Google Merchant center Suspension Misrepresentation

[TheOtaku]

Hello,

I had my website approved by Merchant Center and Google Ads. I ran a few ads successfully before changing my website's theme. However, I mistakenly left some Placeholder Text, and as a result, my Merchant Center was suspended. I removed the placeholder text and submitted an appeal, but now I am receiving a Misrepresentation Suspension. Can someone advise me on how to fix this issue?

Website

Thank You.

[Maz · Accepted solution]

Hey, @TheOtaku!

Thanks for your question.

Misrepresentation is a tricky one as Google is not very specific on what exactly needs to be done. We at Shopify have found strategies that have we have found worked for getting stores approved, and I will share all of them with you now in order of success rate:

1) Updating your Product Fields. You want to make sure the products have every field updated. We have a document that goes over how you can fill out these fields:

 -  Google Channel Product Requirements 

But generally, you just want to fill out as much information as possible. For example if a product is meant for any gender, you can put unisex in the gender slot. Filling out as many of these fields as possible will help you avoid scrutiny from Google's moderation protocol. 

To access these fields, you will want to go to the Google Channel by access the Settings > App and Sales Channels section of your admin and clicking Google.

• You now want to select Open Sales Channel to open the app

• In the Overview section of the Google sales channel, select Manage products

• From here you want to fill out every single one of these fields for all of your products using the document above as a guide.

2) Using the correct links for your Policy pages. Often times, merchants will link the Pages from the Online Store > Pages section of their admin instead of the Policies in their Settings > Policies section of their admin which leads to Google turning them down. 

So we want to avoid linking the Online Store > Pages and instead use the policies in the Settings > Policies section.  Please make sure these are updated to your liking. Once they are, you can go to the Online Store > Navigation section of your admin and select the menu that host your policies. You then want to click Edit next to your Policies Pages, then select the Link box to your right. From the drop-down menu, be sure to select Policies and NOT Pages. Once you select Policies, a menu will open with all of your current policies and select the one of your choosing, make sure the title is correct and save!

3) Make sure to have unique and coherent product descriptions. Sometimes Google can turn down merchants if they feel their product descriptions are not accurate enough. Google does not share the specifics but generally speaking you want your products to have  unique titles and descriptions. Here is a guide we have found useful for helping merchants write compelling descriptions to help sell your products:

 - 10 Ways to Write Product Descriptions That Persuade 

4) Participating in the Google Customer Reviews Program. We have found this program helps build trust with the customer base and give Google less reason to scrutinize your store. If it is available in your country/region, you should definitely check it out: 

 - Google's Customer Reviews program

5) Review Google's documentation on misrepresentation:

 - Google Support Docs: Misrepresentation

6) You may also want to review the editorial and professional requirements from Google. A lot of merchant have had issues resolved by following the section on pop-ups:

 - Google Support Docs: Editorial & professional requirements

7) Finally, you can check out the Grow my Store tool. Google made this as a way to assess customer experience on a website. Once the website address is added, you will receive a personalized report with tips on how to address any issues found. This is a third party tool and not supported by Shopify. 

Finally, this third party help doc from Feedonomics has been recommended by many merchants as a useful tool for helping them prepare their website for review:

 - Feedonomics Help doc

Please note, this information is from a third party, and we cannot guarantee success every time, but it's something we strongly recommend reviewing.  

Once you have done each and every step, you are ready for a review. To do so go to your Google Merchant Center account and under Diagnostics > Account issues request a manual review.

I hope this helps but let me know if there is anything else you need!

[EmmanuelFlossie · Accepted solution]

Make sure your items are stocked, meaning if you are print on demand, then the following policy is your issue: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6150127#:~:text=Unavailable%20promotions

[Maz · Accepted solution]

Hey, @TheOtaku!

Thanks for your question.

Misrepresentation is a tricky one as Google is not very specific on what exactly needs to be done. We at Shopify have found strategies that have we have found worked for getting stores approved, and I will share all of them with you now in order of success rate:

1) Updating your Product Fields. You want to make sure the products have every field updated. We have a document that goes over how you can fill out these fields:

 -  Google Channel Product Requirements 

But generally, you just want to fill out as much information as possible. For example if a product is meant for any gender, you can put unisex in the gender slot. Filling out as many of these fields as possible will help you avoid scrutiny from Google's moderation protocol. 

To access these fields, you will want to go to the Google Channel by access the Settings > App and Sales Channels section of your admin and clicking Google.

• You now want to select Open Sales Channel to open the app

• In the Overview section of the Google sales channel, select Manage products

• From here you want to fill out every single one of these fields for all of your products using the document above as a guide.

2) Using the correct links for your Policy pages. Often times, merchants will link the Pages from the Online Store > Pages section of their admin instead of the Policies in their Settings > Policies section of their admin which leads to Google turning them down. 

