Google Shopping has almost removed free product listings and the “Popular products” carousels from Google Search in the European Economic Area since September 17 and 18, 2026. Google links this removal to the requirements of the Digital Markets Act. For merchants, the priority now is to measure the loss of organic traffic, secure Merchant Center, and diversify acquisition.
Why are free products disappearing from Google Shopping?
The disappearance of free products from Google Shopping results from changes made to Google Search to comply with the European Digital Markets Act. On September 18, 2026, Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison, confirmed that the removal observed in the European Economic Area was linked to DMA requirements.
The timeline is not insignificant. On July 23, 2026, the European Commission fined Google €460 million for favoring its own services, particularly in results related to shopping, hotels, transportation, and sports. The Commission also ordered the infringement to cease.
On September 17 and 18, 2026, several trade publications noted the widespread disappearance of free listings and “Popular products” carousels. According to information reported by SEO Weekly, part of the freed-up space was reassigned to price comparison services or vertical search engines.
Google Shopping had nevertheless shifted to primarily free results in its Shopping tab in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in 2020, following an initial launch in the United States. The September 2026 change therefore marks a clear rollback of the organic visibility offered directly in Google Search.
How significant is the decline in Europe?
The reported visibility drop reaches about 90 to 100 % for the “Popular products” carousels in Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands on September 17 and 18, 2026. This estimate comes from Productrise monitoring, whose detailed data have not been published or independently audited.
This figure should be treated as a market signal, not as a comprehensive measure of all Merchant Center accounts. As of September 21, 2026, no detailed corporate announcement or explicit entry in the Merchant Center change log documented a complete removal across the European Economic Area.
| Market or surface | Finding in 2026 | Level of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands | Reported drop of about 90 to 100 % in “Popular products” carousels | Productrise monitoring reported, unaudited data |
| Google Search in the EEA | Widespread disappearance of free listings on September 17 and 18 | Consistent observations from trade publications |
| Merchant Center | Products still eligible for free listings | Official Google documentation in 2026 |
| Shopping, Maps, Images, Lens, YouTube, and Gemini | Surfaces still listed as eligible | Official Google documentation in 2026, with no guarantee of display |
A testimonial published in the Google Ads community on September 1, 2026, had already reported a drop to zero free clicks since August 16, despite approved products and no warning. This case remains unverified. It does, however, show why an account-by-account analysis is better than a conclusion drawn from a general trend.
Do free Google Shopping listings still exist?
Free Google Shopping listings still exist in the Merchant Center documentation in 2026. Google indicates that they may appear in Google Search, Shopping, Maps, Images, Lens, YouTube, and Gemini. Eligibility, however, does not guarantee any delivery, which explains why an approved product may generate neither impressions nor clicks.
This distinction is the trap that many merchants overlook: the “approved” status validates feed compliance, but does not confirm that a surface will actually provide visibility. A drop in impressions therefore does not automatically mean that the product feed has been rejected.
On August 24, 2026, Google also began modifying Merchant Center performance reports. According to Google’s official announcement, this reporting change affected neither accounts, nor product data, nor campaigns. Therefore, avoid automatically attributing every break in the curve to this update.
Honestly, waiting for the return of free carousels without changing the media plan would be a mistake. Google can maintain a feature in its documentation while significantly reducing its exposure on a specific surface.
What should merchants do after the drop in visibility?
After the drop in free Google Shopping products, a merchant should distinguish a delivery incident from a feed issue, compare performance by surface, and strengthen owned channels. The analysis should focus on impressions, clicks, countries, devices, and dates, with a reference break around September 17 and 18, 2026.
Here is the action plan to apply starting with the next account review:
- Export Merchant Center and Google Analytics 4 performance by day, country, device, and source since August 1, 2026.
- Check feed diagnostics: availability, price, product identifiers, shipping, returns, and landing pages.
- Isolate free listings from paid Shopping campaigns so as not to confuse organic loss with bid variation.
- Check the Comparison Shopping Service associated with the account in the relevant European countries.
- Gradually reallocate the budget to profitable products instead of offsetting the entire loss with ads that have no target margin.
- Develop email, social content, affiliate marketing, and partnerships with creators to reduce dependence on Google Search.
In 2026, Google requires the use of a Comparison Shopping Service for Shopping ads and free listings in 20 European countries, as well as in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. So check the CSS association before interpreting a drop as simply a consequence of the DMA.
For management, adopt the same rigor as for the Measuring influencer campaigns : a control period, consistent UTM parameters, and revenue attributed by channel. Clicks alone rarely tell the whole story.
How can you replace free Google Shopping traffic?
Lost free Google Shopping traffic can be replaced by a combination of profitable Shopping campaigns, creator content, editorial SEO, affiliate marketing, and owned audiences. No single channel alone replicates the purchase intent of Google Search; the right strategy therefore spreads discovery, social proof, and conversion across multiple touchpoints.
For a visual brand, Instagram Reels and TikTok can put the product back in front of a cold audience, while YouTube Shorts and long-form videos address demonstration-related searches. TikTok Shop is also worth testing when the category and market are eligible; the TikTok Shop and TikTok campaign specialists work specifically on this transition from content to transaction.
The creator should not just produce an attractive video. Give them a verifiable angle: comparison, test after several days, real-life demonstration, or response to an objection. In this niche, three reusable pieces of content with tagged links are better than one prestigious post whose sales remain impossible to attribute.
Local influencers are another solution when availability, delivery, or in-store pickup determines the purchase. A campaign with local micro-influencers can combine proof of use with a specific trade area, without depending on a product carousel controlled by Google.
Whether you are an influencer or an advertiser, ValueYourNetwork puts its social media and influencer marketing expertise to work for your acquisition: to grow your social media with us, contact us.
FAQ on Google Shopping changes in Europe
Is free Google Shopping being removed everywhere in the world?
Free Google Shopping is not being removed everywhere in the world. The massive disappearance reported on September 17 and 18, 2026 concerns Google Search in the European Economic Area, while the Merchant Center documentation still keeps several eligible surfaces.
Why are my approved products no longer receiving clicks?
A product approved in Merchant Center is eligible, but its display is never guaranteed by Google. A drop in clicks may result from the reduction of free surfaces, a local serving issue, or a change in demand.
Should paid Shopping ads be launched immediately?
Paid Shopping ads should be launched or strengthened depending on the margin, conversion rate, and acquisition cost of each product. Automatically compensating for 100 % of lost free traffic can hurt profitability.
What is a Comparison Shopping Service on Google?
A Comparison Shopping Service is a price comparison service that allows merchants to distribute products on Google in the relevant markets. In 2026, Google requires its use for Shopping ads and free listings in 20 European countries, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.