How to fix: Check if your online store is fully functional

This policy applies to Shopping ads and local inventory ads with merchant hosted local store front

In this article

• Reasons why the issue is happening
• How to fix your issue
• Next steps

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Reasons why the issue is happening

Your account has been warned or suspended because we've detected that your website needs improvement. Customers who see your store website should have a quality experience and be able to interact with product offers that are relevant and useful. There are several major reasons a website doesn’t meet the necessary standards:

• The website may be incomplete, as indicated by placeholder text or images.
• The website may be missing important information, featuring poor product descriptions, or creating a broken browsing experience.
• The website may also display irrelevant or inconsistent product categorization. For example, your business sells swimwear, but your return policy discusses technology products.

As a result, your account has been suspended or has limited visibility.

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How to fix: Website needs improvement

For subtitles in your language, turn on YouTube captions. Select the settings icon at the bottom of the video player, then select "Subtitles/CC" and choose your language.

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How to fix your issue

There are several actions you might take to resolve this issue, depending on your account.

Review your domain name to ensure it's accurate.

• Example:
  • .com for commercial sites
  • .org for organizations
  • .biz for businesses

Make sure there are no broken links on your website.

• Example:
  • “Invalid URL”
  • “404 error”
  • “the destination has moved or no longer exists”

Make sure that there are no placeholder images or text on your website.

• Example:
  • "Add customer reviews and testimonials to show your store’s happy customers"
  • “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet”

Make sure that the product details on your website match those in your product data.

• Example:
  • Content in the “About” section doesn’t match the product data being displayed.

Make sure that the product description and categories on your website match those in your product data.

• Example:
  • Customer information
  • Return or refund pages are inconsistent with your product listings.

Receive good reviews.

Ensure that you maintain a verified phone number and business address in the Business Information section of your Merchant Center account.

If you’re working with a third-party platform, some of these instructions may not apply to you. Refer to your third-party platform for instructions on how to resolve the issue and request a review. Learn how to find support if you use a non-Google platform.

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Next steps

After making the requested changes, we will review your website for compliance.

Keep in mind: It may take some time for your change to be reflected.

If your account or product gets disapproved you can either fix the problem and request a review, or disagree with the issue and request a review. There may be additional steps you can take, such as verification options, depending on the issue.

If the review is successful, your issue will disappear. In some cases, there's a limit on how many reviews you can request. This limit will be specified.

If the disapproval remains and you’re uncertain with how to proceed, contact us for support.

Note: If you use a third-party platform to list your products, you may also be able to go to your third-party application to request a review.

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Related links

• Issues in Merchant Center