- Find the exact issue in Merchant Center first: Products, then the Needs attention tab, then View setup and policy issues.
- Most account-level suspensions are about your website: misrepresentation, missing contact or policy details, or prices and stock that don't match your product data.
- Some issues come with a 7 or 28-day warning; the most serious ones suspend straight away.
- Fix everything, then request one review. Repeated unsuccessful reviews can lead to cool-down periods that get longer.
First, find the real reason
Before changing anything, find out exactly what Merchant Center says is wrong. In Merchant Center, go to Products, open the Needs attention tab and select View setup and policy issues. You'll see whether the problem is with the whole account or with individual products, and which policy it falls under.
| What you see | What it usually means | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Misrepresentation | Google doesn't trust your business details, policies, prices or claims | Our misrepresentation guide |
| Website needs improvement / online store requirements | Missing contact details, returns policy, secure checkout or a working basket | Your Contact page, policies and checkout |
| Mismatched price or availability | Your product data says one thing, your website another | Product pages and your feed |
| Unverified or unclaimed website | Merchant Center can't confirm you own the website | Business info and website settings in Merchant Center |
| Prohibited or restricted products | Something you sell isn't allowed, or needs certification | Your product range |
| Counterfeit goods or unacceptable business practices | Serious policy issues that suspend without warning | Brands you sell, how you describe your business |
Warnings and suspensions
Not every issue suspends your account immediately. For some, Google gives you a warning period of 7 or 28 days while your products keep showing. During that time you can request one courtesy review. If the issue is still there at the end, the account is suspended.
The most serious issues, such as unacceptable business practices, dishonest pricing and counterfeit goods, can suspend an account straight away without a warning.
The website requirements Google checks
Google's Merchant Center guidelines set out what every online shop needs. Missing any of these is one of the most common reasons for an account-level suspension.
Contact information
Clearly available on your website: for example a contact form, email address, phone number or business profile link. In practice, more is better.
Returns and refunds policy
Easy to find on your site, and stated clearly even if you don't accept returns. It should also be added to your product data.
A normal way to pay
At least one conventional payment method at checkout, such as cards, invoicing or payment on delivery.
Secure checkout
Personal and payment details collected on a secure (SSL, https) page.
All costs and conditions up front
Total price, delivery costs, subscriptions and any conditions shown clearly before and after purchase.
A checkout that works
Shoppers must be able to add products to the basket and complete the checkout.
One language
Your website, your product data and the language you registered should all match.
Products you can actually buy
Everything you promote in Shopping must be available to buy through your own online store.
No affiliate or pay-per-click links
Shopping can't be used to send people to affiliate links, apart from approved comparison shopping services.
How to fix a suspended account
- 1
Read the issue, not just the email
The issue in Merchant Center tells you the policy. Write it down, along with the date, so you can track what you changed.
- 2
Check every page a reviewer looks at
Homepage, About, Contact, returns, delivery, privacy, terms, a few product pages and the checkout. A free scan shows every problem with the page and wording it came from.
- 3
Fix the business details
Business name, address, phone and a business email on your Contact page and footer. Company number if you're a limited company.
- 4
Fix your policies
Returns, delivery, privacy and terms should be complete, filled in with your real details, and agree with each other and with your FAQ.
- 5
Fix your product data
Prices, stock, delivery costs and times in Merchant Center must match your website. Correct them in your shop system so your feed updates.
- 6
Check the account settings
Make sure your website is verified and claimed, your business information is complete, and your shipping and returns settings match your site.
- 7
Request one review
Choose "I fixed the issue" and request a review. Wait for the result, which Google says can take up to 7 business days.
Your Merchant Center checklist
Work through this before requesting a review. Your ticks are saved in this browser.
- Product structured data prices and stock that don't match what shoppers see
- Currency mismatches between your product data and your pages
- Google's ads crawler (AdsBot) blocked by your robots.txt file
- Policy and trust pages that return errors, redirect away or load blank for Google
- A basket or checkout page that doesn't load securely
- Products bought on a different website from the one you advertise
- Images loading from broken or insecure addresses
- Whether your site is on Google's malware or phishing list
- Dropshipping warning signs reviewers look for, such as very long hidden delivery times
- Restricted or banned product wording you might not expect, like replica terms
After the review
If the review is approved, your products start showing again, usually within a few days. Keep your site and feed in sync, because the same issues can come back if your prices or policies drift.
If it isn't approved, don't resubmit straight away. Look again at every page, especially the ones you didn't change. Most second rejections come from a problem nobody noticed the first time.
Common questions
- Google Merchant Center: Request a review of your issues
- Google Merchant Center guidelines
- Google Merchant Center: Misrepresentation policy
Certanza is independent and not affiliated with Google. This guide is general information, not legal advice, and Google's policies can change.