Glossary · Categories & taxonomy
What is the Google product taxonomy?
The Google product taxonomy is the published list of categories that google_product_category values must come from. The current file has 5,595 categories under 21 top-level branches, at most seven levels deep, and each entry has a numeric ID and a full path.
What this comes down to
- The current published version is dated 2021-09-21 and holds 5,595 categories.
- There are 21 top-level branches and the deepest paths run seven levels.
- Google publishes it as plain text and as a spreadsheet, each line an ID and a path.
- Google accepts older versions published after August 2011 and translates them to the latest.
How the tree is shaped
Every category sits under one of 21 roots, from Animals & Pet Supplies to Vehicles & Parts. Each line of Google’s file pairs a numeric ID with a full path, and levels are separated by > . The deepest paths are seven levels, and the largest set of siblings under one parent is 79 categories — which is why picking by scrolling a dropdown goes wrong so often.
You can walk the whole tree on SellerSort starting from the category index, where each branch page lists its children with their IDs.
Versions and changes
Google calls the taxonomy continuously evolving. The file carries a version line — the current one reads 2021-09-21 — and Google says it accepts values from any version published after August 2011 and translates them to the latest. See taxonomy version for what that means when you store IDs.
Where to get the file
Google publishes the list with IDs as a plain-text file and as a spreadsheet; the text version is linked under Sources below. Meta’s catalog documentation links to the same file, which is one reason a single correct value works across both channels.
Questions
How many Google product categories are there?
The current taxonomy file, version 2021-09-21, contains 5,595 categories under 21 top-level branches.
Is the taxonomy available in other languages?
Google publishes localized versions of the taxonomy. The IDs are the same across languages, which is one practical reason to send the ID rather than a translated path.
Sources
Read next
- Category IDThe numeric identifier of one entry in Google’s product taxonomy — for example 209 for Socks — accepted as the value of google_product_category.
- Category pathThe full text form of a taxonomy entry — every level from the root down, joined by “ > ” — accepted in place of the category ID.
- Taxonomy versionThe dated release of Google’s product taxonomy file — the current one is 2021-09-21 — which determines which categories and IDs exist.
- How to find the right Google product category (with ID)A practical walkthrough: read the taxonomy, pick the most specific category that is still true, and get the numeric ID your product feed needs.