15 Common Google Merchant Center Errors And Their Solutions

Whether you are already running Google Shopping campaigns or just getting started, it is important to understand the different types of Google Merchant Center errors that can affect your products and account. Without proper knowledge of these errors and their impact, you risk compromising the performance of your ads and the overall health of your account.

Some of these GMC errors affect individual products, while others can even result in the suspension of your Merchant Center account. In both cases, if you don’t take prompt action to resolve the error, it can result in a loss of traffic and ultimately, revenue for your e-commerce store.  

But hang on. There’s some good news as well: most of these errors are easy to fix, once you understand what causes them and how to resolve them. And to help you gain that knowledge, we have created this comprehensive guide. 

Through this blog, we will cover the 15 most common GMC errors in detail. We will learn what causes them, how to fix them, and also prevent them from occurring in the future. 

So, are you ready? Let’s quickly start. 

What are Google Merchant Center Errors? 

Google Merchant Center errors refer to account-level issues that occur in your GMC when your GMC account or verified and claimed website isn’t compliant with Google’s Shopping policy requirements. 

Google flags these errors to ensure that your e-commerce business and products meet certain quality standards and provide a reliable shopping experience for users.

If you fail to comply with these policies and requirements, then Google reserves the right to: 

• Disapprove your product(s), which will prevent them from appearing across any Google surfaces
• Limit the performance of your products 
• Suspend your Merchant Center account temporarily, or even permanently. 

Some examples of GMC errors include: 

1. Website not claimed
2. MCA over-capacity 
3. Account Suspended Due to Explicit (Adult) Products in GMC
4. Missing Business Address
5. Misrepresentation 

Types of Google Merchant Center Errors

Google Merchant Center errors can be classified into three main types based on their severity: 

1. Critical Red Errors: These highlight that your account or products have been disabled due to a severe policy violation. Until you resolve them, you cannot advertise those products. 
2. Yellow warnings: Generally, these indicate warnings or potential problems or situations that require a merchant’s attention. While these are not as severe as critical red errors or suspensions, they can still affect the overall health of your GMC or the performance of ads. 
3. Blue informational updates: Blue icons or errors basically highlight informational messages or status updates. In most cases, they aren’t indicative of problems and can be considered as suggestions to improve your account or feed’s health and quality. 

Important Note:  1. Attending to GMC errors based on their color is not wise. That’s because each error, warning, or even informational message conveys that your product feed or account settings aren’t complying with Google’s policies. Therefore, Google can suspend your account at any time for non-compliance. 2. The color or severity of an error cannot be predicted in advance. It is specific to each merchant and many other factors, such as past performance, policy violations, etc. At the end of the day, the final arbiters and decision makers are Google’s policy team members.  3. Any error and its severity may change over time. What appears today as a minor blue informational message may evolve into a yellow warning or even a critical red error if it remains unresolved or becomes part of a wider policy violation.

With that understanding in place, let’s now cover the most common types of Google Merchant Center errors. 

Pending Google Ads Account Link Request

The ‘Pending Google Ads Account Link Request’ error denotes that you haven’t linked your Google Ads account with GMC. Linking both accounts is important, as only then can you use your products in Shopping and other types of ad campaigns. 

How to fix the ‘Pending Google Ads Account Link Request’ error? 

To fix this error: 

• You can either link your own existing or new Google Ads account to GMC, or;
• Link a Google Ads account in GMC that you don’t manage 

In case you have an existing Google Ads account, then the process to link it with GMC within your Merchant Center interface is as follows: 

1. In Merchant Center, navigate to “Settings & tools” from the top right corner by clicking on the gear icon. 
2. Click on “Apps and services.”
3. Under “Google Services”, click on “Add Service.” 
4. You will then need to select from various Google Services, such as Google Ads and Analytics. Select Google Ads. 
5. Next, you will choose whether to link an existing Google Ads account, create a new one, or link to an Ads account you don’t manage. We will select an existing account.
6. You will get a list of Google Ads accounts that are currently associated with your Google account. Select your desired account and click on “Next.” 
7. Acknowledge the message shared by Google and click on ‘Link.’

