- Google suspends a store for misrepresentation when its reviewers can't trust who runs it, what it charges or what happens if something goes wrong. It rarely tells you which page caused it.
- The checker reads your public pages the way a reviewer would and flags the problems that most often lie behind a suspension, with the evidence from your own site.
- The free scan gives you a risk score, the areas that need attention and your most serious problem flagged. The full report adds every issue, the fixes, policy wording and an appeal letter.
- It reviews your website only. It can't see your Google account and, like anyone, can't guarantee Google will approve or reinstate you.
What the misrepresentation checker does
Google's Merchant Center misrepresentation policy and its Google Ads misrepresentation policy don't allow businesses to hide or misstate information that customers need to decide whether to buy: who you are, how to reach you, what things really cost, what happens with returns, and whether your claims are true.
When Google suspends a store for misrepresentation, the notice usually names the policy, not the page. The checker closes that gap. It reads the pages a Google reviewer typically looks at, runs each one through checks built from Google's policies and local consumer law, and shows you what's most likely to be causing trouble. For the background, read our guide to Merchant Center misrepresentation.
How it works
- 1
Enter your web address
Type your shop's address and choose what Google told you, for example "Misrepresentation", or "Not suspended, checking before launch" if you haven't applied yet. Add your email so we can send you the link.
- 2
We read your key pages
The checker reads your homepage, About and Contact pages, privacy, terms, returns and delivery policies, your basket and a sample of products: up to about 25 pages and products, the public pages any visitor can see.
- 3
Every check runs
Each page is checked for the problems behind misrepresentation suspensions: missing business details, policies that contradict each other, prices and stock in your product data that don't match the page, claims you can't back up, template text and more.
- 4
Get your score
In a few minutes you see your risk score, which areas need attention and your most serious problem. The full report lists every issue with the evidence, the fix and wording to copy.
Everything it checks
These are the checks the scanner runs. The ones that apply depend on your site: a shop gets the shop checks, a service business gets the lead-generation checks, and the country rules follow where your business is based.
| Area | What the checker looks for |
|---|---|
| Business identity | Business name shown, and the same name used across the site; an About page; a company number, or a legal notice where your country requires one; an up-to-date footer; policies copied from another business that still name it |
| Contact details | A Contact page; an email address, and whether it uses your own domain; a phone number; a business address outside the small print; the same contact email on every page |
| Policies | Privacy policy, terms and conditions, refund or returns policy and delivery policy found; policies linked from the homepage; policies too short to answer customers' questions; template placeholders such as [Your company]; text pasted in twice; cookie consent where tracking runs |
| Returns and consumer law | A return window stated, and the same window on every page; refund terms in line with local law, such as the 14-day right to cancel online orders in the UK and EU; the item condition, postage, timescale and how to start a return; returns refused on made-to-order items |
| Prices, stock and delivery | Prices visible; prices and stock in your product data matching the page; currency matching your site; delivery costs, times and areas explained, and the same delivery times on every page; payment methods shown; a basket that loads securely; products bought on your own site; dropshipping warning signs |
| Product data for Shopping | Product structured data present; details Google uses in Shopping, such as brand and product identifiers |
| Claims and trust | Exaggerated or guaranteed-results claims; health and cure claims, and a disclaimer on wellbeing products; fake urgency and countdowns; "as seen on" and endorsement claims without evidence; star ratings a site gives itself in its code |
| Restricted and branded products | Banned or restricted products; restricted categories such as supplements; replica or counterfeit wording; "dupes" of named brands; big brand names at heavy discounts; a domain name that uses another company's brand |
| Website and technical | Secure https; a homepage that loads normally and has real content; trust pages that load; images from working, secure addresses; placeholder or unfinished content; Google's ads crawler not blocked; redirects to another domain; a homepage title, description and mobile setup; how long the domain has been registered |
| Security and cloaking | Hidden spam or signs of a hack; hidden third-party frames; suspicious hidden code; scripted or automatic redirects to other sites; code that shows Google's crawler something different |
| Service and lead-generation sites | A privacy notice on forms that collect people's details; the service area; credentials or experience; how pricing or quotes work |
| Your ads (optional) | If you paste your ad text, whether the claims in your ads appear on your website |
The report quotes the wording on your page that triggered each finding and links to the page, so you can check it yourself before you change anything. You can see what that looks like in the sample report.
Free scan or full report
| Free scan | Full report | |
|---|---|---|
| Risk score and level | Included | Included |
| Which areas need attention | Included | Included |
| Your most serious problem flagged | Included | Included |
| Every issue, with the evidence from your pages | Not included | Included |
| Step-by-step fixes, with Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace and BigCommerce steps where relevant | Not included | Included |
| Wording to copy, and returns, delivery, privacy and terms drafts for your business | Not included | Included |
| A rescan to confirm your fixes are live | Not included | 1 included |
| An appeal letter written from the confirmed fixes | Not included | Included |
The full report is a one-off payment, with no subscription. See pricing for the current price.
What the checker can't do
No tool can see inside Google's review. The checker finds the website problems that most often lie behind misrepresentation; it can't confirm which one Google acted on.
- It can't see your Merchant Center or Google Ads account, your product feed settings, billing, identity verification or anything Google has on record about you.
- It reads public pages only. Pages behind a password or a login, and sites that block automated visitors, can't be checked.
- Its checks are automated. Each finding shows the evidence so you can judge it, and a clean result isn't a promise that nothing is wrong.
- Nobody can guarantee Google will approve or reinstate an account, and Google's policies change. Certanza is independent and not affiliated with Google.
After the scan
- Fix the cause everywhere it appears: on the page, in your policies, in your product data and in your Merchant Center settings. A fix on one page while the same problem stays on another is the most common reason a review fails.
- Rescan to confirm the fixes are live on the public site, because that's what Google's reviewer will see.
- Then request a review in Merchant Center, or appeal in Google Ads. Our appeal letter examples show what to write, and Merchant Center's review process explains the steps.
Common questions
- Google Merchant Center: Misrepresentation policy
- Google Ads: Misrepresentation policy
- Google Merchant Center guidelines
- Google Merchant Center: How to fix missing contact information on your online store
- Google Merchant Center: Check if your online store is fully functional
- Google Merchant Center: Request a review of your issues
Certanza is independent and not affiliated with Google. This page is general information, not legal advice, and Google's policies can change.