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Google Merchant Center accepts product videos through the optional video_link attribute. To qualify, each video needs a supported file format, an accessible public URL, an approved duration and file size, and a supported aspect ratio and resolution. You can submit a YouTube URL or, for another host, a direct URL to the video file itself—not a webpage with an embedded player.
Requirements at a glance
Use this table as a pre-upload specification sheet. The limits apply to each video URL submitted for a product.
| Requirement | Google Merchant Center rule | Implementation note |
|---|---|---|
| Attribute | video_link |
The value is a URL, not a video file embedded in the feed field. |
| Accepted formats | .MPG, .MP4, .WMV, .AVI, .MOV, .FLV, .MPEG-1 and .MPEGPS |
The URL must resolve to a video in one of these formats. |
| URL scheme | Must begin with http:// or https:// |
Special characters in the URL must be URL-encoded. |
| Duration | From 6 seconds through 240 seconds | Files outside this inclusive range are not eligible. |
| Maximum file size | 500 MB | Check the encoded file size, not only the editor project size. |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1 | Export in one of these native shapes rather than adding black bars. |
| Minimum resolution | 720p (1280×720) | Higher resolution can be used, but blurry or out-of-focus footage is discouraged. |
| Audio | Optional | A video can be submitted without a soundtrack. |
| Crawlability | Publicly reachable by Googlebot | No login, special permission, robots.txt block or expiring access URL. |
| Licensing | You must hold marketing-content rights | Confirm that every visual, music track and clip is licensed for product marketing. |
The attribute is optional per product. A product can have no video, while products with useful demonstrations can provide one or more links.
Which video formats and URLs are accepted?
Supported file formats
Google lists eight accepted formats: MPG, MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, FLV, MPEG-1 and MPEGPS. The extension alone is not enough; the URL must actually deliver a playable video file in the declared format. If your server returns an HTML page, a login screen or a player wrapper instead of the media file, Merchant Center cannot fetch the video as submitted.
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YouTube links versus other hosts
YouTube URLs are accepted as video links. For every other host, the URL must point directly to the raw video file. A product page containing a video player, a sharing page, a redirect to a landing page or a download-interstitial URL does not meet that direct-file requirement.
Use a stable HTTPS address whenever possible. The address should continue returning the same video after the feed is processed; short-lived signed URLs, session-dependent links and URLs that expire can fail when Googlebot crawls them later.
URL encoding
Encode characters that have a special meaning in URLs before placing the link in a feed. This is particularly important when a URL contains a comma. In a tab-separated feed, commas separate multiple values, so a comma that belongs to the URL itself must be encoded to prevent it from being interpreted as another video link.
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Duration and file size
Merchant Center accepts videos only when they fall within the published duration window and stay at or below the maximum file size shown in the requirements table. Measure duration after the final export, because trimming, an added title card or a different frame rate can change the encoded result. Likewise, check the delivered file rather than an uncompressed editing master; an export that is larger than the limit must be recompressed or trimmed before submission.
Aspect ratio
Choose 9:16 for vertical product footage, 16:9 for conventional landscape demonstrations, or 1:1 for square placements. Exporting in a native ratio is preferable to placing a smaller video inside a larger canvas. Google advises against black bars, which can make the product occupy less of the visible frame and reduce perceived quality.
Resolution
The minimum is 720p, defined in the specification as 1280×720. A file can be larger than that minimum, but increasing pixel dimensions cannot rescue footage that is soft, out of focus or heavily compressed. Check the resolution of the final encoded file, not only the project settings in an editor.
Access, crawling and rights requirements
Make the URL reachable without credentials
Googlebot must be able to request the video without signing in, accepting a private invitation or supplying a special permission token. Test the URL from a normal browser session in which you are not logged in, then verify that your server does not require cookies or a human confirmation page.
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Do not block the video in robots.txt
A robots.txt rule that disallows the video path can prevent Google from retrieving it. Review the exact host and directory used by the video URL, including any CDN hostname, rather than checking only your product-page domain.
Keep the address stable
The URL should remain valid and crawlable after the feed is submitted. Avoid links that expire after a short interval or change whenever a user requests them. If your infrastructure must rotate files, preserve the old address long enough for Google to recrawl it, or submit a new stable URL and allow the replacement to be discovered.
Confirm marketing rights
Merchants are responsible for having licensing rights for marketing use. That includes the product footage itself and any music, voice, stock clip, logo treatment or third-party material included in the export. A technically valid file can still be unsuitable if you do not have permission to use its content in product promotion.
How to add video_link to a product feed
Text or TSV feeds
- Export the final video and host it at a public, stable URL.
- Add a column named
video_linkto the feed schema. - Place the video URL in the product row. The value must be the URL itself, beginning with
http://orhttps://. - If a URL contains a comma as data, URL-encode that comma before inserting it into the tab-separated file.