The linking request will then be sent to your Google Ads account. To approve it, log in to your Google Ads account, go to “Tools,” then select “Data Manager.” Under “Connected products,” find “Google Merchant Center.” Locate the pending request and approve it. 

Note: For detailed steps on creating a new Google Ads account, linking it with your Merchant Center, or connecting an Ads account you don’t manage, check out our blog: How to Resolve Pending Google Ads Account Link Requests? It provides clear, step-by-step instructions for every linking scenario.

Unclaimed Website

The “Unclaimed Website” error in GMC appears when one of the following applies: 

1. You have verified your website in GMC but have not claimed it.
2. Neither have you verified nor claimed your website.  

Both verifying and claiming your site are important steps when setting up your GMC account. With verification, you inform Google that you are the site’s owner and that you can make edits to its website content. By claiming the website, you can use it with your Merchant Center account.

Note: Remember, you can only claim your site in GMC after you verify it.

How to fix the ‘Unclaimed Website’ error? 

1. First, go to “Business Info”, “Details”, “Your online store” in your GMC.  
2. If your website verification is pending, you must complete it first. You can do that by the four methods that Google currently offers: 

• By getting a code on your business email 
• Using your e-commerce platform, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, etc. 
• By adding an HTML tag to your store or uploading an HTML file to your website
• Using Google Tag Manager

3. Once the verification process is completed – or if it was already completed – you can simply click the “Claim website” button under your store URL to finish the process.
4. The error will disappear in some time. 

Misrepresentation 

Google doesn’t want shoppers to feel misled by the products or their related content that you promote via Shopping ads or any other marketing method. Whenever you fail to meet this requirement and Google detects it, you will start noticing the misrepresentation error in GMC. 

In general, the error can occur due to multiple reasons, which include but are not limited to: 

1. Failure to disclose the payment model and all costs that shoppers will bear before and after purchasing your product
2. Promoting products or discounts that are no longer available or eligible 
3. Making false or exaggerated claims about the products you sell 
4. Using another brand’s name without authorization 
5. Hiding any relevant and crucial information about your business or products 
6. Deceiving shoppers in any way 

How to Fix the ‘Misrepresentation’ Error? 

It is important to understand that the misrepresentation error in GMC can occur either at the item or account level. However, in both cases, its resolution follows a similar process, which includes: 

1. Start by reviewing Google’s Misrepresentation Policy to understand what actions or content violate its guidelines. This will help you identify why your products or account were flagged.
2. Next, update your website to ensure full compliance with Google’s requirements. If any content, offer, or claim violates these policies, revise it to make it clear, accurate, and transparent.
3. Remove any violating products from your product data. Google will send you an email listing all affected items, so begin by correcting or removing those first.
4. Update your product data in Merchant Center after making the necessary changes. If you use scheduled uploads, wait for the next update, or refresh it manually to ensure your latest data is live.
5. Review your GMC account and complete any missing information. Make sure your contact details, return and refund policy, and shipping terms are clearly visible and consistent across your website and feed.
6. Check your linked accounts, such as Google Ads, and resolve any pending issues or policy violations.
7. Once you have completed all updates, request a review of your products or account. If your listings now comply with Google’s requirements, the warning or suspension will be lifted.

Note:  1. If your account is already under a warning period, then you need not request a review. At the end of that warning period, it will be reviewed again. For certain errors, you can disagree with Google’s decision. 2. However, Google might ask you to complete some additional steps for that. If you are using a third-party tool to sync and list your products on GMC, you might need to request a review from that tool. You will not be able to use GMC and its interface in such cases.  3. Misrepresentation violations are treated as serious and can lead to immediate suspension without prior warning. Google will only reinstate your accounts in compelling circumstances, so your appeal must be detailed, accurate, and honest.

Account Suspended Due to Explicit (Adult) Products in GMC

Account suspensions due to adult products happen when either your products or their content violates Google’s adult-oriented content policy. 

