Use this checklist before you submit your store or request a review. Each item links to a detailed guide. You can also run a free MerchantLion scan to check most of them automatically.
Business identity & contact
- Business name is the same on every page, in checkout and in Merchant Center.
- Email on your own domain in the footer; working phone number if you offer phone support.
- Contact page linked from every page; address where appropriate.
- No placeholder text, demo details or another business’s name anywhere.
Policies
- Return policy with window, conditions, return shipping cost and refund timing.
- Shipping policy with destinations, costs, processing and delivery times.
- Privacy policy and terms of service.
- All policy links work and the same rules appear everywhere.
Guides: Return policy · Shipping policy.
Prices & availability
- Feed price = page price = checkout price, in the right currency.
- Stock status matches between feed, page and structured data.
- No surprise fees at checkout.
Guides: Price mismatch · Availability mismatch.
Claims & content
- No “official”, “#1” or guaranteed-results claims you can’t prove.
- No fake timers, viewers or badges.
- Real product photos and descriptions.
Guide: Misrepresentation.
Checkout & technical
- HTTPS on every page, especially cart and checkout.
- Product links open the right product (no 404s or redirects to the home page).
- robots.txt does not block Googlebot or Storebot-Google from products or checkout.
- One accurate Product structured-data block per page.
Guides: Landing page errors · Structured data.
Before requesting a review
- Changes are live and visible to new visitors.
- Merchant Center settings match the website.
- A short, honest description of what you changed.
Guide: Requesting a review.
Frequently asked questions
Does passing this checklist guarantee approval?
No. Google reviews more than your website and does not publish exactly how it decides. This checklist removes the website problems that most often cause rejections.
Official sources
- Misrepresentation - Shopping ads and free listings policy
- Landing page requirements - Google Merchant Center Help
- Set up your return policies for Shopping ads and free listings
- Shipping settings / shipping costs guidance - Google Merchant Center Help
- Product data specification - Google Merchant Center Help
- Checkout requirements and best practices - Google Merchant Center Help
MerchantLion is independent and not affiliated with Google. Google’s documentation is the authoritative source; policies change, so check it before making decisions.
Related guides
Google Merchant Center Misrepresentation: Causes and How to Fix It
Why Merchant Center suspends stores for misrepresentation, the website issues that usually trigger it, and a step-by-step plan to fix your store before requesting a review.
9 min readPlatform guidesShopify and Google Merchant Center: Approval Checklist
A Shopify-specific checklist for Merchant Center approval: policies, contact details, theme leftovers, apps, markets and currency, and where to fix each one in your Shopify admin.
8 min readPlatform guidesWooCommerce and Google Merchant Center: Approval Checklist
A WooCommerce/WordPress checklist for Merchant Center approval: policy pages, footer menus, currency and tax display, structured data from plugins, and checkout security.
7 min read