How to use the checklist
- Open your website in another tab, preferably in a private window as a new visitor would see it.
- Go through each item and tick it only if it is fully true today.
- Check your readiness score. Unticked items show what to fix.
- Fix the gaps, then re-check before applying or requesting a review.
What the checklist covers
Google's guidelines ask for clearly available contact information, such as a contact form, email address or phone number. Stronger signals include a business name that matches your Merchant Center account, a real address where appropriate, and an About page explaining who you are. A false business name or false contact details is listed as misrepresentation.
Store policies
Your return and refund policy must be explicit and easy to find, covering the process, timeframe and when refunds arrive. A shipping policy with honest processing and delivery times, terms of service and a privacy policy round out the set. You can create the first two with the return policy generator and shipping policy generator.
Secure and working checkout
Customers must be able to add products to the cart and complete checkout. Sensitive information like card numbers must be collected on an SSL-protected page, and you need at least one conventional payment method such as credit or debit cards.
Transparent pricing
Shoppers must see the full cost, including shipping, taxes, fees and any recurring charges, before they commit. Hidden costs and undisclosed fees are named in the policy.
Accurate claims and offers
Avoid claims you cannot support, such as exaggerated health benefits, fake countdown timers, invented "was" prices or unverifiable awards. Do not list products as available if you cannot fulfill them, and do not imply affiliation with brands or organizations you are not connected to.
Honest location and fulfillment
Do not hide where you are or where products ship from to suggest faster or local delivery.
Consistency
Business name, policies, prices and availability should match across your website, product feed and Merchant Center settings.
Reading your readiness score
A high score means the common trust signals are in place. It does not guarantee approval, because Google also looks at signals outside your site, but low-scoring stores are much more likely to be rejected. Treat any unticked item in identity, policies or checkout as a priority.
Common mistakes
- Template text left in place, such as placeholder addresses, "Lorem ipsum" or a policy naming a different store.
- Contact details that do not work, like an email that bounces or a phone number that is never answered.
- Policies that contradict each other or contradict Merchant Center settings.
- Requesting a review too early, before fixes are live. Make every change first.
Tips
- Read our in-depth guide to Google Merchant Center misrepresentation for the review process and what to do after a suspension.
- Validate your product data before resubmitting, so feed errors such as price mismatches do not compound site issues.
- If your account is already suspended and the fixes have not worked, our Merchant Center fix service handles misrepresentation reviews.