Your account may be flagged (suspended) with this error for one or more of the following reasons:

1. You try to promote a product that Google prohibits, such as pornography DVDs. 
2. The content used on your verified and claimed website’s landing pages displays explicit or non-consensual content. 
3. You target countries where Google doesn’t allow the promotion of adult products or content, such as the UAE, India, etc. 

How to Deal with the ‘Account suspended Due to Explicit (Adult) Products in GMC’ Error?

Note: If any product or content is considered to be prohibited either by Google or the country the merchant is residing in or targeting, then usually Merchant Center cannot be used at all. In such cases, your suspended account cannot be reinstated.

1. First, review Google’s adult content policy. It explains which adult products are allowed, restricted, or prohibited and lists country-specific rules for adult content. Use this to confirm whether reinstatement is possible.
2. Next, check your website and product feed to ensure compliance. Remove or update any text, images, or videos that violate the policy.
3. If your items are allowed but restricted by nature, include the [adult] attribute in your feed. You should also enable the ‘Adult content’ option in your business details to notify Google that your site contains adult material.
4. Avoid targeting countries where the promotion of adult content is banned. Review Google’s list of restricted regions before running any campaigns.
5. After making all the necessary changes, resubmit your updated product feed. Then, request a review of your account.
6. If Google approves the review, your suspension will be lifted. If not, identify and resolve the remaining issues before requesting another review.

Note: Check out our blog on ‘How to Fix Google Merchant Suspensions for Adult Products?’ to go through the reinstatement process shared above in detail.

Account Suspended for “Healthcare Forbidden”

Google will suspend your GMC account with the “Healthcare Forbidden” error when either your product data or website content includes:

• Health-related claims about the effects or benefits of drugs or over-the-counter medicines.
• Restricted or unapproved ingredients.
• Forbidden medical or pharmaceutical terms.

How to Deal With the ‘Account Suspended for Healthcare Forbidden’ Error?

1. First, remove all health-related claims from your website and product listings. Delete any text that promotes or implies medical results, benefits, or cures. If there are any subjective phrases or promotional wording concerning health, remove those as well.
2. If your feed includes unapproved pharmaceutical or supplement products, take them down completely.
3. Once your products and their content fully comply with Google’s healthcare and medicines policy, update your feed and request a review. 

However, you must note that Google’s policy team is the final arbiter. Reinstatement of your account isn’t guaranteed. 

Also read: How to Fix Google Merchant Suspension Due to Health Products?

Missing Business Address

This error highlights that you haven’t added a valid business address in your GMC account. It is mandatory, and Google requires all merchants to add an authentic and valid business address to their account so that their identity can be verified. 

If you fail to meet this requirement, then Google will suspend your GMC and other related accounts (eg, Google Ads).  

How to Fix the ‘Missing Business Address’ Error?

1. Go to “Your Business” from the left-hand side menu of your Merchant Center account, and click on “Business info”.
2. Navigate to the “Details”, go to “Business Details”, and click on “Edit Business Details.” 
3. Fill out all the information in the “Business Address” section. This means your address lines, city, ZIP code, etc. 
4. Save the changes.  

Once you complete the above process, the ‘Missing business address’ will disappear from your GMC account. 

Invalid Business Name

The ‘Invalid business name’ error appears when Google finds that your business name doesn’t comply with their policies. 

Some of the common reasons for this error include: 

1. Adding suffixes like ‘Inc.’, ‘GmbH’, etc., in the business name. 
2. Using excessive capitalization. 
3. Adding promotional text. 

Note: The list shared above isn’t exhaustive.

How to Fix the ‘Missing Business Address’ Error?

1. In your GMC account, go to Your Business → Business Info → Details, then click Edit Business Details under Business Details.
2. Update your business name to ensure it’s professional, clear, and free from unnecessary punctuation, emoticons, or promotional elements. Avoid the common mistakes mentioned earlier.

Note: To read more about what type of business names are allowed and what Google prohibits in business names, we recommend reading these policies: “Editorial Advertising policy”, “Store Name Guidelines,” and “Inappropriate Content for GMC.”

