To give Google Merchant Center a feed URL, create an output channel in Product Feed Master using the Google Merchant Center — Scheduled Fetch (HTTP/CSV) integration, attach it to your feed, and run a sync. Product Feed Master generates and hosts the CSV file at a fixed URL, which you then register in Merchant Center as a scheduled fetch so Google downloads it on a recurring schedule.
Before you start
You need a feed in Product Feed Master that already holds your products, imported from an input channel such as Shopify, a CSV file or Google Sheets. If you have not built one yet, follow the quickstart first.
Your products should carry the attributes Google requires for every listing. Check them against Google Merchant Center required attributes before you publish, so the first fetch does not produce a wave of disapprovals.
Step 1: Create the Google Merchant Center output channel
- Open Channels and choose to create a channel.
- Give it a name you will recognise, such as "Google Shopping US".
- Set Direction to Output.
- In Integration, pick Google Merchant Center — Scheduled Fetch (HTTP/CSV). This integration is a preset on the CSV connector, so the output is a CSV file Google can download (integration details).
- Save the channel.
You do not type a URL for this channel. The Feed URL field explains that the URL is generated automatically once the channel is created. When you save, Product Feed Master assigns the channel a private, random token and publishes a placeholder file containing only the column headers, so the URL exists before your first sync.
Step 2: Attach the channel to your feed
A channel does nothing until it is attached to a feed with a direction (connecting a channel):
- Open the feed that holds your products.
- Choose Attach output and select the channel you just created.
Output channels read from the feed's canonical products, so whatever you fixed on import, and any product you edited by hand, flows into the Google file (input vs. output channels).
Step 3: Check the mapping
When an output channel is attached, Product Feed Master pre-fills one mapping row per canonical field and defaults each destination column name to the Google Merchant Center attribute name (how field mapping works). Review the rows and change only the ones that need to differ.
This is also the place to fix formatting problems before Google sees them. Add transformation rules to a mapping row, for example trim on titles or number_format:2 on prices. See how to clean product data with transformation rules for worked examples.
Step 4: Run the first sync and copy the URL
Run Sync now on the output channel. The sync renders every product into the CSV and replaces the placeholder at the same URL. If a sync is interrupted, the last successfully published file stays in place, so Google never fetches a half-written feed.
Then open the channel's edit page. The Feed URL field now shows the generated address with a Copy button. Treat the URL as private: anyone who has it can download your catalog.
Step 5: Register the URL in Google Merchant Center
In Merchant Center, add a product data source that uses scheduled fetch and paste the feed URL. The integration's description in Product Feed Master points to Merchant Center's Products > Feeds > Scheduled fetch option, which lets Google pull the file on a recurring schedule. Merchant Center's menus change from time to time, so follow Google's current on-screen steps for adding a scheduled fetch source.
Step 6: Keep the feed fresh with a sync schedule
Google only sees what was in the file at the time it fetched. Set a sync schedule on the output channel so Product Feed Master re-renders the file automatically: options run from every 15 minutes to daily, and daily, hourly, 3-hourly and 6-hourly schedules let you choose the time. Your plan sets the minimum interval between automatic syncs (plans & limits).
A good rule is to schedule the Product Feed Master sync shortly before the time you set for Google's fetch, so each fetch picks up a freshly rendered file.
Frequently asked questions
Does the feed URL change when I resync?
No. The URL is tied to the channel's token, not to a particular sync, so every sync overwrites the file at the same address and Google keeps fetching the same URL.
What does Google see before my first sync?
A placeholder CSV containing only the header row. Run a sync before you register the URL so the first fetch contains your products.
Can I publish the same products to Google and another channel?
Yes. Attach more output channels to the same feed. Each one has its own mapping, filters and schedule, and file-based outputs each get their own URL.
Can I use XML instead of CSV?
The Google Merchant Center scheduled-fetch preset publishes a delimited text file on the CSV connector, and the channel's Delimiter setting lets you choose comma, tab or pipe. Product Feed Master can also publish hosted XML, JSON and TSV files through those output connectors; check that the destination accepts the format you choose.
Sources
Product behaviour described in this guide comes from Product Feed Master's documentation: Quickstart, Connecting a channel, Input vs. output channels, How field mapping works, Sync schedules & frequency and Plans & limits.