to a specific selection of products.

Promo Code

You can add a promotion code If you have a one.

Start and end dates

The timezone will be chosen based on the target country, simply add the start date and end date.

Adding Specific Promotion ID’s To Your Products in FeedArmy

When promoting specific products, you will need to add the promotion ID to all applicable products. There are many methods to carry out this task.

Manually

Login to FeedArmy and go to Edit Tools > Edit Products, click on add columns under Column Categories choose Additional Attributes than select Promotion ID

You can now edit or add the promotion id to specific products

Tip :
You can use the search tool to find specific products

Search and Replace

You can bulk add or edit promotions by using the search and replace tool which is available under Edit Tools > Search & Replace

I have written a guide on how to use the search and replace tool

Bulk Edit Using A Spreadsheet

You can also bulk edit using your favorite spreadsheet editor, here is a guide on how to bulk edit in FeedArmy

Checking The Status Of Your Google Shopping Promotion

You can check the status of your promotion in Google Merchant under Promotions > List

Alongside the status of the promotion you can also check the following

Promotion ID
Title
Promo Code
Start Time
End Time
Applicability
Target Locale
Visible
Policy Status
SKU Status

Need Help?

If you need some help in adding your promotions or have questions, please let me know.