Google Shopping in Bulgaria: status as of October 2026
As of 14 October 2026, Google Shopping has not officially launched for shoppers in Bulgaria. The English version of Google's official table of countries for Shopping ads and free product listings does not include Bulgaria, and Bulgarian is not among the supported languages for product data. The announcement of 14 July 2026 about 14 new markets, Bulgaria among them, no longer exists in Google's Help Center. All launch dates circulating in Bulgarian publications (September, October, "by the end of the year") come from agencies and LinkedIn posts, not from Google.
Prepared by Hristiyan Panov, founder of Hpanov-Digital, a performance marketing consultancy with over 5 years of experience and over €2 000 000 in managed ad spend for more than 90 companies on Google and Meta. The status is checked directly against Google's documentation and updated with every change. Last checked: 14.10.2026.
Google Shopping status for Bulgaria, 14 October 2026
| Shopping ads to shoppers in Bulgaria | Not on the official list |
| Free product listings in Bulgaria | Not on the official list |
| Bulgarian language for product data | Not supported |
| Official launch date | None announced |
| Shopping ads in Greece and Romania (for a store that delivers there) | Available, with a CSS partner |
What does Google's official table say?
The only document that determines where Shopping ads and free product listings are shown is the "Supported countries and currencies" page in the Google Merchant Center Help Center. As of 14 October 2026, its English version does not include Bulgaria. Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Serbia are also missing. Greece (EUR) and Romania (RON) are on the list, and the Shopping tab is available to users in both.
Archived copies of the same page from 31 August, 1 September and 23 September 2026 show the same: Bulgaria is not on the list. Bulgarian is also absent from the list of supported languages for product data. Without a supported language, products cannot be shown to shoppers in the country, even if the store is technically ready.
Why does the Bulgarian version of the page show Bulgaria?
This is the trap most checks fall into. The Bulgarian, Croatian and Estonian versions of the same Google page (parameter hl=bg, hl=hr, hl=et) still list Bulgaria as of 14 October 2026, with the euro and the mark for an available Shopping tab. The English, British, German, Romanian and Greek versions do not include it.
The most likely explanation is that the translated versions date from the period between 14 July and 18 August 2026 and were not updated after the removal. Google has not confirmed this. The Bulgarian page itself carries a note that its content may have been machine-translated. The practical rule is simple: check the status in the English version of the page, not in a translated one.
What is the timeline of announcements for Bulgaria?
- March 2026. A LinkedIn post mentions 15 new European markets in two phases, with Bulgaria in the second, "around the holiday season", without dates. The news was republished by industry websites with the caveat that the source is not Google. Around the same time, the date "from October 2026" began to appear in Bulgarian publications.
- 14 July 2026. Google published an announcement in the Merchant Center Help Center about 14 new markets for Shopping ads and free listings, Bulgaria among them. According to industry media coverage, over-the-counter and prescription medicines are prohibited in all 14 markets.
- 18 August 2026. The announcement was removed, and Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Serbia disappeared from the official table, with no explanation and no new date.
- 14 October 2026. The page with the July announcement returns "page not found". The English table does not include Bulgaria. The official Merchant Center changelog for July–October 2026 contains no announcement about Bulgaria. No public statement from Google about restoring these markets has been found.
What does this mean for a Bulgarian online store today?
Paid Shopping ads and free product listings to shoppers in Bulgaria are not officially available. This does not stop product advertising on Google altogether:
- Search campaigns work as usual and cover product searches with text ads.
- Performance Max without a product feed runs across Search, YouTube, Display and Gmail, but without product listings showing an image and price.
- Catalogue ads on Meta work in Bulgaria with the same product feed that will later be needed for Google as well.
- Sales in Greece and Romania. A store that delivers there and has a Greek or Romanian version of its website can show Shopping ads in those countries. A CSS partner is mandatory in both.
