Google product taxonomy · 2021-09-21
Ping Pong Balls
The Google product category ID for Ping Pong Balls is 3964, written as a path "Sporting Goods > Indoor Games > Ping Pong > Ping Pong Balls". It is a leaf: the taxonomy does not continue below it, so this is the most specific value on this branch, and if your product fits here there is nothing more precise to pick. It sits under Ping Pong.
- Category ID
- 3964
- Subcategories (none, this is a leaf)
- 0
- Categories below it in total
- 0
- Depth, on a branch that runs 4
- 4 / 4
- Others at this level
- 6
- Parent category
- Ping Pong
- Taxonomy version
- 2021-09-21
- Sent in your feed as
- google_product_category
Where this sits in the taxonomy
Measured by how much sits beneath them, Ping Pong Balls is the smallest of the 7 categories under Ping Pong, with 0 categories below it. Size is not correctness — a small category is the right answer when it is the right answer — but it does tell you how much of the taxonomy you are still choosing between once you pick this branch.
| Category | ID | Direct | Below | Levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ping Pong Robot Accessories | 3132 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ping Pong Tables | 3345 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ping Pong Paddles & Sets | 3375 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ping Pong Robots | 3546 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ping Pong Nets & Posts | 3788 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ping Pong Paddle Accessories | 3900 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ping Pong Balls — this page | 3964 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Using this value
Either form of this value goes in the google_product_category attribute: the numeric ID (3964) or the full path ("Sporting Goods > Indoor Games > Ping Pong > Ping Pong Balls"). Both are predefined values for the same category. The ID is the sturdier of the two, because renaming any segment above this one changes the path text and leaves the number alone.
Bear in mind that google_product_category is an optional attribute. Google assigns a category automatically, and your value is treated as a signal rather than an override. When an override actually applies.
In your feed, it looks like this
Either row below is accepted. The first is the one to send.
| id | title | google_product_category |
|---|---|---|
| SKU-1001 | Your product title | 3964 |
| SKU-1001 | Your product title | Sporting Goods > Indoor Games > Ping Pong > Ping Pong Balls |
This path has no comma, so an unquoted cell holds it as it stands — which is not true of every category in the taxonomy. The numeric ID, 3964, is the form that does not depend on how the file is quoted.
Easy to mix up with
These sit under the same parent and start with the same word, which is exactly when the wrong one gets picked.
Questions about Ping Pong Balls
What is the Google product category ID for Ping Pong Balls?
3964. The full path, "Sporting Goods > Indoor Games > Ping Pong > Ping Pong Balls", is the same category written the other way. The ID is shorter, and renaming a segment above this one changes the path text while leaving the number alone.
Is anything more specific than Ping Pong Balls available?
No. Ping Pong Balls is a leaf of Google's taxonomy at level 4, so 3964 is the most precise value this branch offers. If it does not describe your product closely enough, the answer is a different branch, not a deeper one.
Where does Ping Pong Balls sit in the taxonomy?
At level 4, under Ping Pong (1008). The chain from the top is Sporting Goods → Indoor Games → Ping Pong → Ping Pong Balls. If your product does not belong under Ping Pong, it does not belong here either — check the level above before going deeper.
What should I use if Ping Pong Balls is not quite right?
Look across the rest of Ping Pong first — there are 6 other categories at this level: Ping Pong Nets & Posts (3788), Ping Pong Paddle Accessories (3900), Ping Pong Paddles & Sets (3375), Ping Pong Robot Accessories (3132), Ping Pong Robots (3546), Ping Pong Tables (3345). If none of them fits either, the problem is higher up: go back to Ping Pong (1008) and pick a different branch from there rather than settling for the closest thing on this one.
How big is Ping Pong Balls compared with the categories next to it?
It is the smallest of the 7 at its level, carrying 0 categories below it. A bigger category is not a better one — it just means more of the taxonomy is still open below you after you pick it.
What is the difference between Ping Pong Balls and Ping Pong Nets & Posts?
They sit side by side under Ping Pong and start with the same word, which is why they get swapped. Ping Pong Balls is 3964; Ping Pong Nets & Posts is 3788. The paths are the reliable way to tell them apart — compare "Sporting Goods > Indoor Games > Ping Pong > Ping Pong Balls" with "Sporting Goods > Indoor Games > Ping Pong > Ping Pong Nets & Posts" before you submit.
Not sure this is the one?
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