Google has introduced a new and useful feature for retailers — Website-reported Autofeeds. It allows automatic transmission of product availability data from physical stores directly to Merchant Center. This means there is no longer a need to manually update product data files — everything runs automatically in the background.
The feature works through Google Tag Manager. When a user visits a product page and clicks a button such as “Check in store,” the system records several key parameters: product ID, availability, price, store location, language, and country. These details are then automatically sent to Merchant Center, where local listings are updated and displayed to users in Google Search.
To enable the feature, you need to:
- have an on-site option for viewing local product availability
- connect Google Tag Manager
- involve a specialist who has access to the website’s code and understands JavaScript
Read also: Pope Leo XIV calls for global AI oversight: “It is a challenge to human dignity”.
The setup is also quite straightforward. Within Tag Manager, an Inventory Collector tag is added, the main parameters are specified, and the tag is triggered by a user action — for example, when they click the “In-store availability” button. Google has also published step-by-step documentation and answers to common technical questions, explaining how to configure the feature, what data is required, and how to verify that everything is working correctly.
For sellers, this update is a real time-saver. There’s no longer a need to constantly monitor and manually refresh data feeds. Meanwhile, customers benefit from accurate, up-to-date product information in nearby stores, making the shopping experience smoother and more convenient. In the end, everyone wins: users can quickly find what they need, while businesses gain better inventory control and improved visibility in local search results.
Read also: AI Mode in Google Search: a new approach to search already available in the US and coming soon worldwide.
If you found this publication helpful and want to stay updated on the latest news in digital marketing and SEO, subscribe to the “SEO and behavioral factors” news category to get notifications about new posts. And if you’re working on website optimization and promotion, you can learn where to get high-quality backlinks legally — just follow the link to access a ready-made database of verified platforms for posting promotional content.
