Who is affected by this change?
This mainly affects Shopify stores that use Shopify’s global identifier as the item ID in Google Merchant Center. Stores that use the SKU field in Shopify and sync that into Merchant Center are less likely to be affected, since the item ID is not dependent on Shopify’s global ID format.
How to reduce disruption in your Google Ads account
To reduce risk, we recommend reviewing how your product IDs are currently structured before the August 2026 deadline.
If you use a third-party feed provider, there may be options to preserve the original Shopify item ID format or maintain SKU-based IDs. This can help avoid unnecessary disruption and reduce the chance of Google treating existing products as new items.
The key actions you need to take to make sure you know what is happening are:
- Avoid uninstalling and reinstalling the Google & YouTube app unless necessary
- Check whether your current item IDs use a country code or the new
ZZ format
- Review whether new products are already being created with the new format
- Speak to your feed provider about preserving existing IDs where possible
- Plan any migration carefully rather than allowing a sudden account-wide change
What happens in August 2026?
From August 18, 2026, the Content API for Shopping will be shut down. At that point, the new Merchant API setup may make the updated item ID format unavoidable for some Shopify stores.
If all products are reuploaded into Merchant Center with new item IDs at once, this could cause avoidable disruption through product reapproval and Google Ads relearning.
That is why it is worth reviewing this early rather than waiting until the deadline.
How Bidnamic can help
At Bidnamic, we are monitoring this closely and will support clients through the transition to keep disruption to a minimum.
If you are unsure which item ID format your store is currently using, please speak to your Client Success Manager. We can help review your current setup, assess the likely impact, and advise on the safest path forward.
