Merchant Center guide

Website needs improvement? How to fix it before you request a review

"Website needs improvement" means Google doesn't yet see your store as a finished, trustworthy business. Most fixes are straightforward, but the issue affects your whole account, so it's worth getting right before you request a review.

Guides · Updated 30 October 2026 · 7 min read

3fixes Google lists for this issue
24-48 hrsfor Google's fresh crawl after you request a review, usually
Up to 7business days for an account review, Google says
1chance to disagree with the issue, Google says
The short version
  • Google wants your site to be fully functional and customised for your business. Placeholder content stops your store being verified as a trusted business.
  • It's an account issue: it affects all your products, and if it isn't fixed your account can be suspended.
  • Google's own list of fixes: add contact and policy pages, remove placeholder text, and fix broken links.
  • Make your details match Merchant Center, then request one well-prepared review. Requesting it starts a fresh crawl of your site.

What this issue means

Google requires your online store to be fully functional and customised for your business. In its help on this issue, Google says placeholder content prevents your store from being verified as a trusted business.

It's a setup and policy issue, not a problem with one product. Google says these issues affect all of your products, and if they aren't fixed, your account will be suspended and your products won't appear across Google.

Where to see it

In Merchant Center, go to Products, then the Needs attention tab, then View setup and policy issues.

Google's three fixes for your website

Google's help for this issue lists three things to fix:

01

Add contact information and policy pages

Add an About page, a return policy, delivery (shipping) information and your business information, so shoppers can see who you are and how you work.

What can raise concernsNo About page, and returns only explained at checkout.
What worksAbout, Contact, Returns and Delivery pages, linked from the footer.
02

Remove placeholder content

Take out template text and sample content your theme or platform added.

What can raise concerns"Lorem ipsum" or "Add customer reviews here".
What worksEvery section rewritten for your business, or removed.
03

Fix broken links

Check for links that lead to error pages or just send people to the homepage, including social media links.

What can raise concernsA Facebook icon linking to facebook.com, or a menu item that shows a 404.
What worksEvery link goes where it says.
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.

What else reviewers look for

Fixing those three is the start. Google's other requirements are worth checking at the same time, because a review looks at your whole store:

CheckWhat Google asks for
Matching detailsYour name, address and phone number identical in your footer, contact page and Merchant Center settings
Contact before checkoutAt least one contact method that's easy to find before checkout
Returns policyWhat to do, when returns and refunds apply, the time limit and when the refund arrives, even if you don't take returns
CheckoutShoppers can add to basket and complete checkout, card details only on secure (SSL) pages, at least one conventional payment method
PricesAll taxes, fees and surcharges included; VAT included for the UK and most EU countries
ProductsAvailable to buy directly on your site, not through affiliate links
AccessSite public, not password-protected, with Googlebot allowed in robots.txt
Setting up for the first time?

See how to get approved by Merchant Center first time for the full checklist and the right order to set up.

Step-by-step fix

  1. 1

    Read the issue

    In Merchant Center, open Products, then Needs attention, then View setup and policy issues, and note exactly what Google says.

  2. 2

    Make the three fixes

    Add About, Contact, Returns and Delivery pages, remove placeholder text and sample content, and fix every broken link, including social media icons.

  3. 3

    Make your details match

    Use the same business name, address and phone number in your footer, on your Contact page and in Merchant Center under Settings, then Business info.

  4. 4

    Check checkout and prices

    Place a test order to the payment step. Make sure prices include VAT where they should and match what Merchant Center shows.

  5. 5

    Scan your site

    Run a free scan to check for anything you've missed, including problems in the page code shoppers never see.

  6. 6

    Request one review

    From the issue, choose I fixed the issue and request a review. Google says account reviews can take up to 7 business days. Requesting a review starts a fresh crawl of your site, which Google says usually finishes within 24 to 48 hours. If issues remain after the second review, a one-week cool-down may begin, and it can get longer with each unsuccessful review.

Your checklist

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

0 of 12 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.
  • Template text hidden in a footer, pop-up or rarely visited page
  • A social media icon still linking to the platform's homepage
  • Product structured data showing a different price or stock status from the page
  • Star ratings a theme or reviews app adds to the page code
  • A business name that changes between the logo, footer and policies
  • Delivery times that differ between product pages, the FAQ and the delivery page
  • Policy text copied from another store, still naming their business
  • Googlebot 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

It's an account-level issue that affects all your products. Google says that if setup and policy issues aren't fixed, your account will be suspended and your products won't appear across Google.

Google says an account review can take up to 7 business days. Requesting a review starts a fresh crawl of your site, which usually finishes within 24 to 48 hours.

The fresh crawl that starts when you request a review may not have finished yet, or something is still missing: often template text on a page you rarely visit, a broken social link, or business details that don't match Merchant Center.

You can, but Google says you may only have one chance to disagree. If your site really does have missing pages or placeholder content, fix it first.

No. Creating a new account to get round a problem is treated as circumventing Google's systems, which is far harder to recover from.

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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