Google Merchant Center requires product images created with generative AI to carry the IPTC entry DigitalSourceType with the value trainedAlgorithmicMedia (help article 14743464). This tool writes it into JPEG, PNG or WebP without re-encoding the image. The “Manage AI label” setting in Merchant Center is a second, independent route.
What Google Merchant Center requires for AI images
Every product image created with generative AI must carry the IPTC entry DigitalSourceType with the value TrainedAlgorithmicMedia, in the feed attributes image_link, additional_image_link and lifestyle_image_link. You must not remove embedded metadata, including for images from Google's own tools such as Product Studio. The details are in our guide to AI labelling in Google Merchant Center.
Which value to choose
| Your image | Value | What Google says |
|---|---|---|
| Fully AI-generated | trainedAlgorithmicMedia | Required by Google Merchant Center |
| Real photo edited with AI (e.g. new background) | compositeWithTrainedAlgorithmicMedia | Read by Google Search; Merchant Center does not mention it |
Three routes to an AI label on Google
- IPTC note in the file: this tool. It travels with the image to every channel that reads metadata.
- “Manage AI label” in Merchant Center: marks an asset as created or edited with AI. For campaigns targeting the EU, Google then shows an overlay in the ad. Google states that the setting does not ensure regulatory compliance.
- Visible label in the image: allowed since July 2026 and, according to Google, not a breach of the rules on overlays and watermarks, but keep it out of the outermost corners. You can add it with Label an AI image, which can also write the IPTC note.
Check after uploading
Your feed points to the file your store delivers, and some stores and CDNs strip IPTC on the way. Open the image address from your feed in Read AI metadata. The store scan checks every image of a store at once, with an export for Google.
What the note does not replace
If the image is a deep fake, Article 50(4) AI Act requires a visible disclosure. No person reads the IPTC note, and under the Commission's guidelines it does not count as the retailer's disclosure (para. 117). The AI use check tells you whether your image needs a label.
Frequently asked questions
Which IPTC value does Google Merchant Center require?
For product images created with generative AI, the DigitalSourceType entry with the value trainedAlgorithmicMedia (help article 14743464). For a real photo edited with AI, the tool writes compositeWithTrainedAlgorithmicMedia. Google Search reads this value; Merchant Center does not mention it so far.
Do I also need “Manage AI label” in Merchant Center?
It is a separate route: you mark the asset in Merchant Center, and for campaigns targeting the EU Google shows an overlay. Google requires the IPTC entry in the file regardless. Google states that the setting does not ensure regulatory compliance.
May I use a visible AI label in product images for Google Shopping?
Yes. Since July 2026, Google says your own AI labels do not breach the rules on overlays and watermarks (help article 17231950). Keep them out of the outermost corners, where they can be cropped.
Is the IPTC note enough as a label under the AI Act?
No. Deployers must disclose visibly (Article 50(4) and (5) AI Act). Machine-readable marking is the AI provider's obligation (Article 50(2)) and does not count as the retailer's disclosure (guidelines para. 117).
Why does the tool not write to some files?
Files with Content Credentials, because their signature would break, and files with extended XMP over 64 KB, to avoid damaging anything.
Sources
Para. refers to the paragraph number in the European Commission's guidelines on Article 50, C(2026) 5054.
- Google Merchant Center: AI-generated contentGoogle · Platform · 3 Oct 2026
- Google Merchant Center: AI content label settings and disclosuresGoogle · Platform · 3 Oct 2026
- Google Merchant Center: preserving image metadataGoogle · Platform · 1 Feb 2024
- Google Search Central: image metadata (IPTC, C2PA)Google · Platform · 10 Dec 2025
- IPTC NewsCodes: Digital Source TypeIPTC · Standard · 23 Oct 2024
- Commission Guidelines on the transparency obligations under Article 50 AI Act, C(2026) 5054 finalEuropäische Kommission · Commission · 20 Jul 2026
- Shopify Community: CDN stripping IPTC metadataShopify Community · Platform · 4 Sept 2026
