Shopping Ads

MyCashflow's Shopping Ads extension allows you to integrate your online store with Google Merchant Center and advertise your online store's products in Google's services.

MyCashflow's Shopping Ads service includes the following features:

  • a Google product feed for your online store

    Thanks to automatic updates, your products' details are always up-to-date in Google services.

  • Google search ads, Performance Max campaigns & Display ads.

    Performance Max campaigns are a combination of Shopping campaigns and Display network remarketing campaigns aimed at optimizing conversion values, outreach and price bids. The campaigns are displayed, for example. in the Google search, Display network, YouTube and Gmail.

    Google's instructions provide more information about the ad types in Performance Max Campaigns.

  • Creating Performance Max Campaigns and managing their budgets directly in the admin panel.
  • Monitoring the results of Performance Max Campaigns in the store's admin panel.

Learn more about MyCashflow's Shopping Ads service.

Pricing

The extension has a monthly fee, and Google charges for your advertising budget usage separately. If you have ordered growth marketing expert services from MyCashflow, they will also be billed separately.

Check the prices and terms of service..

Availability

This section explores how the Google feed supports different countries, languages and currencies. After setting these correctly you can, for example, create Google Shopping ads optimized for a certain target area.

Feed destination countries and languages

From the list below, see where you can advertise your products with the Google product feed. You can target a campaign for an English-language store version to any country on the list, but depending on the destination country, product feeds from store versions in other languages may also be possible (the alternative languages are shown for each country in parentheses). Learn more about using product feeds in different languages and currencies.

  • Netherlands (Dutch)*
  • Australia
  • Belgium (Dutch, French)*
  • Spain (Spanish)
  • Ireland
  • Italy (Italian)
  • Austria (German)*
  • Canada
  • Greece
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxemburg
  • Portugali (portugali)
  • France (French)
  • Sweden (Swedish)**
  • Germany (German)
  • Slovakia
  • Finland (Finnish, Swedish)**
  • Denmark (Danish)
  • Estonia (Estonian)
  • United States

* you must offer home delivery for the products on offer.

** you must offer home delivery or pickup from a pickup point for the products on offer.

If the language of your store version allows a product feed to more than one country, you can use a single feed to advertise your products in all of them. For example, if you have a store version in German, you can target its campaign to both Germany and Austria.

If a country or language you are interested in is missing from the table, please contact the MyCashflow customer support via the admin panel's chat feature, for example. We can investigate whether it is possible to broaden the support for languages and countries.

Currencies supported by the feed

You can create product feeds for versions which have one of the following currencies set as the default:
  • the euro
  • the Swedish krona
  • the Danish krona

Installation and setup

Extensions are not available in MyCashflow Free plan.

The Shopping Ads extension can only be used in store versions with a valid SSL certificate.

Order a new SSL certificate when necessary.

To enable the Shopping Ads service:

  1. In your online store's admin panel, go to Account > Apps > Shopping Ads.
  2. Click Activate extension.

    This will start the signup process.

  3. Log in with your Google account.

    Log in with the Google account you'd like to use for managing your online store's Performance Max campaigns.

  4. Create Merchant Center and Google Ads accounts.

    Select a store version for which you'd initially like to activate Shopping Ads. Later, you will be able to activate Shopping Ads in other store versions in the extension's settings.

    For the extension to work, your Google account must have Google Ads and Google Merchant Center accounts managed by Pulse247 Oy. At this stage, you have two options:

    • If your account already has Ads and Merchant Center accounts, you can select them now to transfer them under the maintenance of Pulse247 Oy.
    • If you don't have the accounts yet or you don't want Pulse247 Oy to manage them, you can have MyCashflow create new Ads and Merchant Center accounts for your Google account, so that you can use the extension.

    Each store version must use separate Merchant Center and Google Ads accounts.

  5. Create advertising campaign.

    Enter the name for the first Performance Max campaign. By default, all products visible in the version selected in the previous stage will be added to the campaign. Alternatively you can limit the campaign to only cover products selected by you.

    The campaign will not be activated during the signup process. You will have to activate it separately instead.

