Get started

You can use the Content API for Shopping to automate Google Merchant Center account management.

Here are some things you can do with the Content API for Shopping:

  • Upload products
  • Manage inventory
  • Manage orders and returns
  • Manage Merchant Center accounts
  • Link your inventory to Google Ads

After uploading products, you can take advantage of other Google for Retail solutions, like promoting your products in Shopping campaigns or selling your products through Buy on Google.

Merchants are responsible for complying with the Shopping ads and free listings policies. Google Shopping reserves the right to enforce these policies and respond appropriately if we find content or behavior that violates these policies.

See the left navigation menu for guides to help you get started with the Content API for Shopping, and our reference documentation for full details on all available features.

Client libraries

We recommend using the Google API client libraries when deploying the Content API for Shopping. The client libraries are available for many popular programming languages and simplify common API tasks including the following:

  • Authorizing users
  • Sending requests
  • Parsing responses

Code samples in this guide are in Python.

For a list of available client libraries and code samples, see Samples and Libraries.

Initial setup

This guide covers the basic steps to get started with the Content API and make your first API call: