Introduction

From 21 April 2025, Google is changing how product clicks are reported in Google Merchant Center. This adjustment, while technical in nature, signals a wider shift towards unified reporting standards across Google’s advertising platforms. For brands and agencies managing Shopping or Performance Max campaigns, these changes could significantly affect how engagement is measured, interpreted, and reported.

This article offers a comprehensive overview of what’s changing, why it matters, and how advertisers can prepare. Backed by industry commentary, fact-checked data, and practical recommendations, this guide will help ensure you’re equipped to navigate the update with clarity and confidence.

Why the Change Matters

Historically, Google Merchant Center has recorded almost any interaction with a product ad—be it a swipe, tap, call, or traditional click—as a single “click.” This broad definition has long diverged from how Google Ads reports user actions, where distinctions are clearly made between clicks, swipes, video views, and other interactions.

From April 2025, Google Merchant Center will adopt the Google Ads definition of a “click” to reflect modern advertising behaviours more accurately. This update will apply to both current and historical reporting, marking a substantial reclassification of engagement metrics.

For advertisers, this change eliminates the ambiguity between Google Ads and Merchant Center data, helping streamline campaign analysis across platforms.

Context: The Evolution of Click Reporting

Over the past decade, consumer interaction with ads has changed. Static product ads with a single clickable image have given way to immersive formats like swipable carousels, video shopping ads, and click-to-call prompts.

To adapt, Google Ads evolved its interaction metrics. For example:

• A swipe in a product carousel is logged differently from a click.
• A video view isn’t grouped with a product click.
• A phone tap in a call extension is categorised as a call interaction.

Despite these distinctions in Google Ads, Merchant Center had continued to group all engagements as product “clicks”. As a result, many advertisers observed discrepancies between platforms. This has particularly affected those analysing cross-channel performance or managing blended campaigns.

What Exactly Is Changing?

Current State (Pre-April 2025):

• Merchant Center logs all interactions as product clicks, regardless of type.
• Click numbers can appear inflated when compared to Google Ads data.

New State (From 21 April 2025):

• Product clicks in Merchant Center will align with Google Ads’ definition: the primary user action, such as a click or swipe.
• Interactions such as video views or calls will be reported separately or excluded from click totals.
• Historical Merchant Center data will be recalculated using this new definition.

This change brings parity between how engagement is reported in Google Ads and Merchant Center, offering a more consistent view of user behaviour across platforms.

Key Timelines and Affected Platforms

• Effective Date: 21 April 2025
• Platforms Affected: Google Merchant Center (click reporting only)
• Data Impact:
  • Historical product click data in Merchant Center will be updated.
  • Google Ads reporting remains unchanged.
  • No impact on campaign delivery or ad performance mechanics.

Industry Reaction and Analysis

Digital marketers and PPC specialists have generally welcomed the change. While some are wary of retroactive data modifications, many see this as a necessary step towards clearer reporting. Barry Schwartz, writing for Search Engine Roundtable, and Arpan Banerjee have both shared early details and screenshots from Google’s advertiser communications.

“We’ve known for some time that Google was heading toward greater integration across its advertising products. This is just one more step in making cross-platform analysis feasible without the friction of mismatched definitions.” — Arpan Banerjee, PPC Strategist

“It’s good that Google is clarifying the reporting. Advertisers have long had to explain the gap between Merchant Center and Ads clicks to clients. That friction will now ease.” — Barry Schwartz, Editor, Search Engine Roundtable

Addressing Common Misconceptions

1. Will this affect campaign performance? No. The update changes how clicks are reported, not how campaigns are delivered. Budgets, ad placements, and targeting remain unaffected.

2. Will Google Ads data be updated too? No. Google Ads already reports clicks and other interactions separately. This change only updates Merchant Center to match.

3. Will product listings perform differently? No. Your product listings will continue to appear and perform as they did. Only the way their engagement is measured in Merchant Center will change.

4. Is this an attempt to hide data? On the contrary, the update adds clarity. By differentiating between types of user engagement, advertisers get a more accurate picture of product interaction.

Practical Implications for Advertisers

1. Historical Reporting Will Shift

Advertisers who rely on past Merchant Center reports to evaluate campaign trends will notice changes in reported click numbers. Year-on-year comparisons may be skewed unless adjustments are made.

Recommendation: Export all relevant Merchant Center data prior to 21 April 2025 to preserve a record of previous click definitions.

2. Greater Alignment Between Platforms

With both Google Ads and Merchant Center now speaking the same metric language, cross-platform reporting will become more accurate.

Example: If your Google Ads campaign reports 1,200 clicks, Merchant Center will no longer show 1,700 for the same timeframe due to conflated interactions.

Benefit: Easier integration of data into third-party dashboards and attribution models.

3. Streamlined Optimisation Decisions

By removing inflated engagement figures, advertisers can better assess product performance. For example, a drop in click-through rate (CTR) will now be more meaningful if it reflects true user clicks.

Impact Areas:

• Product feed auditing
• Bidding strategy evaluation
• Return on ad spend (ROAS) calculations

4. Stakeholder Communication

In-house teams and agencies will need to update stakeholders on what the changes mean.

Tip: Use visuals to show how past and future data differ. Communicate that this shift does not indicate a decline in performance, but a more refined classification.

Steps to Prepare Before 21 April

✅ Export Existing Reports Back up current click data from Google Merchant Center before the update. Include product-level reports for granular comparisons.

✅ Review Internal Reporting Templates Check automated dashboards, spreadsheets, and data visualisation tools that reference Merchant Center click data. Adjust formulas and KPIs as needed.

✅ Brief Stakeholders Inform clients, finance teams, and analytics departments. Provide context and reassurance about the nature of the changes.

✅ Audit Consistency Across Platforms After the rollout, validate that Merchant Center and Google Ads now show consistent click metrics for overlapping campaigns.

✅ Track Initial Data Trends Expect some fluctuation as new data rolls in. Focus on week-on-week consistency rather than absolute numbers.

The Role of Performance Max Campaigns

Performance Max campaigns integrate Google Merchant Center product feeds with YouTube, Search, Display, and Discover placements. Because these campaigns span multiple formats, advertisers often see varied interaction types.

With the updated reporting definitions:

• Product clicks will reflect actual clicks only, not video views or calls.
• You’ll be better equipped to understand how your product feed performs specifically, as distinct from broader campaign formats.

Real-world Impact: Suppose your Performance Max campaign previously reported 10,000 product clicks. After the update, that number might fall to 7,000 clicks but with added clarity on what the remaining 3,000 interactions were.

Broader Trends: A Step Towards Unified Reporting

This move isn’t happening in isolation. Google has been steadily consolidating its advertising products to create a seamless, cross-platform experience. Recent changes include:

• Google Ads API v17: Added advanced product attributes like return policy specs and merchant affiliations.
• Demand Gen Campaigns: Serve creative across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.
• Expanded Call Tracking: Tighter integration with first-party attribution models.

The Merchant Center update reflects a trend towards clearer attribution and performance visibility across the Google ecosystem.

Supporting Research and Data

According to a 2024 survey by Skai, 62% of eCommerce advertisers reported discrepancies between Merchant Center and Google Ads data as a top concern for campaign analysis.

A study by Tinuiti showed that Performance Max campaigns drove a 20% increase in conversions year-on-year for participating advertisers, but data interpretation varied widely depending on which platform’s metrics were used.

This further underlines the importance of consistent reporting metrics across tools.

Final Thoughts

The April 2025 update to Google Merchant Center marks a meaningful improvement in how advertisers can interpret product engagement. By aligning reporting with Google Ads definitions, it brings long-needed consistency and eliminates confusion between platforms.

While the retroactive nature of the change may initially complicate year-on-year comparisons, the long-term benefits in clarity and data reliability outweigh the short-term disruption.

Advertisers are encouraged to prepare proactively—not just to preserve data but to re-evaluate reporting frameworks and communication strategies. In doing so, they’ll be well positioned to adapt confidently.

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