So we want to avoid linking the Online Store > Pages and instead use the policies in the Settings > Policies section.  Please make sure these are updated to your liking. Once they are, you can go to the Online Store > Navigation section of your admin and select the menu that host your policies. You then want to click Edit next to your Policies Pages, then select the Link box to your right. From the drop-down menu, be sure to select Policies and NOT Pages. Once you select Policies, a menu will open with all of your current policies and select the one of your choosing, make sure the title is correct and save!

3) Make sure to have unique and coherent product descriptions. Sometimes Google can turn down merchants if they feel their product descriptions are not accurate enough. Google does not share the specifics but generally speaking you want your products to have  unique titles and descriptions. Here is a guide we have found useful for helping merchants write compelling descriptions to help sell your products:

 - 10 Ways to Write Product Descriptions That Persuade 

4) Participating in the Google Customer Reviews Program. We have found this program helps build trust with the customer base and give Google less reason to scrutinize your store. If it is available in your country/region, you should definitely check it out: 

 - Google's Customer Reviews program

5) Review Google's documentation on misrepresentation:

 - Google Support Docs: Misrepresentation

6) You may also want to review the editorial and professional requirements from Google. A lot of merchant have had issues resolved by following the section on pop-ups:

 - Google Support Docs: Editorial & professional requirements

7) Finally, you can check out the Grow my Store tool. Google made this as a way to assess customer experience on a website. Once the website address is added, you will receive a personalized report with tips on how to address any issues found. This is a third party tool and not supported by Shopify. 

Finally, this third party help doc from Feedonomics has been recommended by many merchants as a useful tool for helping them prepare their website for review:

 - Feedonomics Help doc

Please note, this information is from a third party, and we cannot guarantee success every time, but it's something we strongly recommend reviewing.  

Once you have done each and every step, you are ready for a review. To do so go to your Google Merchant Center account and under Diagnostics > Account issues request a manual review.

I hope this helps but let me know if there is anything else you need!

[americanff]

I have a question with Goggle Sales Channel, Does it really have to be connected to Merchant Center? 

[EmmanuelFlossie]

No, it does not. You can use the app to for example only connect Google Analytics 4. And not Google Merchant Center.

Meaning, you can use other apps for your data feed.

[EmmanuelFlossie · Accepted solution]

Make sure your items are stocked, meaning if you are print on demand, then the following policy is your issue: https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6150127#:~:text=Unavailable%20promotions

[TheOtaku]

Hello @EmmanuelFlossie,

All the items are stocked. In Shopify, it looks like this,

In the merchant Center,

[EmmanuelFlossie]

Keeping stock, refers to physically holding the finished products in your hand. IE, having stock stored, ready for shipping when the item is ordered.

Printify, does not keep stock of the finished products, thus a violation of the previous mentioned policy.

[TheOtaku]

@EmmanuelFlossie So Is it impossible to Run Google Ads on My Store?

[EmmanuelFlossie · Accepted solution]

Yes, you can run text ads, display, youtube, etc. Just not Shopping.

[Lemondedestable]

Hi Emmanuel. This is really insightful. Can you tell me how to overcome this ? Thank you very much

[EmmanuelFlossie]

How to overcome print on demand? You can't. It's a fundamental business model. 

Consider stocking finished products.

[quietblissco]

So does this mean Google doesn't allow ANY Dropshipping of any kind? If so then that would explain alot.

[EmmanuelFlossie]

The original post was regarding print on demand. There was no mention about drop shipping. Drop shipping is allowed, albeit generally drop shippers have low quality scores, and trust signals which is the reason for suspension.

[TheOtaku]

Hey @EmmanuelFlossie I have fixed misrepresentation on Merchant Center it is now resuspended, Do you know how google check that our store is print on demand?

[EmmanuelFlossie]

Google does not share how or what, but if a I can see it, then Google can most definately see it.

Google uses both manual and AI to detect policy violations.

[TheOtaku]

@EmmanuelFlossie Yeah I think. I have another store, but its a general not only pod clothes, I run Performance Max there, It runs perfectly.

[americanff]

Hi! do you kow if it's mandatory to have our Google Sales Chanel connected to Merchant Center?

[quietblissco]

I tried all of the above, spent weeks searching and reading and still got shut down. THREE times. I have a legit product. Doesn't matter though. I'm mispresenting and its not clear why. When I ask what, how, and why of Google they tell me, you've been flagged as misrepresenting, too bad. We cannot help you. NO explanation. When I ask again, they tell me they can do what they want, too bad.

[jasuisfatih]

Now it is giving this error, how long should I wait? I solved the problem by doing what you said in one of my accounts, but I don't know how to request a review since it is giving such an error in this one.

[EmmanuelFlossie]

You will need to wait a few weeks for the button to appear again. I would never request another review until you have triple checked everything. Going the extra mile is needed to get approved.

[Xion]

I m having an issue with them, under the same registered company I have two websites. Google hit me with a misrepresentation and you can't even talk to anyone. I am currently looking into registering my site to other search engines to make sales if these fu#kers like to hinder small businesses