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Merchant Center · Measurement · Product reporting
Google Merchant Center aligns the definitions in its performance reports
Definitions changed since 24 AugustDeadline : 24 August 2026Documentation as at : 1 September 2026
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01 · Mechanism
What actually changes
Since 24 August 2026, Google Merchant Center has aligned several reporting definitions with Google Ads and YouTube, so that performance measurement is more consistent across Google surfaces.
YouTube affiliate results are separated from organic traffic and tracked under a new YouTube affiliate traffic value. Google applies this separation, and the new definitions of YouTube organic traffic, retroactively to data from 1 July 2026 onwards.
Google Ads product reporting is also extended to further networks and formats, notably Video, App and Demand Gen. The new segmentation by network, however, is announced for a later release and must not be presented as already available.
02 · Impact
What it changes in the mix
Organic traffic may show a one-off drop without an equivalent commercial decline, while product-level advertising metrics may rise because their scope has widened. Both breaks have to be separated from a genuine campaign or offer effect.
Because part of the history has been rewritten from 1 July 2026, earlier exports can no longer be treated as strictly comparable with the recalculated reports. Reconciliations between Merchant Center, Google Ads and YouTube have to keep the extraction date and the definition of each metric.
03 · Scope
Who has to reconfigure
Dashboards, exports and reconciliations that use the Merchant Center performance reports, YouTube organic traffic or Google Ads product data.
The segmentation by network announced by Google is not yet available and must not be built in as an active dimension.
04 · Settings
What do I reconfigure?
- 01
Date the break in the series
Mark 24 August 2026 in every dashboard, export and alert fed by the Merchant Center reports, then prevent automatic comparisons that mix definitions.
- By when
- Right away
- Where
- Merchant Center dashboards
- 02
Isolate the YouTube affiliate results
Check that the YouTube affiliate traffic value is present and list the indicators that previously aggregated those results into organic traffic.
- By when
- Right away
- Where
- Merchant Center · traffic dimension
- 03
Keep the baseline exports
Archive the exports produced before and after the change together with their extraction date, since Google recalculates part of the history from 1 July 2026.
- By when
- Before the next historical comparison
- Where
- Baseline exports
- 04
Reconcile the three surfaces
Compare Merchant Center, Google Ads and YouTube over a period entirely after 24 August, with the same filters and dimensions, then document the remaining gaps.
- By when
- After 24 August 2026
- Where
- Merchant Center, Google Ads and YouTube
- 05
Do not anticipate the segmentation by network
Wait until it is actually available before building the Network dimension into reporting models, exports or commitments.
- By when
- Once it is actually available
- Where
- Reporting models and exports
05 · Correction
What is going around and what is accurate
A drop in organic traffic or a rise in product performance after 24 August necessarily reflects a real change in performance.
Google has changed the definitions and recalculated part of the history from 1 July. Breaks in the series have to be isolated before a gap is attributed to campaigns, channels or products.
06 · Evidence
Primary sources
07 · Revisions
Public history
Entry created from the primary documentation.
Detailed official page added, together with the retroactivity to 1 July and the caveat on the forthcoming segmentation by network.