Google Shopping Is coming to Bulgaria: How to prepare your online store?
07.07.2026 8 min. 52 views
Google Shopping Ads is expected to be one of the most significant changes for eCommerce in Bulgaria in recent years. Experience from markets where this advertising format is already well established shows that it changes the way users discover, compare and buy products online. This will inevitably affect the strategies of online retailers - from product catalog management and data quality to the way they plan their marketing campaigns and compete for customer attention. If you own an online store, now is the right time to understand the opportunities that Google Shopping Ads offers and prepare your business before the official launch of the service in Bulgaria.
The importance of this advertising format is also confirmed by global practice. According to some studies, up to 76% of search advertising budgets in the retail eCommerce sector are invested in Google Shopping Ads. This makes the platform one of the most effective channels for reaching users with high purchase intent.
Online stores that start optimizing their product catalogs now, build a high-quality product feed and align their website with the requirements of Google Merchant Center will be able to launch their campaigns immediately after the official rollout of the service and gain a competitive advantage from the very first months.
When will Google Shopping launch in Bulgaria?
At the moment, Google has not announced an official launch date for Google Shopping Ads in Bulgaria. According to information shared by Google CSS partners for the EMEA region, Bulgaria is included in the second wave of the platform’s expansion in 2026. The service is expected to launch in the autumn - one of the busiest periods for eCommerce, around Black Friday and before the Christmas holidays.
According to the same sources, product feeds in English will initially be supported, while Bulgarian language support is expected in March 2027. At this stage, this information has not been officially confirmed by Google.
Bulgaria already appears in the beta status of Google Merchant Center, which shows that the country is included in the platform expansion process. However, the timeline remains dynamic and may change before the official announcement of the service.
What is Google Shopping and how does it work?
Google Shopping Ads is a Google advertising format and one of the most effective tools for product advertising in search results. Unlike traditional text ads, it displays products in a visual format directly in search results, before the user has even visited the online store.
A Google Shopping ad can include a product image, title, price, merchant name, product ratings when available, promotional price, delivery information, return policy, special offers and other additional elements depending on the account settings and available data. This allows users to compare different offers directly on the search results page and choose the most suitable one.
The format is designed specifically for eCommerce and reaches users with high purchase intent who are already searching for a specific product, brand or product category.
The main difference compared to standard Search campaigns is that Google Shopping Ads does not use manually selected keywords and ad copy. Instead, Google analyzes the information submitted through the product feed in Google Merchant Center and automatically decides when and for which user searches to show the relevant product. That is why the quality, completeness and freshness of product data are among the most important factors for the visibility and performance of Shopping campaigns.
How does Google Shopping Ads work?
Google Shopping Ads works by synchronizing the online store’s product catalog with Google Merchant Center through a product feed. At the core of Google Shopping is Google Merchant Center - a centralized platform that stores, validates and manages product data, and after processing it, makes it available to Google Ads for the creation and management of Shopping campaigns.
Every online store creates and maintains a product feed - a structured file with data for each product, including title, description, price, availability, category, image, brand, GTIN/EAN, link to the product page and other attributes. Once the feed is submitted to Google Merchant Center, the data is checked against Google’s requirements and synchronized with Google Ads, so users always see up-to-date prices and availability.
For every user search, Google analyzes the query and compares it with the information in the product feed in order to show the most relevant products. Ranking is based on many factors, including the quality and completeness of product data, the relevance of the product to the user’s search, price competitiveness, the quality of the product page, product ratings and reviews when available, as well as the bid and campaign settings.
This is why the success of Google Shopping Ads depends not only on the advertising budget, but also on the quality of the product catalog. The more complete, up-to-date and well-structured the product data is, the more likely the products are to appear for relevant searches, achieve higher visibility and deliver better results.
How to prepare your online store for Google Shopping?
To run Google Shopping ads, your online store must meet a number of technical requirements and provide high-quality product data.
The first steps include creating and verifying a Google Merchant Center account, linking it to Google Ads and configuring an automated product feed that synchronizes product data between the online store and Google.
The most important technical requirements according to Google’s current guidelines
- Registration and verification in Merchant Center: create an account and complete the mandatory process for proving ownership of the online store.
- Linking Google Merchant Center with Google Ads: submit a request to link the two accounts so the product catalog can be used to create and manage Shopping campaigns.
- Building and optimizing a product feed: generate a dynamic product feed (XML, CSV or via Content API) that automatically synchronizes information about products, prices and availability between the online store and Google Merchant Center. The quality of product data has a direct impact on the performance of Shopping campaigns. An incomplete or low-quality product feed is one of the most common reasons for poor performance and disapproved products.
Mandatory technical requirements for the website
Before submitting the product catalog to Google Merchant Center, the online store must meet strict criteria for security and transparency. Issues with security, prices or mandatory information on the website may lead to the disapproval of individual products or restrictions on the Google Merchant Center account.
The main requirements are:
- Valid SSL certificate (HTTPS) - all pages, including product pages and the checkout process, must use a secure and encrypted HTTPS connection.
- Clear terms and conditions and return policy - users must be able to easily find information about delivery, payment and product return terms.
- Up-to-date prices and availability - the information in the feed must fully match the data shown on the product pages.
In addition to the technical requirements, Google checks whether the online store includes the necessary legal information and correct contact details.
Mandatory pages:
- Product return and refund policy.
- Payment methods policy.
- Delivery policy, including delivery times and prices.
- Website terms and conditions.
- Privacy policy.
Contact details:
- Contact phone number.
- Official email address.
- Clearly stated working hours.
- Contact form.
- Physical address of the company or store, preferably with a location in Google Maps.
Checkout process
The checkout process must be transparent, secure and free from misleading information. The user must see the final order price, all costs and the available payment methods before entering payment details.
