Understanding Google Product Category 420: Water
The Water category, identified by ID 420, encompasses products classified under Food, Beverages & Tobacco > Beverages > Water. This category is designated for non-alcoholic, drinkable water products intended for human consumption.
This category includes various types of bottled, purified, spring, and alkaline water. Examples from the US market include purified drinking water, natural spring water, natural artesian water, and alkaline water. These products are intended for hydration and are processed or sourced for safe consumption without additives like flavors, sweeteners, or caffeine. It is essential to ensure your products are correctly categorized to maintain high data quality.
Products that do not belong in this category include beverages with added ingredients, which should be placed in the appropriate neighbouring categories. Examples of excluded items are:
- Soda (carbonated, sweetened, or flavored drinks)
- Juice (fruit or vegetable extracts)
- Sports & Energy Drinks (products containing electrolytes, stimulants, or caffeine)
- Tea & Infusions or Coffee
- Alcoholic Beverages
You should prioritize using more specific subcategories like Distilled Water, Carbonated Water, Spring Water, or Flat Mineral Water when your product qualifies. These deeper categories provide better precision for Google's indexing engine than the general Water category.
To include this in your feed, use the attribute google_product_category with the value 420 or the full path: Food, Beverages & Tobacco > Beverages > Water. The attribute is optional but highly recommended to avoid automatic, incorrect categorization by Google. Note that the product_type attribute is a separate, merchant-defined field and cannot replace this taxonomy requirement.