Free tool
Merchant Center Checker
Google suspends stores for missing return policies, hidden contact details and prices that don’t match, sometimes without warning. Check yours in 30 seconds and fix what a reviewer would flag, before you apply or appeal.
What a Google reviewer looks for, and what we check
Thirteen checks based on Google’s published Merchant Center guidelines and misrepresentation policy, sorted by how much they can hurt you.
Critical
- Secure checkout (HTTPS)
Google requires personal and payment information to be collected on secure (SSL) pages.
- Google’s crawlers can reach your store
Google checks your pages with Googlebot and Storebot-Google, and Shopping ads landing pages with AdsBot-Google. If robots.txt blocks them, your products get disapproved.
- Contact information
Google requires your contact information to be clearly available, for example a contact form, an email address, a phone number or a social profile.
- Return and refund policy
Google requires an easy-to-find return policy that says what customers must do, when returns are accepted, the time frame and when refunds arrive. Even “no returns” must be stated.
- No placeholder or demo text
Template text like “Lorem ipsum” or “Talk about your brand” makes a store look unfinished or fake to reviewers.
Important
- Product page data
The price and availability on your product pages must match your product data. Structured data lets Google read them reliably and even update your prices automatically.
- Business address
Hiding or misrepresenting where your business operates counts as misrepresentation, which Google treats as egregious: accounts can be suspended without warning.
- Shipping information
Google requires the full cost to be clear before purchase, including shipping. Hidden delivery times or costs count as misrepresentation.
- Privacy policy
You collect personal data at checkout. Google expects a privacy policy, and data protection laws usually require one.
- Business identity
Reviewers check who is behind a store. An About page and a registered business name build trust.
- Payment methods shown
Google requires at least one conventional payment method, such as card, invoice or payment on delivery.
Recommended
- Terms of service
Terms of sale tell shoppers the rules before they buy, and reviewers look for them.
- Page language declared
Your landing pages must be in the language of your product data.
How we rate the risk
High
At least one critical item fails: no HTTPS, Google’s crawlers blocked, no contact details, no return policy or placeholder text. Fix these before anything else.
Medium
No critical failure, but important gaps such as a hidden address, missing shipping costs or product data that doesn’t match the page.
Low
Your store covers what reviewers look for. Keep product data, prices and policies in sync as you change them.
What this checker cannot see
- Your Merchant Center account, product feed and the exact issues Google lists there.
- Your checkout: make sure a test order goes through, with every cost shown before payment.
- Anything behind a login. No tool can guarantee approval: Google decides, and reviews what it finds on your site and elsewhere.
Merchant Center questions
Why was my Merchant Center account suspended for misrepresentation?
Usually because the store is missing trust information: clear contact details, a real business address, a return policy, full costs before checkout, or it shows placeholder text or offers that look too good to be true. This checker finds the visible ones in seconds.
Does passing this check guarantee approval?
No. Google makes the decision and also looks at your account, your product data and outside sources. Passing means your public pages cover what reviewers commonly look for.
What is Storebot-Google?
Google’s shopping crawler. Merchant Center uses it, along with Googlebot, to check your product pages. If robots.txt blocks it, products can be disapproved even when everything else is right.
Does it work with Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix?
Yes. It detects the platform and knows where each one keeps its policy pages, and it also works with custom stores.
Is Google Shopping available in Cameroon?
Not for shoppers in Cameroon: it is not on Google’s list of eligible countries (checked September 2026). Businesses that export can still list products for shoppers in eligible countries.
Do you store my store’s address?
No. We read your public pages to run the check and keep only anonymous statistics: the result of each check, the platform and the domain extension, such as .com or .cm.
Suspended already, or want a setup that gets approved the first time? See our Merchant Center service.
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Tell us what’s broken. We’ll show you the fix.
Your first audit is free: we pinpoint the three issues costing you the most and how we’d fix them, within two business days. The report is yours to keep, whether or not you hire us.