3. Save the changes. But remember, the edits will take some time to reflect, and Google will review them whenever you update your product data next. 
4. If the store name is valid and meets all requirements, the error will disappear automatically. 

Not Submitted Due to Product Limit 

This error occurs when you try to upload new items using a product data source, but the upload fails because your Merchant Center account has reached its maximum product limit. Any products exceeding the quota aren’t added to your account.

Note: By default, each Merchant Center account can host up to 150,000 products. However, Google may automatically increase this limit if your account meets certain quality and performance standards.

How to Fix the ‘Not Submitted Due to Product Limit’ Error in GMC?

There are two ways to fix this error and ensure that you don’t face any restrictions when uploading new items: 

1. Delete some items from your Merchant Center account to bring the total number below the maximum limit. 

However, remember that if you delete items from your existing feed, ensure that your website accurately displays those changes. 

This is part of the inventory data freshness aspect that Google enforces regularly. It means that at any given time, your physical inventory, product feed data, and website information should be in sync. 

If you fail to do so, other Google Merchant Center errors, such as availability mismatches or even Misrepresentation, can occur. Due to these errors, Google may even permanently suspend your account. 

2. If you prefer not to remove products, request a quota increase with this form.

However, please note that to qualify for a quota increase, your account must meet Google’s basic criteria:

• At least 80% of your current quota is used.
• Less than 20% of your products are disapproved.
• No active account suspensions exist.
• Minimum performance requirements are met.

Missing Return and Refund Policy on your Online Store 

Google flags this error when your website lacks a clear, accessible policy that outlines how you handle returns and refunds. In such cases, Google will most likely disapprove your account or place it under the ‘pending disapproval’ status.

How to Fix the ‘Missing Return and Refund Policy on your Online Store’ error?

To fix this error, you must display a return and refund policy on your online store. In case you don’t accept returns or refunds, then you must highlight that on your website. 

Additionally: 

1. Google requires merchants to ensure that the return and refund policy is easily accessible for all users on your website. For example, you can add it to the footer of all pages. 
2. The policies should clearly highlight how you deal with actions such as returns and refunds as a business entity. 
3. The return and refund policies should be consistent across your entire website. This is to maintain credibility and compliance. 

Once you implement these changes, Google will automatically review your website and decide if your account is now compliant. 

Missing Shipping Costs

If any of your products in GMC are missing shipping costs, then you will start to notice the ‘Missing shipping costs’ error. 

This usually happens when you target a country like the U.S., UK, etc., with your Shopping ads or free listings. For such countries, adding shipping costs to products is mandatory. 

Note: Read the complete list of countries requiring product shipping costs on this Google page.

How to Fix the ‘Missing Shipping Costs’ Error?

Google recommends that all merchants first configure their shipping settings at the account level. After that, if they want to override those account-level settings for some specific products, they can do so by using the [shipping] attribute in their feed. 

Failure to comply with these guidelines results in the disapproval of products due to the ‘Missing Shipping Costs’ GMC error. 

To fix the error: 

1. As Google suggests, first start by setting up accurate and valid shipping settings at the account level. 

Go to “Your Business” in your GMC account. Click on “Shipping and returns”, and then under “Shipping policies,” click on “Add shipping information”. Complete all the necessary steps in the flow and save the changes. Within 24-72 hours, those changes will start to reflect in your account. 

2. After that, if some items have specific shipping requirements that account-level settings do not cover, use the [shipping] attribute to highlight that. 

Note: You may also need to provide values for shipping_weight, shipping_length, shipping_width, or shipping_height if applicable.

3. Once you complete both steps highlighted above, update your product data on GMC using your original chosen upload method. The system will take 24-72 hours to process the updates, and if it finds that you have successfully resolved the issue, your products will be cleared of the error. 

Inaccurate Shipping Costs

Google flags the ‘Inaccurate shipping costs’ error when the shipping rates in your Merchant Center settings or product feed are lower than those displayed on your website during checkout. This mismatch can mislead shoppers and create a poor customer experience. As a result, Google disables all affected products.

How to fix the ‘Inaccurate Shipping Costs’ error?

