Google Merchant Center takes product videos through an optional attribute, [video_link], introduced on 14 April 2026; videos sent that way became eligible to serve on 30 June 2026. Google's help page (checked 2026-11-09) sets the rules: each video must run 6 to 240 seconds, be at least 720p (1280x720), use a 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1 aspect ratio, stay under 500 MB, and you can send up to 10 per product, as a YouTube URL or a direct link to the raw file. The rule that catches AI clips is the first one: most image-to-video nodes open at 5 seconds, and a 5-second clip is under Google's floor.
This page quotes the rules, maps each one to the settings on the 8frame canvas, and lists the clips that pass as they are and the ones that need a change first.
TL;DR
| Google's rule | What it says | What it means for an AI clip on 8frame |
|---|---|---|
| Length | "between 6 seconds and 240 seconds" | A default 5 s Kling v3 or Seedance clip fails. Pick 8 s or 10 s, or join clips with Montage |
| Resolution | "at least a resolution of 720p (1280x720)" | Seedance at 480p fails. 720p models pass at the floor, 1080p and 2K models pass with room |
| Aspect ratio | "9:16, 16:9, or 1:1" | 4:5 and 4:3 are out. Seedance makes 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1; Kling, Hailuo H3 and Wan 3.0 follow the start image |
| File size | "maximum file size of 500 MB" | Not a problem: 8frame keeps the provider's MP4, and a 10 s clip is tens of MB |
| How many | "Yes, up to 10" | Room for angles, in-use shots and a vertical cut |
| Hosting | YouTube URL, or a URL "to a raw video file" | Not a page with a player. The link must be public and must not expire |
| Sound | "Sound is optional" | Montage output has no sound, and that is allowed here |
What Google's page says
The [video_link] help article is short and specific. In Google's words, checked 2026-11-09:
- "Video length must be between 6 seconds and 240 seconds."
- "Use videos with at least a resolution of 720p (1280x720)."
- "The aspect ratio of the video should be 9:16, 16:9, or 1:1."
- "The video file must be within the maximum file size of 500 MB."
- The attribute repeats "up to 10" times per product.
- The URL "can be either a YouTube URL or a URL from another video hosting site", and for other hosts "the URL must point directly to a raw video file", not a page that embeds a player.
- "The video URL must be publicly accessible on the web", reachable by Googlebot, not blocked by robots.txt.
- "Video links should be static and shouldn't expire."
- "Videos should not be blurry or out of focus." "Sound is optional."
- Best practice, not a requirement: "Videos should not have black bars."
- Accepted formats: .MPG, .MP4, .WMV, .AVI, .MOV, .FLV, .MPEG-1, .MPEGPS.
The separate 2026 product data specification update adds the dates: the attribute arrived on 14 April 2026, technical validation errors were reported from then, and "Starting June 30, 2026 videos submitted via the video link attribute will become eligible to serve." The same page says policy or quality errors "will prevent the video from serving, but will not impact the serving of the associated offer." A bad video costs you the video, not the listing.
The video_link page also says videos can appear in free listings and in Google Ads campaigns, including Demand Gen, and that you must own the licensing rights to use the content for marketing.
Which AI clips pass, model by model
Prices are fixed per clip on 8frame, in credits, and failed generations are refunded automatically. The table lists the settings that matter for Google: length, resolution and ratio.
| Model on 8frame | Lengths | Resolution | Ratios | Passes as it opens? | A setting that passes, with its price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kling v3 Standard | 3 to 15 s, start image required | 720p | follows the start image | No, it opens at 5 s | 10 s with sound 171 |
| Kling 2.6 Pro | 5 or 10 s | 1080p | follows the start image | No (5 s) | 10 s 189 with sound, 95 silent |
| Seedance 2.5 | 4 to 30 s | 480p or 720p | 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4 | No (5 s); 480p never passes | 10 s at 720p 313 |
| Seedance 2.0 | 4 to 15 s | 480p or 720p | as 2.5 | No (5 s) | 10 s at 720p 216 |
| Hailuo H3 | 5, 10 or 15 s | 2K | follows the start image | No (5 s) | 10 s 176 |
| Wan 3.0 | 2 to 30 s | 480p, 720p, 1080p | follows the start image | No (5 s) | 10 s at 720p 95 |
Two things in that table surprise people. First, no model in it passes the length rule as it opens: every one starts at 5 seconds, so the length is the setting you change before every run. Second, "720p" on Kling v3 Standard means exactly the floor, 1280x720 in landscape. That passes, but Google asks for "at least" 720p and says videos should not be blurry, so a 1080p or 2K model is the safer pick for a hero product video.
If a short take is right for the product, you do not have to pay for a longer generation. Make two or three 4 to 5 second takes and join them (next section).
Joining short takes: Montage is fine here
The Montage node joins 2 to 10 clips with a transition style (cinematic, hyper or clean) for 10 credits per run, and uses at most 15 seconds of each clip. Two 5-second Kling v3 takes become one 10-second video that clears the 6-second floor.
