> [!TIP]
> **Tip:** Already using Shopping Ads? See the benefits of [upgrading to Performance
> Max](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/performance-max/upgrade-overview).

A Shopping ad is an ad type that features detailed information about specific
products that you sell. Shopping ads let you promote your online and local
inventory, boost traffic to your website or local shop, and find
better-qualified leads. For broader details, see the [Google Retail
overview](https://www.google.com/retail/).

## Prerequisites

Before you can use the Google Ads API with Shopping ads, you must complete the
following requirements:

Account ID of the Merchant Center
:   Find this ID inside the [Merchant Center UI](https://merchants.google.com). You need this account ID to
    [link your Google Ads account with your Merchant Center account](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/shopping-ads/merchant-center) and to
    [create Shopping campaigns](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/shopping-ads/create-campaign) that link to the Merchant Center.

Approved product data submitted to the Merchant Center
:   Submit your product data to your [Google Merchant Center](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/188493) account either
    as a product [feed](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7439882) or as individual products using the [Merchant
    API](https://developers.google.com/merchant/api/overview). Once these products have been approved, they become available to
    use with Google Ads. To understand the requirements for submitted data, see the
    [Product data specification](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/7052112).

Linked Google Ads and Merchant Center accounts
:   Once you've submitted your products, link your Google Ads account to your Google
    Merchant Center account. See [Link Merchant Center and Google Ads
    accounts](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/shopping-ads/merchant-center) for instructions.

## Use the Merchant API

The following tasks can be done using your [Google Merchant Center](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/188493) account
or using the [Merchant API](https://developers.google.com/merchant/api/overview):

- Manage your Merchant Center account
- Manage your product data (including price and availability)
- Manage your tax and shipping settings

## Automate using the Google Ads API

With the Google Ads API, you can automate many of the tasks you perform in the [Google Ads
UI](https://ads.google.com), such as creating, updating, or deleting the following:

- Campaigns
- Campaign bidding strategies
- Campaign budgets
- Ad groups
- Shopping product ads
- Shopping listing group trees (equivalent to [Product Groups](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/3517331) in the Google Ads UI)

You can also access [reporting](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/shopping-ads/reporting) information from the following views for all
campaign types that use a Google Merchant Center feed (including Shopping,
Performance Max, Demand Gen, Video, App, and Display campaigns):

- [Shopping Performance View](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/fields/v26/shopping_performance_view)
- [Product Group View](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/fields/v26/product_group_view)
- [Asset Group Product Group View](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/fields/v26/asset_group_product_group_view)
- [Shopping Product](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/fields/v26/shopping_product)
- [Cart Data Sales View](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/fields/v26/cart_data_sales_view) (available in v24 and later)
- [Final URL Expansion Asset View](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/fields/v26/final_url_expansion_asset_view) (available for Shopping campaigns in v26 and later)

## Implementation workflow

Follow these steps to create Shopping campaigns, ad groups, and ads with the
Google Ads API:

1. [Link your Merchant Center and Google Ads accounts](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/shopping-ads/merchant-center)
2. [Create a Shopping campaign](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/shopping-ads/create-campaign)
3. [Create a Shopping ad group](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/shopping-ads/create-ad-group)
4. [Create a Shopping ad group ad](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/shopping-ads/create-ad-group-ad)
5. [Create Shopping listing groups](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/shopping-ads/create-listing-groups)
6. [Retrieve Shopping reports](https://developers.google.com/google-ads/api/docs/shopping-ads/reporting)