Google Merchant Center Misrepresentation: What Google Actually Checks on Your Store in 2026

Most store owners only think about Google Merchant Center misrepresentation after they've been suspended. But Google's AI is crawling your store right now, assigning it a risk score, and deciding whether your store meets the bar for a legitimate business.

Our team has fixed over 300 GMC suspensions since 2015. The same issues come up every time. Not because store owners are trying to mislead anyone, but because most stores have gaps in their setup that Google's AI flags as transparency problems.

This guide covers exactly what Google checks. Go through each section and fix anything that's missing before it becomes a suspension.

Follow along with the full checklist: Google Merchant Center Store Requirements Guide (free download)

Already suspended and need it fixed fast? Our team has reinstated 300+ suspended GMC accounts since 2015. We handle the full audit, the fixes, and the appeal — with a 30-day money back guarantee if we don't get your account back. Apply here →

https://youtu.be/NOzLFLNQdX0

How Google's Risk Meter Works

Google assigns a risk score to every advertiser. Ever since they were fined by the FTC in 2011 for allowing fraudulent advertisers on their platform, they have been aggressive about who they let run Shopping ads.

In 2026, this isn't just about fraud. It's about transparency. Google wants to know exactly who you are, where you operate, and how you handle a customer's money. Their AI crawls your store constantly, looking for anything that feels hidden or incomplete.

Each of these pushes your risk score higher:

• Shipping costs that only appear at checkout
• Generic or AI-generated About Us pages
• Vague or incomplete returns policies
• Missing or inconsistent contact information
• Anything that feels hidden or incomplete

When enough of these stack up, your account gets suspended. The rest of this guide is about bringing that score down and keeping it there.

1. Returns and Refunds Page

This is one of the most important pages for keeping your risk score in the green. Google needs to know exactly what a customer can do if something goes wrong with their order.

Five things your returns policy must cover:

Whether you accept returns or not

You don't have to accept returns; that's a valid policy. But you must state it clearly. In 2026, a no-returns policy also needs to appear on your product pages, not just your policy page. Google's AI checks both. Also be clear about whether shipping costs are refunded and whether you charge a restocking fee.

Eligibility — when you accept a return

Be specific. Unopened items only, original packaging required, defective products. And regardless of your general policy, every store must cover three specific scenarios:

• The product never arrived
• It arrived damaged
• The customer received the wrong item

A single line like: “If your order arrives damaged, doesn't arrive, or isn't what you ordered, contact us immediately and we'll make it right” covers all three.

How a customer initiates a return

Provide at least two ways to start a return: an email address and a phone number, or an email and a returns portal link. Tell them exactly what information to include.

The timeline

State the exact number of days; not “within a reasonable time.” Specify when the clock starts: from delivery, from when they contact you, or from when you receive the item back. Make it clear which one applies.

How the refund is given

Refund to original payment method or store credit, either works. Just state it clearly. Google wants transparency on how a customer gets their money back.

2. Contact Page

Google's logic here is simple: legitimate businesses are easy to contact. Your contact page needs six things.

The three Google requires as minimum

• Business name: your legal name or LLC/Corp name — must match exactly across Merchant Center, Google Ads, and your Google Business Profile. Any variation is a flag.
• Physical address: a real location where your business operates. A residential address is fine, a PO box or virtual office is not. Google Maps' AI now checks these.
• Phone number: a number that is actually answered, with your business name and a voicemail option. Must match exactly what's in the Business Information tab in Merchant Center.

Three more that strengthen your compliance

• Domain email address: support@yourstore.com, not Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo. A free email address signals to Google you're not a serious business.
• Hours of operation: “Available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm EST”: this tells Google you're a real operation with real availability.
• Response time: state clearly when customers can expect a reply. It reduces disputes and signals to Google that you handle enquiries properly.

One more thing most stores miss: a contact form. Having your contact information listed is good. But Google also wants customers to be able to reach you directly from the page without opening their email or picking up the phone. Add a simple contact form below your contact information.

3. Shipping Policy Page

This is honestly where most suspensions come from. And almost every time it's the same problem: hidden costs.

Delivery zones and carriers

Where do you ship, where don't you ship. Which carrier you use; UPS, USPS, FedEx. Small detail but it adds transparency and customers appreciate knowing what to expect.

Shipping costs — the critical one

Whatever you state on this page must match exactly what shows up at checkout. It must also match your Merchant Center settings.

