A few days ago, Google announced a number of changes to their feed specifications for Shopping Campaigns. While some of these changes are expected to affect only certain markets, there are others that may affect advertisers globally.

These changes go into effect from September 15th, 2015. Advertisers can log on to Google to see if their feeds comply with the new specifications mentioned under the Diagnostic tab within Google Merchant Center.

Here’re the highlights of the current update:

Google Shopping Feed Specification

• Units & Quantity attributes are now available for products sold in bulk for US users.
• Guiding Principles around the ID Attribute and GTINs have now been tightened.
• Apparel and Variants will now be available under a new section described as Detailed Product Attributes and Item Groupings.
• Users can use his ID from the new list of Google Product Category IDS, rather than conventionally having to enter the complete Product Category path.
• The requirements for GTINs and ID Attributes have been tightened.
• Shipping requirements which enable the total price to show to users, has been extended to Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain and Japan.

Improvements brought to the Product Taxonomy are only recommendations and not rules. However, some categories have been retooled significantly. These include: Arts & Crafts, Decor, Hardware, Sporting Goods and motor Vehicle Parts.

Moreover, many child categories have been eliminated from the list. The full list of 2015 changes is now available on Google Merchant Center Help.