Getting your products listed on Google Shopping is a huge opportunity for any WooCommerce store owner. But if your products are getting disapproved in Google Merchant Center, it’s frustrating and can cost you sales. Whether you’ve just set up your feed or you’ve been running ads for a while, avoiding product disapprovals is key to keeping your store visible and your ads running.
Luckily, most disapprovals are caused by simple issues that are easy to fix. In this post, we’ll explore how to avoid product disapproval in Google Merchant Center on your WordPress site, so your products stay live and you can keep attracting customers from Google Shopping.
1. Provide Accurate and Complete Product Information
Why it matters:
Google uses the information in your product feed to show relevant products to shoppers. If your feed is missing important details, your products may be disapproved. Google Merchant Center requires certain attributes like titles, descriptions, prices, availability, and images to ensure products are accurately represented.
How to avoid disapproval:
- Complete all required fields: Ensure that every product in your feed has all necessary attributes, including product titles, descriptions, prices, availability, GTINs/MPNs, and images.
- Accurate product titles and descriptions: Use clear, descriptive, and keyword-rich titles. Avoid including promotional language (e.g., “Best Deal” or “Hurry, Limited Time Only”).
- Add GTINs for branded products: Google prefers products with a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN). If you’re selling branded products, be sure to include GTINs in your feed. For custom or handmade items, mark
identifier_exists = FALSEin your feed.
2. Ensure Price Consistency Between Feed and Website
Why it matters:
Google checks the price on your product page against the price in your feed. If there’s any discrepancy, your product will likely get disapproved.
How to avoid disapproval:
- Keep prices synced: Regularly update your prices in both WooCommerce and Google Merchant Center. If you offer sales or promotions, ensure the sale price is included in your feed.
- Update your feed regularly: Use a plugin like CTX Feed or Product Feed PRO that allows you to update your feed automatically. This helps ensure your feed always reflects the most current prices.
- Tax-inclusive or exclusive pricing: Make sure the tax settings in your feed match what’s shown on your website (either tax-inclusive or exclusive).
3. Provide High-Quality, Accessible Product Images
Why it matters:
Product images are crucial for Google Shopping ads. Low-quality, small, or missing images can lead to disapproval. Google requires that product images be clear, at least 250×250 pixels, and accessible to its crawlers.
How to avoid disapproval:
- Use high-quality, clear images: Ensure all product images are at least 250×250 pixels and high-quality. Avoid watermarks, text, or borders.
- Test image URLs: Check that your image URLs are accessible and not blocked by your
robots.txtfile or other security measures. - Ensure images are live: If you’re using lazy loading or any special image optimizations, verify that your images are still accessible to Googlebot.
4. Avoid Promotional Language in Titles and Descriptions
Why it matters:
Google’s policies prohibit the use of promotional language (e.g., “Best Deal,” “Limited Time Offer”) in product titles or descriptions. If your product feed includes this, it’s likely to get disapproved.
How to avoid disapproval:
- Stick to factual information: Keep product titles and descriptions straightforward, focusing on product details like color, size, material, and functionality.
- Don’t use urgency or sales language: Avoid phrases like “Hurry” or “Last Chance” in titles or descriptions. These phrases are considered promotional and violate Google’s policies.
- Check Google’s policies: Familiarize yourself with Google’s Shopping Ads policies to ensure compliance.
5. Ensure Your Website is Fully Accessible and Live
Why it matters:
Google cannot display products that are listed on pages that are not accessible. If your website is down or has restricted access (like a login page or coming soon page), Google can’t crawl your products, leading to disapproval.
How to avoid disapproval:
- Make sure your site is live: If you’re working on your site, take it out of maintenance mode before submitting your feed.
- Test your URLs: Use Google’s URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to check if Google can access your product pages.
- Avoid login requirements: Don’t block Googlebot from accessing your product pages by requiring login credentials. Make sure your pages are publicly accessible.
6. Comply with Google’s Shipping and Tax Requirements
Why it matters:
Google needs to know how much shipping will cost and whether tax is included. If your shipping or tax settings are inconsistent or missing, your products may be disapproved.
How to avoid disapproval:
- Set up shipping correctly in Google Merchant Center: Under Tools > Shipping and returns, enter your shipping details, including shipping costs and regions.
- Ensure tax settings match: Ensure that your tax settings in Google Merchant Center match your WooCommerce store’s settings. Google needs to know whether tax is included in the price or added at checkout.
- Use free shipping if applicable: If you offer free shipping, make sure your feed and Merchant Center settings reflect this.
7. Avoid Restricted or Prohibited Products
Why it matters:
Google has strict policies about which types of products can be advertised. Selling restricted or prohibited items can lead to product disapproval or even account suspension.
How to avoid disapproval:
- Familiarize yourself with Google’s policies: Review the Google Shopping Policies to make sure you’re not selling prohibited or restricted products.
- Sell only approved products: If you sell health products, alcohol, or adult items, make sure you have the necessary approvals and certifications in place.
- Label restricted products correctly: If your products fall under a restricted category (like pharmaceuticals), make sure to follow all required guidelines to stay compliant.
8. Use Structured Data to Help Google Understand Your Products
Why it matters:
Structured data helps search engines, including Google, understand your product details better, improving how your products are displayed in Google Shopping and Search.
How to avoid disapproval:
- Implement structured data: Use Schema.org markup to include rich product information like price, availability, and reviews directly on your product pages. Tools like Yoast SEO for WooCommerce can help add this structured data automatically.
- Ensure proper product categorization: Choose the most accurate product categories in your feed. Google uses categories to match products with user queries.
9. Check Your Feed for Errors and Warnings
Why it matters:
Google Merchant Center provides detailed diagnostics to alert you about issues with your product feed. Ignoring errors or warnings can lead to disapproved products or even account suspension.
How to avoid disapproval:
- Regularly review your feed’s status: Check the Diagnostics tab in Google Merchant Center frequently to catch and resolve issues early.
- Fix errors promptly: If there are any errors or warnings, address them immediately. Many feed plugins like CTX Feed allow you to make quick fixes to your feed without having to resubmit it.
Conclusion: Stay Proactive to Avoid Product Disapproval
Product disapproval in Google Merchant Center can be a major headache, but by staying proactive and following best practices, you can keep your products visible and your ads running smoothly. Regularly review your feed, ensure your data is accurate, and always adhere to Google’s policies.
The key is to make sure your feed is accurate, consistent, and updated regularly. Following these tips will help you avoid common pitfalls and keep your products live in Google Shopping.
Got any questions or need help troubleshooting a specific issue? Feel free to drop a comment below, and I’ll be happy to help you get your products approved and running!
