Google Merchant Center Naughty & Nice List

While Santa’s checking his list twice, Google’s doing the same and they’re far less forgiving when your product data lands on the naughty list. Whether you’ve been hit with disapprovals or you’re chasing that green tick of approval, we’ve pulled together the most common Merchant Center mistakes we’ve seen this year and how to quickly fix them. 

Unable to view shop on mobile or desktop

Naughty: If Google can’t crawl your landing page, your products won’t appear in ads or free listings. 

Nice: Make sure your site is accessible on all devices. Sometimes a simple feed refresh is all it takes.
More information → 

False or misleading health claims

Naughty: Advertising weight loss, medication, or fertility-related products? These often need preauthorisation from Google, depending on your location. 

Nice: Review any health related claims and apply for Google’s healthcare preauthorisation if required.
More information → 

Missing or mismatched values

Naughty: Missing data or attributes that don’t match your website (like price or stock) can cause product disapprovals. 

Nice: Add missing attributes, keep your feed synced with your site, and switch on automatic updates to prevent mismatches.
More information → 

Text or watermarks on images

Naughty: If your product images include text, watermarks, logos or promotional overlays, Google won’t approve them. 

Nice: Upload clean, clear product images without any extra text or design elements.
More information → 

Unsupported image type or size

Naughty: Images that are too small, too large, or not in an accepted format will be blocked. 

Nice: 

• Use JPEG, PNG or GIF formats only. 

• At least 100 x 100 pixels for non-apparel, 250 x 250 pixels for apparel. 

• Keep files under 16MB and below 64 megapixels.
  More information → 

Missing, invalid or duplicate GTINs

Naughty: Incorrect, missing or duplicated GTINs make it difficult for Google to match and verify your products. 

Nice: 

• Add accurate GTINs (8, 12, 13 or 14 digits). 

• Don’t reuse the same GTIN for different products. 

• Validate your barcode using GS1’s check digit calculator.
  More information → 

Local item not matching your catalogue

Naughty: Your local inventory doesn’t match your online catalogue, causing data inconsistencies. 

Nice: Make sure your online and local items are correctly linked and include all required local attributes.
More information → 

Promotional text overload

Naughty: Phrases like “Lowest price guaranteed” or “30 day money back guarantee” sound great, but Google flags them as promotional content. 

Nice: Keep product titles and descriptions factual and focused on the product itself.
More information → 

Unable to do quality or policy checks

Naughty: If your robots.txt blocks Google’s crawlers, images can’t be reviewed and your products will be disapproved. 

Nice: Update your robots.txt file to allow “Googlebot” and “Googlebot-Image”. Test if your URL is indexable here. 

More information → 

Personal hardships and sensitive targeting

Naughty: Ads that appear to exploit personal struggles (such as health, finances, or trauma) will be rejected. 

Nice: Review your ad copy and attributes to ensure they comply with Google’s personalised advertising policies.
More information → 

Adult, dangerous, or restricted content

Naughty: Products that involve adult themes, alcohol, or firearms are heavily restricted. 

Nice: Remove restricted items from your feed or appeal if you believe your products have been incorrectly flagged. Always check local regulations.
More information → 

Offensive or inappropriate content 

Naughty: Anything related to violence, cruelty, or endangered species will land you in trouble with Google. 

Nice: Remove or revise any listings that could be considered offensive or unethical.
More information → 

Missing size, colour, gender, or age group

Naughty: For fashion products, these attributes are required for your ads to appear correctly. 

Nice: Add missing information for size, colour, gender, and age group. Once fixed, check your ‘Needs attention’ page to confirm the issue is resolved (it can take a little time to update).
More information → 

Google Merchant Center can feel like a festive maze of red warnings and policy checks, but with the right fixes and a little Productcaster expertise your feed can sparkle this Peak. 

If your account’s made it onto the naughty list and you’d like a hand getting back in Google’s good books, our team is here to help. 

Book a demo now!