An Ultimate Guide to Google Shopping Feed Descriptions 2025

The description of an item in your Google Shopping feed is one of the key attributes that help shoppers understand your product better. It helps them decide if your product is the right fit for them and whether they should purchase it. 

However, writing the perfect description is often tricky, and many merchants struggle with that. This is because:

1. Google has multiple guidelines that merchants should follow while writing descriptions.
2. Product descriptions must strike a balance between ideal length, keyword usage, and properly describing what the product actually is. 

If you are also in a similar situation and struggling to get your Google Shopping feed descriptions right, don’t worry. This article will help you. 

Through it, we will understand how to write great descriptions, the requirements that you must follow, and also some common pitfalls to avoid.

Are you ready? Let’s get started. 

Understanding Google Shopping Feed Descriptions

The description [description] attribute is a standard text field used in Google Shopping feed to describe your product. It is useful to highlight an item’s key features, technical specifications, and visual attributes. 

Descriptions are required attributes, meaning all items should have valid values for them. If you fail to add one, then Google will not approve your item. This would prevent you from marketing it across any Google channel, via Shopping ads or free listings. 

Note: If you create descriptions for your items using generative AI, then Google requires you to use the structured description attribute.

Importance of Google Shopping Feed Description

Let’s discuss the importance of writing Google Shopping feed descriptions: 

Increased Visibility and Relevance  

A well-written description in your feed helps Google to better understand your items. With that knowledge, its systems can display your products for the right searches. This means that your products appear in relevant search results, which increases the chances of attracting potential customers. 

Better Shopping Experience and Conversions

Clear and comprehensive descriptions for all items in your Google Shopping feed help shoppers better understand your products. Moreover, by accessing a product’s key features and benefits beforehand, shoppers can establish the right expectations and decide whether to purchase it. This removes any scope for dissatisfaction later (concerning the product) and contributes to a positive shopping experience. 

For merchants, great item descriptions in their feed can prove to be helpful for attracting those shoppers who are more likely to convert. This is because shoppers who click on a listing and visit your product landing page already know what to expect. They are probably on the final stage of their buying journey, closer to making a purchase. Such traffic is more likely to convert, and great item descriptions can help you discover more of such qualified shoppers. 

Stay Competitive 

With accurate, high-quality descriptions, you can highlight the unique value proposition of your items. This can be a strategic way to stand out from those competitors who provide vague or incomplete details of their products. 

Maintain Optimal Account Health 

When you add descriptions that comply with Google’s policies and requirements, you also prevent any type of account or item-level errors from affecting your GMC. This ensures that your Shopping ads and free listings go live swiftly and continue running without any disruptions. 

Moreover, from a broader perspective, compliance with Google’s policies is considered to be a good sign by their systems. This highlights to them that you are serious about marketing on their platform and maintaining the set quality standards. As a result, even during future account reviews, your history of compliance with Google’s policies can work in your favor. 

Google Shopping Feed Description Requirements

Let’s also look at some requirements that you must follow while submitting descriptions for items on GMC. 

1. Add a description for all items in your feed. 
2. Follow Google’s character limit guidelines for the description [description] attribute. The guidelines clearly state that descriptions should be within 1–5000 characters, and Google recommends keeping them between 500–1000 characters for best results.

Note: If your description exceeds the character limit, Google will warn you and automatically truncate it.

3. Ensure that the most important details, such as size, material, or special features, appear in the first 160–500 characters, as this section is most likely to be displayed in Shopping ads and free listings.
4. Use the description only to highlight the product’s key features, benefits, unique value proposition, and other attributes. Don’t use that space to talk about its compatibility with other products, accessories, etc. Moreover, don’t use the description field to highlight your business’s history, achievements, etc., either.  
5. Ensure that your descriptions are grammatically correct. They shouldn’t include gimmicky phrases, words in all CAPS, etc., just to draw a shopper’s attention. Moreover, always proofread your descriptions to avoid spelling mistakes. 
6. Google prohibits the use of foreign languages or characters as well. Usage of such elements can make Google think that your listing is spammy and untrustworthy. 
7. Properly use XML entities (e.g., ") or JSON escape characters (e.g., \”). Avoid double encoding.
8. Don’t compare your item with other competitors in the description field. Google prohibits the use of sentences like, “Our product is 10X better than the ABC brand.” 
9. Avoid adding the content of other attributes in the description field. So, for example, don’t add product categories like “Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > One-Pieces” in the description field. 
10. You cannot add store links or any other link (for example, product URL or image URL) in the description field. 
11. For descriptions generated using AI, use the structured description [structured_description] attribute. It has two sub-attributes: 

• Digital source type [digital_source_type], which is an optional sub-attribute for which you can submit two values: Default [default] and Trained algorithmic media [trained_algorithmic_media]. Default indicates AI wasn’t used for the description, whereas trained algorithmic media suggests otherwise. If you don’t use any, then Google will automatically use the default value. 
• Content [content] is required. This highlights the actual description text of the item. 

Note: If you submit both the description and structured description attributes in your feed, then Google will only use description.

11. Don’t unnecessarily use capital letters. Capital letters are only allowed for appropriate use cases such as abbreviations, countries, currency, etc. 
12. Avoid any kind of promotion. You cannot add the sale price, sale price effective dates, or any other promotion-related information. Rather, use specific attributes that are intended for promotional purposes. 

To read about other requirements in detail for the description attribute, visit this official Google page.

Optimization Tips for Product Descriptions

With the requirements in place, let’s discuss some tips for optimizing product descriptions in your Google Shopping feed. 

Add Relevant Keywords and Search Terms

Within the description field, add relevant keywords that shoppers might use to search for products similar to yours online. Moreover, this is also an opportunity for you to add those phrases or words that couldn’t fit into the title, but are important from a relevance perspective.  

For example, if you sell running shoes and the title of an item is “Lacy Men’s Marathon Trainer 200,” you can use the description to add more relevant terms like “running sneakers” or “jogging sneakers.” Additionally, you can also add the color, size, etc., in the field. 

By enriching your descriptions with such keywords and information, you will be able to explain your product better to Google. On the basis of that understanding, Google’s systems will match your products to more accurate and high-intent search terms. This will drive traffic to your store and products, which is more likely to convert. 

Share The Most Important Details First 

Include important information about the product in the first 160-500 characters of the description. This is because: 

1. Google often truncates your description and only displays the first few important details to shoppers. 
2. Shoppers should be able to grasp the essential details of your product (which summarize its core values) at a glance. If your description is unnecessarily lengthy and doesn’t share important details quickly, users will scroll past it. 

By quickly understanding your product’s key features, use cases, and benefits, users can determine whether the item will suit their needs or not. Based on that, they can click on product details and read more about the item if they need further information. Alternatively, they can even decide directly to purchase the item.  

Pro tip: Try to highlight certain important product information, such as size, color, best use case, etc., at the beginning of the description. Most customers are keen on viewing these details, and providing them upfront can increase the chances of clicks and conversions.

Maintain a Professional and Readable Tone

Always write the description in full sentences along with clear phrases. This will portray a positive and professional image of your business, and shoppers will perceive you as a serious retailer. 

Moreover, always focus on the facts and benefits of the product. While you can sound persuasive, ensure that you don’t mislead shoppers with false claims or by unnecessarily hyping your product(s). This can even result in the permanent suspension of your Merchant Center account. 

Match Feed Descriptions Exactly with Landing Pages

During our research, we learned that aligning an item’s feed description with its landing page description is not enough. Rather, the descriptions at both touchpoints should be identical. 

Google doesn’t strictly enforce this best practice. Its systems will still approve your items if both descriptions sound similar and represent the same item. However, many merchants and Google product experts recommend making them identical for long-term success. 