In a technical check on 1 October 2026, Bulgaria could be selected as a target country in a Merchant Center account. Products were disapproved for Bulgaria only because of a missing shipping setting, with no "unsupported country" error, and a Shopping campaign targeting Bulgaria passed validation in Google Ads. This shows that Google's systems allow the setting. It does not prove that the ads will receive impressions while Bulgaria is not on the official list.
Is a CSS partner needed for Bulgaria?
CSS (Comparison Shopping Service) is a price comparison service through which a store takes part in Shopping ads. As of 14 October 2026, CSS is mandatory in 21 countries: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Bulgaria is not on this list because it is not on the Shopping list at all.
Google has not announced whether CSS will also be mandatory for Bulgaria if it launches. For a store selling in Greece or Romania, the question is relevant now. In detail: CSS for Google Shopping: what it is and when it is needed.
How can a store prepare before Google launches in Bulgaria?
Preparation is the same regardless of the date and takes weeks, not days. A store that is ready on launch day collects data while others are still fixing their feed.
- Prices in euro only. Bulgaria joined the euro area on 1 January 2026, and mandatory dual pricing in leva and euro ended on 8 August 2026. The price in the feed, on the product page and in the cart must match.
- Shipping and returns. A shipping setting for Bulgaria in Merchant Center and public shipping and returns pages on the website. Missing shipping is the most common reason for disapproval.
- Product data. Full titles of up to 150 characters, brand, GTIN or MPN, availability, category. The title determines which searches the product appears for.
- Structured data on product pages. Price and availability in the structured data must be the same as in the feed.
- Tracking with order value. Without value, automated bidding optimises for the number of orders, not for revenue.
- Category check. Medicines are prohibited in Shopping in the new markets. Pharmacies and supplement stores need to check the restrictions for their products separately.
The full step-by-step list: Merchant Center checklist for a Bulgarian online store.
How can you check whether Google Shopping has launched in Bulgaria?
- Open the official table in English and search for "Bulgaria". If it is not there, Shopping is not officially available.
- Do not rely on the version with
hl=bg. As of 14 October 2026, it shows Bulgaria, although the English version does not. - In Merchant Center, open the product diagnostics for Bulgaria. An unsupported country error means the market is not open. Missing shipping or another data error means the problem is in your account.
- Follow the news section of the Merchant Center Help Center. The official announcement will appear there.
FAQ — Frequently asked questions about Google Shopping in Bulgaria
Is Google Shopping available in Bulgaria?
Not officially. As of 14 October 2026, Bulgaria is not listed in the English version of Google's official table for Shopping ads and free product listings, and Bulgarian is not a supported language for product data.
When will Google Shopping launch in Bulgaria?
Google has not announced a date. The announcement of 14 July 2026 that included Bulgaria was removed on 18 August 2026. The "September" and "October 2026" dates come from agencies, not from Google.
Why does the Bulgarian version of the Help Center say that Bulgaria is supported?
The Bulgarian version of the page has not been updated since Bulgaria was removed from the English table. The English text is the valid one.
Can a store in Bulgaria advertise products in Greece and Romania?
Yes, if the store delivers to the country in question, has a version of the website in the feed language and works with a CSS partner. Shopping ads are available in both countries, and CSS is mandatory in both.
Does the product feed have to be in English?
Google has not announced a rule for Bulgaria. The general rule is that the feed language must match the language of the product page and the cart. Translating the store solely for Shopping is not recommended before Google publishes its requirements for Bulgaria.
What should be advertised in the meantime?
Search campaigns for product searches, Performance Max without a feed, and catalogue ads on Meta. A product feed prepared for Meta can also be used in Google at launch.
Conclusion
As of 14 October 2026, Google Shopping is not officially available in Bulgaria, and all published launch dates are unofficial. A store does not gain by hearing the date first, but by having an approved feed, correct shipping and tracking with order value on launch day. This page is updated with every change in the official status.
Change history: 14 October 2026 — first published; check of the English, Bulgarian, Croatian and Estonian versions of the official table, the CSS page and the removed July announcement.
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