The short version
- From 31 January 2027, product images under 500 × 500 pixels will be disapproved in Merchant Centre.
- Golf product titles need the details golfers filter on: loft, flex, hand & shaft.
- Variants, barcodes & condition labels decide whether your products show at all.
The 2027 image rule
Google Merchant Centre has begun warning retailers that from 31 January 2027, product images supplied in the image_link attribute must be at least 500 × 500 pixels. Products below that will be disapproved & stop showing on Google. We received the notice for our own store, Golf Sales Australia, in August 2026.
Open Merchant Centre & look for “image too small” warnings against your products. Fix the images at the source, in your store, rather than only in the feed, because many stores serve resized thumbnails into their feed. If a supplier’s images are too small, ask them for their full-resolution media pack.
Six more feed fixes for golf stores
1. Titles that carry the spec
Golfers search & compare on the details. “[Brand] [Model] Driver 10.5° Stiff Right Hand” beats “[Model] Driver” every time. Lead with brand & product type, then loft, flex, hand & shaft where they apply.
2. Variants done properly
Hand, flex, loft & length should be variants of one product, grouped with the item_group_id attribute, not a pile of unrelated listings. Each variant needs its own accurate price & availability, so a sold-out left-handed stiff doesn’t drag down the rest.
3. Barcodes & brand
Supply each product’s manufacturer barcode (GTIN) & brand. They help Google match your listing to what golfers are searching for. For custom-built clubs with no barcode, the identifier_exists attribute tells Google there isn’t one, rather than leaving a gap it will question.
4. The right condition for ex-demo stock
Ex-demo & pre-owned clubs must be marked “used” or “refurbished”, not “new”. Getting it wrong risks disapprovals & disappointed customers.
5. Prices & shipping that match the site
The price, sale price & shipping cost in your feed must match what golfers see at checkout. Set your free-shipping threshold in Merchant Centre’s shipping settings so free delivery can show in your listings.
6. Campaigns that respect margin
Use custom labels to group products by margin, brand or clearance status. You can then bid harder on what makes money & stop slow movers eating the budget.
Why we’re confident in this
Everything here runs on our own store first. Golf Sales Australia sells clubs, bags, training aids & clearance stock Australia-wide through Google Shopping, so when Google changes the rules, we feel it before our clients do. If you’d like us to look over your feed, see how we run Google Ads & Shopping.