Make Descriptions Customer-Centric

When you create the description of an item, ensure that you are thinking from the shopper’s perspective. This means that the field should answer some important questions, such as: 

1. Who the product is for
2. What pain point does it resolve
3. How can it be used easily 

So, for example, never add features or attributes of your product vaguely. Instead of just writing “20L capacity” for a bag that you are selling in your online store, provide extra context like, “Spacious 20L capacity to carry books, laptops, and travel essentials easily.”

Such descriptions will enable shoppers to quickly picture how an item will fit into their lives and serve their needs. They will find the information helpful, and if interested, they will purchase the item without any second thoughts. 

Common Google Shopping Description Mistakes to Avoid 

Even with years of experience, merchants often end up making mistakes while submitting the descriptions for their items. Here are some of the common ones, and how you should avoid them: 

1. Extremely Short Descriptions: Many times, merchants add only a brief description that acts as placeholder content for getting the item approved. However, remember that while doing so, you not only miss out on capitalizing on the description field for bringing in high-intent shoppers but also risk your items and accounts. This is because Google’s systems can also flag items with short descriptions. Thus, always ensure that your descriptions are comprehensive and at least longer than your product titles. 
2. Writing Redundant Descriptions: Some merchants add unnecessarily lengthy descriptions just to reach the 5000-character mark. However, just because Google allows it doesn’t mean you need to forcefully make your descriptions lengthy. Verbosity without substance will degrade the quality of descriptions and repel shoppers. 

Always ensure you avoid redundant sentences and keep your descriptions detailed but full of value.  

3. Using Foreign Languages: Descriptions should be in the language of your target country. Moreover, this language should be consistent with your feed, landing page, and all other touchpoints. Otherwise, your items will not get approved and may lead to other complications. 
4. Overstuffing Keywords: While you should add keywords to descriptions, you shouldn’t stuff them. If you forcefully add them without context, then Google can flag that as spammy content. 

Thus, use keywords in moderation. As a rule of thumb, always ensure that shoppers or Google’s systems don’t feel that your descriptions are for algorithms or search engines. Rather, they should be for humans: helpful and meaningful. 

💡 Pro Tips for Selecting Keywords 1. Think like your customer: Use the exact words shoppers would type when searching for your product. Avoid overly technical or brand-only terms. 2. Focus on intent: Choose keywords that match the buyer’s goal whether it’s buying, comparing, or researching a product. 3. Use long-tail keywords: Phrases like “lightweight running shoes for women” attract more relevant traffic than a single word like “shoes.”

5. Submit it and Forget It: Over time, you must keep optimizing your descriptions. You cannot submit them once and forget about them. Product details, features, marketing trends, shopper preferences, and Google’s requirements can change with time. Thus, keep revisiting item descriptions and ensure that they are always updated. That way, your listings will also stay relevant and help you stay competitive. 

Using AI For Google Shopping Feed Description Optimization 

Gone are the days when you had to write descriptions for all items manually. With AI, you can generate high-quality descriptions that comply with Google’s requirements and help you drive sales for your e-commerce store. 

How, though? 

In two different ways. 

Using AI Tools

With AI chatbots and language models like ChatGPT and Claude, you can generate keyword-rich, helpful product descriptions. These tools can help you save time and generate unique and personalized product descriptions.

All you will need to do is add a customized prompt like, “Create a description for a men’s running shoe in size 10, made of breathable mesh, designed for marathons in 1000 characters.’ This is for an item I want to promote on Google Shopping, so do follow Google Merchant Center Requirements for the description attribute.“ The model will then come up with a response as shown in the image below. 

You can edit it as per your specific needs and use it in your feed. Furthermore, you can also ask the AI to create more nuanced versions, for example, highlighting comfort, speed, or breathability, to suit different campaign goals before finalizing your product listing.

Important: We recommend experimenting with prompts rather than sticking to one when using AI models or chatbots to generate descriptions. This is because different prompts will generate responses in different tones, styles, etc. With experimentation, you can identify which type performs best for your listings and drives higher engagement and conversions.

