How do I activate Bavian CSS?

A CSS, or comparison shopping service, is the company that places your Shopping ads on Google in Europe. If you haven't chosen one, your ads run through Google Shopping, which in the EEA keeps a share of every bid before the auction. Bavian's CSS keeps nothing, and it's included in the Autopilot subscription at no extra cost. What is CSS for Google Shopping ads? explains it in more detail.

You can use it if your project is an online store with Merchant Center connected, and it advertises in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK.

Move to Bavian's CSS

1. In Bavian, open the Shopping page.
2. Click Move to Bavian’s CSS, then Yes, move my account.
3. Bavian sends the request to Google, and Google emails the admins of your Merchant Center account. One of them approves it in Merchant Center. Nothing moves until they do.
4. Within about 14 days, the page shows CSS partner: Bavian.

Anyone on your team can start the move. Along the way, the page shows where it is. Right after your click, it says "We have your request." Once Bavian has sent the request to Google, it shows CSS request — awaiting your approval, and once an admin has approved it, CSS switch approved — active within about 14 days.

What changes and what doesn't

Your feed, products, campaigns and Google Ads account stay as they are, and so do the users in Merchant Center, unless your account sits under another company's multi-client account, whose users can lose access. Your ads keep running during the move. Once it's done, the small "By …" link at the bottom of your Shopping ads in Google's search results names Bavian instead of Google.

Good to know

• No email? Google sends it only to Merchant Center admins, and only after Bavian has sent the request. Check your spam folder too.
• If an admin declines, the page shows CSS request declined, and you can ask again.
• If you already use another CSS, you can still move. Your current CSS is told that you're moving.
• There's no button in Bavian to move back. Until the switch is done, a Merchant Center admin can still decline it in Merchant Center. If you change your mind afterwards, contact us.