When preparing the checkout process, pay attention to the following requirements:
- All pages in the checkout process must use a secure HTTPS connection with a valid SSL certificate.
- Accepting the terms and conditions should not be a mandatory requirement for completing an order through a checkbox.
- Payment methods must be clearly described and visible to the user.
- The online store must offer an online payment method - by debit and credit cards.
- Links to the return policy, privacy policy, terms and conditions, delivery policy and contact page must be easily accessible throughout the entire checkout process.
- Product page
- The product page must include all information needed by both users and Google. The following must be clearly visible: product title, price, description, main image, currency, availability and “buy” button.
In addition, the following requirements must be met:
- The data in the product feed and on the product page must be identical.
- The price must always be clearly visible to the user.
- When several types of prices are displayed, for example with and without VAT, the most visible price must be the one the customer will actually pay.
- If the product has variants, such as color, size and others, the selected variant must match the information submitted in the feed.
- When selling in different markets, the product page must display the correct language, currency and product information for the relevant country.
- Availability must always be correctly marked, for example in stock, out of stock, pre-order or backorder.
How to optimize the product feed for higher visibility?
The product feed is essential for the success of Google Shopping Ads. Its quality determines how well Google understands your product range, which products will be approved and for which user searches they will appear.
Among the most important attributes in the product feed are:
| No. | Attribute | Field (EN) | Description |
| 1 | Product ID | id | A unique identifier for each product in the online store. |
| 2 | Product name | title | The main product title. |
| 3 |
Description |
description |
A detailed description of the product and its features. |
| 4 |
Product link |
link |
The URL of the product page. The link must lead directly to the product, not to a category, the homepage or a search results page. |
| 5 | Main image | image_link | The URL of the main product image. |
| 6 | Price | price | The current product price. |
| 7 | Availability | availability | Shows whether the product is available, for example in stock, out of stock, preorder and others. |
| 8 | Condition | condition | Defines the product condition – new, used or refurbished. |
| 9 | Brand | brand | The name of the manufacturer or brand. |
| 10 | GTIN / EAN | gtin | A global product identifier, such as EAN, UPC, ISBN and others. |
| 11 | MPN | mpn | Manufacturer part number – the manufacturer’s number used when GTIN is missing. |
| 12 | Google product category | google_product_category | A category from Google’s taxonomy for better classification. |
| 13 | Product type / category | product_type | The store’s internal category for better structure and campaign management. |
Additional attributes for apparel:
In addition to the main attributes, when selling apparel and fashion accessories, Google requires the following fields to be completed:
- Item group ID - an identifier used to group product variants;
- Color (color); gender (gender);
- Age group (age_group);
- Size (size).
Depending on the category, Google may also require additional attributes.
Recommendations for product feed optimization
In addition to the mandatory attributes, the following best practices can significantly improve the quality of the product feed and the performance of Shopping campaigns:
- Use SKU as the product ID whenever possible.
- Submit GTIN when the manufacturer provides such an identifier.
- Optimize product titles, as they are among the most important factors for relevance in user searches.
- Use high-quality product images with high resolution that clearly present the item without misleading elements. The main image should be on a clean white or neutral background, and the use of watermarks, text and logos is strictly not allowed.
- Follow the recommended image sizes - 800 × 800 px, with a minimum size of 100 × 100 px for standard products and 250 × 250 px for apparel and fashion accessories. Keep prices and availability up to date through regular product feed synchronization.
- Submit prices including VAT.
- Maintain accurate delivery price information. The data can be set both in the feed and in Google Merchant Center, but when it is present in both places, the values from the product feed take priority.
How should prices and availability be structured in the online store?
The data submitted to Google Merchant Center must be fully synchronized with the information in the online store. Any mismatch between the price or availability in the feed and on the product page may lead to disapproval or temporary suspension of the advertised products.
For online stores with a large product catalog, it is recommended to automate the synchronization between the ERP system, the eCommerce platform and the product feed. This ensures that changes in prices and availability are updated in a timely manner both on the website and in Google Merchant Center.
A good practice is to use structured data (Structured Data / Schema.org) on product pages, as it helps Google recognize up-to-date product information and supports faster detection of changes.
What will change for online stores in Bulgaria?
The introduction of Google Shopping Ads will change the way online stores compete for visibility in search results. This change will affect all retailers - both those planning to advertise and those relying mainly on organic traffic.
- For online stores that prepare on time: Google Shopping Ads provides an opportunity to show products directly on the search results page. This reaches users with high purchase intent and creates the conditions for a higher conversion rate compared to traditional text ads.
- For online stores that do not adapt: Even websites with strong organic rankings may lose visibility and positions. When the search results page is filled with visual product ads, organic results become less noticeable and may receive a lower click-through rate.
The information in this article is based on Google’s publicly available documentation and best practices for working with Google Merchant Center at the time of publication. Some technical requirements and recommendations may change with future platform updates. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, we recommend consulting Google’s official documentation.
FAQ
Google Shopping Ads will have an impact on both large international retailers and small niche online stores. Online retailers that start preparing now will be able to take advantage of the new opportunities immediately after the official launch of the platform in Bulgaria.
Prepare your online store on time
Google Shopping Ads will change the way online stores reach their customers in Bulgaria. Although the official launch of the platform has not yet been announced, preparation should not be postponed. An optimized product feed, accurate product data and a technically prepared online store will be key factors for successful performance in this advertising format.
Online retailers that start preparing on time will be able to launch their campaigns immediately after the official rollout of Google Shopping Ads and secure a competitive advantage.
If you want to prepare your online store for Google Shopping Ads, the Stenik team can support you with the technical preparation of your online store.
Contact us for a professional consultation and prepare your business for a successful start with Google Shopping Ads in Bulgaria.
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