> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.asva-ai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# UCP with Google Merchant Center and Google AI Mode

> Connect your Merchant Center feed to UCP — field mapping, Business Profile linking, endpoint requirements, and feed diagnostics for Google AI Mode.

Google's UCP path builds on your existing Merchant Center infrastructure. If you already have an active Merchant Center feed, you are 40–50% of the way to full UCP readiness. What you add on top — a `/.well-known/ucp` manifest, live checkout endpoints, and higher-quality product data — is what unlocks Google AI Mode and Gemini as transactional surfaces for your store.

## Prerequisites

* Active Google Merchant Center account with products approved for Shopping
* Product feed in a Google-supported format (XML, TSV, or API)
* Domain with HTTPS
* Ability to host `/.well-known/ucp` at your domain root

## Step 1: Audit your product feed

Google AI Mode requires higher-quality product data than standard Shopping ads. Run the Readiness Score first to identify gaps in your existing feed:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://asva-ai.com/api/audit \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ASVA_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain": "yourstore.com", "checks": ["feed", "merchant_center"]}'
```

### Feed field requirements for UCP and AI Mode

| Field          | Required    | Notes                                                                |
| -------------- | ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `id`           | Yes         | Stable, unique product ID. Must not change between feed refreshes.   |
| `title`        | Yes         | Clear, descriptive — avoid keyword stuffing or promotional language. |
| `description`  | Yes         | Minimum 150 characters for adequate AI comprehension.                |
| `link`         | Yes         | Canonical product page URL.                                          |
| `image_link`   | Yes         | High-resolution, publicly accessible image URL.                      |
| `price`        | Yes         | Accurate, in the format `129.99 USD`. Must match on-site pricing.    |
| `availability` | Yes         | One of: `in stock`, `out of stock`, `preorder`.                      |
| `brand`        | Yes         | Required for most product categories.                                |
| `gtin`         | Recommended | Improves product match quality and deduplication.                    |
| `product_type` | Recommended | Google product taxonomy path (e.g. `Apparel & Accessories > Shoes`). |

### Mapping Merchant Center fields to UCP product schema

| Merchant Center field | UCP product field                 | Notes                                                            |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `id`                  | `id`                              | Direct mapping — use the same identifier in both                 |
| `title`               | `name`                            | Direct mapping                                                   |
| `description`         | `description`                     | Direct mapping; 150+ chars recommended                           |
| `link`                | `url`                             | Direct mapping                                                   |
| `image_link`          | `images[0]`                       | First element in the `images` array                              |
| `price`               | `price.amount` + `price.currency` | Convert `129.99 USD` to `{ amount: 12999, currency: "USD" }`     |
| `availability`        | `availability`                    | Convert `in stock` → `in_stock`, `out of stock` → `out_of_stock` |
| `brand`               | `brand`                           | Direct mapping                                                   |
| Item group ID         | Parent product `id`               | Group variants under one product                                 |
| `color`, `size`       | `variants[].attributes`           | Map each variant attribute key-value pair                        |

<Tip>
  Use the [Readiness Score](https://asva-ai.com/tools/readiness) to get a specific list of feed gaps for your domain. It pulls from your live feed and flags missing or malformed fields, including AI Mode-specific requirements that don't apply to standard Shopping campaigns.
</Tip>

## Step 2: Link your Business Profile

Connect your Merchant Center account to your Google Business Profile so your store is eligible for AI Mode local and contextual results:

1. In Merchant Center, go to **Settings → Business information**
2. Click **Verify** next to your business profile
3. Complete phone or postcard verification if you have not already done so

## Step 3: Publish your UCP manifest

Create `/.well-known/ucp` at your domain root. This tells Google AI Mode what commerce endpoints your store exposes.

```json /.well-known/ucp theme={null}
{
  "version": "1.0",
  "capabilities": {
    "product_catalog": {
      "endpoint": "https://yourstore.com/api/ucp/products",
      "format": "json",
      "supports_search": true
    },
    "checkout": {
      "endpoint": "https://yourstore.com/api/ucp/checkout",
      "supported_methods": ["POST"]
    }
  }
}
```

Generate this file automatically using the [Manifest Generator](https://asva-ai.com/tools/manifest). See [UCP capability discovery](/ucp/well-known) for hosting instructions.

## Step 4: Implement UCP endpoints

A perfect Merchant Center feed alone is not sufficient. Google AI Mode requires your checkout endpoint to be live for customers to transact. At minimum, implement:

* `GET /ucp/products` — your product catalog (can mirror your Merchant Center feed, transformed to UCP schema)
* `POST /ucp/checkout` — cart creation and order confirmation

See [UCP getting started](/ucp/getting-started) for full endpoint specifications and code examples.

## Step 5: Validate and submit

Run the full Readiness Score audit:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://asva-ai.com/api/audit \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ASVA_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain": "yourstore.com"}'
```

Then in Google Merchant Center:

1. Go to **Products → Feeds**
2. Click your feed and select **Fetch now**
3. Open **Diagnostics** and review any UCP-specific errors or warnings
4. Submit for verification if prompted

## Common issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Feed approved but no AI Mode exposure">
    Approval in standard Shopping does not guarantee AI Mode placement. AI Mode has stricter data quality requirements around description length, image quality, and price accuracy. Check the **Diagnostics** tab for AI Mode-specific warnings and run the Readiness Score to see exactly what needs to change.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="/.well-known/ucp returns 404">
    The manifest must be hosted at the root domain (`yourstore.com/.well-known/ucp`), not at a subdomain. Some hosting platforms require explicit routing for `.well-known` paths — add a server route or rewrite rule if your static hosting blocks dot-prefixed directories.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Checkout endpoint timing out">
    Cart creation should respond within 3 seconds. Google AI Mode may time out and fall back to a non-transactional result if your endpoint is too slow. Optimize your database queries, use connection pooling, and cache product and pricing data close to the endpoint.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Price mismatch between feed and site">
    Google requires that prices in your Merchant Center feed match prices on your product pages. If AI Mode detects a discrepancy, your products may be disapproved. Ensure your UCP catalog endpoint and your Merchant Center feed both pull from the same source of truth.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="UCP getting started" icon="rocket" href="/ucp/getting-started">
    Full quickstart — manifest, catalog, and checkout endpoints.
  </Card>

  <Card title="UCP capability discovery" icon="file-code" href="/ucp/well-known">
    Hosting and validating your /.well-known/ucp manifest.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Shopify UCP guide" icon="shopify" href="/ucp/shopify">
    UCP implementation for Shopify merchants.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Feed specs and formatting" icon="table" href="/guides/feed-specs">
    Preparing feeds for Merchant Center and ACP.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>