How to add shipping_label to shipping rates? Ref to Google Merchant Center

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

Problem: Merchants need to assign different shipping rates to individual products across multiple countries in Google Merchant Center, but products are rejected with “Missing value [shipping]” errors when shipping labels aren’t properly configured.

Initial Workarounds (2020-2022):

  • Creating manual feeds instead of using the Google Channel app
  • Using third-party apps like “Simprosys Google Shopping Feed” to set up feed rules for shipping labels

Current Solution (2024):
Google Merchant Center now supports Attribute Rules that map Shopify metafields to shipping labels:

  1. In Shopify: Assign shipping category names to each product using the “Google: Custom Label 0” metafield (or labels 1-5)
  2. In Google Merchant Center:
    • Enable “Advanced Data Management” add-on
    • Create an Attribute Rule that copies the custom label value to the “shipping_label” field
    • Test and activate the rule
    • Wait 1+ hour for processing
    • Configure individual shipping policies for each label in “Shipping and Returns”

This eliminates the need for manual feeds or third-party apps when using the official Google & YouTube app.

Summarized with AI on November 2. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Here is the scenario.

I am selling products in different countries. And each product has a different shipping rate. For example, product A shipping cost for USA is $10 and same item shipping rate for Australia is $14 AUD.

In Google Merchant Center, my items are approved for USA.

However rest of the destinations are not approved because the error says “Missing value [shipping]”.

I went to Google Merchant Center → Shipping and Returns and then click clicked + sign to add a Shipping Service.

Where it asks for products filter by shipping label, how I can select my products? Please note, I don;t want all products to use one shipping rate.

I am using Content API in feeds and Google Channel app in my store.

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I am targeting 5 countries so I will need different shipping rates for these countries and each product.

3 Likes
2

Did you find a solution to this?

3

@mohammad2020

Hello, did you find a solution to this? Because I’m in the same situation and can’t find out how to add the shipping_label to my products on shopify…

4

I finally created manual feed and was able to run campaigns.

1 Like
5

@mohammad2020

Thanks for your reply, how do you do manual feed?

6

@cocoa64 Check this article https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/160588?hl=en

7

@mohammad2020 I managed thanks :wink:

8

@cocoa64 Perfect. If it works for you, please accept the solution.

9

@cocoa64 How did you solve your problem? Did you create the feed manually?

10

This is a few years late, but for anyone having issues:

You can’t do this with the regular Google app without creating a manual feed (pointless). My preferred app for this is " Simprosys Google Shopping Feed". Soo incredibly easy to set up feed rules for shipping and shipping_label. Highly recommend.

1 Like
11

You can now (2024) do this by setting up an Attribute Rule in Merchant Center.
Google documentation: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/14994083?hl=en&sjid=13914971154045862954-EU&visit_id=638…

Steps:

In Shopify

  • List out how many separate shipping categories you will need and give each of them a name.
    • For example: free shipping, free shipping for orders over $50, $7.90 shipping, etc, you can use those for names. Spaces are OK but I don’t know if special characters like currency symbols will work.
  • In Shopify, ensure you have the “Google & Youtube” app installed.
  • In Shopify, for each product, add the name of the relevant shipping category to the metafield “Google: Custom Label 0”. You can also use the fields “Google custom label 1” … “Google custom label 5” if you already have data in the Label 0 field.

In Google Merchant Center

  • Add “advanced data management” add-in in GMC

    • Go to GMC

    • Click gear icon then “Add-ons”

    • Find the add-on, and click to enable

  • Set up the rule to copy the value of your Custom Label field to the Shipping Label field

  • Test the rule

    • Preview the sample products to check the results

    • Click “Save draft” then “Test rule”. Then wait until the page finishes running the test and make sure it’s working correctly.

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    • After checking the test, again go back to Data Sources → select Content API → Attribute Rules, then apply/activate the change! Otherwise, nothing will happen

  • Wait at least 1 hour for Google to process the change, then go set up the shipping policies by clicking “Shipping and Returns” in the left sidebar. Set up one shipping policy for each shipping label.

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