Connecting Google Merchant Center to Google Ads
To promote your products through Google Ads, you must link your Google Merchant Center (GMC) account with your Google Ads account. This connection allows Google Ads to access your product data from GMC, enabling you to efficiently create and manage Shopping Ads and Performance Max campaigns.
In some setups, a Google Ads account may be managed under a Google Ads Manager (MCC). In these cases, Merchant Center is still linked to the individual Google Ads account where campaigns are created and run, not to the Manager account itself. Using a Manager account is optional and does not change the core requirement for connecting Merchant Center to Google Ads.
This article explains how Google Merchant Center and Google Ads accounts work together and how to connect them correctly.
About Google Merchant Center and Google Ads Accounts
Google Merchant Center is used to upload, store, and manage your product data, such as titles, prices, availability, and images. This data is required for running product-based advertising formats on Google.
A Google Ads account is where you create and manage advertising campaigns, set budgets and bids, and track performance. Shopping Ads and Performance Max campaigns that use product feeds are always created and run from a Google Ads account.
To advertise products, Merchant Center must be linked to a Google Ads account so that Google Ads can access the product feed associated with your store.
Before You Start
Before linking accounts, make sure the following requirements are met:
- You have an active Google Merchant Center account. If you don’t have one, refer to "Creating a Google Merchant Center Account."
- Your Merchant Center account is verified and claimed for your store domain. For instructions, see "Verifying Your Store Domain in Google Merchant Center."
- Your product data has been synced and complies with Google’s product data specifications and policies. Learn how to upload and manage product feeds in "Smart Feed: Creating a Google Feed."
- You have access to a Google Ads account with sufficient permissions to manage account linking. If needed, refer to the official "Create a Google Ads account: How to sign up guide" to create one.
How to Link Google Merchant Center to Google Ads
Once your accounts are ready, you can link Merchant Center to Google Ads to enable product-based campaigns.
When the connection is established, Google Ads can use your product feed to:
- Create Shopping Ads
- Run Performance Max campaigns with product listings
- Keep ad content in sync with the latest product information from Merchant Center
The linking process is initiated from either Merchant Center or Google Ads and requires approval from the other account. After approval, the accounts remain connected unless the link is manually removed.
For detailed, step-by-step instructions, refer to Google’s official guide: "Link a Google Ads account to Merchant Center."
Using Google Ads Manager (Optional)
If you manage multiple Google Ads accounts, those accounts may be organized under a Google Ads Manager (MCC). In this setup, Merchant Center is still linked to the individual Google Ads account that runs the campaigns.
The presence of a Manager account does not change how product ads work and does not replace the need to link Merchant Center to a Google Ads account. Manager accounts are used only for centralized access and management.