Google Product Categories — Taxonomy List Download
Before you can assign Google Product Categories to your shop categories, you must download the official Google taxonomy list. This one-click download fetches the list directly from Google and stores it locally so the category autocomplete works offline.
Available since v1.0.3
Overview
Google maintains a standardised list of product categories — known as the Google Product Taxonomy — that Facebook and Instagram use to classify products in your catalogue. Each category has a numeric ID and a human-readable path such as Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Dresses.
The module needs a local copy of this list to power the autocomplete field in the Google Product Category Association panel. Without it, that panel is unavailable and you cannot map your shop categories to Google ones.
The taxonomy file is downloaded from Google's public servers and saved inside the module folder as downloads/{lang}.txt. The module tries to fetch the taxonomy in your store's default language first (for example fr-FR.txt for French stores), then falls back to English (en-US.txt) if a localised version is not available.
How to Download or Refresh the List
- Go to Modules > Module Manager, find Facebook & Instagram Product Catalogue Feed Pro, and click Configure.
- In the left-hand navigation, click Google Product Categories List (the tab with the download icon).
- If the list has never been downloaded, the panel shows a prompt asking you to download it. If a list is already present, the panel shows its last-update date.
- Click Download Google Product Categories.
- The module fetches the latest file from Google's servers and saves it. A green confirmation banner appears when the download completes.
Once the download succeeds, the Google Product Category Association panel becomes active and you can start mapping your shop categories.
When to Update the List
Google updates its taxonomy several times per year — new categories are added, some are renamed, and obsolete ones are removed. The panel displays the date of your current file so you can judge how old it is.
Refresh the list when:
- The current file is more than a few months old.
- You notice that a category you need is missing from the autocomplete suggestions.
- Google announces a taxonomy update (they publish release notes in the Commerce Help Center).
- You have just installed the module for the first time — the install routine attempts an automatic download, but refreshing manually confirms the file is current.
There is no harm in downloading more often. The operation takes a few seconds, replaces the local file, and does not affect any category associations you have already saved.
Important Notes
Language fallback. The module first attempts to download the taxonomy in your store's default language. For example, a store set to Spanish downloads es-ES.txt. If Google does not publish a file for that locale, the module falls back to en-US.txt. Either way, the autocomplete works — but the category names will be in the language of whichever file was successfully fetched.
Server connectivity. The download connects to https://www.google.com/basepages/producttype/taxonomy-with-ids.{lang}.txt. If your server has outbound HTTP/HTTPS restrictions or a firewall that blocks requests to external hosts, the download will fail. In that case, ask your hosting provider to allow outbound connections to www.google.com, or download the file manually from that URL and upload it to modules/facebookproductsfeed/downloads/en-US.txt.
File permissions. If the module cannot write to the downloads/ folder, you will see an error asking you to review file and folder write permissions. The downloads/ directory inside the module must be writable by the web server user (typically www-data).
Category associations are preserved. Refreshing the taxonomy list only updates the local text file used for autocomplete. It does not change or remove any Google category IDs you have already assigned to your shop categories in the database.
Multi-shop. The downloaded file is shared across all shops. Each shop's category associations are stored separately, but they all use the same taxonomy file for autocomplete suggestions.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Download fails with a network error | Confirm your server can reach www.google.com on port 443. Contact your host if outbound connections are blocked. |
| "Couldn't create the file" error | The downloads/ folder is not writable. Set its permissions to 755 (or 775) and make sure it is owned by the web server user. |
| Category autocomplete shows no results after download | Clear the PrestaShop Back Office cache (Advanced Parameters > Performance > Clear cache) and reload the configuration page. |
| The panel still shows "you must download" after a successful download | The confirmation was shown but the page was not reloaded. Press F5 or navigate back to the Google Product Categories List tab. |
| Downloaded file is in English but my store is in another language | Google may not publish a taxonomy file for your store's locale. The English list is used as a fallback — all category IDs are universal regardless of language. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to download the taxonomy list again after upgrading the module?
No. The file persists across module upgrades. Download a fresh copy only when you want to pick up new or renamed categories from Google.
What happens to my existing category mappings if I refresh the taxonomy list?
Nothing. Your mappings are stored in the database by Google category ID, not by name. Refreshing the local text file does not alter those IDs or remove any associations.
Can I use the Google Product Category Association panel without downloading the list?
No. The category tree and autocomplete in the Association panel are only displayed once a taxonomy file is present in downloads/. The download is a one-time prerequisite.
Does the module notify me when Google updates the taxonomy?
No. There is no automatic notification. Check the last-update date shown in the panel periodically and refresh when it is more than a few months old.
Why does the autocomplete show English category names even though my store is in French?
Google only publishes localised taxonomy files for certain languages. If a French-locale file (fr-FR.txt) is not available, the module downloads en-US.txt instead. The category IDs are the same in all languages, so your feed remains valid regardless of which language the local file uses.