Google is testing a new format for Shopping ads on desktop. Search Engine Roundtable explains that the new format looks like a gallery of product images and shows up below the Shopping ads carousel.  

What’s different about the new format?

Shopping ads traditionally appear in a horizontal carousel format on desktop. Users scroll through products from left to right, with clear labeling as “Sponsored.” However, in this new test, the layout is vertical. The format presents rows of product images, similar to how an image pack appears in Google Search.

Users may not immediately realize it’s an ad section. It's only upon clicking or expanding that it becomes clear they’re interacting with paid content.

Google has been testing multiple ad enhancements

The tests reflect Google's push to evolve ad formats on its Search platform. In January, Google began testing AI-generated backgrounds for Shopping ads, allowing advertisers to automatically stylize product images in various settings. Google also began testing video shopping ads and expandable/collapsible sponsored results in October 2024.

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