To resolve this Google Merchant Center error: 

1. Review the “Shipping services” tab under “Shipping and returns” in your GMC account. Ensure that the configured rates match the shipping costs shown on your website.
2. If any affected items use the [shipping] attribute to override account-level settings, confirm that those attribute values also reflect the correct rates.
3. Once you identify the issue, update the information either in the “Shipping services” tab or in the [shipping] attribute, whichever applies. Align both with the shipping rates displayed on your website.

Note: If exact matching of shipping rates is difficult, Google allows you to overestimate your rates slightly in Merchant Center to stay compliant.

4. Resubmit your product feed on GMC again using the original product upload method (either through a file, content API, etc.) 
5. Then, either you can manually request a review or allow Google to review your updated data automatically. It is recommended that you manually request a review from Google, as otherwise, the reapproval process may be delayed. 
6. If the review finds no further issues, Google will remove the warning or error from your account. If your feed data or website still has issues, the error will continue to appear on the “Needs attention” tab.  

Note: Both the ‘Missing shipping costs’ and ‘Inaccurate shipping costs’ errors can be considered Google Shopping feed and Merchant Center errors. They require action at both the account and product-feed levels. To read more about product data-related feed errors, visit our detailed blog on Google Shopping feed errors.

Personalized Advertising: Personal Hardships

Google displays the ‘Personalized advertising: personal hardships’ error in GMC when your products or their content (such as text, images, or videos) target users in ways that exploit their struggles or personal hardships. These can include traumatic experiences, health issues, or other sensitive life situations.

How to Fix the ‘Personalized Advertising: Personal Hardships’ Policy Violation?

• To fix this error, start by reviewing Google’s personalized advertising policy to understand what Google allows and what it doesn’t. 
• Next, identify whether the violation comes from the product itself or the content used to promote it.
• If your product inherently exploits personal struggles or hardships (for example, a medical device claiming to relieve pain or trauma), you cannot fix this issue. Google does not allow you to advertise such products.
• However, if the product itself complies with the policy but its representation violates it, update the related content. You can update its titles, descriptions, images, etc. (whatever is causing Google to flag it), and then request a review. 
• Google will review your updates, and if you are no longer violating the policy, then your products will be enabled again. 

Incorrect Language

For one or more items in your feed, Google’s automated systems have detected that the language used doesn’t match one or more of the following: 

1. The supported language for your target country
2. The language on your landing pages
3. Or the language visible during the entire checkout process. 

Due to this, Google has flagged items with the ‘Incorrect language’ error.

How to Fix the “Incorrect Language” Error in GMC? 

To fix this issue, update and resubmit your product feed in GMC. Ensure that the language of your product data is supported in your target country and remains consistent across all touchpoints: your feed, landing pages, and checkout flow.

If your data meets these requirements, Google will remove the error, and your products will no longer appear in the “Needs Attention” tab. You can then resume promoting them in Shopping ads or free listings.

Note: Google uses automated systems to determine the language of a product. Sometimes, items may be flagged incorrectly. If you believe your product was flagged in error, you can request a review from within your Merchant Center account.

Checkout Incomplete Warning/Suspension

If your website doesn’t provide customers with a straightforward way to purchase products, then Google will start displaying the “Checkout incomplete” error in your GMC.  

In addition to your checkout process not being simple, some other common reasons why this error occurs include: 

• Broken checkout steps or any other type of technical errors that prevent customers from completing a purchase. 
• Your checkout process includes additional, unnecessary steps that force users to sign up for newsletters or promotions. 
• The checkout process only allows users to request a quote for the item and not purchase it. 
• Some of the payment methods that you have displayed on other pages of your site are missing during the actual checkout process. 
• There are some buttons on your checkout page that don’t work. 
• Or you don’t display an order confirmation page with delivery information after payment. 

How to Deal with the ‘Checkout Incomplete’ Warning/Suspension?

