Google Shopping

With this external PepperShop module, you can deliver items to Google Shopping (formerly Google Products, Google Product Search or Froogle).

Module installation

After copying the files you can go to the shop administration and change there to the menu ‘Module’. On the left side, with the not yet installed modules, one sees now the Google Shopping module listed.

Now you have to select the Google Shopping module and click on the ‘Install’ button. If the installation routine runs without problems, this will be communicated on the following page. The module is now installed. We now click on the button ‘Back to module administration’ and there ‘Back to module administration’. We now see the button for the administration of the Google Shopping module.

In order for the module to be used, it must now be adapted to the specific configuration of the shop operator, see the next chapter ‘Module configuration’ below.

Module configuration

First you go to the Google Shopping module administration: Main menu of the ‘Shop Administration’ > ‘Modules’ → Google Shopping (see screenshot above).

In the Google Shopping module administration there are the following setting possibilities:

General configuration

• Activation: Should the module be active?
• Use manufacturer: Would you like to supply the manufacturer? (This is obligatory in Germany, but recommended in Switzerland). Please ask your Google contact if this feature is needed in your country.) The Manufacturer item is only displayed if the Manufacturer Details module is also installed.
• Set login: You can encrypt the export file so that third parties without login and password do not have access (recommended).
• Username: Enter a username of your choice.
• Password: Enter a password of your choice.
• Standard value for the condition of an article: The condition in which the articles are by default. Are they new, used or refurbished? You can find out how to store individual states for each article under: Individual state of an article
• Submit defined Google categories: Do you want to deliver your defined Google categories to Google? You can read more about this in the chapter: Google categories

Individual state of an article

If individual articles have a different status, you can override this on the article via its characteristic. In the article processing mask (shop administration → Edit existing article) you can click on the ‘Features’ button below the article image and store the corresponding information there (see also Figures 2 and 3).

Google product category

The Google product category are to be entered on the feature on the category. The Google product categories can be found here, where all categories are available in a text file.

Select the Google product category as specifically as possible and adopt it according to Google’s product taxonomy.

You can now enter the Google product category as a feature in the desired category. Note that you enter the feature in the lowest category and not in a higher category.

In the PepperShop Administration under Categories, select the desired category and go to Properties. Then click on Edit Feature and create a new value. In the category name, you can now copy either the Google product category number or the complete path of the text file into it.

After you have made all entries in the Google Shopping module, you can confirm them with Save. Afterwards, the file URLs for the respective currencies are displayed above in the same mask.

Google Merchant Center settings

Specification of the URL in the Google Merchant Center

1. basic information

   • In the Google Merchant Center under ‘Articles’ you have a menu item called “Feeds”. Then click on the blue + button at Main feeds.
   • The country to be used for the products should be selected here.
   • When registering the new feed, please select the following options:
     • Your target country. For multiple countries you need multiple data feeds
     • Language: Your desired language

2. input method

   • Select the following option: Planned call-offs
   • Give the main feed a name

3. register new feed

   • What is the name of the file you want to upload?: Please enter google_shopping.xml here.
   • You can specify the update interval for the frequency and time. The time is recommended when there are few visitors to the shop, for example 01:00 a.m. at night. For the frequency we recommend a daily update.
   • Time zone: Select your time zone.
   • File URL: Enter the appropriate link here, which was generated in the PepperShop Administration under Modules -> Google Shopping. Select the link that contains the correct country and currency.
   • Username: This field can be left blank
   • Password: This field can be left blank
   • Finish your input with Save. To test the connection, you can use the ‘Get Now’ button to manually synchronize the data.

Advertise products for free on Google

You can present your products for free on various Google platforms such as Shopping Tab, YouTube, Google Search, Google Images or Google Lens. You can activate this in your Google Merchant Center under Growth - Manage programmes - Product listings.

Installation

System requirements

To be able to use the Google Shopping module, at least one PepperShop v.3.0 Professional or Enterprise and a Google account with an activated Google Merchant Center are required (available free of charge from Google). In addition, Google requires SSL encryption.

Copy and upload files

The Google Shopping module consists of a file and two directories, which you have to copy into your installed PepperShop. First unpack the supplied ZIP or TAR.GZ archive. The following files are included, here with their target directories:

{shopdir}/shop/Admin/module/google_shopping
{shopdir}/shop/module/google_shopping/
{shopdir}/shop/connect/google_shopping.php

The data can easily be uploaded to the web server via FTP¹ or SCP. The placeholder {shopdir} stands for the shop directory on the web server, where you can find the file index.php together with README.txt.

Hints and tips for the delivery of the data

The feed that is delivered must comply with Google regulations. Shop operators from Germany have to purchase the manufacturer module because they have to deliver the manufacturers to Google. If the data requested by Google is not delivered, it is possible that the delivered data will not be displayed. It is also recommended that you add the optional Google categories so that the articles are displayed on Google in the right place. This increases the chance of potential customers to be found more easily. The categories from the shop will also be delivered to Google. If no warehouse management is used, the articles are delivered to the warehouse and available as standard.

Google requires that at least 2 of the following 3 values are present:

1. Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)
2. Manufacturer Part Number (MPN)
3. brand name of the product

Because these values are not mandatory in the PepperShop, they may need to be captured now to meet the requirements of Google Merchant.

Please note that

• The GTIN corresponds to the article code
• The MPN corresponds to the manufacturer article no. or the article no. If a manufacturer article no. is available, it will be selected, otherwise your personal article no. will be used.
• The brand name of the product corresponds to the manufacturer’s name.

This data can be checked and adjusted in your shop administration under the menu item Article → ‘Edit article’.

The complete product specifications and requirements can be found here.

Appendix

Further help

Do you need further support? PepperShop provides you with different options.

• Often a click in the administration on the top right on the question mark icon helps. Here you can get direct help on the relevant topic.
• Various answers can be found in the FAQ. These can also be called up in the shop administration via Help&News -> Help archive. Or via our homepage https://www.peppershop.com/de/services/support/faq/
• At the PepperShop Academy https://www.peppershop.com/de/services/academy/ you can find various free video tutorials.
• We are also available to you by email or phone (CHF 185./h) support@glarotech.ch or +41 71 923 08 58