# Get Approved by Google Merchant Center First Time: Checklist

> Setting up Google Merchant Center? What Google checks before approving a store, the right order to set up, a checklist, and a free readiness check.

Web page: https://www.certanza.app/merchant-center-approval

# Get approved by Merchant Center first time

Google reviews your website before your products can show. Most first-time problems are simple: missing contact details, a vague returns policy, template text or a checkout that doesn't work. Here's what Google checks, the right order to set up, and a free check of your store before you submit.

Merchant Center approval · updated 30 October 2026 · 7 minute read

## The short version

- Google reviews your store when your products go in, so it's worth finishing your website before you connect it.
- Reviewers look for who you are, a clear returns policy, delivery details, a working secure checkout, honest prices and no placeholder content.
- Your business name, address and phone number should match on your website and in Merchant Center.
- Fix everything before your first review: review requests are limited, and repeated unsuccessful reviews can mean waiting longer each time.

## Key numbers

- **3-5**: business days for a new account's first review for Shopping ads, Google says
- **8**: things to check before you submit
- **24-48 hrs**: for Google's fresh crawl after you request a review, usually
- **1**: account that can claim your website address

## What Google checks before approving your store

Google's Merchant Center guidelines and its misrepresentation policy describe what a store needs before its products can show. In practice, reviewers look for these eight things:

### Who you are and how to reach you

At least one contact method that's easy to find before checkout. Google says your name, address and phone number should be identical in your website footer, your contact page and your Merchant Center settings.
- What can raise concerns: A contact form only, or a different address on the site and in Merchant Center.
- What works: Business name, address, phone and email in the footer and on a Contact page, matching Merchant Center.

### A clear returns and refund policy

Easy to find, and saying what the customer has to do, when returns and refunds apply, the time limit and when the refund arrives. Google asks for a stated policy even if you don't accept returns.
- What can raise concerns: "Contact us about returns."
- What works: "Return within 30 days, unused. Email us to start. Refunds within 14 days of receiving the item."

### Delivery information

What delivery costs, how long it takes and where you deliver, shown before checkout and matching your Merchant Center shipping settings.
- What can raise concerns: Delivery costs that only appear at the last step of checkout.
- What works: A delivery page with costs, times and countries, linked from the footer.

### A checkout that works and is secure

Shoppers must be able to add to basket and complete checkout. Card details must only be collected on secure (SSL) pages, and you need at least one conventional payment method, such as a credit or debit card.
- What can raise concerns: A checkout in test mode, or a payment step that fails.
- What works: A working checkout on https, with card payments accepted.

### Honest prices with all costs included

Google's misrepresentation policy doesn't allow prices that leave out taxes, fees or surcharges. For the UK and most EU countries, prices should include VAT.
- What can raise concerns: £20 on the product page, £24 at checkout.
- What works: The same VAT-inclusive price on the page, in your product data and at checkout.

### No placeholder content or broken links

Google says placeholder content stops your store being verified as a trusted business. It also checks for broken links, including links that just send people to the homepage.
- What can raise concerns: "Lorem ipsum", "Add customer reviews here", or a social media link that goes nowhere.
- What works: Every page finished, every link working.

### A live site Google can reach

The site must be public, not password-protected, and your robots.txt must let Googlebot reach your product pages and images.
- What can raise concerns: A password page or "coming soon" mode still switched on.
- What works: The shop open to everyone, with Google's crawlers allowed.

### Products you sell yourself

Products must be available to buy directly on your site, in the same language as your product data, priced in a currency supported for the country you're targeting.
- What can raise concerns: Affiliate links to other shops.
- What works: Products shoppers can buy on your own site, in the right language and currency.


## Set up Merchant Center in the right order

1. **Finish your website first.** Google reviews your store once your products go in, so work through the eight checks above first. A [free readiness check](https://www.certanza.app/?reason=not_suspended#scan) shows what's missing.
2. **Add your business information.** In Merchant Center, go to Settings, then Business info, then Edit business details. Add your business name (without promotional text, all capitals or symbols), your address and your customer service contact, exactly as they appear on your website.
3. **Verify your phone number.** Verify your business phone number in Merchant Center. Google's guidance for shop platforms says accounts without a verified phone number can be suspended.
4. **Verify and claim your website.** Go to Settings, then Business info, then Edit online store, and enter your website address. You can verify through your shop platform, an HTML tag or file, Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics or email. Only one Merchant Center account can claim a website.
5. **Add delivery and returns.** In Shipping and returns, add your delivery costs and times, and add your return policy with its link, return window and refund time. Use the same details as your website.
6. **Add your products.** Connect your shop platform or upload your products. Check that prices, stock and delivery match what your product pages show.
7. **Wait for the first review.** Google says a new account's first review can take up to 3-5 business days for Shopping ads, and longer for other programmes. Your products show as Pending until it's done.

