Google has recently introduced a helpful update to Google Merchant Center that brings greater flexibility to managing shipping details—primarily through product data feeds. Previously, merchants were limited in defining handling and transit times, particularly when their business days didn’t align with the default Monday–Saturday schedule. With the release of new attributes, you can specify business days for shipping handling and shipping transit directly in your data feed, giving you better control over delivery accuracy and customer expectations.
What’s New?
Google has added two new attributes to its data feed specifications (+ a new carrier attribute mentioned below):
shipping_handling_business_daysshipping_transit_business_days
These attributes let you define which days of the week your business actively handles or ships orders. This feature was already available through the Google Merchant Center UI. Still, now it’s possible to implement the same level of customization directly via your product data feed, allowing for more automation and scalability.
Why This Matters
Not every business operates Monday to Saturday. For instance:
- Some companies only ship from Monday to Friday
- Others might be closed on Mondays and start their shipping week on Tuesdays
- In some countries, like Thailand, business weeks may start on Sundays
With this new update, merchants can tailor their shipping schedules more accurately, which helps ensure that customers are shown realistic delivery estimates—an important factor that influences purchase decisions.
How to Use the New Attributes
You can now define business days using:
- Single-letter codes (
M,T,W,R,F,S,U) - Three-letter abbreviations (
Mon,Tue,Wed, etc.) - Full day names (
Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday, etc.)
⚠️ Important: Do not mix formats in the same entry. Stick to one format for consistency.
Example Formats
shipping_handling_business_days: Mon;Tue;Wed;Thu;Fri
You can also define ranges using hyphens (-) and separate non-consecutive days using semicolons (;).
shipping_transit_business_days: Monday-Friday
Handling Time vs. Transit Time
It’s important to differentiate between handling time and transit time:
min_handling_time/max_handling_time– How long it takes to process an order before shippingmin_transit_time/max_transit_time– How long it takes for the carrier to deliver the item once shipped
If your business only processes orders from Monday to Friday, you should use shipping_handling_business_days to reflect that.
Similarly, if your carrier only ships from Monday to Friday, but you’re using manual shipping settings, then specify shipping_transit_business_days.
📝 If you’re using carrier-calculated rates, do not use
shipping_transit_business_days. Instead, use thecarrier_shippingattribute and let Google determine the delivery times based on the carrier’s schedule.
Carrier Shipping Attribute
Another new addition is the carrier_shipping attribute. This allows you to declare shipping methods that rely on official carrier transit times, such as those from UPS, USPS, or FedEx.
Use carrier_shipping only if:
- You’re relying on the carrier’s published transit schedules.
- You are not customizing delivery times at the product level
If you want more granular control (e.g., per product or per brand), it’s better to use shipping labels and configure shipping settings via the Google Merchant Center UI.
Best Practices
- Stick to one format: Avoid mixing single-letter, 3-letter, and full-word formats.
- Use ranges when possible: It simplifies your feed and makes it easier to manage.
- Avoid specifying business days if you’re using carrier-calculated methods.
- Double-check your feed for syntax errors, especially with semicolons and hyphens.
- Use shipping labels in combination with data feeds for product-level control.
- Monitor delivery estimates in your Shopping ads to ensure they match reality.
Learn More
- Business days for shipping handling time (Google Support)
- Business days for shipping transit time (Google Support)
- Carrier shipping attribute reference (Google Support)