Google Merchant Center adds product warranty data as Quebec's new disclosure rules take effect

In October 2026 Google expanded the warranty [warranty] Merchant Center product attribute beyond Japanese vehicle ads to general Shopping ads and free listings. Its specification accepts a numeric duration and unit (month or year) in product feeds, with an example such as 3:year. The timing matters because Quebec's new statutory warranty of good working order took effect on October 5 for specified new appliances and electronics; its durations range from three to six years. Google documentation specifically references Quebec Bill 29 and requires the year unit for that regime. This is a data-submission change, not a new warranty provided by Google.

Ecommerce operators and feed-management developers now have a machine-readable way to carry product warranty duration into Google's commerce listings. For retailers selling covered goods into Quebec, incorrect or absent duration data may create advertising-compliance risk alongside missing on-page disclosures. Outside affected markets the field can communicate a genuine product benefit, but Google has not demonstrated ranking, click-through or sales lift from filling it in. Sellers still need to map product categories, distinguish statutory from commercial warranties, and validate both product feeds and storefront wording.

Google Merchant Center Help describes warranty [warranty] for products in Shopping ads and free listings, expanding support that had been limited to Japanese vehicle ads. For products, the duration and duration_unit sub-attributes are required when the field is submitted; month and year are the supported units. For TSV or CSV feeds, a header such as warranty(duration:duration_unit) and a value such as 3:year express a three-year period. The Merchant API uses its own structured representation. This is distinct from vehicle-only mileage fields.

Quebec's Office de la protection du consommateur confirms that a free warranty of good working order applies to specified new appliances and electronics purchased or leased from October 5, 2026. The coverage is six years for ranges, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and heat pumps; five for washers, dryers and dishwashers; four for televisions; and three for computers, consoles, mobile phones and tablets. The period starts on delivery and gives eligible buyers access to repairs for malfunctions, subject to legal exclusions. Merchants and manufacturers must also display the statutory duration prominently near the price in relevant advertising and online presentations.

The Google attribute can carry duration into Google's ad and free-listing systems, but the Quebec rules separately govern merchants' own price presentations, consumer contracts and the statutory repair obligation. Filling in a product feed does not itself prove the listing renders a legally sufficient notice, nor does it excuse missing website disclosures. Merchants should confirm whether their goods and transactions are covered, align warranty durations across feeds, landing pages and checkout, and obtain local legal advice where needed.

Google's documentation requires a whole-number duration and a duration unit for ordinary product warranty entries; month is the documented default when the unit is omitted, while Quebec's Bill 29 use requires year. Retailers should not rely on implicit defaults: an intended 3-year warranty must not accidentally be interpreted as 3 months. Check feed transformation rules, Merchant Center diagnostics, product-page content and country-specific policy before a broad rollout. Google does not promise a new display treatment or increased distribution merely because the attribute is present.

Google's current feed specification and Quebec's official regulator independently establish the new data field and the statutory regime. Search Engine Land independently reported the product-feed expansion on October 16. The public documentation does not establish how often warranty data will be displayed to shoppers, whether every country supports identical rendering, or any measured performance improvement. These should remain open questions rather than marketing claims.