How to fix: Generic images

Some of your products have generic images. For each product listed in your product data, you must provide a main image that clearly shows the principal product being advertised using the image link [image_link] attribute. The image must not be a generic or placeholder image, unless your product falls into certain product categories. Examples of generic images that are not allowed include images that are logos or use the text "No image available". Products with generic images will remain disapproved and won’t show in Shopping ads or free listings until you’ve updated the images.

Learn more about best practices and guidelines for images.

Instructions

Step 1: See the affected products

1. Sign in to your Merchant Center account.
2. Select Products on the navigation menu, then click Diagnostics.
3. Click the Item issues tab to view current issues affecting your products.

To download a list (.csv) of all affected products for all issues:

• Click the download button next to the filter button , beneath the graph and above the list of issues.

To download a list (.csv) of all affected products for a particular issue:

• Find the issue under the “Issue” column, then click the download button at the end of the row.

To view a list of up to 50 products with this particular issue:

• Find the issue under the “Issue” column, then click View examples in the “Affected items” column.

Step 2: Provide images that uniquely and clearly identify each variant of the product

1. Filter the downloaded report so that you only see products with:
   “Issue title” = Generic image.
2. Check your submitted product data for those products (using the ID), and make sure each product has a primary image that conforms to the data specifications.
3. The quickest way to update your images is to change the URL provided for the image link [image link] attribute. If you keep the URL the same and change the content, this may lead to a longer time before your products are updated. You can force a faster fetch of the image by changing the image URL.

Step 3: Resubmit your product data

1. After you’ve updated your product data, resubmit it using one of these methods:
   • Upload a feed
   • Submit through the Content API
   • Import content from an ecommerce platform
2. Next, check that you’ve fixed the issue by making sure it’s no longer listed on the Diagnostics page.
   
   Keep in mind: It may take some time for your change to be reflected on the Diagnostics page.

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 or complete the task. Learn how to find support if you use a non-Google platform.

Related links

• About item disapprovals for policy violations
• Image link [image_link]
• Product data specification: Image link [image_link] attribute
• Promotions program policies