Apparel is the most attribute-heavy category in Google Shopping. Miss a required field and your products either disapprove or lose out in auctions to competitors whose feeds are complete. This guide covers every attribute Google requires or strongly recommends for clothing, footwear, and accessories — with the exact values and format Google expects.
Google Shopping Feed for Apparel: All Requirements Explained (2026)
Why Apparel Feeds Are Different
Google’s feed requirements for apparel go beyond the standard required attributes that apply to all products. Clothing and shoes have mandatory variant attributes, specific size system declarations, and stricter image requirements. A feed that works fine for non-apparel will generate warnings and limited performance for clothing.
For a full foundation on how Shopping feeds work, the Google Shopping Feed Guide covers the base layer before you add apparel-specific requirements on top.
Required Attributes for All Apparel Products
| Attribute | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| id | Yes | Unique per variant, not per style |
| title | Yes | Include colour, size, material in title |
| description | Yes | 150+ characters recommended |
| link | Yes | Must land on the specific variant page |
| image_link | Yes | 800×800px minimum, no overlays |
| price | Yes | Must match landing page exactly |
| availability | Yes | in stock / out of stock / preorder |
| google_product_category | Recommended | Optional per Google; use the most specific category (all shoes share one: Apparel & Accessories > Shoes, ID 187) |
| brand | Yes | Required for all apparel |
| item_group_id | Required for variants | Same value for all variants of one style |
| color | Required for variants | Up to 3 values separated by / |
| size | Required for variants | One value per product |
| age_group | Required for variants | adult / kids / newborn / infant / toddler |
| gender | Required for variants | male / female / unisex |
item_group_id — The Most Important Apparel Attribute
If you only fix one thing in your apparel feed, fix item_group_id. This attribute tells Google which products are variants of the same style. Without it, Google treats a navy size S jacket and a navy size L jacket as two completely unrelated products — and cannot display them as one listing with size options.
The rule: every size, colour, and material variant of the same product must share the same item_group_id value. The parent SKU is the natural choice — if your base product code is JK-2401, all variants carry JK-2401 in item_group_id regardless of their individual IDs.
item_group_id — The Most Important Apparel Attribute
For GTIN compliance per variant, see the GTIN requirements guide — each variant needs its own valid GTIN in apparel.
Colour Requirements
Colour values must be descriptive and human-readable. Google rejects values that are not recognisable colour names.
- Acceptable: Navy, Coral, Charcoal, Slate Blue, Off White
- Not acceptable: #003366, Color-4, 01, N/A
- Multi-colour: Separate up to 3 values with a forward slash — Navy/White/Red
- Maximum length: 100 characters per colour value
Size Requirements and Size Systems
Size values should reflect the labelled size on the product, not a numeric internal code. Use the size_system and size_type attributes to add context to your size values.
size_system
Declares which regional size standard you are using. Accepted values include: AU, BR, CN, DE, EU, FR, IT, JP, MEX, UK, US. This matters for international catalogs — a “10” in US women’s shoes is not the same as a “10” in UK shoes.
size_type
Describes the cut: regular, petite, plus, tall, big, maternity. Use this when your sizing differs from standard. It helps Google match your products to queries like “plus size summer dress”.
size_type
Image Requirements for Apparel
Apparel has stricter image rules than other categories because product appearance drives click decisions more directly.
- Minimum 800×800px — 1000×1000px or larger recommended for Shopping ads
- White or neutral background strongly preferred
- No watermarks, promotional text, or overlays of any kind
- The image must show the specific colour variant — do not use one image for all colour variants
- Use
additional_image_link(up to 10 images) — alternate angles, flat lay, and detail shots all improve CTR
Google Product Category for Apparel: Be Specific
Broad category values are one of the most common apparel feed mistakes: “Apparel & Accessories” on its own tells Google very little about the product. Use the most specific category Google offers, and check before you assume depth. Clothing goes three or four levels down (a coat is Clothing > Outerwear > Coats & Jackets), but all shoes share one category. The Google Product Category Finder lists the apparel subcategories and their IDs, and Google product category examples: IDs by product type shows more mappings.
For the full background on how the taxonomy works, when the attribute is optional and the ID-versus-path rule, read the Google product category taxonomy guide .
The Google Product Category Finder lists the apparel subcategories and their IDs, and Google product category examples: IDs by product type shows more mappings.
| Product | Too broad | Correct (ID) |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s running jacket | Apparel & Accessories | Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Outerwear > Coats & Jackets (5598) |
| Men’s leather Oxford shoes | Apparel & Accessories | Apparel & Accessories > Shoes (187), the only shoe category |
| Girls’ school uniform skirt | Apparel & Accessories > Clothing | Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Skirts (1581) |
Title Formula for Apparel Products
Google matches your title against search queries. For apparel, the title is the single highest-impact attribute for relevance. Use this formula:
Test a finished title with the Product Title and Description Checker . For other product types, see Google Shopping product title formulas by category .
Brand + Gender + Material/Attribute + Product Type + Colour + Size
Example: Columbia Women’s Waterproof Softshell Jacket Navy Size 12
For seasonal products, add the season before the product type: Columbia Women’s Summer Lightweight Running Jacket Coral Size 10
Before You Submit — Validate Your Feed
Apparel feeds have the highest disapproval rates of any Shopping category because of the variant attribute requirements. Before submitting, check:
Run the file through the Google Shopping Feed Audit to catch missing attributes and invalid GTINs before you submit.
- Every variant has a valid GTIN — use the GTIN Validator to check in bulk
- All variants of the same style share the same
item_group_id - Colour values are human-readable, not codes or hex values
- Size values are declared with
size_systemif selling internationally - Images are per-colour-variant, not one image reused for all variants
Managing apparel variant data at scale — especially across multiple channels — is where spreadsheet-based approaches break down. Learn how LynkPIM handles variant management without the manual overhead. For campaign performance after your feed is clean, see how to use custom labels for bid segmentation .
nNext steps: the Product Data Completeness Checker ; the Google Shopping Feed Generator ; a LynkPIM demo .
nnFrequently Asked Questions
Is GTIN required for all apparel products?
Yes, for products that have manufacturer-assigned GTINs. Custom or handmade products with no GTIN should set identifier_exists to FALSE in the feed — do not leave GTIN blank without this declaration or you will receive a Limited Performance warning.
Do I need separate products for each size and colour?
Yes. Each unique size/colour/material combination is a separate product in your feed with its own ID. They are linked back to the parent style via item_group_id.
Can I use the same image for different colour variants?
Technically Google will not always disapprove this, but it will hurt your CTR significantly and may trigger a mismatched colour warning. Use colour-specific images wherever possible.
