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Freedom251 › Blog › Google Merchant Center

Google Merchant Center video requirements: formats, size, length, and resolution

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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Google Merchant Center accepts product videos through the optional video_link attribute. A submitted video must use a listed format, run for 6 to 240 seconds, be no larger than 500 MB, use a 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1 aspect ratio, and provide at least 720p (1280×720) resolution. You must give Google a publicly crawlable URL: YouTube links are accepted, while links hosted elsewhere must point directly to the raw video file.

The URL must work without a login, remain stable, and not be blocked by robots.txt. Google can use eligible videos in free listings and Google Ads campaigns. Video policy or quality errors stop the video from serving, but they do not disapprove the associated product offer.

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Requirements at a glance

Requirement Google’s requirement What to verify
Attribute video_link Provide a video URL as the attribute value; the attribute itself is optional for each product.
Accepted formats .MPG, .MP4, .WMV, .AVI, .MOV, .FLV, .MPEG-1 and .MPEGPS The URL must identify a video in one of these listed formats.
Duration 6 to 240 seconds The six-second minimum and 240-second maximum both apply to the submitted file.
File size 500 MB maximum Check the complete file size before publishing the URL.
Aspect ratio 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1 Export in one of these three orientations rather than adding black bars.
Resolution At least 720p (1280×720) Use a source and export setting that produces at least 1280×720 pixels.
URL protocol http:// or https:// Special characters in the URL must be URL-encoded.
Access Public and crawlable Googlebot must reach the file without a login, special permission or a robots.txt block.
Quantity Up to 10 links per product The field may be repeated up to 10 times.
Audio Optional A silent product demonstration can still meet the sound requirement.

These are technical limits published in Google Merchant Center Help. They are requirements for the video submitted through video_link, not independent recommendations from a camera or editing test.

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What the video_link attribute does

video_link is a feed attribute whose value is a URL. It is not an upload field that stores the video inside Merchant Center. Your feed tells Google where the file is hosted, and Google retrieves the file from that address.

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The attribute is optional on a product-by-product basis. You can include it only for products that have suitable footage. Videos may appear in free listings and can also be used in Google Ads campaigns. Adding a video does not change the approval status of the associated offer: a video can have a policy or quality error while the product offer remains approved.

Each video should represent the product attached to the feed item. A company-wide brand film that does not show or explain the specific product is a poor match for this attribute, even if its file meets every technical limit.

Accepted formats and URL behavior

File formats Google lists

Google lists eight accepted format labels: .MPG, .MP4, .WMV, .AVI, .MOV, .FLV, .MPEG-1 and .MPEGPS. Use an export whose actual file type matches the URL and the hosted file. Renaming a file extension without converting the underlying video does not create a valid format.

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The documented list is about the video format Google can retrieve. It does not promise that every codec, unusual container setting or damaged file will pass validation. After publishing, check the processing result in Merchant Center rather than assuming that a file name alone proves compatibility.

YouTube links versus other hosts

YouTube URLs are accepted. For every other host, the URL must point directly to the raw video file, not to a web page containing an embedded player, a product page, a login screen or an interstitial download page.

A direct raw-file response lets Googlebot fetch the video itself. A browser page that happens to play the video is a different resource and may fail validation even when a human visitor can watch it. Test the exact URL supplied in the feed, not a shortened link or a page that redirects viewers to the file.

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Protocol, encoding and permanence

The URL must begin with http:// or https://. URL-encode special characters, including characters that could otherwise be interpreted as separators. Keep the address stable and non-expiring: signed links with a short lifetime, session-only addresses and URLs that change after each request are unsuitable for a feed that Google needs to crawl.

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Duration, file size, aspect ratio and resolution

Duration: six seconds through four minutes

Google’s stated rule is that “Video length must be between 6 seconds and 240 seconds.” A file shorter than six seconds or longer than 240 seconds falls outside the requirement. Trim the opening and closing dead time rather than uploading a longer cut and expecting Merchant Center to shorten it.

Use the duration of the actual encoded file, not the length of a project timeline in an editor. A final export can gain or lose a few frames during encoding, so check the exported file with a media inspector before adding its URL to the feed.

File size: 500 MB maximum

The complete video file must be no larger than 500 MB. File size is affected by duration, frame rate, codec and bitrate, so a high-resolution export can exceed the limit even when it is only a few minutes long. If the export is too large, create a new encoded file with an efficient production setting while preserving at least the required resolution and one of the accepted aspect ratios.

Do not solve a size problem by replacing the direct file with a landing page. The URL still has to resolve to the video itself for non-YouTube hosting.

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Aspect ratio: three accepted shapes

Google identifies 9:16, 16:9 and 1:1 as the supported aspect ratios. They correspond broadly to vertical, horizontal and square placements. Compose the product inside the chosen frame so important details are not cropped in a different placement.

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Google advises against black bars. Export the video in the intended ratio instead of placing a smaller video inside a padded canvas. Black bars consume display area and can make the result look like a low-quality conversion even when the pixel dimensions are high enough.

Resolution: at least 1280×720

The minimum is 720p, expressed as 1280×720 pixels. A file can have an accepted ratio and still fail the resolution threshold if either dimension is too small for that ratio. For vertical or square work, choose dimensions that preserve at least the equivalent of 720p detail rather than simply stretching a low-resolution source.

