A recent update from Digital Phablet clarifies that uninstallation and reinstallation of the Google and YouTube Shopify app should be avoided. Google is managing the API transition internally, so manually removing and reinstalling the app can currently cause issues, which their team is actively working to resolve with Shopify.
Previously, there was a rumor suggesting that reinstalling the app was necessary before the Content API was replaced by the Merchant API on August 18th. However, the official guidance now states that merchants should leave the app unchanged, as Google will handle the migration seamlessly.
The updated FAQ indicates there’s no need for any action: if you’re using the Google & YouTube app on Shopify to manage your Google Merchant Center feeds, the switch to the Merchant API is being done automatically by Google. Reinstalling the app won’t speed up or affect this process.
Additionally, there’s a separate issue related to product ID formatting changes that can occur when reinstalling the app, which might result in a loss of historical performance data. This bug is affecting only a small subset of merchants, and a fix is currently being deployed. It is recommended to keep the app connected without reinstalling.
Further details have been shared by Ginny Marvin, a Google Ads liaison, who confirmed that the Merchant API migration is a standard process, not rewriting product IDs, and no action is necessary from merchants using the app. This transition is part of a broader initiative and is scheduled for completion by mid-August.