Help Needed Integration Issue with Google Merchant Center

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

A Shopify store owner is struggling to integrate their website with Google Merchant Center and has received a suspension notice.

Primary Issues Identified:

  • Account suspended for “Website needs improvement”
  • Broken links showing 404 errors detected by Google’s system
  • Website accessibility problems - not reachable from certain countries (Brazil, Singapore mentioned as examples)
  • A suspended Google Ads account is linked to the Merchant Center account

Google’s Requirements:

  • Fix website issues including broken links, incomplete content, placeholder text/images, and poor product descriptions
  • Ensure website is accessible globally across all target countries
  • Appeal the Google Ads suspension first (via Google Ads appeal form)
  • After Ads suspension is lifted, request Merchant Center review (7 business days processing time)
  • Do not unlink the suspended Ads account from Merchant Center

Current Status:
The user describes themselves as non-technical and is seeking step-by-step community assistance to resolve these technical integration challenges. The Merchant Center suspension cannot be resolved until the Google Ads suspension is addressed first.

Summarized with AI on November 11. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
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Dear Community Members,

I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to seek assistance with an ongoing issue I’ve been facing in integrating my website with Google Merchant Center. Despite numerous attempts, I have been unable to succeed in this endeavor.

As a non-technical individual, I find myself struggling to navigate through the complexities of the integration process. below down copy paste illustrating the specific issues I am encountering according to Google’s feedback.

I am reaching out to our community in the hopes that someone with the necessary expertise might be able to lend a guiding hand. If there’s anyone willing to assist me in resolving this matter step by step, I would be immensely grateful.

Your support and guidance could make a significant difference in overcoming this obstacle. Please feel free to reach out to me directly or respond to this message if you’re able to offer any assistance or advice.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Warm regards,

Rajeev P.

Google support message

Hi Rajeev,

Thank you for your email. I am reaching you back on behalf of my colleague Shravani. I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I really appreciate the effort you put into fixing the issue. I understand that the issue still occurs. Please allow me to check the account and rest assured I’ll be happy to help.

Upon checking the account, I can see that the account was suspended due to Website needs improvement. This means that the system detected that your website needs to be improved before you can continue using the Merchant Center to sell, list, or advertise your products.

I’ve raised the issue to the wider team for further investigation and they noticed that there are broken links and it is showing “404 error, page not found”.

The system also suspends the account due to Website needs Improvement in several major factors such as the following:

  • The website may be incomplete, as indicated by placeholder text or images or mispelling.
  • The website may be missing important information, featuring poor product descriptions, or creating a broken browsing experience.
  • The website may also display irrelevant or inconsistent product categorization. For example, your business sells swimwear, but your return policy discusses technology products.

I have checked the website and I found that the website is not accessible to all countries such as: Singapore, and Brazil. You may confirm this by using the tool for Geopeeker and searching the website URL. Please make sure that regardless of the target country, the website/ landing page of the products should be accessible to all countries.

Note: The example countries above aren’t an exhaustive list, and you must ensure the fix is implemented for all countries.

Additionally, we discovered that a suspended Google Ads account was linked to your Merchant Center account. Unfortunately, the Merchant Center suspension cannot be resolved until the Google Ads suspension is addressed.

Appeal the Google Ads suspension: Please fill out the Google Ads suspension appeal formas soon as possible. The dedicated team should reach out within 5 business days regarding your account status.

Important: Do not remove or unlink the suspended Google Ads account from your Merchant Center account. This can not resolve the issue.

Upon successful appeal of your Google Ads account, and the suspension is lifted, you may request a review in your Merchant Center account. The review may take 7 business days to complete.

To prevent your account from any suspension, make sure that the account and the website complies with all Google Merchant Center policies.

I hope the above information helps you with your concern. If you have further questions you may reply to this email and we will be happy to assist you.

We value your time and effort in reaching out to us. We look forward to continuing our work with you and providing you the best service you truly deserve. Your understanding and cooperation are much appreciated.

Thank you for choosing gTech Customer Experience. We appreciate your business with us.