If your website or your products are not in compliance with Google Merchant Center requirements and Shopping ads policies, your products may be disapproved and you may receive:
A warning email: This will include details about the issue, how to fix it, and a time frame in which to fix your issues (usually seven days).
An account suspension: If your issues are not fixed, you’ll receive a series of emails containing all of the relevant information related to Shopping ads policies and account suspension. Once you resolve all issues, your account or website will be reviewed and the warning will be lifted. Learn more about account-level enforcement for policy violations here.
Here are the top reasons why your Google Merchant Center Account may get disapproved:
Misrepresentation
The misrepresentation label will be split in two (effective May 27th, 2021): Misrepresentation and Website needs improvement.
Examples of Misrepresentation | Tips |
Missing contact information | Make sure your site provides users with at least two of the following types of contact information: physical business address, phone number, or email. Note that a contact form does not suffice. |
Missing refund policy | Make sure to include a return and refund policy before checkout which clearly states how you handle these actions, including all requirements and any timelines. If returns and refunds are not accepted, you’ll need to clearly state this on your website. |
Insufficient payment information | Make sure that before checkout:
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For more information on what Google counts as misrepresentation and how to fix it, check out this guide here.
Examples of Website Needs Improvement | Tips |
Destination URL is down | Make sure your website and the product pages are live and running. |
Broken links on your website | Ensure there are no broken links on your website |
Placeholder images or text on your website | Ensure there are no placeholder images or text on your website |