A Google Shopping title is the single most important piece of text in a product feed. It decides which searches your product can match, whether it looks relevant next to competitors, and whether it is disapproved. This guide gives you a title formula for twelve product types, weak and strong examples for each, and the rules that keep titles inside Google’s requirements. Test your own titles as you read with the free Product Title & Description Checker , which scores a title and shows what shoppers see first.
The rules every Google Shopping title must follow
- Up to 150 characters. That is the maximum. A title over 150 characters is truncated, and Merchant Center reports it.
- The important words come first. On some surfaces only the first part of the title is shown, often described as roughly the first 70 characters. Put brand, product type and the attributes shoppers search for before that point.
- No promotional text. Words such as sale, free shipping, best price and percentage-off claims are not allowed in titles. Show offers through a promotions feed or the sale price.
- No excessive capitalisation. Titles written mostly in capital letters are disapproved. Capitalise normally, with capitals only for brand names and standard abbreviations.
- No gimmicks. Emoji, stars, checkmarks and repeated punctuation such as !!! do not belong in a title.
- Describe this product. The title should name the exact product and distinguish it from its variants, not describe the store or a whole range.
For the full list of feed checks, use the 25-point Google Shopping feed audit checklist . To find these problems across a whole feed, run it through the Google Shopping Feed Audit .
The universal title formula
Almost every good Google Shopping title follows the same shape: Brand + product type + key attributes + variant detail. The order of the attributes changes with the category, because shoppers search for different things when buying a jacket than when buying a laptop. The table below shows how the emphasis shifts.
| Category type | Lead with | Then add |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion and shoes | Brand, gender, product type | Colour, size, material |
| Electronics | Brand, model, product type | Screen size, processor, storage, colour |
| Home and furniture | Brand, product type | Material, dimensions, colour |
| Consumables and pet food | Brand, product name | Flavour, life stage, pack size |
| Tools and sports gear | Brand, model, product type | Power or size, kit contents, colour |
Twelve product types with title formulas and examples
The brands and models below are made up. Each pair shows a weak title and a stronger one for the same product.
Clothing
Formula: Brand + gender + product type + key attributes (colour, size, material).
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Jacket waterproof green | Alder Men’s Waterproof Trail Running Jacket with Hood, Green, Size M |
Names the brand and the wearer, says what it is and lists the attributes shoppers filter on. Apparel titles usually carry colour and size because they are separate variants.
Shoes
Formula: Brand + gender + model + product type + colour + size.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Best running shoes 2026 sale | Nova Women’s Aero 3 Road Running Shoes, Coral Pink, Size 7 |
The model name matters here. Remove years and claims such as best or sale, which are promotional.
Laptops
Formula: Brand + model + screen size + processor + memory and storage + colour.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Powerful laptop for work | Vela ProBook 14 Laptop, 14-inch, Intel Core i5, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, Silver |
Shoppers compare specs, so put the ones they filter by in the title. Do not use adjectives such as powerful.
Phone accessories
Formula: Brand + product type + compatible model + material or feature + colour.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Case | Kestrel Shockproof Silicone Case for Phone X 12, Black |
The compatible model is the most searched word. Without it the case matches nothing specific.
Small appliances
Formula: Brand + product type + capacity or power + key feature + colour.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Coffee machine NEW | Brewline 12-Cup Programmable Drip Coffee Maker with Timer, Stainless Steel |
Capacity and a key feature separate one model from the next. Remove new, which is promotional and ages.
Furniture
Formula: Brand + product type + material + dimensions + colour or finish.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Sofa grey comfy | Harbor 3-Seater Fabric Sofa, 210 cm, Light Grey, Oak Legs |
Size and material drive furniture searches and returns. Put dimensions where they help, not in the description alone.
Skincare and beauty
Formula: Brand + product line + product type + key ingredient or benefit + size.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| AMAZING serum for glowing skin!!! | Solene Vitamin C Brightening Face Serum, 30 ml |
Keep to facts on the pack. Avoid capitals, exclamation marks and unsupported health claims.
Pet food
Formula: Brand + animal + life stage + main ingredient + pack size.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Dog food best price | Meadow Adult Dry Dog Food, Chicken and Rice, 12 kg |
Animal, life stage and pack size are the filters. Leave out price claims.
Toys
Formula: Brand + toy name + product type + age range + piece count or size.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Fun building toy for kids | BrickWorks City Fire Station Building Set, 509 Pieces, Ages 6+ |
Age range and piece count are the facts parents check first.
