Google no longer pulls products over low-quality images.
Google quietly rewrote its Merchant Center help page: blurry or pixelated product images now trigger a fix-it warning instead of keeping products out of Shopping ads and free listings. Images under 500 x 500 pixels will still be rejected from 31 January 2027.
Why it matters
Fewer disapprovals, but weak images still hurt clicks, and the 2027 size rule stays.
Related trends.
AdvertisingGoogle Ads lets advertisers cap Display and Search partner spend
Search, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns can now set Display and Search partners to low priority and cap them as a share of daily budget, down to zero. Google only promises best effort, and API support comes later.
Why it mattersMore control over low-quality inventory, though the cap isn't a hard guarantee.
PlatformsGoogle's Universal Cart goes live in the US
First shown at I/O, the cart saves products from many retailers across Search and Gemini, flags price drops and restocks, and suggests promo codes and card perks. Checkout runs on Google's open Universal Commerce Protocol.
Why it mattersGoogle moves closer to owning the basket, not just the product search.
PlatformsMeta sells reserved, TV-style ad windows with Super Burst
Advertisers can now book a 3–24 hour block on a single day across Facebook and Instagram, with price and reach fixed upfront and delivery guaranteed within 5% of forecast. Meta is also testing a paid first slot in the feed.
Why it mattersGives brand teams a launch-day buy that behaves like TV, inside Meta's auction world.
