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Set up Google Merchant Center free listings for a UK Shopify store
Goal
Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode draw on Merchant Center product data. Free listings cost nothing and are the biggest single AI-visibility lever for UK stores.
Prompt to copy
Act as a Google Merchant Center specialist for a UK Shopify store. Walk me through, step by step, connecting Shopify's Google & YouTube app to Merchant Center and turning on free listings (no ads, no budget). My setup: [Shopify plan], selling to [UK only / UK + Ireland / EU countries], prices [include VAT: yes/no], delivery options [list with costs and times], returns policy [summary]. Cover: 1) account and business details, 2) delivery and returns settings in Merchant Center (match my real policy exactly), 3) VAT-inclusive pricing for the UK, 4) which product fields Shopify sends (title, description, GTIN, brand, condition, product category) and what to do for custom items without GTINs, 5) how to read the first diagnostics report. Flag anything that would create a paid campaign so I can skip it.
Steps
- Install the Google & YouTube sales channel in Shopify (free).
- Follow the AI's steps, skipping anything that creates a Performance Max or other paid campaign.
- Set delivery and returns in Merchant Center to match the wording on your site.
- Wait for the first sync (often 3–5 days), then run the 'Diagnose Merchant Center feed problems' workflow.
What to check
- No paid campaign was created by accident.
- Delivery costs and times match your checkout exactly.
- Prices shown to UK shoppers include VAT.
Sources
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Want it done for you?
A fixed-scope Shopify AI visibility audit: product data, Merchant Center, review markup, delivery and returns facts, AI referral tracking and a baseline prompt test, delivered as a prioritised fix list. See what's included (offer not open yet)