Power tools
Formula: Brand + model + product type + voltage or power + kit contents.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Drill | Forge 18V Cordless Drill Driver Kit with 2 Batteries and Charger |
Voltage and what is in the box separate a bare tool from a kit.
Cycling gear
Formula: Brand + product type + gender or use + key feature + size + colour.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Bike helmet cheap | Ridge Road Bike Helmet with MIPS, Adult, Size M, Matte Black |
Use and size come first for safety gear. Leave out cheap and other price words.
Coffee and food
Formula: Brand + product name + type + flavour or roast + weight.
| Weak title | Stronger title |
|---|---|
| Coffee beans | Copper Hill Whole Bean Coffee, Medium Roast, Colombian, 1 kg |
Roast, origin and weight are the details buyers search for.
How to write titles for variants
When a product comes in several colours or sizes, every variant is its own row with its own id, joined by the same item_group_id. The title should differ by the attribute that differs: the colour in one row, the size in another. If two variants have identical titles, shoppers cannot tell them apart, and the feed audit flags duplicate titles as a warning. Keep the shared part of the title the same across the group and vary only the variant detail.
Titles in more than one language
Write titles natively for each market rather than machine-translating word for word, because shoppers search with local terms. The order of attributes may also change: German titles often place the product type early, and French titles may put the colour after the noun. Keep the brand and model as they are printed on the product. When you use categories, choose the ID rather than a translated path; the Google product category examples guide explains why.
How to improve titles with data
- Start with the search terms report. In Google Ads, the search terms that already trigger your Shopping ads show the words shoppers use. Bring the highest-volume ones into titles where they are true.
- Change a group of titles at a time. Test one product type, watch impressions and click-through rate for a few weeks, then extend what works.
- Use a supplemental feed for quick changes. You can override titles without touching the main feed, as explained in the guide to supplemental feeds in Google Merchant Center .
- Build titles from attributes. Storing brand, type, colour and size as separate fields and assembling titles by rule keeps them consistent across thousands of products, which is what a product information system does.
Descriptions: what to write and what to avoid
The description can be up to 5,000 characters and works best as a few plain sentences, roughly 500 to 1,000 characters, that describe the product itself: materials, dimensions, use, what is included and care instructions. Do not include HTML, links, promotional claims or a copy of the title. The checker on this site flags each of those. The guide to product data quality and Google Shopping ROAS shows how better titles and descriptions lift performance.
Common title mistakes
- Keyword stuffing. Repeating a word three or more times looks manipulative and reads badly.
- Leading with the store name. Put the brand and the product first, not the shop.
- Vague titles. “Shirt” or “Case” matches nothing specific.
- Stale words. Years, seasons and “new” become wrong. Keep them out unless they are part of the model name.
- Copying the manufacturer title for everyone. Every retailer has the same title, so nothing sets yours apart. Add the attributes that matter.
- Ignoring the visible part. A perfect title with the key words at the end can lose them to truncation.
If titles are disapproved, the Merchant Center Disapproval Diagnostic explains promotional text, capitalisation and length issues and how to fix them. For clothing, add the extra attributes in the apparel requirements guide , and for the whole process see the Google Shopping product feed guide .
Frequently asked questions
How long can a Google Shopping title be?
The maximum is 150 characters. On some surfaces only the first part is shown, often described as roughly the first 70 characters, so put the brand, product type and main attributes at the start.
What is the best Google Shopping title formula?
Brand + product type + key attributes + variant detail, adjusted by category. For clothing that means brand, gender, product type, colour and size. For electronics it means brand, model, product type and the specifications shoppers filter by.
Can I add free shipping or sale to a product title?
No. Promotional text in titles is not allowed and leads to disapproval. Show offers with a promotions feed or the sale price attribute instead.
Why was my title disapproved for capital letters?
Google treats titles written mostly in capitals as excessive capitalisation. Use normal capitalisation and keep capitals for brand names and standard abbreviations such as USB.
Should product titles be different for each variant?
Yes. Each variant is its own row, and its title should differ by the attribute that differs, such as colour or size, so shoppers and Google can tell the variants apart.
How do I test whether a new title works better?
Change one group of products at a time, for example one product type, and compare impressions and click-through rate over a few weeks. Bring in words from the Google Ads search terms report where they are accurate.