- Validate the feed and submit it through your normal Merchant Center feed process.
When a product has more than one relevant video, include the links as comma-separated values in the TSV field, taking care to encode commas that are part of a URL. The attribute can be repeated for up to 10 videos per product.
XML feeds
- Add a
video_linkelement in the product item for each submitted URL. - Place the complete, publicly reachable URL between the element tags.
- Escape XML-reserved characters where required by XML syntax, while retaining URL encoding for characters that are special to the URL itself.
- Submit the updated XML feed and inspect processing results for the affected product.
The attribute remains optional, so leaving it out is valid when a product has no suitable video. Adding an unusable link is worse than omitting one because a video-level policy or quality error can prevent that video from serving.
Choosing a hosting approach
| Hosting approach | What Google expects | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube URL | A YouTube video URL is an accepted submission type. | Merchants that already publish product demonstrations on YouTube. |
| Direct file on your server or CDN | The URL must return the raw video file, remain public and stay crawlable. | Teams that control file delivery, caching and URL longevity. |
| Product or campaign landing page | Not sufficient by itself when the URL resolves to a page containing a player instead of the video file. | Use the page for shoppers, but submit the underlying accepted video URL. |
Whichever method you choose, verify the response from outside your internal network and make sure the address does not depend on a logged-in browser session.
Updating or replacing a submitted video
When you replace a file, Google recommends using a new unique URL where possible. A new URL typically prompts a crawl within 24–72 hours. Editing the media behind the same URL can take up to six weeks for Google to detect, so reusing an address can leave an old version serving for considerably longer.
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- Export the replacement and validate its format, size, duration, ratio and resolution.
- Upload it to a new stable public URL.
- Change the product’s
video_linkvalue to that URL in the feed. - Submit the feed and monitor processing and serving status.
- Keep the previous URL available while the replacement is being discovered if other systems still reference it.
What changed in 2026 serving and policy validation?
Google’s 2026 specification update says serving eligibility, policy checks and quality validation for video_link submissions began on June 30, 2026. A policy or quality error prevents the affected video from serving, but it does not disapprove or otherwise invalidate the associated product offer. This distinction matters when diagnosing a listing: correct the video independently rather than assuming the entire offer has failed.
Videos may appear in free listings and can also be used in Google Ads campaigns. The optional attribute itself does not determine offer approval status; the video must still pass the applicable serving, policy and quality checks.
Product-video practices that improve eligibility and usefulness
- Show the specific product named in the feed, preferably while it is being used or demonstrated.
- Link each video to the product or products that actually appear in it.
- Avoid company-wide or brand-reel footage that does not represent the individual offer.
- Keep the edit concise and well produced so the product is visible quickly.
- Inspect the first and last frames for accidental black bars, frozen frames or an out-of-focus shot.
- Make the product understandable without relying on audio; sound is optional and many placements may be viewed muted.
Troubleshooting common submission failures
“Unsupported format” or an unreadable file
Confirm that the delivered file is one of Google’s listed formats and that the URL returns the media itself. A filename ending in a supported extension does not help if the server sends an HTML error document or a different media type.
Video is rejected for duration or size
Check the final encoded file with a media-information utility or your editor’s export report. Trim unnecessary intros and outros, then export again with settings that keep the delivered file within the published limits.
Video cannot be fetched
Open the exact URL in a private browser window and test it without cookies or authentication. Check redirects, CDN rules, hotlink protection, expiring signatures and robots.txt entries. Replace the URL if it is not reliably available to Googlebot.
Quality or policy error while the offer remains active
This indicates a video-level serving problem, not necessarily a product-offer disapproval. Review focus, black bars, product relevance, rights and the submitted URL, then upload a corrected file and update the feed.
Replacement is not visible
If you edited the old file behind the same URL, discovery can take substantially longer. Submit the replacement under a new unique URL, update video_link, and allow the normal recrawl period.
Final pre-submission checklist
- The feed uses the exact attribute name
video_link. - Every value starts with
http://orhttps://. - The URL is a YouTube link or a direct raw-video URL on another host.
- The file is MPG, MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, FLV, MPEG-1 or MPEGPS.
- The final export meets the duration and 500 MB ceiling.
- The aspect ratio is 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1.
- The resolution is at least 1280×720.
- Googlebot can fetch it without login or special permission.
- robots.txt does not block the video path.
- The URL is stable and does not expire.
- You hold the rights needed for marketing use.
- The footage clearly shows the product associated with the offer.
- Any URL commas that are part of the address are encoded before a TSV submission.
- Multiple links stay within the per-product limit.
The Bottom Line
Submit a stable public video_link that points to a supported video file or YouTube URL, meets Merchant Center’s duration, size, ratio and resolution limits, and clearly demonstrates the associated product. Validate access and rights before sending the feed; those checks prevent most video-only serving failures.
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