Google product taxonomy · 2021-09-21
Tennis Ball Machines
The Google product category ID for Tennis Ball Machines is 3985, written as a path "Sporting Goods > Athletics > Tennis > Tennis Ball Machines". 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 Tennis.
- Category ID
- 3985
- 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
- Tennis
- 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, Tennis Ball Machines is the smallest of the 7 categories under Tennis, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennis Ball Hoppers & Carts | 3105 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennis Balls | 3113 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennis Ball Savers | 3565 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennis Racquet Accessories | 3658 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Tennis Racquets | 3906 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennis Nets | 3961 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennis Ball Machines — this page | 3985 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Using this value
Either form of this value goes in the google_product_category attribute: the numeric ID (3985) or the full path ("Sporting Goods > Athletics > Tennis > Tennis Ball Machines"). 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 | 3985 |
| SKU-1001 | Your product title | Sporting Goods > Athletics > Tennis > Tennis Ball Machines |
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, 3985, 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 Tennis Ball Machines
What is the Google product category ID for Tennis Ball Machines?
3985. The full path, "Sporting Goods > Athletics > Tennis > Tennis Ball Machines", 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 Tennis Ball Machines available?
No. Tennis Ball Machines is a leaf of Google's taxonomy at level 4, so 3985 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 Tennis Ball Machines sit in the taxonomy?
At level 4, under Tennis (1065). The chain from the top is Sporting Goods → Athletics → Tennis → Tennis Ball Machines. If your product does not belong under Tennis, it does not belong here either — check the level above before going deeper.
What should I use if Tennis Ball Machines is not quite right?
Look across the rest of Tennis first — there are 6 other categories at this level: Tennis Ball Hoppers & Carts (3105), Tennis Ball Savers (3565), Tennis Balls (3113), Tennis Nets (3961), Tennis Racquet Accessories (3658), Tennis Racquets (3906). If none of them fits either, the problem is higher up: go back to Tennis (1065) and pick a different branch from there rather than settling for the closest thing on this one.
How big is Tennis Ball Machines 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 Tennis Ball Machines and Tennis Ball Hoppers & Carts?
They sit side by side under Tennis and start with the same word, which is why they get swapped. Tennis Ball Machines is 3985; Tennis Ball Hoppers & Carts is 3105. The paths are the reliable way to tell them apart — compare "Sporting Goods > Athletics > Tennis > Tennis Ball Machines" with "Sporting Goods > Athletics > Tennis > Tennis Ball Hoppers & Carts" before you submit.
Not sure this is the one?
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