There are many reasons why your Google Ads account can get suspended. Whether it’s for misrepresentation or counterfeit goods, you need to know the specific violation and fix it quickly to get Google to reactivate your account.

Platforms like Google Merchant Center have established data quality requirements to ensure the integrity of their services and enhance user experience.

At StubGroup we have been fixing Google suspensions and policy violations for years. Our expertise has helped hundreds of businesses get their Google Merchant Center and Google Ads accounts unsuspended.

In this post, we’ll show you how to fix and prevent Google Merchant Center suspensions.

4 Most Common Reasons For Google Merchant Center Suspensions

Google Merchant Center Misrepresentation

This is the most common type of suspension. Google thinks you are misrepresenting your business, products, information on your website. You need to be consistent across the board. Be honest, be upfront, and be trustworthy.

Google wants customers to feel confident and informed when browsing Shopping ads. That’s why they have strict policies against misrepresentation and misleading information.

Key No-Nos:

  • Rushing Customers: Don’t force users to buy before disclosing necessary details and getting their explicit consent.
  • Distorting the Truth: Don’t misrepresent yourself, your products or their benefits. Remember, honesty builds trust.
  • Unavailable Promises: Don’t advertise products you don’t have or deals that aren’t valid.
  • Exaggerated Claims: Avoid unrealistic promises, miracle cures or false affiliations.
  • Shady Business Practices: Don’t hide information, impersonate brands or deceive users in any way.
  • Misleading or Unrealistic Promotions: Avoid falsely advertising a discount applicable to only a limited selection of products.
  • Unacceptable Business Practices: Misrepresentation suspensions often result from engaging in unacceptable business practices as viewed by Google.

Examples to Avoid:

  • Unclear Pricing: Show all costs upfront, including any extra fees or hidden charges.
  • Missing Policies: Have your return, refund and shipping policies easily available.
  • Fake Promotions: Don’t advertise out of stock items or expired deals.
  • False Credentials: Only claim certifications you actually have and don’t mislead about brand affiliations.
  • Health Misinformation: Don’t promote harmful health claims or contradict scientific consensus.
  • Phishing Attempts: Don’t trick users into sharing personal info through deceptive tactics.
  • Lack of Relevant Information: Ensure product descriptions and feeds contain essential details, such as model numbers and key features, to avoid user confusion and account suspensions.

Remember: Google may check information from multiple sources to determine trustworthiness. By following these guidelines and being transparent you can build trust with customers and keep your Shopping ads running.

Website Needs Improvement

This suspension means Google found something fundamentally wrong with your website. Here are some examples of what could be wrong with your website.

Incomplete Website: Placeholder text, missing images or a confusing experience will deter customers. Make sure your website is professional.

Missing Information: Clear product descriptions, accurate return policies and consistent information across your site is key. Customers need all the information.

Inconsistent Categorization: Selling watches but talking about clothing returns? Mismatched info will confuse both Google and customers. Check your product categories and descriptions.

The Fix:

Website Checkup:

  • Domain: Is it relevant to your business
  • Broken Links: Fix any dead ends (“Invalid URL” or “404”).
  • Placeholder Content: Replace generic text and images with real info.
  • Product Details: Match your website product details with your Merchant Center listings.
  • Match Your Categories: Product descriptions and categories should match across your website and Merchant Center.

Best Practices:

  • Clear Business Info: Show accurate contact info and company details.
  • Positive Reviews: Encourage happy customers to leave feedback.
  • Verify Your Details: Keep a confirmed phone number and business address in Merchant Center.
  • Accepted Payment Methods: List all accepted payment methods on your website to provide comprehensive info and avoid misrepresentation issues.

Counterfeit Goods & Products

Google takes consumer protection from counterfeit products very seriously. That’s why they prohibit the sale or promotion of them in Shopping ads and on websites using Merchant Center.

What are Counterfeit Products?

These are imitations that copy the brand features and logos of genuine products, misleading customers into thinking they are buying the real thing. They often use terms like “replica”, “imitation” or “faux” in their descriptions.

Why are they banned?

Counterfeits harm both brands and consumers. They damage the quality and reputation of genuine products and can put users at risk due to poor manufacturing or safety concerns.

What to know:

  • Selling or promoting counterfeit products through Google Shopping Ads is not allowed.
  • This policy applies to both ad content and your website.
  • If you see Shopping ads or retailers selling counterfeits you can report them to Google.

What happens if you violate this policy?

  • Your product will be disapproved.
  • Your Merchant Center account may be suspended.
  • You’ll get an email with details of the violation and what to do.

How to fix:

  • Remove the violating products from your website and Merchant Center data feed.
  • Update your website and product descriptions to meet Google’s policies.
  • Review your account and fix any missing info or incomplete tasks.
  • You can request a review of your account or appeal the decision.

