The Merchant API introduces two new methods for inventory management:
list: Lets you list local and regional inventory for your products.
delete: Lets you delete local and regional inventory for your products.
Here's a comparison of the available methods to manage inventories:
Method
Content API for Shopping
Merchant API
customBatch
Yes
No
insert
Yes
Yes
list
No
Yes
delete
No
Yes
Resources
Here's what's changed for local and regional inventories:
Content API for Shopping
Merchant API
Description
Not supported
name:string
The field differentiatesLocalInventoryandRegionalInventoryresources within aproduct. The Content API for Shopping identifies local inventory bystoreCodeandproductId, and regional inventory byregionIdandproductId.
Not supported
account:string
Added new field to identify the Merchant Center account theproductandLocalInventorybelong to.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-11 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThe Merchant API allows management of both local (in-store) and regional inventory for products.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eIt introduces new methods for inventory management like listing and removing local and regional inventory, replacing the Content API for Shopping for these operations.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThere are key differences in how local and regional inventory are handled in the Merchant API compared to the Content API, including new fields and data types.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ccode\u003ename\u003c/code\u003e field is introduced to uniquely identify inventory resources, and \u003ccode\u003eaccount\u003c/code\u003e is added to link products and inventory to the merchant account.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003e\u003ccode\u003eprice\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003esalePrice\u003c/code\u003e, and \u003ccode\u003esalePriceEffectiveDate\u003c/code\u003e fields have been updated with new data types and structures in the Merchant Inventories API.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["The Merchant API manages local and regional inventory, using the Inventories sub-API. Key actions include listing and removing both local and regional inventories. The API uses `POST` requests with a specific URL format. New fields like `name` and `account` were added for local and regional inventory. The `price` definition has been modified. `salePriceEffectiveDate` now uses the `TimePeriod` type and `quantity` is now an integer. Methods such as `list` and `delete` are now supported. The `customBatch` method is not.\n"],null,["# Migrate inventory management\n\nYou can use the Merchant API to manage local (in-store) and regional inventory.\n\nRequests\n--------\n\nUse the following request URL format for the [Merchant Inventories API](/merchant/api/guides/inventories/overview): \n\n POST https://merchantapi.googleapis.com/inventories/v1/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003e{PARENT}\u003c/var\u003e/regionalInventories\n\n POST https://merchantapi.googleapis.com/inventories/v1/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003e{PARENT}\u003c/var\u003e/localInventories\n\n\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003e{PARENT}\u003c/var\u003e will have the format:\naccounts/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003e{ACCOUNT_ID}\u003c/var\u003e/products/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003e {PRODUCT_ID}\u003c/var\u003e.\n| **Note:** In Merchant API, the Merchant Inventories API and its related endpoints are referred using the plural form \"inventories\".\n\nHere's a sample comparison for local inventory requests:\n\n| Item | Content API for Shopping | Merchant API |\n|-----------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| **URL** | https://shoppingcontent.googleapis.com/content/v2.1/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003e{MERCHANT_ID}\u003c/var\u003e/products/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003e{PRODUCT_ID}\u003c/var\u003e/localinventory | https://merchantapi.googleapis.com/inventories/v1/\u003cvar translate=\"no\"\u003e{PARENT}\u003c/var\u003e/localInventories |\n| **Identifiers** | `{MERCHANT_ID}/products/{PRODUCT_ID}` | `{NAME}` |\n\nMethods\n-------\n\nThe Merchant API introduces two new methods for inventory management:\n\n- `list`: Lets you list local and regional inventory for your products.\n- `delete`: Lets you delete local and regional inventory for your products.\n\nHere's a comparison of the available methods to manage inventories:\n\n| Method | Content API for Shopping | Merchant API |\n| `customBatch` | Yes | No |\n| `insert` | Yes | Yes |\n| `list` | No | Yes |\n| `delete` | No | Yes |\n|---------------|:------------------------:|:------------:|\n\nResources\n---------\n\nHere's what's changed for local and regional inventories:\n\n| Content API for Shopping | Merchant API | Description |\n|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| Not supported | `name:string` | The field differentiates `LocalInventory` and `RegionalInventory` resources within a `product`. The Content API for Shopping identifies local inventory by `storeCode` and `productId`, and regional inventory by `regionId` and `productId`. |\n| Not supported | `account:string` | Added new field to identify the Merchant Center account the `product` and `LocalInventory` belong to. |\n| ` price: { `[object (Price)](/merchant/api/guides/compatibility/overview#price)` } ` | `price: {` ` `[object (Price)](/merchant/api/guides/compatibility/overview#price) `}` | [Price](/merchant/api/guides/compatibility/overview#price) definition has changed. |\n| `salePrice: {` ` `[object (Price)](/merchant/api/guides/compatibility/overview#price) `}` | `salePrice: {` ` `[object (Price)](/merchant/api/guides/compatibility/overview#price) `}` | [Price](/merchant/api/guides/compatibility/overview#price) definition has changed. |\n| `salePriceEffectiveDate: string` | `salePriceEffectiveDate: {` ` object (TimePeriod)` ` }` | `salePriceEffectiveDate` uses the new `TimePeriod` object in the Merchant Inventories API. |\n| `kind:string` | Not supported | The API doesn't support `kind`. |\n| `quantity:string` | `quantity:integer` | `quantity` takes an integer instead of string in the local inventory. |\n| Not supported | `localShippingLabel:string` | Added new field to identify the merchant center account the `product` and `regionalInventory` belong to. |\n| `\"regionId\": string` | `\"region\": string` | `regionID` is now called `region` for the regional inventory. |\n| `string` type fields with defined set of values | `enum` type fields with defined set of values | Fields within inventory attributes with defined set of values (for example `availability`, `pickupMethod`) are now `enum` type. |\n\n| **Note:** The `channel` field within product identifier is no longer present in Merchant API. Products with `LOCAL` channel in Content API for Shopping should instead set the `legacy_local` field to true."]]
