Using FTP connections is another way to upload your data feeds to various sales channels - including Google Shopping. While it may seem unknown to you, you’ll find that it’s quite simple to set up. And don’t worry if you’re not too tech savvy.
In addition, if you’re using a dedicated feed management tool like DataFeedWatch you can use this method to upload your feeds with additional benefits.
So let’s check out what FTP connections are, how they work, the benefits, and how to troubleshoot any potential problems.
You may have never heard of transferring files by FTP connections, or maybe you have but the whole process sounded too complicated to get into. Let’s start from the basics and explore what FTPs are outside of the PPC world.
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. In the simplest terms possible, it lets two (or more) systems communicate between each other and transfer files.
For context, imagine you’re typing in a full URL into your browser’s search bar. Normally you access most websites starting with http:// often followed by a www. HTTP stands for ‘Hypertext Transfer Protocol’ and allows systems to communicate on the World Wide Web.
FTP follows the same logic. But instead of starting with ‘http://’ you’ll see a line like this instead: ftp://uploads.google.com. And instead of letting access the internet through a web browser, it allows you to transfer files to other systems using your computer’s command prompt.
So, getting to data feeds - when you upload your feeds with a URL, you’re using an ‘http://’ connection and when you’re upload via FTP, you’re using an ‘ftp://’ connection. It’s just another way systems communicate with each other.
You’ll use this way of communicating to send your file to Google’s servers and it makes it possible to update your main feed up to 4 times a day.
Now that we understand what FTP is, here are the general requirements:
There are two different modes when connecting called active or passive. As we’ll see below in the troubleshooting section, it’s recommended that you use a passive connection. ‘Active mode’ is always the default, so in order to use ‘passive mode’ you’ll need to manually choose it. We’ll explain how to do that for each method below.
Let’s take a look at the reasons why you might want to start using an FTP connection to upload your data feeds.
1, Allows multiple daily uploadsAll in all, using fresh data in your ads is always best. It decreases the chances of getting disapprovals in the Merchant Center (like
pricing errors) and prevents you from wasting your ad budget on products that are out of stock.
Any changes that are made will be reflected in your ads faster than if you were updating your feeds only once a day (or less often).
2. Easy to set upSetting up your FTP account and using it to send your feeds to Google Merchant Center isn’t complicated and it won’t take you a lot of time. And as a retailer, time and effort are two of your most valuable resources.
If you use DataFeedWatch you may be familiar with these two ways of uploading feeds: directly using a file from your computer or using a URL like Google Sheets, for example.
Using FTP is another option you have that might be less well known. It requires a couple of additional steps than those first two, but is easy to do once you know these steps. Like we mentioned above, one of the benefits of going the FTP route is that it makes it possible to upload your main feed up to 4 times a day (since this is Google’s limit).
Every time that your feed is refreshed in DataFeedWatch, it will be sent via FTP to Google Merchant Center. So, to make the most out of these updates, make sure that your scheduled updates in DataFeedWatch are aligned with the times you usually make changes to your online store. Each store update in DataFeedWatch will result in a feed update which then triggers sending your updated feed to Merchant Center.
Once you create your FTP account in Google Merchant Center (more on that below), you’ll be able to connect it to your DataFeedWatch account.
Generally speaking, there are many ways you can create an FTP account. But for the purpose of uploading your product feeds to Google, you’ll be able to create it directly in Google Merchant Center. Let’s go through the steps together:
Having trouble logging into your account right away? This is normal, so you might need to wait a couple of hours for it to start working.
So, how does uploading your files via FTP actually work? There are two main ways you can go about this:
Note for DataFeedWatch users: You can skip this step and just connect your FTP account while logged in to your DataFeedWatch account.
Let’s take a look at each more in depth.
If the idea of uploading your feeds using your computer’s command line sounds daunting, then using a third party software will be perfect for you. They’re also known as FTP clients.
Some common ones are:
Using the command line to FTP your files might be better for people with a more advanced understanding of how they work. But, with the help of tutorials, anyone should be able to manage it. There will be different methods of doing this depending on whether you're using a Windows, Mac, or Linux computer.
There are thorough instructions on the Merchant Center help section for each.
You can also use FTP to upload your feeds with scheduled fetches, but it works a bit differently. In this case you use your own servers to host your files and having a username or password becomes optional. Because of this, the username information you see under the ‘SFTP / FTP /GCS’ section of Google Merchant Center is for accessing Google’s server, not yours.
While setting up your FTP is quite simple, you may run into a few roadblocks. Here are the most common ones along with the solution.
First, check to make sure that you’re signing in with the correct URL: ftp://uploads.google.com
But, if you’re using a FTP client then you’ll need to take the ‘ftp://’ from the url and just use ‘uploads.google.com
The ‘peer’ in this case is Google and it just means that the internet connection was lost while you were trying to upload your feed. You’ll need to try again. If your file size is bigger than 200 MB, it might help splitting it into smaller files and then trying once more.
Now that you have more information about what FTP connections are, you can consider using it as a new way to upload your product feeds. It’s suitable for any retailer or merchant, and if you don’t feel comfortable using your computer’s command line then there is software created for this purpose.