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The Google product category tells Google what a product is: a laptop, a phone case, a bottle of wine. It decides which rules apply to the product in Merchant Center and where it can appear in Shopping. This guide is for store owners who send products to Google, and explains when the category matters and how to set it for a whole catalog in one pass.
What the Google product taxonomy is
The Google product taxonomy is a fixed list of categories. Each category has a numeric ID and a path that runs from broad to specific, with levels separated by “ > ”. For example:
212 - Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Shirts & Tops
The current English file has 5,595 categories, up to seven levels deep. They sit under 21 top-level categories:
| ID | Top-level category |
|---|---|
1 | Animals & Pet Supplies |
166 | Apparel & Accessories |
8 | Arts & Entertainment |
537 | Baby & Toddler |
111 | Business & Industrial |
141 | Cameras & Optics |
222 | Electronics |
412 | Food, Beverages & Tobacco |
436 | Furniture |
632 | Hardware |
469 | Health & Beauty |
536 | Home & Garden |
5181 | Luggage & Bags |
772 | Mature |
783 | Media |
922 | Office Supplies |
5605 | Religious & Ceremonial |
2092 | Software |
988 | Sporting Goods |
1239 | Toys & Games |
888 | Vehicles & Parts |
Download the Google product category list
Google publishes the list in four forms, linked from its google_product_category help page (opens in a new tab):
- Text file with IDs, such as taxonomy-with-ids.en-US.txt (opens in a new tab). Easiest to search.
- Spreadsheet with IDs, such as taxonomy-with-ids.en-US.xls (opens in a new tab), with each level in its own column. Handy for filtering.
- Text file and spreadsheet without IDs, with paths only.
- Other languages: the same files exist for other locales, such as en-GB, de-DE, fr-FR, es-ES and ja-JP. If your language isn’t available, use the English path or the ID.
The first line of each file shows its version. On 30 October 2026 it reads Google_Product_Taxonomy_Version: 2021-09-21. If you open the text file in a browser and see odd characters, set the encoding to UTF-8.
When to set google_product_category yourself
Google assigns a category to every product automatically, based on your product data. The google_product_category attribute is optional, and Google only accepts your value as an override in three cases:
- Category rules. Some categories, such as Apparel & Accessories, Mobile Phones and Software, need extra attributes. If Google puts a product in one of these by mistake, set the right category so the wrong requirements no longer apply.
- Campaigns built on Google categories. If your Shopping campaigns are divided by Google product category, your value decides which group a product falls into.
- Alcohol. Alcoholic drinks must be in the right category to follow Google’s policy.
These are the categories with specific rules today, from Google’s help:
| Products | Category (ID) | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing, shoes and accessories | Apparel & Accessories (166) | Extra attributes: color, gender and age group for all apparel, and size for Clothing (1604) and Shoes (187), when you target Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, the UK or the US, and for free listings. |
| Alcohol | Alcoholic Beverages (499676), or Homebrewing & Winemaking Supplies (3577), or a subcategory | Required so the products follow Google’s alcoholic beverages policy. |
| Phones and tablets sold with a contract or instalment plan | Mobile Phones (267) or Tablet Computers (4745) | Contract phones with a price of 0 must use Mobile Phones (267). |
| Gift cards | Gift Cards & Certificates (53) | Use this category for gift cards. |
| Software subscriptions | Software › Computer Software (313) or a subcategory | For example Antivirus & Security Software (5299). |
| Bundles | The main product’s category | If there is no main product, use the category that fits the bundle best. |
You can send the value as the ID (328) or the full path (Electronics > Computers > Laptops), but not both. Google recommends the ID. In an XML feed, write > in a path as >.
product_type: your own categories
product_type is a different attribute. It holds your store’s own category path, in your own words, such as Home > Women > Dresses > Maxi Dresses. Google uses it to let you divide Shopping campaigns, bids and reports by your own categories, and recommends sending it for every product.
| google_product_category | product_type | |
|---|---|---|
| Values | Fixed: one entry from Google’s list | Free text: your own category path |
| Required | Optional; Google assigns a category anyway | Optional |
| How many | One per product | Up to 5; Shopping campaigns use only the first |
| Format | Numeric ID or the full English path, not both | Up to 750 characters, levels separated by “ > ” |
| Used for | Google’s classification, category rules, campaigns built on Google categories | Your own campaign structure, bidding and reporting |
Send both. Use the full breadcrumb in product_type, not just the last level, and send one value if you use it in campaigns. Campaign groups by Google product category are only available in some countries (including the US, the UK, Germany, France and Australia); everywhere else, product_type is the way to group products.
How to choose the right category
Google’s rules come down to three:
- One category per product, the one that describes its main function.
- The most specific category that fits. MP3 Players (233), not Electronics (222).
- The latest version of the list. Older values are translated, but may not land where you expect.
