Google is piloting a hide-and-show control for sponsored listings inside Google Shopping, extending a feature that debuted in main Search results last October. Ginny Marvin, Google’s Ads Liaison, confirmed the test after a user posted screenshots showing the toggle live on Shopping, telling Search Engine Roundtable’s Barry Schwartz that the goal is to keep ad labeling uniform between Search and Shopping.
The mechanics mirror the Search version: tap to hide sponsored products, tap again to bring them back. Early skepticism about the original Search rollout centered on accidental clicks near the ad label, a concern Google has not revisited publicly for this Shopping test.
The stakes are narrower but real for retail marketers. Any control that lets shoppers opt out of paid listings entirely shifts a slice of demand toward organic Shopping results, which matters most for advertisers whose Shopping visibility leans on ad spend rather than a strong free-listing feed.
Retailers running Shopping campaigns should check how much of their Shopping traffic currently comes from paid versus free listings before this test expands.
Search Engine Roundtable’s Barry Schwartz first reported the test on July 15, 2026.
