In short. Merchant Center promotions use offer data and product eligibility rules to support promotions on documented Google shopping destinations.

Definition: Merchant Center promotions are offers submitted through Google's merchant tools for display with eligible products. A promotions feed is a data source containing the offer's details, including its product eligibility and redemption conditions.

Key facts

As of 17 October 2026, Google's Promotions data specification describes distribution across Google Search, the Shopping tab, and Chrome.
Google's local promotions specification accepts an XML file, a tab-delimited file, or a Google spreadsheet. The promotions source goes into the same Merchant Center account as the products source.
The promotion destination documentation lists Shopping ads, free listings, and local inventory ads as supported destinations.
Google's promotion status FAQ describes policy review and product validation before a promotion completes review.

What does a promotions feed contain?

Google's formatting FAQ lists required fields: promotion_id, product_applicability, offer_type, long_title, promotion_effective_dates, and redemption_channel. These describe the promotion's identifier, eligible products, coupon requirement, title, active dates, and redemption channel. The Promotions add-on must be enabled in the account before creating promotions through the dashboard or a data source.

The product applicability documentation distinguishes all_products from specific_products. For specific products, the merchant uses product filters or maps a promotion_id to applicable products in the products source. For all products, Google tests promotion validity against all items in that source.

Google's redemption channel documentation defines online, in_store, and in_store, online for offers redeemable online, in store, or both. An empty redemption channel defaults to online. The same page limits in_store to participants in the local promotions open beta.

Where can promotions appear?

The destination attribute identifies where a promotion appears. It is a repeated field, so a promotion can specify multiple destinations. Google's XML example for the local inventory ads destination is:

<g:promotion_destination>Local_inventory_ads</g:promotion_destination>

The same documentation states that Shopping ads and free listings are the default destinations when a supported destination value is absent. It limits free_listings to the US and requires an approved offer for free listings.

The broader Promotions data specification also lists a YouTube affiliate destination, available only to selected merchants. A promotion targeting that destination must target it alone.

What must match the website, and how is approval checked?

For local promotions, Google's local data specification requires a promotion_url pointing to promotion details on the merchant's website. The page's information must match the submitted promotion data. Google uses that link during approval to verify local applicability and redemption in store or through curbside pickup.

The status FAQ directs merchants to Marketing > Promotions and the Status column in Merchant Center. Validation failures include mapping the promotion to ineligible items and a discount that fails to apply as described. Checking the mapped products and the working checkout offer addresses these documented failure points.

FAQ

Can I associate several promotions with one product?

Yes. Google's formatting FAQ allows up to 10 promotion IDs per item in the products source. Ads and free listings show one promotion per product.

Does uploading a replacement feed end existing promotions?

Google's status FAQ says existing promotions continue for their specified durations when a new promotions source is uploaded. If you replace the source, existing promotions expire according to their own dates while the new promotions are added.

Sources

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