Using AI-Powered Feed Management Tools

Another way to leverage AI and generate eye-catching, platform-compliant descriptions is to use AI data feed solutions. These feed management tools use AI models and automatically generate descriptions (and other attributes) for optimal performance on Google Shopping. 

One such app is AdNabu. It is specifically designed for Shopify merchants and uses the powerful GPT-4o mini model to generate and optimize multiple Google Shopping feed attributes with AI. 

These attributes include product description, title, highlights, etc. 

That’s not all. Along with the AI descriptions, the app also displays a score out of 100 and labels it as ‘Poor’, ‘Okay’, ‘Good’, or ‘Perfect.’ That score and the label highlight how well-aligned your description is with Google’s best practices and requirements for descriptions. So, you can use both elements to identify weak descriptions, improve them, and boost the overall quality of your feeds. 

Take a look at the before-and-after example below. As you can see, earlier the score was 50 and the label was ‘Okay’ for the original description. After we use AdNabu’s AI to optimize it, the score jumps to a whopping 90, with the label turning to ‘Good.’ 

This highlights how the app’s smart algorithm transformed the brief description into a detailed one, which is far more appealing. Moreover, the new version also aligns well with Google’s policies, which increases the likelihood of this description contributing to stronger ad performance. 

Conclusion and Important Takeaways 

Adding rich, clear, and useful descriptions in your Google Shopping feed is important. This is because these attributes streamline a shopper’s buying journey and also help you attract shoppers who are more likely to make a purchase. 

Some important takeaways from this blog include: 

1. The description attribute is required for all items. It should highlight the features, benefits, and unique selling points of your items. 
2. Well-written descriptions that comply with Google’s guidelines help your listings perform better and drive more conversions. Moreover, such high-quality descriptions also help build trust with customers. 
3. Google has some stringent requirements for the description attribute. For example, your descriptions should talk about the product itself, not use excessive capitalization, spacing, promotional text, etc. Moreover, your description values should be grammatically correct. 
4. In case you are submitting AI-generated descriptions on GMC, you must use the structured description attribute. 
5. To optimize your descriptions, insert keywords relevant to your products in them. Moreover, share important details right at the beginning and keep them customer-focused. 
6. Avoid keyword stuffing, redundancy, and overly lengthy descriptions. These can lead to GMC errors and even account suspensions.
7. You can leverage AI chatbots or feed management tools like AdNabu to optimize your descriptions. 

Good luck.  

FAQs

1. What should I do if I notice the ‘Description too short’ error in GMC?

Google flags short descriptions as invalid, so you need to expand them. Add details such as size, material, and color. Then, include features and visual attributes that make the product unique. Aim for 500–1,000 characters to share a rich and complete description. 

After updating, resubmit your feed manually in Merchant Center, or publish it again through Shopify, API, or your chosen integration. The error will disappear automatically. 

2. How do I fix missing product descriptions in Merchant Center?

If a description is missing, the product will appear under the “Needs attention” tab in Merchant Center. To fix this, add a complete description that explains what the product is. Make sure it is clear, accurate, and helpful for shoppers. 

Once done, reupload your updated feed either manually, via Shopify, or through your originally chosen upload method. This ensures your products remain visible and approved.

3. How do I format descriptions correctly for XML or JSON feeds?

Formatting errors often cause disapprovals, so handle symbols carefully. In XML, use entities like ". In JSON, escape special characters with \”. Importantly, never double-encode your values. With proper formatting, Google can process your feed smoothly. This reduces errors and keeps your products active.

4. Are there any special rules for AI-generated descriptions?

Yes, Google applies strict rules for AI-generated text. Always submit them using the structured_description attribute. Then, set digital_source_type to trained_algorithmic_media. Provide the actual description in the content field. Following this ensures compliance and approval.

5. Can I include bundle or multipack information in descriptions?

Yes, but you must describe them clearly. For bundles, list everything included with the main product. For multipacks, specify the number of units. This prevents confusion for shoppers and sets correct expectations. Moreover, accurate details reduce the risk of disapproval in Merchant Center.

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