Product identifiers are the codes that connect your feed to Google's understanding of a product. GTIN, MPN and brand help Google recognise exactly what you are selling, which improves matching and keeps products eligible. Missing or wrong identifiers are a common cause of weak performance and disapprovals.
Getting identifiers right is part of our Google Merchant Centre service.
The three core identifiers describe a product in a way Google understands. Together they let the system match your item to the same product elsewhere and to the searches that fit it.
| Identifier | What it is |
|---|---|
| GTIN | The global barcode number for the product |
| MPN | The manufacturer's part number |
| Brand | The brand that makes the product |
A correct GTIN tells Google precisely which product you sell, so it can match you to relevant searches and comparison data. Without it, Google has to guess from your text, which weakens matching and placement.
Some products genuinely have no GTIN, such as custom or handmade items. In those cases supply the brand and MPN, and set the identifier exists attribute correctly so Google knows the omission is intentional.
A wrong GTIN is worse than a missing one because it points Google at the wrong product. Validate the codes in your feed against the manufacturer data so the identifier matches the item you actually sell.
Never invent or reuse a GTIN to clear a warning. An incorrect identifier causes disapprovals and mismatches that are harder to trace than a missing one.
This service covers the Merchant Centre feed and product data layer: setup, optimisation, feed rules and disapprovals. Campaign bidding and structure sit with our Google Shopping management. The two work best together.
TPR Media operates from Level 34, 1 Eagle Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000, serving clients across Brisbane and Australia-wide.
TPR Media supplies accurate GTIN, MPN and brand identifiers in the Merchant Centre feed so Google recognises each product, improving matching and preventing identifier disapprovals.