How to Use the Google Shopping Inventory Update Feed

Some time ago Google introduced a new feed type – Google inventory update feed, and now you can select it from the channels list in DataFeedWatch.

The new feed type is a simplified version of the standard Google Shopping feed which contains only 5 fields:

• id
• price
• availability
• sale price
• sale price effective date

The main difference between the standard and the inventory update feed is that the standard feed overwrites any previous submissions, whereas the inventory update feed, as the name indicates, only updates already submitted products.

Why use the Google inventory update feed?

You use the inventory update feed if you have Google fetch your feed (which they allow only once a day) and you would like to update the most vital information (availability and price) multiple times per day.
With the new Google inventory update feed, you can now increase the frequency by adding more feeds to your Google Merchant Center. For example you can set your standard Google Shopping feed to be fetched daily at 8:00 am and 3 inventory update feeds to be fetched at 12:00 am, 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm accordingly:

Of course you need to set multiple downloads in DataFeedWatch as well (see below)

Or update more frequently via FTP

It is also possible to have DataFeedWatch upload your feed (via FTP) instead of having Google fetch your feed. When you send your feed via FTP, you can upload your Google feed multiple times per day.

You can set up your FTP in your Google Merchant Center under Settings > FTP. Once it is set up you can choose FTP as a data feed upload method when adding an inventory update feed. Now, because with the FTP method you upload the feed, as oppose to Google fetching the feed from the URL, you decide how often the feed is being updated.

In DataFeedWatch we upload your feed to the ftp location every time the feed is updated. You need to enter your FTP-credentials in DataFeedWatch in your Google channel settings (Options > Edit Channel), like this:

How to set multiple downloads in DataFeedWatch

In DataFeedWatch you can add multiple daily downloads in the Shop Options > Update schedule. Your feeds will be updated every time there are changes in the incoming products.