Counterfeit Products Suspension in Merchant Center: Fix

What this issue means

Counterfeit products is prohibited content under Google's Shopping ads policies. Google defines counterfeits as products with a trademark or logo that's identical to, or substantially indistinguishable from, another brand's trademark. The policy applies to your listings and to your website.

Google treats counterfeit violations as egregious. Accounts can be suspended on detection without prior warning, and Google says reinstatement happens only in compelling circumstances. Individual products can also be disapproved, which is a less severe outcome you can fix product by product.

Why it happens

• Replica wording. Titles or descriptions with terms like "replica," "inspired by," "dupe," "1:1," "AAA quality," "clone," "mirror," "faux" or "knock-off" next to a brand name.
• Misspelled brand names used to dodge filters, which Google specifically calls out as misleading.
• Brand logos on unbranded goods, such as generic accessories using a designer's monogram.
• Implausible prices for luxury or high-demand brands.
• Unverified supply. Branded products bought from marketplaces or wholesalers that sell fakes, often unknowingly.
• Brand owner complaints. Rights holders monitor Shopping and report sellers.
• "Compatible with" products that use a brand's logo instead of only naming the brand in the text.
• Product images copied from the official brand site in a way that suggests you're an official seller.

How to fix it

1. Audit every branded product. Export your catalog and filter for brand names, especially fashion, luxury, electronics, cosmetics, sports and toys.
2. Remove anything you can't prove is genuine. If you aren't sure, take it down from both the website and the feed. Leaving it on the website still violates the policy.
3. Delete replica language across titles, descriptions, tags, collection names and blog posts.
4. Fix compatible-product listings. For accessories, say "compatible with [Brand] [Model]" in text and don't use the brand's logo or trade dress.
5. Gather proof of authenticity: supplier invoices, authorized reseller or distributor agreements, or brand authorization letters. Make sure the names and products on them match your listings.
6. Check your suppliers. If a supplier can't provide documentation, stop selling their branded stock.
7. Use your own images where possible, or images you're licensed to use.
8. Review the site as a whole. Make sure your store doesn't present itself as an official brand store unless it is.

Counterfeit concerns often come alongside trust issues. Our misrepresentation checklist helps make sure the rest of the store looks like the legitimate business it is.

How to request a review

Go to Products, then Needs attention, and select View setup and policy issues, or use the Fix banner. For product-level disapprovals, editing the product or choosing the appeal option starts a new review.

For an account suspension, your appeal should:

• Confirm which products you removed, and that they're removed from the website too
• Explain your sourcing for the branded products you kept
• Provide invoices or authorization documents if Google asks for them

Be honest. If you sold replicas, say they've been removed and won't return. Claiming they were genuine when they weren't can make reinstatement impossible.

How long it takes

Google says account reviews typically take about 7 business days, longer for complex ones. Counterfeit cases often are complex because they involve brand owners and documentation.

Appeals are limited, and repeated failures can mean waiting before you can request again. If Google advises that a bulk appeal is available, note that it expects violating items to be removed first, and a failed bulk appeal can limit future appeals for those products.

How to prevent it

• Buy branded stock only from authorized distributors or the brand, and keep invoices.
• Write a product checklist that bans replica terminology.
• Add new branded products only after confirming you have documentation.
• Respond to any brand complaint quickly, even before Google acts.
• Read our Merchant Center misrepresentation guide for the wider trust picture.

Mercantads can audit your catalog for counterfeit risk, clean up wording and help assemble documentation for the review. Contact us to get started.