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Get started with Promotions

Promotions is an add-on feature available in Merchant Center Next for Shopping ads and free listings. This article explains the benefits of using promotions and how it works.

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Benefits

Promotions allow you to distribute online offers across different Google properties like Google Search, the Shopping tab, Google Chrome, and more. When you add promotions to products that you sell on Google, shoppers will see a “special offer” link (for example, 15% off or free shipping) that can increase the appeal of the products you show and encourage more shoppers to buy.

The deals page on Search

In the US, Google also has a deals page on Search that shows on-sale products from merchants across the web. When you create promotions that are eligible to be shown on Search, your products will appear on the deals page. No additional action is needed from you.

Shoppers can access the deals page by searching “shop deals.” They can look for deals in specific categories by searching “shop electronic deals” for example.


Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the Promotions add-on, you must meet the below criteria:

  • You advertise in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Spain, the UK, or the US.
  • You aren’t connected to a marketplace (an online platform that provides a place for multiple individual merchants to sell their products).
  • You have active and approved accounts in Google Ads and Merchant Center, with at least one active product and one claimed URL.

If you are currently ineligible for promotions, you may still need to meet one or more of the eligibility requirements. Contact us for help enrolling in promotions.

Activate the Promotions add-on

The Promotions add-on may be automatically activated to eligible accounts. If you are eligible but the add-on wasn't activated automatically, follow these steps to activate Promotions manually:

Step 1In your Merchant Center account, click the tools and settings icon Tools and setting menu icon [Gear].

Step 2Select Add-ons.

Step 3Locate the “Promotions” add-on card under the “Discover” tab.

Step 4Click Activate.

The Promotions add-on will now be activated for your account. You may skip these steps if the add-on was automatically enabled.


How to create a promotion

If the add-on is enabled, “Promotions” will appear in the navigation bar of your Merchant Center Next account. To create a new promotion:

Step 1In the navigation menu of your Merchant Center account, click Promotions.

Step 2Under the “All Promotions” tab, click Add promotion.

Step 3From here, you can add promotions in 3 ways:


Promotion criteria

To use promotions, they must meet the following criteria:

You also need to create promotion types that are usable for anyone who shops on Google.

Promotion types allowed

You can use the following promotion types:

Promotion Type Additional Information
Discounts $ off or % off Discounts must be at least $5 or 5% off
x% off, maximum discount $y n/a
$x off $50+, $y off $100, or $z off $150 Tiered discounts allowed
x% to y% off Floor discounts (like minimum amount or percent saved) must be stated
Buy one get one free or buy one get 2nd x% off n/a
$x cash back or $x cash rebates Must be reflected at cart or checkout
Free gifts Free item Must clearly describe the free gift and any associated restrictions or conditions (like if a purchase is required), and the item can't be samples or trials
$x gift card on purchase Title must clearly state the gift card value and gift card must be from your own store
Shipping Free shipping

Must have valid redemption code

Exception: No redemption code necessary when combined with another permissible promotion (for example: free shipping + 10% off)

Promotion types not allowed

You can't use the following promotion types:

Promotion Type Additional information

Vague discounts

Up to y% off or “as much as x saved” Floor discount must be stated
x% Cash Back or Reward Points Back

Cash back in percent and reward points aren't allowed.

Exception: If combined with a permissible promotion

Overly restrictive All promotions restricted to a subset of shoppers (for example: military discounts, birthdays, PayPal users, and others) n/a
Other Discounts must not already be reflected on the product landing page n/a
Shipping discounts without a redemption code and not combined with a permissible promotion n/a
Promotions exceeding a duration of 6 months n/a

Policies

Google’s policies provide important guidance for retailers participating in promotions. To make sure you understand the expectations, review the editorial requirements and policies. Google disapproves promotions that don't comply with these requirements and policies.


Automated promotions data source

The automated promotions data source helps you automatically share your live promotions with Google without having to manually create them in your Merchant Center account.

Google will extract eligible live promotions from your products’ webpages (also referred to as the Product Detail page) so that they will be automatically showcased on free listings and Shopping ads on Google.

Learn how to manage automated promotions.

Note: This feature is currently in a closed beta stage and not all websites are eligible for automated promotions.

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