Resolution does not guarantee visual quality. Google specifically advises against blurry or out-of-focus footage, so inspect the product, labels and demonstrations at normal viewing size before publishing.

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Access, crawlability and rights

Make the file reachable by Googlebot

The video must be publicly accessible without a login or special permission. Check the URL in a private browser session and from a network that is not already authenticated. If the host requires a cookie, account, one-time token or manual approval, Googlebot may be unable to retrieve the file.

Review the host’s robots.txt rules and any separate firewall, bot-management or access-control settings. The video path must not be blocked to Googlebot. A successful playback for your own logged-in account is not evidence that the crawler can fetch it.

Keep hosting dependable

Use a stable URL that returns the same intended video over time. Avoid an address that expires, changes content unexpectedly or redirects through a temporary campaign page. If you need to replace the footage, publish the replacement at a new unique URL where possible; the new address gives Google a clear resource to crawl.

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Confirm marketing rights

You need licensing rights for marketing use of the footage. That includes the product imagery and any other material in the video for which your business does not automatically own the rights. Technical compliance cannot cure a copyright or permission problem.

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How to submit a product video

1. Prepare and inspect the final file

  1. Export one of the formats Google lists.
  2. Measure the final file’s duration and size, then verify its pixel dimensions and aspect ratio.
  3. Watch the export for blur, focus problems, black bars, missing product details or an unrelated company message.
  4. Confirm that your business has marketing-content rights for everything shown and heard.

2. Host the video at a public URL

Choose either an accepted YouTube URL or a non-YouTube address that serves the raw video file directly. Confirm that the URL uses http:// or https://, special characters are encoded, and no login, expiring token or crawler block is required.

3. Add video_link to the feed

In a text or TSV feed, place the video URL in the video_link attribute column for the matching product. If a product has several videos, Google allows multiple links separated by commas in TSV. A comma that belongs to the URL itself must be URL-encoded so Google does not treat it as the boundary between two links.

In XML, use the documented video_link element for the product and repeat the field for additional videos. The field can be repeated up to 10 times for one product. Keep each value as a URL; do not paste the binary video data into the feed.

video_link    VIDEO_URL

The example shows the field relationship only: replace the code value with the actual URL of the hosted video when building your feed.

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4. Submit and inspect processing

Send the feed through your normal Merchant Center feed method, then review diagnostics and video processing results. A product can remain active while its video is rejected, so inspect video-specific messages rather than assuming that an approved offer means the video is serving.

5. Check the final association

Make sure each URL is attached to the product whose footage it shows. If you reuse one product video for several products, the footage should genuinely represent every linked product. Remove broad corporate footage that does not help a shopper understand the item in the feed.

Replacing a video and crawl timing

When you replace a file, a new unique URL is the faster path in Google’s guidance. Google says a new URL typically prompts a crawl within 24 to 72 hours. If you edit the video behind the same URL, detection of that change can take up to six weeks.

This difference matters when an old video contains an error, an expired promotion or an incorrect product. Publishing the new file under a new URL gives Google a distinct resource to discover instead of waiting for a cache or recrawl of the old address. Keep the old URL available long enough for normal processing, unless it must be removed for legal or security reasons.

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Common failures and practical fixes

Symptom Likely cause Fix
Google cannot fetch the video The URL requires authentication, expires, redirects to a player page or is blocked by robots.txt. Test the exact feed URL while logged out, remove access barriers, permit Googlebot and use a stable direct resource.
Unsupported format error The file is outside Google’s listed format set, or the extension does not match the encoded file. Re-export in one of the listed formats and verify the resulting file rather than merely renaming it.
Duration validation fails The final export is shorter than six seconds or longer than 240 seconds. Measure the encoded file and trim or re-edit it before uploading a replacement.
File-size validation fails The video exceeds 500 MB. Re-encode with a suitable bitrate or codec while retaining the required resolution and aspect ratio.
Quality warning The footage is blurry, out of focus, padded with black bars or does not clearly show the product. Reframe or re-shoot the product, export in a supported ratio and remove padded borders.
Video does not serve but offer remains approved The video has a policy or quality error; video eligibility is evaluated separately from offer approval. Read the video-specific diagnostic, correct the file or content, and submit the corrected resource.
Updated footage is not detected quickly The same URL was reused for the replacement. Publish the replacement at a new unique URL when possible and allow the stated crawl window.

Content choices that improve eligibility

  • Show the specific product in use, including the feature or action the shopper needs to understand.
  • Keep the edit concise and focused on the item rather than using a company-wide introduction.
  • Use clear, in-focus footage with no black bars and no visual treatment that hides labels, controls or key parts.
  • Sound is optional, so captions, on-screen demonstrations or silent operation are valid approaches when they explain the product clearly.
  • Link each video only to products that the footage actually represents.

What changed on June 30, 2026

Google’s 2026 specification update states that serving eligibility, policy validation and quality validation for video_link submissions began on June 30, 2026. Since that date, a video that fails policy or quality checks is prevented from serving. The associated offer is not penalized merely because that video fails, so video diagnostics and offer diagnostics should be treated as separate checks.

For a reliable submission, validate the file, its URL, the product association and the rights to use the footage before sending the feed. That sequence addresses the failure points Google’s requirements actually measure: retrievability, format, size, duration, display shape, resolution, quality and policy eligibility.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Google Merchant CenterGoogle Shoppingproduct feedsvideo requirementsvideo_link

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