    Also specify your daily ad budget and payment method. You can pay the service fee together with your MyCashflow subscription fee or via your Google Ads account. You can change the payment method setting at any time.

  6. Check and complete version settings.

    At this stage, you can verify version settings, activate the campaign in the reports view or enable the extension in another version.

    Also, you will be able to enable the extension in other versions at any point by using the functionality Activate extension for new version available in the extension's settings.

After you've enabled the extension in your online store,
  • the required Google accounts are created/linked
  • conversion tracking is installed and enabled
  • products are transferred to the Merchant Center
  • a campaign is created in the Merchant Center.

Additionally, MyCashflow's experts will review your setup and help you get the most of your Performance Max campaigns.

After you've enabled the Shopping Ads service, you should take care of the following items:

Managing the featured products

In this chapter, we will look at how to select products for an advertising campaign and how to define the contents of the product feed by handling product details.

Selecting featured products

Featured products are selected by using a saved search. First, create a new saved search that includes the featured products.

See the instructions on how to create saved product searches.

Google's Performance Max campaign can contain up to 999 products. If a product has variations, each variation will be included in the campaign as a separate product.

After creating a saved search, select it for use in the advertising campaign:

  1. In your online store's admin panel, go to Products > Shopping Ads.
  2. Select the campaign on the list on the bottom part of the page.
  3. Click Edit campaign on the campaign details.
  4. Select your saved search on the Campaign product catalog menu.
  5. Save the campaign settings.

The products included in the advertising campaign will be updated in Google during the next product synchronization. The synchronization happens daily during the early morning.

You cannot use the store's admin panel to set up a product catalog for a campaign if you have defined filters for the product catalog in Google Ads (for example, if the products are filtered by brand).

If a product search has been selected for an advertising campaign, the product search has to be deselected before it can be removed.

Specifying product details for Shopping Ads

Product details are automatically transmitted to Google Merchant Center through the Google product feed when you use Google Shopping for advertising. Specify the product details as precisely as possible, so that users will get a clear view of the product even before clicking on the ads. Detailed product information will also increase the visibility of the ads and improve their cost-efficiency.

See a list of information required and supported by the product feed.

Based on the information you provide, MyCashflow will generate a product feed that needs to be approved by Google Merchant Center. The product feed is updated automatically whenever you edit any product details.

Google Merchant Center's guidelines prohibit advertising dangerous products (such as guns, explosives and tobacco) and inappropriate content (that encourages discrimination or violence, for instance). Shopping Ads also don't accept services, entrance tickets, travel tickets or vehicles because the platform hasn't been developed with these kinds of products in mind. Additionally, MyCashflow's Google product feed doesn't support advertising product bundles, downloadables or second-hand products.

Advertising certain sensitive products (e.g. adult content, alcoholic beverages, pharmaceuticals) may be subject to country-specific or general restrictions.

Learn more on Google's support pages.

If your online store sells any of the above mentioned products, our experts will help you prepare the product feed in compliance with Google's policies.

Labelling products as intended for adults

Tuotelomakkeen Search engine optimization-osiossa voit merkitä Shopping-mainoksia varten yksittäisen tuotteen aikuisille tarkoitetuksi.

Learn more about editing details included in the product form.

Labelling the entire product range as intended for adults

You don't need to label individual products as adult products if you've generally marked your online store's content as intended for adults in your ad account settings. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. In the admin panel, go to Products > Shopping Ads.
  2. Select the ad account from the drop-down menu, and click the gear button in the top right corner of the page.

    The Advertising account settings page opens.

  3. At the bottom of the settings, activate the My website contains adult content option.
  4. Save settings.

With the contents labeled as intended for adults on your ad account, Google classifies all products in your online store as adult material for Shopping ads.

Product feed content

The product information is included in the feed entries, some of which are automatically determined by system-generated information and some by the product information you define yourself. Additionally, you can define optional input fields with MyCashflow's product features.

The type of input field below is indicated by the entry's font according to the following format:

The input is in XML format.