Healthcare & Medicine Related Products

When advertising healthcare products through Google Shopping Ads you need to understand and follow their strict policies. Google restricts certain healthcare-related content to protect users and responsible advertising.

Examples of Restricted Products:

  • Over-the-counter medication: You can’t promote these even in countries where they are allowed.
  • Prescription drugs: You can’t advertise prescription drugs at all.
  • Unapproved pharmaceuticals and supplements: Products without proper certification are not allowed anywhere.

What to do?

You have two options.

  1. Prove to Google that you are eligible to sell these products with the required certifications.
  2. Remove the products that are violating Google’s policies.

Here are some examples of certifications that are required.

  • Online Pharmacy Application: All retailers promoting pharmaceutical products must fill an application.
  • Healthcare Products & Services Certification: Some advertisers require additional certification based on the product and target country.

Remember:

  • These may vary based on the product and target country.
  • Even in allowed regions you might need pre-approval from Google before advertising certain healthcare products.

Google Merchant Center Suspension Process

Google Merchant Center Suspension Process

TL/DR:

  • Review requests take up to 7 business days.
  • If your account is suspended you have 2 chances to request a review before a “cool down” period starts.
  • During the cool-down period your account is suspended and reviews are not available. Use this time to fix your issues!

Your Merchant Center account is reviewed for policy compliance. If any issues are found you’ll get an email with details on how to fix them and a timeframe to do so. Not a fun email to get but better than getting your account suspended straight away.

If you fix the violating products within the warning period your account will be reviewed automatically. No need to do anything else!

But if the warning period ends and you haven’t fixed the issues your account may be suspended. If you’ve fixed the issues request a review in your Merchant Center account.

What to do if you’re suspended

If your account is suspended you’ll get an email with the policy violation and next steps. Review your website and account before requesting a re-review. Unresolved issues will keep your account suspended. Also contact Google directly for a manual review to resolve the suspension issues.

Here are a few practical tips to help you identify possible reasons for a GMC suspension:

  • Compare your website to your GMC account. Are there any discrepancies in your shipping, address, policies, products etc?
  • Review Google’s shopping policies to make sure your account complies and you’re not selling products that are violating.
  • Scan your website for malware and update your outdated security software.
  • Go through your checkout process to make sure everything matches your GMC settings.

Most importantly be transparent about your business and products. Communicate your service to both Google and the users visiting your website. The more transparent you are the more likely Google will reinstate your account.

Once you’ve fixed the issues request a review of your Merchant Center account. You’ll get an email when the review is complete.

To request a review go to the “account issues” tab under “products”. If you’re in the new Merchant Center Next interface you’ll see a red “fix it” button in the notification bar at the top. The “fix it” button will take you to the account issue page where you’ll find more details on why your account is suspended and common reasons that might have caused this.

Please note these are Google’s templates and not specific to your account. Just check to make sure none of these policy violations apply to you to be safe.

Appealing a Suspension

Appealing a suspension is easy. In your Google Merchant Center account click the button to request a review. Before you appeal make sure you’ve fixed any underlying issues in your Google Merchant Account to avoid common mistakes and increase your chances of getting reinstated.

Google will review your changes and make the call on whether you’ve fixed the issue. While there’s no guarantee sometimes you can get additional guidance from Google’s team to help you fix the issue better.

How to Avoid a Google Merchant Center Suspension

Whether your account is suspended or active make sure you monitor all policy issues, keep the account and website professional and your business model clear. Google is always scanning websites and ad accounts for “bad actors”.

They want to keep their platform safe for users. To avoid getting caught in the crossfire of their war against malicious advertisers be transparent in both your website and Google Merchant Center. Compliance in Google Merchant Center accounts is key to avoid suspensions and to operate smoothly.

Here are a few ways to avoid getting suspended:

  1. Check the policies and products in your GMC account to match your website.
  2. Be clear about your business model and use clear language on your website.
  3. Don’t advertise products that are against Google’s policies.
  4. Keep your business info up to date across your website and accounts.
  5. Respond to any negative reviews you have about your business to show Google you’re doing your best to be responsive and transparent to your customers.

If you stay on top of Google’s shopping policies and are transparent about your business model/practices across your platforms you should be able to avoid this kind of suspension.

Google Merchant Center suspensions can be tricky but with the right approach and knowledge of Google’s policies, you can overcome them. StubGroup has a history of helping businesses get their suspensions resolved and get back to advertising on Google.

If you’re having issues with your Google Merchant Center suspension check out our video below, or get in touch. We’d love to take a look at your case and see if we can help you fix it.