How to add shopify checkout link in Google Merchant Center

If you run a Shopify store and advertise your products on Google through Google Merchant Center (GMC), you probably want to make the buying process as easy as possible for your customers. A great way to do this is by using Shopify checkout links. These links take shoppers directly from your Google ad to the checkout page with their selected item already in the cart. It’s a simple, fast way to get them closer to the ultimate goal – purchase!

This guide will explain what Shopify checkout links are, why you need them, and how to set them up in Google Merchant Center. We’ll keep things straightforward so that any store owner can follow along.

Where Is This Feature Available?

The checkout link feature in Google Merchant Center is only available for products sold in these countries:

• United States
• Canada
• Great Britain
• India
• Germany
• Japan

Important: The checkout feature for free listings is currently only available in the United States. For other countries, checkout links only work on paid Shopping ads.

If you’re selling in a country not listed above, this feature won’t be available for your products yet.

What are Shopify checkout links?

A Shopify checkout link allows customers to skip steps and go straight to the checkout page with the product they’ve clicked on already added to their cart. This is perfect for products that don’t need extra customisation (such as selecting a size or colour) or for customers who are short on time and know exactly what they want. It reduces friction by making the shopping process quicker and easier, which can help you close more sales.

What is the checkout link template attribute?

The checkout link template attribute is a value containing a unique link for the product that will add the item to cart and take the user to checkout. You can set this up by editing the product feed for Google Merchant Center.

Why do you need the checkout link template?

The checkout link template makes things much easier for shoppers. Instead of browsing your entire site, they can go straight from your Google ad to checkout, with the product already added to their cart. This can reduce the number of steps it takes for someone to buy from you, which likely means more sales and fewer customers getting lost along the way.

It’s especially useful for products that don’t need a lot of thought before buying, like everyday items or branded goods that customers are familiar with.

How to create a checkout link template

To create a checkout link for each product, you’ll need to follow this simple formula:

• Start with the link: https://yourdomain.com/cart/[variant_id]:1
• Replace yourdomain.com with your Shopify store’s actual website address.

Shopify uses variant_id for products, which is a unique identifier for each version of a product (such as different sizes or colours). You can find the variant ID by checking your Shopify product details or using a Shopify app that exports product data.

So, your link should look like: https://yourdomain.com/cart/[variant_id]:1.

The :1 at the end means one item will be added to the cart. You can change the number if needed.

How to Add Checkout Links (3 Methods)

There are three ways to set up Shopify checkout links. Choose the method that fits your situation.

Method 1: Google & YouTube Shopify App (Easiest)

If you use the official Google & YouTube app for Shopify, you’re automatically opted in to the checkout feature. The app generates checkout URLs for your products without any manual configuration.

To verify or change your settings:

1. In your Shopify admin, open the Google & YouTube app
2. Click Settings
3. In “Product feed settings”, click Manage beside “Checkout link settings”
4. Verify “Include a link to checkout” is selected
5. To opt out, select “Don’t include a link to checkout”
6. Click Save

Requirements:

• Your storefront must be public (no password protection)
• Products must be approved in Merchant Center

Method 2: Account-Level Setup in Merchant Center

This applies one URL template to all your products. Use this if you have a consistent URL structure and aren’t using the Shopify app.

1. Log in to your Google Merchant Center account
2. Navigate to Settings → Business info
3. On the “Checkout” card, click Edit checkout settings
4. Select Include link to your cart or checkout page
5. Enter your checkout link template: https://yourdomain.com/cart/{id}:1
6. Click Test URL Structure to verify it works
7. Select your destinations (Show in ads / Show in free listings)
8. Click Save

Important: If you use this method, do NOT send the checkout_link_template attribute in your product feed—you can only use one method, not both.

Method 3: Product-Level Setup via Feed

Use this if you need different checkout URLs for specific products, or if your product IDs don’t match the standard format.

1. Add the checkout_link_template attribute to your product feed with unique URLs for each product
2. In Merchant Center, go to Settings → Business info
3. Click Edit checkout settings
4. Select to include the URL but leave the textbox blank (URLs come from your feed)
5. Select your destinations and click Save

You can also use a supplemental feed to add checkout URLs without modifying your main product feed.

Troubleshooting Checkout Link Errors

“Invalid checkout link” Error

Your checkout URL doesn’t match requirements.

How to fix:

• Ensure your checkout URL domain matches your product listing domain
• Check for typos in the URL template
• Verify the URL returns a 200 HTTP status (not 404 or 500 errors)
• Make sure the checkout page doesn’t require customers to sign in first

“Checkout URL is not yet live” Message

Google validates all checkout URLs, which can take up to 24 hours.

How to fix:

• Use the Test URL Structure button in Merchant Center to verify your URL works immediately
• Ensure Google’s Storebot can crawl your site (don’t block it in robots.txt)
• Check that your Shopify storefront is public (no password protection)

“Mismatched checkout URL domains” Error

Your product page domain doesn’t match your checkout URL domain.

How to fix:

• Use the same domain for both your product feed and checkout URLs
• If using a custom domain, ensure all URLs point to that domain (not yourstore.myshopify.com)

Allow Google Storebot Access

Google regularly crawls your checkout pages to verify they work. Make sure you’re not blocking these user agents in your robots.txt or firewall:

• Desktop: Storebot-Google
• Mobile: Storebot-Google (mobile variant)

Check your Shopify robots.txt at yourstore.com/robots.txt to verify Storebot isn’t blocked.

Testing Your Checkout Links

Manual Browser Testing

Before submitting to Google, test your links manually:

1. Construct a test URL: https://yourdomain.com/cart/[your-variant-id]:1
2. Paste it into your browser (use incognito mode)
3. Verify the correct product is added to the cart
4. Confirm the quantity is correct (should be 1)
5. Ensure you land on the cart or checkout page, not a product page

Testing in Google Merchant Center

After adding your URL template:

1. Go to Settings → Business info → Checkout
2. Click Test URL Structure
3. Google will randomly select a product from your feed
4. A new tab opens showing the checkout page for that product
5. If you see a blank page or error, check for typos or incorrect parameters

Note: URL validation is a recurring process. Even after initial approval, Google periodically re-validates your checkout URLs.

Notes when adding Shopify checkout links

This link is direct, meaning customers will bypass the website and therefore won’t see other products you might want to upsell or cross-sell. Consider adding in checkout suggestions using checkout extensibility to make up for this. Or perhaps adding a post-checkout email flow to drive follow-up purchases.

It’s important to track how these links impact your sales and customer behaviour. Use tools like Google Analytics or Shopify reports to keep an eye on metrics such as conversion rates, abandoned carts, and overall sales. This can help you optimise the checkout process over time.

Conclusion

Using Shopify checkout links in Google Merchant Center is a great way to make the buying process quicker and easier for your customers, which could increase your sales. Pick the method that works best for your store, and remember to monitor how well it performs over time to ensure you’re getting the most out of this feature.