If your policy says free shipping but checkout adds five dollars, Google flags it as misrepresentation. That can trigger a suspension immediately. Keep all three in sync: policy page, checkout, and GMC settings.

If you ship internationally, mention any customs or import taxes customers might pay. Surprises at checkout are a trust problem.

Shipping timing

Split it into handling time (before it ships) and transit time (how long it's on the way). Always say business days, not just days. Google's systems read this literally;  keep it consistent.

4. Privacy Policy

You can use a template for this one. We've included a free one in the resource pack below. But make sure it covers these seven things, this is what Google's AI is actually scanning for.

• What information you collect from customers
• Why you collect it
• Who you share it with
• How you keep it secure and for how long
• How you collect it
• How customers can opt out or delete their data
• That everything complies with the laws of the country you're selling in

Important: your policy must specifically mention GDPR and CCPA compliance and how you handle data for personalised ads. Google's AI scans for these terms. If they're missing, it can push your risk score up even if everything else looks fine.

Add your contact information at the bottom of this page; name, email, physical address. Google wants to see that the person responsible for handling customer data is reachable.

5. Terms and Conditions

A template works here too; we've put a link in the resource pack below. But unlike the privacy policy, go through it carefully and make sure it applies to your specific store before publishing.

Google looks for six things on this page:

• That customers are accepting an agreement when they use your site
• Your limitations of liability and any disclaimers
• Your intellectual property rights
• What happens if the relationship is terminated
• How you notify customers of changes to the terms
• Your contact information

6. Product Pages

This is where your Google Shopping traffic actually lands. Google gives product pages extra scrutiny — not just your store in general. Here is the 10-point checklist.

1. Product title: clean and relevant. No promotional copy like “free shipping” or “buy now,” no emojis, no random characters. Just describe what the product actually is.
2. Description: thorough. Materials, dimensions, use case, whatever's relevant. Google flags descriptions that are too short.
3. Reviews section: even just a widget where customers can leave one. A product page with no reviews section looks thin and unestablished. Most Shopify themes have this built in; make sure it's turned on.
4. Images: Google prefers clean white backgrounds, no text overlay, at least 250×250 pixels, under 16MB. Just the product, clean background, nothing on top.
5. Price: must be identical across your ad, your product page, and your checkout. Any mismatch anywhere in that chain and Google will disapprove the product immediately.
6. Sale price: if you're running a sale, it must match your product feed. If the sale has an end date, state it clearly on the page.
7. Availability: if a product is out of stock on Shopify, it needs to show as out of stock in Merchant Center. A mismatch here is a fast track to disapproval.
8. Payment methods: footer is fine. Somewhere on the page, a customer needs to see what payment methods you accept before they reach checkout.
9. Add to cart button: needs to be clear and visible. Also state your shipping cost or free shipping right near the button –  Google rewards that transparency.
10. Additional information: anything a customer needs to know before buying: shipping weight, express shipping restrictions, customisation handling times, legal disclaimers for any product claims.

7. Your Footer

Think of your footer as the first thing Google's bot checks when it crawls your store. Here's what needs to be in it.

• Links to all policy pages: About Us, Contact Us, Returns and Refunds, Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, and Shipping Policy
• Payment icons: Visa, PayPal, whatever you accept – visible in the footer
• Business name and physical address: must be in actual text, not an image, Google's bot cannot read images
• Email and phone number
• Business hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm or equivalent

The more contact information that's visible in your footer, the better. It all adds to your legitimacy in Google's eyes and keeps your risk score in the green.

Free resources to help you fix each section:

Full store requirements checklist: Google Merchant Center Store Requirements Guide

Policy page templates: Free Ecommerce Policy Templates (returns, shipping, privacy, T&Cs)

Already suspended and need help fast?

Our team has reinstated 300+ suspended GMC accounts since 2015. If you'd rather have us handle the audit, the fixes, and the appeal: apply here. 30-day money back guarantee if we don't get your account reinstated.

Already Suspended for Misrepresentation?

Go through every section above and fix everything before you request a review. Partial fixes usually don't work – Google looks at the whole picture, not individual items.

When you're ready to submit your appeal, the way you request the review matters as much as the fixes themselves. We've covered the right way to do it in detail here: Fix Google Merchant Center Misrepresentation Suspension: The Complete Guide (2026)