Required

At least the following information must be specified for to accept the product into its system:

  • Name <g:title>: the product name must be specified in the product form's Name field. If the product has variations, the same input field will also include the variation name from the Stock tab of the product card.
  • Visibility (the product must be visible in the product feed's store version and belong to a product category that is visible in some version).
  • Package size (which must be supported by at least one shipping method available for shipments to the target country).
  • Description <g:description>: write a short description in the product form field Description. Additionally, the feed description includes the product form field Product information.
  • Price <g:price>: the normal price and currency of the product or product variation.
  • Product type <g:product_type>: the entire category path of the product in the online store.
  • Image link <g:image_link>: the URL address for the main image of the product or product variation.
  • Google product category <g:google_product_category>: Product category according to Google's classification system.

    If the Google product category is Apparel & Accessories, also specify the following attributes of the target audience and the product:

    • gender
    • age group
    • product color
    • product size.

    The gender and age group can be set by using CSV import. To set the color and size, use product features.

Manufacturer's product identifiers

The manufacturer's product identifiers identify the product on the international market and improve its findability. However, not all products have an identifier. If you're not sure what the correct product identifier is, leave the information unspecified, as incorrect information may result in product disapproval.

  • GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) <g:gtin>: a primary product identifier, typically an EAN identified by a barcode on the product or its packaging. (Enter the ID in the Barcode field on the product card's Stock tab. Learn more about barcodes.)
  • Brand <g:brand>: a brand that is clearly visible on the product or its packaging. (If the brand has already been added to your store, it will be included in the Brand drop-down menu in the product form's Visibility settings section. Learn more about adding and editing brands.)
  • MPN (Manufacturer Part Number) <g:mpn>: manufacturer's product number. (Enter the product number in the Product code field in the product form's Purchasing price, product numbers & suppliers information section.)
  • Identifier exists <g:identifier_exists>: the value is true if GTIN or both brand and MPN have been specified. The value is false, if no product identifier has been specified, or if only brand or MPN has been specified.

Read more about the manufacturer's product identifiers on Google's website.

Additional product management information

  • ID <g:id>: the store's own identifier to identify a product or product variation.
  • Link <g:link>: the URL address for the product or product variation page.
  • Additional image link <g:additional_image_link>: the URL address for an additional product image (max. 10 additional images).

Detailed product description

  • Item group ID <g:item_group_id>: a unique identifier for the main product of a product variation.
  • Condition <g:condition>
  • Material <g:material>
  • Pattern or graphic printing <g:pattern>
  • Color <g:color>
  • Size <g:size>
  • Gender <g:gender>
  • Age group <g:age_group>
  • Adult entertainment <g:adult>: the product is related to sex, is erotic in nature or contains nudity.
  • Product information <g:product_detail>: technical or other additional information about the product using the following sub-definitions:
    • Attribute name <g:attribute_name>
    • Product attribute value <g:attribute_value>

Availability and complementary pricing information

  • Availability <g:availability>: information regarding the availability of the product or product variation. Possible values:
    • in stock [in stock]
    • product out of stock [out of stock]
    • preorder [preorder], if the product form's Limited availability section includes a defined start date
    • backorder [backorder], if the product is out of stock and an alternative delivery time has been set for it in the stock settings.
  • Availability date <g:availability_date>: the starting time of the product's or product variation's availability, if the product is pre-orderable.
  • Cost of goods sold <g:cost_of_goods_sold>: the purchase price for the product or product variation.
  • Sale price <g:sale_price>: based on a discount campaign that applies to the product or product variation.
    The sale price has to meet the following requirements:
    • The product has been available at its regular price for at least 90 days.
    • The discount is greater than 5% and less than 90%.
    • The campaign duration is limited.
  • Sale price effective date <g:sale_price_effective_date>: the time the sale price for the product or product variation is effective.

Locations

  • Excluded destination <g:excluded_destination>: this setting allows you to exclude the product from a certain kind of program or advertising campaign by using the following identifiers:
    • Shopping_ads
    • Buy_on_Googlelistings
    • Display_ads
    • Local_inventory_ads
    • Free_listings
    • Free_local_listings

Shipping

  • Shipping <g:shipping>: the following shipping information is fetched by the system:
    • Shipping country <g:country>: an allowed target country for the product.
    • Shipping price <g:price>: the price for shipping the product.