Search the text file for the product’s plainest name, then read the full path of each match. Sometimes the most specific category is quite high up. There is no “Running shoes” category, for example: all footwear is Shoes (187), and Google tells shoes apart by their attributes instead. Some common examples, with IDs from the current file:
| Product | Google product category | ID |
|---|---|---|
| Laptops | Electronics > Computers > Laptops | 328 |
| Phone cases | Electronics > Communications > Telephony > Mobile Phone Accessories > Mobile Phone Cases | 2353 |
| Running shoes | Apparel & Accessories > Shoes | 187 |
| T-shirts and blouses | Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Shirts & Tops | 212 |
| Gift cards | Arts & Entertainment > Party & Celebration > Gift Giving > Gift Cards & Certificates | 53 |
| Coffee beans | Food, Beverages & Tobacco > Beverages > Coffee | 1868 |
| Wine | Food, Beverages & Tobacco > Beverages > Alcoholic Beverages > Wine | 421 |
| Espresso machines | Home & Garden > Kitchen & Dining > Kitchen Appliances > Coffee Makers & Espresso Machines > Espresso Machines | 2422 |
| Sofas | Furniture > Sofas | 460 |
For bundles, use the main product’s category: a camera sold with a bag and a memory card is a camera.
Mapping a whole store
Choosing a category for each product doesn’t scale. Most stores already group products into categories, so map those instead:
- Map each store category once. Start with the categories that hold products: Laptops in your store becomes Laptops (328) in Google’s list.
- Let subcategories inherit. If a parent category maps cleanly, its subcategories can use the same entry. Only map a subcategory separately when Google has a more specific category for it.
- Watch mixed categories. Categories like “Sale”, “Gifts” or “Accessories” hold different kinds of product. Map them to nothing, and let each product take its category from its main store category, or set it per product.
- Check products in more than one category. Decide which category wins, usually the most specific one, so the result is predictable.
- Review after changes. New categories, renamed ones and new product lines need a mapping. Check the Merchant Center diagnostics after each feed update for products disapproved for missing category-specific attributes.
The taxonomy itself changes rarely; the file has carried the same version line since 2021. Check the first line now and then, and remap any categories that no longer exist.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Stopping at a broad category | Electronics (222) tells Google almost nothing. Go down to the most specific entry that still fits. |
| Mapping accessories to the main product | Laptop bags, chargers and cases have their own categories. Map them separately from Laptops (328). |
| Sending the ID and the path together | Send one: the ID (recommended) or the full path. |
| Inventing or shortening paths | Copy the path exactly from Google’s file, including “ > ” and “&”. A path that isn’t on the list isn’t a Google category. |
| Putting your own category names in google_product_category | Your names belong in product_type. |
| Mapping a mixed store category to one Google category | A “Sale” or “New arrivals” category holds many kinds of product. Map the products through their real category instead. |
| Never checking again | New store categories, merged categories and new product lines all need a mapping. |
Google product categories in nopCommerce
nopCommerce categories don’t have a field for the Google category, so the mapping has to live in the feed. Our free Merchant Center Feed for Google plugin, for nopCommerce 4.80, 4.90 and 5.00, does this per store category:
- It suggests a Google category for each store category, from Google’s own list.
- You accept the suggestions one by one or all at once, or search Google’s categories yourself.
- Subcategories inherit their parent’s mapping unless you map them separately.
- It downloads Google’s category list once from google.com and caches it.
For the rest of the feed, from GTINs to prices and images, see our nopCommerce Google Shopping feed guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Google product category required?
No. google_product_category is optional, because Google assigns a category to every product automatically. Set it when Google picks the wrong category, for products in categories with their own rules, such as alcohol, gift cards, contract phones and software subscriptions, and when your campaigns are built on Google categories.
Should I send the category ID or the full path?
Either works, but not both. Google recommends the numeric ID, such as 328 for Laptops. IDs don’t depend on language or spelling, so they are harder to get wrong.
Where can I find the Google product category list?
Google publishes it as a text file and an Excel spreadsheet, with or without IDs, in several languages. The links are on the Merchant Center help page for google_product_category. The English file with IDs is taxonomy-with-ids.en-US.txt.
Can a product have more than one Google category?
No. Send one category per product, the one that best describes what the product is. If you need several groupings for your own campaigns, use product_type and custom labels.
Is there a Google product category finder?
The taxonomy file itself works as one: open it and search for a word like “laptop” and pick the most specific line that fits. Feed tools and plugins, including our free nopCommerce plugin, add a search box or suggest a category for you.
What happens if the taxonomy changes?
Google accepts any version of its categories published since August 2011 and translates older values to the latest version. Still, use the current file. The version line at the top of the file shows which version it is; on 30 October 2026 it reads 2021-09-21.
Next steps
List your store categories that hold products, find the most specific Google category for each in the taxonomy file, and note the ID. Start with alcohol, gift cards, phones, software and clothing, where the category has rules attached. Then send product_type with your own category path, so you can divide campaigns your way.
Running a large or unusual catalog? We build custom nopCommerce feeds and integrations. Send what you sell and where to contact@cartenvo.com.