This article details how to activate and implement local inventory ads and free local listings. Learn more about local inventory ads and free local listings overview.
On this page
Activate the local add-on
Follow these steps to manually activate local inventory ads or free local listings:
In your Merchant Center account, click the Setting & tools icon
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Select Add-ons.
Select Free local listings or Local inventory ads add-on card under the “Discover” tab.
Click Add.
Select which country you’d like to activate the add-on for. You’ll be able to add countries after the add-on has been enabled.
Implementation guide
Step 1 of 10: Load your add-on
In your add-ons page, select Go to free local listings or Go to free local inventory ads.
Step 2 of 10: Select your country
After the local inventory ads or free local listings add-on has been activated, you’ll be able to select the countries you want to participate in.
Click Continue setup next to the country where you want your add-on to be activated.
Step 3 of 10: Add your stores
Add your stores. If you haven’t added stores to your Merchant Center account, you can either add stores or connect your existing stores’ business profiles to Merchant Center to enable local inventory ads and free local listings. After you’ve added your stores, we’ll show how many stores from that country are linked to your Merchant Center.
As an option, you can add your logos and colors. Logos and colors will be used for free local listings. It’ll also be used if you have local inventory ads and your product pages don't show in-store availability.
Step 4 of 10: Your in-store product availability
For your in-store product availability, if you know the inventory information for your physical stores, click let customers know what I have in stock in my individual stores.
You must regularly provide Google your inventory information per store. This can be done using inventory data or by assigning inventory to your stores directly using Merchant Center.
If you don’t know the inventory information for your physical stores but you can ship products to your stores for pickup, click let customers know that I can ship products to stores.
You must provide the pickup turnaround time of your products on your website and in your product data to let customers know when the item will be available in your store for pickup. Learn more about implementing pickup later with product data.
If you select let customers know that I can ship products to stores, skip to step 5.Step 5 of 10: Your product page experience
This step is required for merchants that know their physical stores’ inventory to indicate the website functionality.
Product pages with in-store availability: Choose this option if your website loads the product pages with an option to browse availability of products in different physical locations. You’ll be asked to provide the link to a product that contains the ability to browse locations for verification. This option is also recommended for single-store merchants that show their in-store availability alongside their online availability.
By choosing this option, the price served will be the one provided in the primary data source. Learn more About product pages with in-store availability.
Store-specific product pages with availability and price: Choose this option if your website is able to load the product price and availability for a specific store based on the Google Business Profile store code that will be embedded in your product page URL. You’ll be asked to provide the link to a store-specific product with a Google Business Profile store code attached to it for verification.
By choosing this option, you’ll also have to provide the link template [link_template] attribute in your product data with the {store_code} ValueTrack parameter. Products without link template [link_template] attribute will be disapproved.
Learn more About store-specific product page with in-store availability and price.
Product pages without in-store availability: Choose this option if your website doesn’t display the availability of a product in your physical store. Google will generate an experience where your product will be displayed, along with store information. Learn more about in-store product and price availability hosted on Google.
Step 6 of 10: Your pick-up experience (Optional) or Products on display in store (optional)
If you have product pages with in-store availability, you can enhance your in-store products with a pick up annotation that’s compatible with your website:
- Customers can pick them up on the same or next day: If customers are able to buy or reserve an item online and pick it up in store the same or next day, you can select this option to promote your local products as “pickup today” or “pickup tomorrow”. You’ll have to provide the pickup method and turnaround time (pickup SLA) through your inventory data and the turnaround time must also be clearly displayed on your website’s product pages or at checkout. Enter a URL to a product available for pickup today for validation. Learn more about pickup today requirements.
- Customers can pick them up later at a store: If customers are able to buy or reserve an item online and have it shipped to a selected store for pickup, you can select this option to promote your local products with pickup later annotation. You’ll have to provide the pickup method and turnaround time (pickup SLA) through your product or inventory data and the turnaround time must also be clearly displayed on your website’s product pages or at check out. Enter a URL to a product available for pickup later for validation. Learn more About pickup later requirements.
On display in store: With the on display in store feature, you can show products that can be experienced and bought in your stores but that are shipped directly to your customers. Enter a URL of your shipping policy for products on display in stores. Learn more About on display in store.
Step 7 of 10: Add inventory
Google regularly checks your online store, and if we find in-store availability for your products, we’ll add this in-store inventory automatically to your Merchant Center account. Learn more about in-store availability automatically added from your online store.
You can complement the automatically added inventory by providing another data source for your local inventory data. Learn how to upload your local inventory data to Merchant Center.
If you work with a local data provider that manages your local inventory, you can link your Merchant Center account to the data provider, so they can provide your local inventory on your behalf. Learn how to link your Merchant Center to your local data provider.
Step 8 of 10: (Only for DE, AT and CH) - Add Impressum
This step is required for merchants that want to run local inventory ads or free local listings in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. You must provide the impressum (about page) of your website in accordance with Article 5 of the EU E-Commerce Directive as implemented by local laws.
Step 9 of 10: Verify your inventory
This step is for merchants whose product pages don’t show what’s in stock at their stores. You’ll need to submit an inventory verification contact who will coordinate the verification process with Google. This person can be different from the main admin contact in your Merchant Center account settings.
To start the process, follow these steps:
Select Verify inventory.
Provide contact information of your inventory verification contact.
Verify the inventory verification contact through email.
Click Request inventory verification.
Note: The Request inventory verification button will only be enabled within 48 hours after the contact name and email address are verified, your stores, product data and inventory data have been added.
Step 10 of 10: (Only required for local inventory ads) - Link Google ads
In order to run local inventory ads, you must have a Google Ads account. In this step you must link your Google Ads account and your Merchant Center, if you haven’t done so. You must also enable local products in your campaigns. This step isn’t necessary if you use a Performance Max campaign.
Policies
Google’s policies provide important guidance for retailers participating in local inventory ads and free local listings. To make sure you understand the expectations, review the Local inventory ads and free local listings policies. Google disapproves products and accounts that don't comply with these policies.
