There is a counter-intuitive hierarchy in ecommerce advertising: changing a bidding strategy moves results by a few percentage points, while one wrong feed attribute can pull a third of your catalogue out of circulation. The second gets far less attention than the first.
2026 brought a substantial update to the product data specification, along with a set of deadlines worth calendaring before they become urgent.
The deadlines, in order
- March 2026 Separate product IDs required for items that differ between online and in-store versions.
- 14 April 2026 The product data specification update is published.
- 30 June 2026 Some of the specification changes take effect.
- September 2026 Shopping ads and free listings policies are consolidated into a single set of Shopping policies.
- 31 January 2027 Minimum image resolution rises to 500×500 pixels.
Images: the deadline with the widest reach
From 31 January 2027 the minimum required resolution rises to 500×500 pixels, with a stated intent to apply the standard progressively across all product categories and marketing methods. Merchant Center began showing warnings for undersized images during 2026; for now those warnings generally do not prevent products appearing in Shopping ads or free listings.
Why this is not a trivial problem. In a long-lived catalogue, undersized images are rarely randomly distributed: they cluster on older products uploaded under different standards. Rebuilding them is not feed work, it is photo production or re-processing, on a timeline that does not compress. Eighteen months feels generous until you discover it covers four thousand SKUs.
The right way to handle it starts with an inventory: export the catalogue with image dimensions, sort by revenue contribution, and fix the products that make money first. A long catalogue gets fixed by priority, not by completeness.
Product IDs: separate only where it matters
From March 2026 Merchant Center requires separate IDs for items that differ between online and in-store versions. The rule is more nuanced than it is often reported: separate IDs are needed only where attributes genuinely differ. If price, availability, condition and other attributes match across channels, a single multi-channel ID remains valid.
The typical case requiring separation is the retailer running different in-store prices, or holding distinct availability for pickup. Online-only sellers are untouched.
The other specification changes
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Product-level shipping controls | More granular shipping rules, useful for catalogues with mixed logistics |
| New video attribute | Products can carry video in the feed |
| energy_efficiency_class removed | Energy efficiency class attributes are no longer supported |
| pickup_method changes | Affects Local Inventory Ads |
| New price-with-instalments guidance | Tighter rules when price is combined with financing information |
The video attribute is the one deserving strategic attention. It is not a requirement, it is an opportunity: in a context where generative formats build answers out of product data — a theme we covered discussing ads in AI Mode — every additional attribute is more material the system can use to represent you.
The feed is creative, not a technical attachment
Worth repeating, because day-to-day practice forgets it: in Performance Max and Shopping, what is in the feed determines which queries you are eligible for, how you are described, and how persuasive you are. Product title and description are ad copy, not metadata.
Three interventions that in our experience move the numbers more than most campaign changes:
- Titles structured for intent. Brand, product type, distinguishing attribute, variant. A title that echoes your internal product name is eligible for fewer searches.
- Optional attributes filled in. Material, colour, size, age group, gender: every populated field increases the query combinations you are relevant for.
- Availability and price refreshed often. Mismatches cause disapprovals and waste budget on products you cannot sell.
Operational checklist
- Export the catalogue with image dimensions and estimate how many products fall below 500×500.
- Sort those products by revenue contribution and plan the rework by priority.
- Establish whether your case actually requires separate product IDs — only where attributes genuinely differ across channels.
- Reread the updated spec for the attributes you use, paying attention to shipping and price.
- Work Merchant Center diagnostics: errors first, warnings second.
- Rewrite the titles of the products generating most of your revenue: the single best effort-to-result intervention available.
- Put September 2026 in the calendar to reread the consolidated policies.
If you sell online and are unsure where your feed stands against these deadlines, the free audit includes a catalogue and diagnostics review. See also what we cover for ecommerce and our results.