Google & YouTube App Error: Merchant Center Account Already Linked Elsewhere

[areddy]

Hi,

I installed the Google & YouTube app on Shopify but am unable to connect my Google Merchant Center account. I keep getting an error stating that the account is “already connected to another business.”

I have no way of figuring out which business it is linked to or how to unlink it. I contacted Shopify Support, but they directed me to Google, and when I reached out to Google Support, they sent me back to Shopify.

Has anyone else faced this issue? Any guidance on how to resolve it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[FarioConsulting]

Hi,

It may be that your Google Merchant Center account might be linked to a subaccount within an advanced account setup

You should create a different email for the sub account and link it through Shopify using that new email address

[areddy]

I wasn’t aware of this possibility, but in this case, my Merchant Center account is not an advanced account. The attached screenshot confirms this.

Can you think of any other possible reasons for the issue?

[EmmanuelFlossie]

This is because your Google Merchant Center (GMC) account has been connected with another store. Is this your only shopify account?

When you log in directly to your GMC account, what website do you see is registered here: https://merchants.google.com/mc/merchantprofile/businessinfo

[areddy]

Hi,

I understand the intent of the error message but can’t determine the underlying cause.

The Merchant Center, my store, and the Google Ads account have all been active for nearly 10 years. While it may not be relevant, the Merchant Center is correctly linked to the Shopify store URL and is both verified and claimed.

Let me know if you need any further details.

[EmmanuelFlossie]

If you don't have any other accounts, and the app is causing issues, I recommend you use a better app that does not have these kinds of limitations such as: https://apps.shopify.com/multiple-google-shopping-feeds

[areddy]

Actually, we use a manual feed in our case, and I am perfectly happy with it. The issue I’m trying to resolve is that the app is sending slightly incorrect product parameters. As shown in the screenshot, the product code is being sent with the “US” code, whereas the correct code should be “IN”.

I attempted to connect Merchant Center because the Google & YouTube app only allows me to set the locale after the connection. However, this was just my assumption.

So, my issue is to make the app send the correct product code, than wanting to use the feed generated by this app. Is there another way to ensure the app sends the ”IN” code for products?

[EmmanuelFlossie]

Simply use feed rules to replace parts of your website URL, explained here: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/14994083?hl=en

[areddy]

I was able to resolve the error after connecting the Google & YouTube app with our Merchant Center account. After reaching out to the Google team, they suggested disconnecting and reconnecting the integration. I followed their instructions, and that issue is now resolved.

However, there is still a problem with the product ID format. The app is currently sending the product ID as Shopify_ZZ_12321_123123. Before resolving the error, the country code was set to “US”, but the correct format for our store (based in India) should be “IN”.

I have checked the Shopify settings and confirmed that the country is set to India within the app.

I’m unsure how to resolve this. My assumption is that it might auto-resolve once the configuration syncs between the app and the Merchant Center account and is approved, but I am not certain.

Please advise on the best course of action.

[EmmanuelFlossie]

The ID doesn't matter, it can be anything you choose, it can be shopify_XCYOIUD_123456789_13246978 for all it matters.

So nothing to resolve, and nothing to worry about.

[areddy]

Thank you. The challenge is that my Merchant Center feed is based on the product ID using the “IN” country code. There is a lot of data associated with these IDs in Merchant Center, and the same applies to our Google Ads campaigns, particularly for dynamic remarketing.

Changing the ID would disrupt both the Merchant Center data and our Google Ads campaigns.

Otherwise, I agree that it is just an ID and can be set to any format we choose.

[EmmanuelFlossie]

Thank you for the details, yes that is a problem, however if you use 1 app, the dynamic remarketing is automatically added and should match. But in any case, to fix the issue, I recommend you use an app such as: https://apps.shopify.com/multiple-google-shopping-feeds

Here you can change the ID to whatever you need.