Other settings

  • Own identifier 0–2 <g:custom_label_n>: your own identifier to organize Shopping campaign bids and reporting.

Using product features to modify the contents of the product feed

Almost all of the product data supported by Google can be specified as product features, including details for which there is no built-in support in MyCashflow (e.g., condition or energy efficiency class).

This is how you can add new product information:

  1. Create a new product feature for the product data you want to add:

    As the product feature identifier, enter the Google product data identifier (e.g., condition).

  2. Create the necessary values for the product feature.

    If there are restrictions set by Google regarding the contents of the product data (e.g., gender or condition), you can see them on the list of Google product data attributes.

  3. Add the product feature to products that should contain the product data in the Google product feed.

    New product information will be included in the product feed when the feed is next updated .

You can also add products to Shopping campaigns based on product features. For more information, contact a Google expert at MyCashflow.

Online store policies checklist

For your Merchant Center account to be approved by Google, your online store must contain the following information:
  • terms and conditions
  • payment methods and payment fees
  • a return policy that makes clear:
    • how to return products
    • return costs
    • return requirements concerning products (original packaging, only unused products etc.)
    • processing times
  • refund policies.

Also see the ad policies for Google Ads and Shopping.

Activating campaigns

By default, campaigns created during the extension setup are paused and must be activated separately in the settings of the Shopping Ads extension:

  1. Go to Products > Shopping Ads.
  2. Select an account from the Advertising account menu.
  3. Select a campaign from the Campaign menu or Account's all campaigns section.

    The campaign view opens.

  4. Set the campaign as active by using the Campaign active toggle.
After you've activated the campaign, and Google has approved your product feed and your online store's policies, ads for your products are going to appear in Google's services approximately within a week.

For the first 3-4 weeks, Google's machine learning algorithm is going to collect information necessary for the ads. During this period, your ads' performance may not be at its best.

Changing a Performance Max campaign's daily budget

Your daily advertising budget doesn't set a strict upper limit on consumption per day, but rather specifies the average daily cost of ads. On a single day, the cost may be lower or higher, but in the long run, the daily budget won't be exceeded.

The upper monthly limit is calculated by using the formula daily budget x 30.4.

Here's how to set a daily budget:

  1. Go to Products > Shopping Ads.
  2. Select an account from the Advertising account menu.
  3. Select a campaign from the Campaign menu or Account's all campaigns section.

    The campaign view opens.

  4. Click Edit campaign.
  5. Specify the new budget in the Daily budget field, and save settings.

Specifying the language and currency of a product feed

You can specify the language and currency of your product feed according to the target country, which will make your ads more efficient in this country.

Here's how to specify the language and currency according to the target country:

  1. Enable the Currency Converter extension, and select the target country's currency in its settings.

    If you sell to Sweden, you may want to enable Klarna Payments in your Swedish version in order to be able to accept payments directly in the Swedish krona.

  2. Create a store version in the language of the target country.
    • Select the target country's currency as the version's default currency.
    • Select the target country as the version's default country.

When you specify store version settings according to the instructions above, your customers will see the same information and prices both in the ads that appear in the Google networks and in your online store.

Reports

The Shopping Ads service includes reports for all of your online store's Shopping campaigns that are maintained by the service.

Performance Max campaigns

You can keep track of all of your Performance Max campaigns' results directly in your online store's admin panel with account- and campaign-specific reports.

You can find the Performance Max campaign reports on the admin panel page Products > Shopping Ads.

The reports cover only the Performance Max campaigns that are managed via the Shopping Ads service.

Other campaigns

For all non-Performance Max campaigns managed within the Shopping Ads service, you will receive a PDF report once a month showing for each campaign, among others, its:
  • conversion count
  • total conversion value
  • average cost-per-click
  • advertising revenue (ROAS)

The report will also include comments from MyCashflow's expert on the development measures taken and their effects, long-term trends as well as recommendations for further development.