Pause [pause] Field for Product Feed

Optional for each product

The pause attribute lets you temporarily stop a product from showing in all ads or all listings (ads + free listings) for up to 14 days.
Unlike deleting a product, pausing allows for a faster reinstatement when you’re ready to sell again.

When to use

Use the pause attribute when:

• Your product is available and in stock, but you want to stop showing it for a short period.
• You plan to relaunch the product soon without going through full reapproval delays.

Important:

• Pausing for more than 14 days may require 1+ days for reactivation.
• This attribute cannot be used to pause only free listings : use excluded_destination for that case.

Format

Follow these formatting rules so Google correctly interprets your data.

• Type: Choice (must be one of the supported values)
• Supported values:
  • ads → Pause the product in all ad placements (Shopping ads, Display ads, local inventory ads).
  • all → Pause the product in all shopping placements (ads + free listings + Buy on Google).
• Repeated field: No
• File format examples:

Minimum requirements

• Submit one of the supported values (ads or all).
• Pause only for 14 days or less.
• Don’t use availability = out_of_stock to pause products, it’s not intended for that purpose.
• Don’t use this attribute for destinations other than ads : use excluded_destination instead.

Best practices

• Use pause for short-term marketing changes (sales strategy shifts, temporary supply pauses).
• Pair with excluded_destination for long-term removal from specific placements.
• Keep track of paused dates to avoid going over the 14-day limit.

SEO Tip

Pausing affects visibility in shopping surfaces but doesn’t directly impact your organic website SEO. However, removing your products from free listings for extended periods can reduce exposure, so use cautiously.

Official Source : https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/11909930