Brand attribute in Merchant Center: what to submit
The [brand] attribute takes the brand shoppers would recognise, your own store name for products only you make, and nothing at all when you are unsure. Never borrow a famous name for a product that is not theirs; that is a claim about who made it.
You run this check yourself
Our scanner can’t see inside your Google accounts, so this one’s on you. Work through the checklist below without running a scan.
Why this matters
Google's [brand] page sets three rules. Use “the brand name of the product that people shopping online generally will recognize”. “Use the store name as the brand name in cases where the merchant is also the manufacturer and the only seller of a product that has no official brand”, with an MPN of your own choosing. And “Only provide a brand if you’re sure it’s correct. When in doubt don’t provide a brand (for example, don't guess or make up a value).”
The brand also has to be real on the product: “The brand should be clearly visible as an integral part of the packaging or label, and not artificially added in the product image.” Goods with no brand and no identifiers have their own route. The [identifier_exists] attribute covers products such as “Custom goods or one-of-a-kind products, like custom T-shirts, art, or handmade goods”, but only set it to no “if you're certain that your product doesn’t have any assigned unique product identifiers”. The detail is in the identifier exists flag.
The line not to cross is written into the Misrepresentation policy, whose examples include “Claiming to be a certified reseller of goods when not actually certified, using a brand name to drive traffic to a different product on the site”. Google's Counterfeit products policy covers the far end: “Non-genuine products that mimic brand features in an attempt to pass themselves off as the genuine product”. Generic earbuds sent as “Apple” sit uncomfortably close to both.
Brand values live in your product data, so this is a manual feed audit. StoreVerifier does not read your feed. The free scan reads the structured data on your product pages and flags a missing brand, a missing GTIN or MPN, and a GTIN that fails its check digit. A claim to be an official or authorised seller of a brand is yours to hold up against your paperwork. Every product-data check is on the misrepresentation checker.
Typical evidence
Three products, three brand scenarios
Review resale, own-label, and unbranded products against current product-data guidance and the merchant’s own records. This public scan does not open submitted product data or a registry.
The public signals this check looks for:
Generic accessories sent with a famous brand in [brand] because they fit that brand's devi…
Generic accessories sent with a famous brand in [brand] because they fit that brand's devices.
Own-label products sent under the supplier's or factory's name, or a reseller's stock sent…
Own-label products sent under the supplier's or factory's name, or a reseller's stock sent under the store's own name.
Made-up values such as “Generic”, “Unbranded”, “N/A” or “No brand” in [brand], where the h…
Made-up values such as “Generic”, “Unbranded”, “N/A” or “No brand” in [brand], where the honest answer is to leave it empty.
The brand in the feed differs from the brand on the product page, the packaging or the lab…
The brand in the feed differs from the brand on the product page, the packaging or the label.
A brand logo added to the product photo when it does not appear on the product itself
A brand logo added to the product photo when it does not appear on the product itself.
The same product sent with its brand written in two languages or alphabets at once
The same product sent with its brand written in two languages or alphabets at once.
What it looks like once it is right
After checking they carry no GTIN, the earbuds go out with no brand and [identifier_exists] set to no. The cable carries its maker's real brand and GTIN, and the stand goes out under the store's own name with its own MPN.
Common mistakes
Common mistake
Self-check steps
The GS1 verification before submitting brand + GTIN
GS1 Verified by GS1 (gs1.org/services/verified-by-gs1) lets you look up any barcode. A match tells you the correct brand name. No match means the product is not in the registry — use identifier_exists: no.
Copy this, and change the parts in your own words
<g:brand>YourBrandName</g:brand>
Questions merchants ask
What should I put in the brand attribute for unbranded products?
Nothing, if the product has no clearly associated brand. Google's [brand] page says to provide a brand only if you are sure it is correct and not to guess or make one up. Where no GTIN, MPN or brand exists, the [identifier_exists] attribute says so.
Can I use my store name as the brand in Merchant Center?
Yes, when you make the product, you are its only seller, and it has no official brand, such as custom or homemade goods. Google's [brand] page then asks for an MPN of your own as well.
Can I use a big brand's name for compatible accessories?
Not in [brand]. The brand is whoever made the product. Google's Misrepresentation policy lists using a brand name to drive traffic to a different product among its examples; describe what the accessory fits in the title or description instead.
Remediation
Risk signal
Similar cases
Sources
Last reviewed 25 Sep 2026.
That is one issue. The library documents 134.
The free scan lists what it finds on your store. The paid report adds the affected pages, captured evidence and step-by-step fixes. Start free, with no account needed.