Google has introduced a new range of features in the Google Merchant Center – designed specifically for car dealers who don’t carry all models locally. A new feature, “build to order,” allows dealers to flag vehicles that are not physically in inventory but can be customized and ordered by customers.
What needs to be changed. Marketers should update two areas: their structured data (set the availability of BuildToOrder) and their Merchant Center server (set availability to build to order). Consistency between structured data and feed submissions is essential to avoid inconsistencies.
[availability] attribute to GMCWhy do we care. Until now, dealers had limited means of indicating that a vehicle was not available for immediate pickup. The new value better reflects how many modern automakers are operating — especially consumer-direct brands like Tesla and Rivian, where consumers are prepping features before production. For sellers who offer factory orders or custom builds, this means clearer expectations for consumers — and cleaner data for Google.
Fine print Vehicles marked “build to order” must have the status attribute set to “new.” If a listing is marked “used,” it won’t be approved — Google considers build-to-order vehicles to be newly prepared, not pre-owned.
Bottom line If you sell customized or factory-ordered vehicles, this update gives you a more accurate way to show availability – but only if your feed, structured data fields and conditions are properly aligned.
First seen. This update was shared by Google Shopping expert Emmanuel Flossie, where he shared how to install this update on his blog.
Celebrate deeply. “To be found [availability]” Google Merchant Center doc help
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