Overview
Vendably's Trust platform helps you collect and publish customer reviews in two ways: through an automated XML feed that Google Merchant Center reads, and through seller star ratings that appear on your Search advertisements. Both features draw from the same review data stored in your Trust profile. This article explains how each works, what you need to qualify, and where to find them.
The Google Product Review Feed
The Google Product Review Feed is an XML file formatted to Google's schema version 2.4. Once your Trust profile is made public, Vendably generates this feed automatically. The feed exports both product-level reviews (ratings and comments tied to specific items) and seller-level reviews (ratings and comments about your business as a whole).
Vendably acts as the aggregator in this relationship, meaning we handle the technical infrastructure and feed delivery. You act as the publisher, the merchant whose reviews are being shared. Google Merchant Center receives one feed file per merchant account.
The feed updates automatically whenever new reviews are added to your public Trust profile. You do not need to manually refresh or resubmit it. Google's systems pull the data on their own schedule.
How to use the feed
- Make your Trust profile public in Vendably.
- Navigate to Trust, Google Product Review Feed in your Vendably account.
- Copy the feed URL provided.
- Log in to Google Merchant Center.
- Go to Products, Feeds.
- Create a new supplemental feed and select the product reviews feed type.
- Paste the feed URL into the feed location field.
- Save and wait for Google to fetch and validate the feed.
Once validated, Google will begin matching reviews in your feed to products in your Merchant Center catalogue. Reviews appear on product listings across Google Shopping, Search, and other Google properties where your products are shown.
What the feed contains
The feed includes:
- Product-level reviews: individual ratings, review text, reviewer name, and review date for specific SKUs or product groups.
- Seller-level reviews: aggregate ratings and individual review entries for your business overall.
- Structured metadata: timestamps, review IDs, and links back to your Trust profile for verification.
Google uses this data to compute trust signals and may display review snippets next to your product listings. The more reviews you have, the more data Google has to work with, and the more likely reviews will appear prominently.
Google Seller Ratings
Google Seller Ratings are star ratings (1 to 5 stars) that can appear directly on your Google Search text advertisements. They are computed from your Trust review data and show potential customers your average rating before they click your ad.
Seller Ratings are separate from the Product Review Feed. The feed exports individual reviews; Seller Ratings display your aggregate star rating on ads.
Eligibility requirements
To qualify for Seller Ratings on Google Search ads, you must meet two thresholds:
- At least 100 reviews in a rolling 12-month period.
- An aggregate rating of 3.5 stars or higher.
Both conditions must be true at the time Google evaluates your account. Once you qualify, Seller Ratings can appear on your Search ads automatically (subject to Google's ad policies and auction rules).
Checking your progress
Navigate to Trust, Google Seller Ratings in your Vendably account. This page shows your current review count, average rating, and your progress toward the 100-review threshold. It updates daily as new reviews are added. You can use this page to track when you will become eligible.
Aggregator enrolment and manual submission
Vendably is registered with Google as an aggregator. This means Google recognises us as a trusted source of review data and can automatically discover merchant profiles published through our platform.
However, Vendably's aggregator enrolment application with Google is currently pending. Until that application is approved, Google cannot automatically discover your Trust profile for Seller Ratings purposes. This does not affect the Product Review Feed, which uses a different technical pathway.
To enable Seller Ratings on your ads before aggregator enrolment is complete, you must submit your profile manually:
- Go to Trust, Google Seller Ratings in Vendably.
- Copy your public Trust profile URL.
- Contact Google Ads support directly.
- Provide them with your profile URL and your Google Ads account ID.
- Google will validate your reviews and activate Seller Ratings if you meet the eligibility thresholds.
Once Vendably's aggregator enrolment is approved, Google will be able to discover your profile automatically, and manual submission will no longer be necessary for new merchants.
Success metrics
Success for the Product Review Feed means:
- Your feed URL is added to Google Merchant Center without validation errors.
- Google fetches the feed on schedule (typically daily or weekly).
- Review snippets begin appearing on your product listings in Google Shopping and Search results.
- Review data is current and matches your Trust profile.
Success for Seller Ratings means:
- You reach 100 reviews in a 12-month period.
- Your average rating is 3.5 stars or higher.
- Star ratings appear on your Google Search text ads.
- Potential customers see your rating before clicking your ad, improving click-through rate and conversion confidence.
Practical guidance
Both features depend on having genuine, recent reviews in your Trust profile. To maximise impact:
- Encourage customers to leave reviews after purchase. More reviews accelerate your path to Seller Ratings eligibility and improve the quality of data in your Product Review Feed.
- Monitor your review count and rating on the Google Seller Ratings readiness page. This tells you exactly when you will qualify.
- Respond to reviews, both positive and negative. Google and customers see this engagement as a sign of good merchant behaviour.
- Ensure your Trust profile is set to public. The feed cannot be generated if your profile is private.
- If you submit your profile manually to Google Ads support, follow up after a few days to confirm receipt and activation.
Summary
The Google Product Review Feed and Google Seller Ratings are two complementary tools that use your Trust review data to build buyer confidence. The Product Review Feed exports individual reviews to Google Merchant Center, where they appear on product listings. Seller Ratings display your aggregate star rating on your Search ads, provided you meet Google's eligibility thresholds (100 reviews in 12 months, 3.5-star average rating).
Both features activate automatically once your Trust profile is public. The Product Review Feed begins exporting immediately. Seller Ratings appear on your ads once you qualify, or sooner if you submit your profile manually to Google Ads support. Until Vendably's aggregator enrolment is approved, manual submission is the fastest path to Seller Ratings visibility.