BigCommerce guide

BigCommerce store suspended in Merchant Center? Fix it from your control panel

BigCommerce sends your whole catalogue to Google through one app, so a single gap, like a missing returns page or a store that isn't live, affects everything. These are the common BigCommerce problems, and where to fix each one.

Guides · Updated 30 October 2026 · 7 min read

10places in BigCommerce to check
7common BigCommerce causes covered
Every 4 hoursthe Google app syncs your catalogue
Up to 7business days for a review, Google says
The short version
  • Common causes on BigCommerce stores are a storefront that isn't launched or active, missing policy pages, and prices that show differently with and without VAT.
  • Most fixes are in Settings, Storefront and your products, so you rarely need a developer.
  • Products reach Google through BigCommerce's Ads and Listings on Google app, which syncs your whole catalogue every few hours.
  • Once fixed, request the review in the app's settings or in Merchant Center.

Why BigCommerce stores get suspended

Google applies the same rules to every store. These are the BigCommerce set-ups that most often cause problems:

01

Store not launched or inactive

A pre-launch store shows a coming soon page, and an inactive storefront sends every page to the homepage and tells search engines it's unavailable. Google can't review a store it can't see.

What can raise concernsStill in pre-launch, or the storefront set to inactive.
What worksStore launched and the storefront active.
02

Missing policy pages

BigCommerce's Google app expects terms of service and a return or refund policy. You create these as web pages yourself.

What can raise concernsNo returns page, or one that only says "contact us".
What worksReturns, Delivery, Privacy and Terms pages with real details.
03

Contact details not showing

Your address appears in most theme footers from Settings, Store profile, but if the phone field is left blank, no phone number shows on your store.

What can raise concernsAddress only, or a contact form and nothing else.
What worksBusiness name, address, phone and email visible, plus a Contact page.
04

Prices with and without VAT

For shoppers in the UK and EU, Google expects VAT-inclusive prices that match the page and checkout. Tax display settings can make them disagree.

What can raise concerns£20 on the product page, £24 at checkout.
What worksOne VAT-inclusive price everywhere.
05

Products not listed outside your default currency

The Google app only lists products in countries that use your storefront's default currency. Extra storefronts need their own Google channel.

What can raise concernsA euro shop expecting UK listings from a single channel.
What worksEach storefront connected for its own currency and countries.
06

Missing identifiers

Google needs barcodes (GTIN), part numbers (MPN) or brand where products have them. The app also needs a SKU and weight on each product.

What can raise concernsBranded products with no GTIN or brand.
What worksIdentifiers, brand, SKU and weight filled in.
07

Shipping that doesn't match

Shipping set in BigCommerce, the Google app, your delivery page and Merchant Center that doesn't agree.

What can raise concernsFree delivery over £40 on the site, a flat £3.95 in Merchant Center.
What worksThe same costs and times everywhere.

Where to fix each one in BigCommerce

What to fixWhere in your BigCommerce control panel
Launching the store or making the storefront activeChannel Manager, then Storefronts, then Make active (or Launch my store from the dashboard)
Business name, address, phone and emailSettings, then Store profile
Returns, delivery, privacy and terms pagesStorefront, then Web Pages
Homepage title and meta descriptionSettings, then General, then Website, then Search Engine Optimization
Footer and headerPage Builder, then Header & Footer (options depend on your theme)
Shipping zones and methodsSettings, then Shipping
CurrenciesSettings, then Currencies
GTIN, UPC/EAN and MPNProducts, edit a product, then Product Identifiers
BrandsProducts, then Brands, then set the Brand field on each product
Google sync status, issues and reviewsChannel Manager, then Ads and Listings on Google
Fix the source, not the feed

Ads and Listings on Google sends your whole BigCommerce catalogue to Merchant Center and updates it every four hours. Fix prices and details in BigCommerce and let them sync, rather than editing them in Merchant Center.

Variant barcodes

You can add GTINs for a product in the control panel, but GTINs for individual variants have to be added with a product import or the API.

On a different platform?

We have the same guide for Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix and Squarespace.

Check your site for these problemsThe free scan reads the key pages a Google reviewer typically checks and shows your score and the areas that need attention.

Step-by-step fix for BigCommerce

  1. 1

    Find the issue

    Open Ads and Listings on Google from Channel Manager. Item issues are on the Products and Overview pages; account issues are on its Settings page. In Merchant Center, go to Products, then Needs attention, then View setup and policy issues.

  2. 2

    Make sure the store is live

    Launch the store if it's still in pre-launch, and check in Channel Manager, Storefronts that the storefront is active.

  3. 3

    Complete your store profile

    In Settings, Store profile, add your business name, address, phone and email. Check they show in your footer and on a Contact page.

  4. 4

    Publish real policies

    In Storefront, Web Pages, create returns, delivery, privacy and terms pages with your real return window, costs and times, and make sure shoppers can reach them from your navigation or footer.

  5. 5

    Check prices, VAT, currency and delivery

    Make sure UK and EU shoppers see VAT-inclusive prices that match checkout, your default currency matches the countries you sell to, and Settings, Shipping matches your delivery page.

  6. 6

    Fill in product identifiers

    Add GTIN or MPN under Product Identifiers, set the Brand, and check every product has a SKU and weight.

  7. 7

    Scan, then request a review

    Run a free scan to check for anything you've missed. Then request the review, either from the app's Settings page or in Merchant Center. The full report gives BigCommerce steps for the issues it finds.

Your BigCommerce checklist

Tick these off as you go. Your ticks are saved in this browser.

0 of 14 doneTick each one off as you fix it.
What a checklist can't catchMany of these sit in your page code, structured data or settings Google reads but shoppers never see, so they're easy to miss by eye. Any one of them can be enough for a review to fail.
  • A storefront left inactive after maintenance
  • Product markup from your theme showing a different price or stock status from the page
  • Star ratings a reviews app adds to the page code
  • Prices that change with tax settings between the product page, cart and checkout
  • Products not listed because the storefront's default currency doesn't match the country
  • Missing GTINs on variants
  • Policy text copied from another store, still naming their business
  • Delivery times that differ between product pages, the FAQ and your delivery page
  • Tracking pixels running without cookie consent
  • Google's ads crawler (AdsBot) blocked in robots.txt
The free scan runs checks like these on the key pages a Google reviewer typically checks, and shows your score and the areas that need attention.Scan my site free

Common questions

No. Google applies the same rules to every store. But unlaunched stores, missing policy pages and mixed tax settings are common on BigCommerce.

Either. Ads and Listings on Google has a review button on its Settings page, and you can also request a review from the issue in Merchant Center. Fix everything first: repeated unsuccessful reviews can mean waiting longer before you can ask again.

Not from the BigCommerce app: it sends your whole catalogue, up to 30,000 products and variants. Make sure every product is ready, or manage what shows in Merchant Center.

For shoppers in the UK and EU, yes. Google asks for prices that include VAT and match the page and checkout. In the US and Canada, prices exclude tax.

Usually not. Most fixes are in Settings, Storefront and your products. You may need help with variant barcodes, which have to be imported, or with theme changes.

Sources

Certanza is independent and not affiliated with Google. This guide is general information, not legal advice, and Google's policies can change.

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