A discount on your website doesn't show up in Google's ads on its own. You have to declare it, and where you declare it decides where it shows. A promotion asset in Google Ads puts the offer under your Search text ads and on YouTube Shorts and in-stream ads. On Shopping ads and free listings, the offer comes from a promotion in Merchant Center.
An ecommerce Performance Max campaign serves in both kinds of places, so it usually needs both.
The offer nobody saw
On a mentoring call, we were reviewing Performance Max for an online art store. When we loaded the site, a pop-up offered up to 20% off with a code. None of the ads mentioned it. Its products were competing with other stores' listings with no hint of the offer.
So we added a promotion asset on the call: no occasion, a 20% discount, all products as the item, the home page as the final URL, no end date. That covers the Search and YouTube placements. The product listings were a separate job, in Merchant Center.
On the next call, the freelancer raised a problem: the pop-up said 20%, but the discount applied at checkout was 10%. They thought it depended on order size, 20% above a threshold and 10% below, and planned to check with the store. That matters more than any setting, because Google wants the offer in the ad to be the offer people get.
Promotion assets: Search and YouTube
- Where they show. With Search Network text ads, and at the bottom of YouTube Shorts and in-stream ads, including those surfaces for Performance Max. For Performance Max with store goals, on Maps too.
- What goes in. A monetary or percent discount, the item, the final URL, and optional details like a promo code or a minimum spend. An occasion is optional, and occasion promotions are preferred over ones without.
- Where to add them. Account, campaign or ad group level. The most specific level wins.
- The policy to watch. Offers must be priced accurately and easy to find on the landing page.
Merchant Center promotions: Shopping ads and free listings
Promotions is a Merchant Center add-on for Shopping ads, local inventory ads and free listings. Approved promotions show a special offer link on your products, and in the US they can also appear on Google's deals page. Google says products with promotion annotations often see more clicks and conversions.
- Turn it on. Settings, then Add-ons, then Promotions. It's available in 13 countries, including the US, UK, Spain, Germany and India.
- Create it. Use the promotion builder, a promotions data source or the Merchant API. Shopify and WooCommerce discounts can be connected instead.
- Word it honestly. Titles must state minimum thresholds and redemption requirements. A title that only states a ceiling, like up to 20% off, is generally not permitted. Write 10%-20% off and name the condition.
- Mind the limits. At least 5% or $5 off, redeemable at checkout, ending within 183 days. A discount already in the product price isn't a promotion.
- Plan ahead. Review is typically done within 24 hours of the start time but can take up to 72, and products should be mapped to the promotion 24 hours before it starts.
The takeaways
- A discount on your site doesn't appear in Google's ads until you declare it.
- Promotion assets show with Search text ads and YouTube Shorts and in-stream ads, not on Shopping listings.
- Shopping ads and free listings show offers from Merchant Center promotions.
- Merchant Center titles need the floor and the conditions, not just up to.
- Check what checkout actually applies before you put a number in an ad.
Common questions
Do promotion assets show on Shopping ads?
No. Google says promotion assets show with Search Network text ads and with YouTube Shorts and in-stream ads, including Performance Max on those surfaces, and on Maps for Performance Max store goals. To show an offer on Shopping ads and free listings, create a promotion in Merchant Center.
How do I show a discount on Google Shopping ads?
Turn on the Promotions add-on in Merchant Center under Settings, then Add-ons, and create a promotion under Marketing, then Promotions, with the promotion builder, a promotions data source or the Merchant API. Approved promotions show a special offer link on your products. The add-on needs an active Merchant Center account with a claimed URL, in one of 13 supported countries.
Can a Merchant Center promotion say up to 20% off?
Generally not. Google's promotions policy says titles that only state a ceiling, like up to 50% off, are generally not permitted for standard promotions unless submitted as an eligible sitewide Event Promotion. State the minimum, like 10%-20% off, and spell out any spending minimum or first order condition.
How long does a Merchant Center promotion take to go live?
Google says review is typically completed within 24 hours of the promotion's start time but can take up to 72 hours, and the mapping between products and the promotion should be complete 24 hours before the start date. Promotions must expire within 6 months (183 days) of starting.
Can Shopify discounts show on Google Shopping automatically?
Google says Shopify and WooCommerce discounts can be connected to Merchant Center so you don't have to recreate them. For Shopify, you first need the Google & YouTube channel installed, which lets promotions sync to your Merchant Center account.