> **Tax settings.** Google lists account tax settings as needed for the United States. If you sell in the UK or EU, include VAT in your prices instead.


## How the readiness check works

The free scan reads the pages a Google reviewer typically looks at, such as your homepage, Contact, About, policies, product pages and checkout, and checks them against Google's policies. Choose "Not suspended, checking before launch" and you'll get a plain verdict:

- Looks ready to submit: we didn't find the website problems we check for.
- Nearly ready: no serious problems, but a few smaller things to tidy first.
- Not ready yet: serious issues to fix before you submit, with the most serious one shown free.

The full report lists the issues we find, with the evidence from your pages, step-by-step fixes for your platform, wording to copy, and returns, delivery, privacy and terms policies drafted for your business. Then rescan to check your fixes before you submit.

> **What the check can't see.** It reads your public website only. It can't see your Merchant Center settings, product data or identity verification, and no one can guarantee Google's decision.


## Your approval checklist

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

- [ ] Site live, public and not password-protected
- [ ] Googlebot allowed in robots.txt
- [ ] Business name, address, phone and email in the footer and on a Contact page
- [ ] About page that says who runs the business
- [ ] Returns and refund policy: what to do, time limit, condition, when refunds arrive
- [ ] Delivery page: costs, times and countries
- [ ] Privacy policy and terms, with no placeholders
- [ ] Footer links to every policy and the Contact page
- [ ] No template text, sample products or demo reviews
- [ ] No broken links, including social media links
- [ ] Checkout completes, on https, with at least one standard payment method, such as cards
- [ ] Prices include VAT (UK and EU) and match checkout
- [ ] Business details in Merchant Center match the website
- [ ] Phone verified, website verified and claimed
- [ ] Shipping and return policy added in Merchant Center

**What a checklist can't catch** (problems that are easy to miss by eye):

- 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, policies and checkout
- Delivery times that differ between product pages, the FAQ and the delivery page
- A return window that differs between the FAQ and the refund policy
- Policy text copied from another store, still naming their business
- Claims you can't back up, such as "best in the UK" or health benefits
- Tracking pixels running without cookie consent
- Template text hidden in a footer or pop-up you rarely look at


## Already been told your website needs improvement?

If Merchant Center has already flagged your store, see [Website needs improvement: how to fix it](https://www.certanza.app/guides/merchant-center-website-needs-improvement). If a review has been turned down, read [Merchant Center review rejected](https://www.certanza.app/guides/merchant-center-review-rejected) before you try again.

> **Don't open a second account.** Creating a new Merchant Center account to get round a problem with the first one is treated as circumventing Google's systems, which is far harder to recover from. Fix the store and request a review instead.


## Common questions

### How long does Merchant Center approval take?

Google says a new account's first review can take up to 3-5 business days for Shopping ads, and longer for other programmes. Products show as Pending until it's finished.

### Should I wait until my website is finished?

Yes. Google reviews your store when your products go in, and placeholder content, missing policies or a broken checkout can lead to warnings or suspension. Review requests are limited, so it's better to get it right first time.

### Do I need a returns policy if I don't accept returns?

Yes. Google asks you to state your return and refund policy even if you don't accept returns, and to make it easy to find.

### Do my details really need to match Merchant Center?

Yes. Google says your business name, address and phone number should be identical in your website footer, your contact page and your Merchant Center settings.

### What does the free readiness check look at?

The public pages a Google reviewer typically looks at, such as your homepage, Contact, About, policies, product pages and checkout. It can't see your Merchant Center settings, product data or identity verification.

### Does a "ready" result guarantee approval?

No. It means we didn't find the website problems we check for. Google makes its own decision, and also checks things we can't see.

## Sources

- [Google Merchant Center: Follow Merchant Center guidelines to keep your account approved](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/12756116)
- [Google Merchant Center: Missing contact information](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/12472091)
- [Google Merchant Center: Check if your online store is fully functional](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/10740889)
- [Google Merchant Center: Misrepresentation](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6150127)
- [Google Merchant Center: About online store URL verification](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/11586344)
- [Google Merchant Center: Product review for new accounts](https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/12153802)
- [Google for developers: Phone verification (Merchant Center for shop platforms)](https://developers.google.com/merchant/storebuilder/online/sections/1_2A_4_phone_verification)

Check your own website for these problems with a free scan: https://www.certanza.app/

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Certanza is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Google. Reports are not legal advice and can't guarantee approval.
Site guide for AI assistants: https://www.certanza.app/llms.txt