---
title: "Product feed optimisation for Performance Max"
author: "Performetic Ekibi"
url: "https://www.performetic.com/en/blog/performance-max-product-feed-optimization"
published: "2026-08-27T08:00:00.000Z"
updated: "2026-10-05T00:36:35.271Z"
---

# Product feed optimisation for Performance Max

> In Performance Max, your product feed is the main data source Google uses to decide which searches and which people your products show for. Feed optimisation means keyword-rich titles, accurate GTINs and brands, a clear product_type structure and custom labels for margin, season or performance. A clean feed delivers more relevant impressions and more controllable bidding on the same budget.

## What is product feed optimisation for Performance Max?

Product feed optimisation means structuring the product data you send to Google Merchant Center so Performance Max can show your products for the right searches, to the right people. Fields like title, description, GTIN, product_type and custom labels shape both match quality and how finely you can manage the campaign by product group.

You do not choose keywords in Performance Max. For shopping inventory, Google derives matching largely from the text in your feed, which means your feed effectively replaces the keyword list of a classic search campaign.

## Which Merchant Center attributes matter most?

Google's product data specification covers dozens of attributes. These are the ones that make the biggest performance difference:

| Attribute | What it does | Optimisation tip |
|---|---|---|
| title | Most important field for matching and clicks | Put key information first; up to 150 characters allowed |
| description | Adds context and extra keywords | Describe material, use and features; avoid promotional text and all caps |
| gtin | Matches the product to the global catalogue | Use the manufacturer's GTIN; never invent or reuse codes |
| brand | Matching for brand searches | Keep spelling consistent |
| product_type | Your own category hierarchy | Mirror your site, e.g. "Women > Shoes > Trainers" |
| google_product_category | Google's category taxonomy | Choose the most specific category |
| custom_label_0 to custom_label_4 | Grouping products inside campaigns | Carry business data such as margin, season, performance, price band |

## How should you write product titles?

The title is the strongest field for deciding whether a search query matches your product. Creative product names from your site ("The Luna Collection") mean nothing to someone searching. Use the words customers actually search for.

The general rule: lead with the most important information, because many surfaces show only the start of the title.

### Title formulas by vertical

| Vertical | Title formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Apparel | Brand + Gender + Product type + Attribute + Colour + Size | Examplebrand Women's Linen Shirt Oversized Beige M |
| Footwear | Brand + Gender + Product type + Model + Colour + Size | Examplebrand Men's Running Shoes Swift 3 Black UK 8 |
| Beauty | Brand + Product name + Product type + Attribute + Volume | Examplebrand Hyaluronic Acid Moisturiser Dry Skin 50 ml |
| Electronics | Brand + Series + Model + Product type + Key feature | Examplebrand Pro 5 Wireless Headphones Active Noise Cancelling |
| Home and furniture | Brand + Product type + Material + Dimensions + Colour | Examplebrand Dining Table Solid Oak 180x90 cm Natural |
| Food and supplements | Brand + Product + Flavour + Quantity | Examplebrand Whey Protein Chocolate 2 kg |

Treat these as starting points. Check the search terms report to see which queries drive sales and move titles closer to that language over time.

## How do you optimise descriptions and product_type?

The description holds details that do not fit in the title: fabric, use cases, dimensions, compatibility. Google's documentation allows up to 5,000 characters, but put the most important information in the first few hundred. Promotional phrases like "cheapest" or "free shipping" and comparisons with other brands do not belong here.

product_type tells Google how you categorise your own catalogue and can be used to split product groups inside a campaign. A hierarchy of at least three levels that mirrors your site navigation makes everything easier later.

## How do you use custom labels for margin-based bidding?

The five fields custom_label_0 to custom_label_4 fill the gap where Google does not know your business. Google cannot tell on its own which products are profitable, seasonal or low on stock. You write that into labels, then build separate campaigns or listing groups around them in Performance Max. Google allows up to 1,000 unique values per custom label attribute, so use groups rather than one-off values like product names.

An example labelling plan:

- **custom_label_0, margin:** high_margin, mid_margin, low_margin
- **custom_label_1, season:** summer, winter, all_year
- **custom_label_2, performance:** bestseller, normal, non_seller
- **custom_label_3, price band:** 0_50, 50_150, 150_plus
- **custom_label_4, promotion:** on_sale, new_arrival

With margin labels in place, you can run high-margin products with a lower target ROAS and low-margin products with a higher one in separate campaigns. That stops the algorithm chasing revenue at the expense of profit.

## What are feed rules for?

Attribute rules in Merchant Center let you transform your feed without changing the source data. Your ecommerce platform's export is not always easy to edit, and rules close that gap.

Common rule examples:

1. Prepend the brand name to titles if your platform does not.
2. Append colour and size to the end of titles.
3. Copy certain product_type values into a custom label.
4. Add a price band label to products above a given price.
5. Strip stray HTML or promotional phrases from descriptions.

After adding rules, preview the result on a handful of products. One bad rule can break hundreds of titles at once.

## What are the most common product disapprovals?

- **Price mismatch:** the feed price does not match the landing page, often because the feed updates late during a sale.
- **Availability mismatch:** a product shows as in stock in the feed but is sold out on site.
- **Invalid or missing GTIN:** wrong format, or a code belonging to another product.
- **Image issues:** watermarks, promotional text or borders on the image.
- **Misrepresentation:** trust issues such as missing contact, returns or payment information, which can have serious account-level consequences.

Checking the product status view in Merchant Center every week is the simplest way to catch these before they cost you sales.

At Performetic, every Performance Max engagement starts with a feed audit, because campaign settings cannot compensate for bad data. More detail is on our [performance marketing service page](/en/services/performance-marketing).

## Key takeaways

- In Performance Max, your feed takes the place of a keyword list.
- Lead titles with the most important information and use a formula that fits your vertical.
- Accurate GTIN, brand and product_type improve match quality.
- Use custom labels to group products by margin, season and performance.
- Feed rules let you fix data without touching the source.
- Monitor price and availability mismatches regularly.

## FAQ

### Why do product titles matter so much in Performance Max?

You do not select keywords in Performance Max. For shopping inventory, Google derives matching largely from your product title and other feed fields, so the title is the strongest signal for whether a query matches your product. Use the words customers search for and put the most important information first.

### What should I put in custom labels?

Use them for business data Google cannot know on its own: product margin, season, sales performance, price band or promotion status. Keep a small number of group values per label, such as high_margin, mid_margin and low_margin. You can then build separate campaigns or listing groups around them with different target ROAS values.

### Why use feed rules in Merchant Center?

Feed rules let you transform the data your ecommerce platform exports without changing it at the source. You can add brand or colour to titles, generate labels from product_type values or clean up descriptions. Always preview the result on a few products before applying a rule, because one mistake can affect hundreds of items.

### Why are my products being disapproved in Merchant Center?

The most common causes are price or availability mismatches between the feed and the landing page, invalid GTINs, images with watermarks or promotional text, and misrepresentation issues caused by missing contact or returns information. Reviewing the product status view in Merchant Center weekly helps you catch problems before they cost sales.

## Sources

- [Product data specification (Google Merchant Center Help)](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7052112)
- [Title [title] and structured title (Google Merchant Center Help)](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324415)
- [Custom label 0-4 [custom_label_0-4] (Google Merchant Center Help)](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324473)
- [Set up your attribute rules (Google Merchant Center Help)](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/14994083)
- [About Performance Max campaigns (Google Ads Help)](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/10724817)