For businesses selling products online, free product listings on Google provide an excellent way to increase visibility without spending a dime on advertising. However, in our to benefit from this type of listing, you’ll need to understand how they can be set up. This guide dives deep into what free product listings are, how they work, and the key concepts you need to know, such as managed versus unmanaged offers and the definition of an “offer.” Whether you’re a seasoned seller or just getting started, this post will answer your questions about free product listings and how they can benefit your e-commerce strategy.
What Are Free Product Listings?
Free product listings are unpaid product placements that allow your products to appear across Google’s search ecosystem, including the Shopping tab, Google Search, Images, and other discovery experiences. They enable retailers to showcase their products to potential customers without paying for ad placement, making them a cost-effective way to gain exposure.
While free product listings are not ads, they still rely on product data that you upload and manage in Google Merchant Center, such as product titles, descriptions, prices, availability, and more. Google uses this information to determine how and where your products should appear.
What Are Offers vs. Products?
Understanding the distinction between “products” and “offers” is crucial to effectively managing free product listings:
Product: A product refers to a tangible item you sell, such as a pair of sneakers or a coffee maker. It’s the actual physical or digital good that your customers can buy.
Offer: An offer is how a product is displayed in a specific format or context. Offers take into account attributes like language, currency, and the target marketplace.
For example:
- If you sell a coffee maker in the United States, you might have two offers for the same product: one in English and another in Spanish, targeting English-speaking and Spanish-speaking customers respectively.
- If you expand to Canada, where you have both English and French-speaking customers, you would create two additional offers for the same product.
So, one product can result in multiple offers, depending on the markets and customer segments you’re targeting.
Managed Offers vs. Unmanaged Offers
When working with free product listings, you’ll encounter two types of offers: managed and unmanaged. Each type plays a role in how your products appear on Google.
Managed Offers
Managed offers are those that you actively control by uploading a product feed or using an API integration in Google Merchant Center. These offers include product attributes such as:
- Title
- Description
- Price
- Availability
- GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)
You have full control over the metadata for managed offers, ensuring accuracy and optimizing the information for better visibility in search results. Managed offers allow for greater precision and customization, which can be advantageous when targeting specific customer segments or regions.
Unmanaged Offers
Unmanaged offers, on the other hand, are automatically created by Google when it crawls your website. If you’ve allowed Google to index your site, it may generate free product listings based on the information it finds, such as product descriptions and prices.
Unmanaged offers are typically tracked through Google Search Console, a tool used for SEO and website performance. While unmanaged offers can fill gaps when a product isn’t included in your product feed, they lack the customization and control that managed offers provide.
Why Managed vs. Unmanaged Offers Matter
The distinction between managed and unmanaged offers is important because Google continues to release features that apply to one or both types of offers. Here’s why it matters:
- Accuracy: Managed offers allow you to control your product data, reducing the risk of incorrect information appearing in listings.
- Coverage: Unmanaged offers can act as a safety net by ensuring products that aren’t in your feed still appear on Google, provided your website is crawlable.
- Feature Availability: Some advanced features, such as enhanced listing experiences or additional product attributes, are only available for managed offers.
For example, if you forget to upload a product via your feed, Google might still list it as an unmanaged offer. This provides additional coverage but with less control over how the product is displayed.
How Free Product Listings Work
Free product listings rely on the product feed you manage through Google Merchant Center. Once your feed is uploaded, Google evaluates the data and determines where your products should appear. These placements can include:
Search Results Page (SERP)
Free product listings may appear under organic search results or in discovery-based placements. For example, the screenshot below shows the “jackpot” panel which is where a commercial search term brings back a left panel that displays on the right screen. While you cannot target this space, having good metadata enables your products to have a chance for being able to qualify for this spot.
The screenshot below shows one of many variations on the main SERP where products appear in rows. We’ve seen rows of up to 6, often during sales events when Google loves testing new features on both their organic placements and ads.
Google Shopping Tab
The Shopping tab is the most common place for free product listings. However, they typically appear below the fold, requiring users to scroll. The image shows the “shopping” tab which has been known to change frequently, with the latest 2025 changes enabling some categorization as well as larger product images.
Images Tab
Some products are displayed in Google Images, providing a visually appealing way to attract customers. In the image below, you can see the “product tag” icon on the left of the image of the product. Once you click on it, the right panel appears that shows more details.
The ROI of Free Product Listings
Free product listings are highly efficient since there is no cost associated with displaying your products. However, they do come with certain limitations:
- Visibility: Free product listings often appear in less prominent areas, such as below the fold or on secondary tabs.
- Conversion Path: Unlike Shopping Ads, free product listings may require an extra click for users to reach your product page.
Despite these limitations, free product listings are an excellent way to generate traffic and attract new customers without increasing your ad spend.
How to Get Started with Free Product Listings
Follow these steps to begin using free product listings:
Set Up Google Merchant Center
- Create a Google Merchant Center account and verify your domain.
- Enable the “Surfaces across Google” program to allow free product listings.
Prepare Your Product Feed
- Organize your product data, including titles, descriptions, images, prices, and availability.
- Ensure compliance with Google’s product data specifications.
Allow Website Crawling (Optional)
- If you want to enable unmanaged offers, ensure your website is crawlable by Google. Use Google Search Console to monitor performance and coverage.
Optimize Your Listings
- Provide high-quality product images.
- Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions for better visibility.
- Regularly update your product data to ensure accuracy.
Best Practices for Free Product Listings
To maximize the impact of free product listings, follow these best practices:
- Leverage Both Managed and Unmanaged Offers: Use managed offers for control and precision, while allowing unmanaged offers for broader coverage.
- Focus on Metadata: Ensure your product titles, descriptions, and GTINs are accurate and optimized.
- Expand Your Offers: Consider creating multiple offers for the same product to target different languages and regions.
- Monitor Performance: Use Merchant Center and Search Console to track impressions, clicks, and engagement.
Final Thoughts
Free product listings on Google offer an incredible opportunity for e-commerce businesses to reach new customers without spending on advertising. By understanding the concepts of offers, managed vs. unmanaged offers, and how Google’s tools work together, you can effectively showcase your products and drive traffic to your site.
Take advantage of this cost-effective solution to grow your business and make your products visible to millions of Google users worldwide.
More Information on Free Product Listings
- All About Free Product Listings on Google