The catch elsewhere is that the merged file has no sound: Montage joins the picture only and drops the audio of every clip. On most platforms that matters. For Merchant Center it does not, because Google's page says "Sound is optional". If you want sound on the joined video, put the clips on the Video Editor timeline instead, which has video, text, caption and sound layers.
Aspect ratio: choose before you generate
Google accepts 9:16, 16:9 and 1:1, and advises against black bars. On 8frame:
- Kling, Hailuo H3 and Wan 3.0 follow the shape of the start image when you attach one. To get a square video, start from a square product photo.
- Seedance offers 1:1 directly, as well as 16:9, 9:16, 4:3 and 3:4.
- No video model on the 8frame canvas offers 4:5, and Google does not accept 4:5 anyway. If your feed creative is 4:5 for Meta, make a separate 1:1 or 9:16 version for Merchant Center rather than padding the 4:5 file with bars.
Ten slots per product leave room for one of each: a 16:9 in-use shot, a 9:16 for mobile, a 1:1 turn of the product.
The file and the link
8frame does not re-encode video: the download is the provider's own file, and every video model we measured delivered H.264 in MP4 at 24 fps. Median sizes for a 10-second clip run from about 3 MB (Seedance 2.0 at 480p) to about 33 MB (Kling 2.5 Turbo Pro at 1080p), far under Google's 500 MB.
The link is where product videos fail. Google wants a public URL that points straight at the video file and does not expire. Download the file from 8frame and host it where you control the address: your own storage or CDN, or YouTube. Shopify's product media accepts .mp4, .mov and .webm up to 1 GB and 10 minutes, but a product page with a player is not a raw file link, so check what URL your feed app sends. When you replace a video on an existing product, Google's page recommends a new, unique URL for the new file.
What to show, and what to keep accurate
The video_link page says "Videos can show a product from different angles or demonstrate the product in use", and the update page speaks of products "in use or from various angles". That is the job for image-to-video: a product photo as the start frame, a slow turn, the product picked up or poured or worn. Two cautions:
- The product in the video must be the product you sell. Image-to-video can drift on labels, logos and small text; compare every take with the photo and regenerate the ones that changed it. See why AI changes a product label.
- The video_link page we read says nothing about AI-generated video. The Merchant Center image rules do: Google asks that AI-generated images carry metadata that says so (the IPTC DigitalSourceType field). Treat that as a sign of where Google is going, and keep the metadata your tools write.
The same page lists videos among the attributes that "will be used to improve how products appear across Google", so a clear, honest clip is worth more than a flashy one.
Where it breaks
- Default length. Kling, Seedance, Hailuo H3 and Wan nodes open at 5 seconds: under the 6-second floor. Change the length before you run.
- 480p. Seedance at 480p, or Wan 3.0 at 480p, fails the resolution rule. There is no video upscaler on 8frame (Topaz, Clarity and BRIA upscale images only), so a 480p clip cannot be lifted to 720p afterwards: regenerate at 720p or higher.
- 4K. No video model on 8frame outputs 4K. You do not need it: Google's floor is 720p.
- Sound. Montage drops it. Fine for Merchant Center, not fine if you reuse the same file as a TikTok or Reels ad.
- Expiring links. A download link that stops working breaks Google's "static" rule. Host the file yourself.
FAQ
Is a 5-second product video accepted by Google Merchant Center?
No. Google's [video_link] page says video length must be between 6 and 240 seconds. Make the clip 8 or 10 seconds, or join two short takes with Montage.
Can I link a YouTube video?
Yes. The page says the URL can be a YouTube URL or a URL from another host; for other hosts it must point directly to the raw video file, not to a page with a player.
Does a product video need sound?
No. Google's page says "Sound is optional." That makes a Montage join, which has no sound, usable for Merchant Center.
What resolution should an AI product video be for Google Shopping?
At least 720p (1280x720). Seedance at 480p fails. Kling 2.6 Pro and Wan 3.0 at 1080p, or Hailuo H3 at 2K, leave room above the floor.
Will a rejected video take my product offline?
No. Google says policy or quality errors stop the video from serving but do not affect the offer.
Which aspect ratio should I use?
One of 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1, generated in that shape. 4:5 is not on Google's list, and Google advises against black bars.
Sources
- Google Merchant Center Help, Video link [video_link] (6 to 240 s, 720p minimum, 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1, 500 MB, up to 10, YouTube or raw file URL, static links, sound optional, no black bars as best practice), checked 2026-11-09
- Google Merchant Center Help, Merchant Center product data specification update 2026 (14 April 2026 introduction, eligible to serve from 30 June 2026, errors do not affect the offer), checked 2026-11-09
- Google Merchant Center Help, Image link [image_link] (AI-generated images must carry metadata saying so), checked 2026-11-09
- Shopify Help Center, Product media types (video up to 10 minutes, up to 1 GB, .mp4, .mov or .webm), checked 2026-11-09
- 8frame prices, defaults and limits: the 8frame app, checked 2026-11-09
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