Sharing Shipping and Returns Policies With Google: What Merchants Need to Know in 2025

SEO
Mahmut Orkun Köksalan
November 14, 2025

Google has introduced a new way for online merchants to share their shipping and returns policies directly with Search—making it easier for customers to see important fulfillment information before they even visit your website.

This update gives businesses more control, improves visibility in search results, and helps shoppers make informed decisions. In this article, we break down what’s new, why it matters, and how you can implement these changes quickly.

Why Google Is Highlighting Fulfillment Policies

For online shoppers, shipping speed, delivery cost, and return conditions play a huge role in whether they complete a purchase.
Google’s goal is simple: provide clearer, more reliable fulfillment information across search experiences.

By sharing your shipping and returns details with Google, you can:

  • Build trust with potential customers
  • Improve the appearance of your business in search results
  • Highlight benefits like free delivery or easy returns
  • Increase your click-through and conversion rates

Google may display your policies in various surfaces, including business panels and other merchant-related features—giving customers a clearer picture of what to expect.

What’s New in Google’s 2025 Update?

Google now allows site-wide shipping and returns policies to be submitted through two main methods:

1. Google Search Console

A new Shipping & Returns section lets you define:

  • Delivery speeds
  • Shipping fees
  • Eligible countries
  • Return windows
  • Possible return fees

Even if you don’t use Google Merchant Center, you can still share your policies directly with Search.

2. Structured Data Markup

Google has introduced new organization-level schema properties:

  • shippingPolicy
  • returnPolicy

By adding a JSON-LD block to your site (often on your Shipping & Returns page), Google can understand your fulfillment rules at a site-wide level.

Priority Rules

Google also clarified how conflicting information is handled:

  • Search Console settings override structured data.
  • Product-specific structured data overrides site-wide policies.

This ensures Google always displays the most detailed and accurate information available.

How to Share Policies Using Search Console

If you prefer a no-code method, Search Console is the easiest option.

  1. Log in to Google Search Console.
  2. Open your website property.
  3. Navigate to the Shipping & Returns settings.
  4. Fill in details such as: Estimated delivery times, Shipping fees (free, flat rate, conditional), Countries you deliver to, Return windows (e.g., 30 days), Whether return shipping costs apply
  5. Save and wait for Google to process your updates.

This method is ideal for merchants who want speed, consistency, and simplicity.

How to Share Policies Using Structured Data

For those who prefer more control or need multilingual/multiregional support, structured data is the best approach.

Below is a simple example of organization-level JSON-LD markup:

{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Your Store Name",
"url": "https://www.example.com/",
"shippingPolicy": {
"@type": "ShippingPolicy",
"url": "https://www.example.com/shipping-returns",
"shippingRate": {
"@type": "MonetaryAmount",
"value": "0",
"currency": "USD"
},
"deliveryTime": {
"@type": "QuantitativeValue",
"minValue": 2,
"maxValue": 5,
"unitCode": "d"
},
"countriesIncluded": ["US"]
},
"returnPolicy": {
"@type": "ReturnPolicy",
"url": "https://www.example.com/shipping-returns",
"returnPolicyCategory": "https://schema.org/MerchantReturnUnlimitedWindow",
"returnFees": {
"@type": "MonetaryAmount",
"value": "0",
"currency": "USD"
},
"returnPolicyCountry": "US"
}
}

blank

Tips for Implementing Structured Data

  • Place the JSON-LD on your Shipping & Returns page.
  • Make sure the URLs match your live page exactly.
  • Test your markup using Google’s Rich Results Test.
  • Update product-level schema if individual items have unique policies.
  • Localize the markup for multilingual websites.

Best Practices for Clear Fulfillment Policies

To make the most of this update, ensure your policies follow these guidelines:

  • Be transparent and specific. Customers expect clear delivery times and costs.
  • Avoid vague language. Exact numbers (e.g., “2–4 business days”) perform better.
  • Keep policies consistent. Ensure your site, schema, and Search Console all match.
  • Provide localized versions if you serve multiple countries or languages.
  • Regularly update your policy pages when fulfillment rules change.

Well-structured fulfillment information not only helps Google understand your business but also sets proper expectations for customers.

My Perspective

As someone who closely follows search technology and the evolution of e-commerce SEO, I see Google’s new approach as a meaningful and overdue improvement. Fulfillment transparency has always shaped user trust, yet merchants had limited ways to communicate this information directly to Google.

By allowing shipping and return policies to be shared through both Search Console and structured data, Google is finally closing a long-standing gap between user expectations and merchant capabilities. This update not only helps customers make better decisions but also empowers online stores to present their value more clearly—especially those offering fast delivery or flexible returns.

I believe this shift will encourage merchants to improve their policy pages, maintain consistency across platforms, and focus more on the overall shopping experience. In a competitive environment where small details influence conversions, giving fulfillment information a more prominent place in search results is a smart and practical step forward.