To fix this policy violation (and reinstate your account if Google has suspended it): 

1. Manually open any product page, and then add it to your cart. 
2. Ensure that your checkout process is streamlined and doesn’t violate any of the guidelines shared above. 
3. If you spot any issues, such as additional unnecessary steps in the checkout flow or any page returning a 404 error, then fix them. 
4. Once you make the changes, request a review from Google. If the review is successful, you will not notice the ‘Checkout incomplete’ warning or suspension notice anymore. 
5. If it still persists and you are unsure what to do next, you can reach out to the Google support team. 

Note: The number of reviews you can request is limited. Thus, don’t waste your chances arguing with the Google team without reviewing your account.

MCA Over Capacity 

The ‘MCA over capacity’ error appears when a Multi-Client Account (MCA) in GMC exceeds its allowed quota for either the number of products or sub-accounts under it.

This issue often affects merchants who created their GMC accounts through third-party platforms, such as Shopify, BigCommerce, or other feed management tools. These accounts operate as sub-accounts within a shared MCA. When the overall quota is exceeded, new product uploads or feed syncs fail for all sub-accounts under that MCA.

How to Fix the ‘MCA Over Capacity’ Error?

To fix this error: 

1. Contact your e-commerce platform or Google’s support team. Request them to convert your sub-account into a stand-alone Merchant Center account so it’s no longer restricted by the shared quota.
2. If they approve your request and convert your account, upload your products again, and verify that the syncing is working properly. 
3. If account conversion isn’t possible, then you can also try reducing your total product count. You can do it by removing discontinued or out-of-stock items to bring the account under the quota temporarily.
4. Apart from the two solutions shared above, you can also ask Google for a quota increase if your account is eligible and has a good compliance record.

Conclusion and Key Takeaways 

Google Merchant Center errors can seem daunting, but most of them are easy to fix once you understand why they occur and how to resolve them.

Some takeaways from this blog will include:

• Google Merchant Center errors are account-level issues that appear when your GMC account or website violates Google’s Shopping policies.
• These issues can lead to product disapprovals, limited product visibility, or even account suspensions if not addressed promptly.
• Many errors, such as Unclaimed Website, Missing Business Address, or Invalid Business Name, occur due to incomplete or inaccurate account details.
• Others, like Misrepresentation or Checkout Incomplete, arise from misleading content, unclear business practices, or checkout processes that don’t meet Google’s standards.
• To evade these and many other GMC errors, ensure that your account and website information are accurate, transparent, and compliant with Google’s policies. Keep your return, refund, and shipping details easily accessible. Maintain consistency between your website and Merchant Center data.
• Finally, check the “Needs Attention” tab regularly to detect and fix issues before they escalate. Doing so will help you maintain a healthy Merchant Center account and ensure uninterrupted visibility for your products.

Good luck. 

FAQs

1. Why are my products not showing up in Google Merchant Center?

There can be issues with the quality of your data feed, which Google might fail to accept. Apart from that, if you are using feed management software to sync your products from a third-party platform to GMC, then the software can have issues, causing your products to not appear on GMC.

2. What causes these Google Merchant Center errors to reappear even after fixing them once?

Several factors can trigger recurring issues. Your inventory updates may create mismatches between site details and feed data. Your feed management tool may also send incorrect information. In some cases, new Google policy updates can prompt errors to surface again.

3. How do these Google Merchant Center errors affect my campaign performance in real numbers?

It depends on the type of error. If it’s a product disapproval or account suspension, your products stop showing across ads and free listings, and performance drops to zero. On the other hand, if it’s a performance-limiting error like “limited performance due to missing value: GTIN,” your products still show, but with lower reach or match quality.

4. Can I automate error detection?

Yes, you can automate error detection if you use a feed management tool like AdNabu (for Shopify merchants), DataFeedWatch, etc. These tools provide in-app error notifications and easily flag issues like missing attributes, GTIN problems, or even disapprovals right inside the dashboard. 

For apps like AdNabu, as soon as you are notified about a GMC error, you can leverage the app’s automation capabilities to fix the error and then instantly sync the corrected data to GMC. That helps ensure that there is minimal downtime, and the performance of your listings never takes a hit. 

5. What is the ideal feed update frequency to avoid mismatches or expiring items?

It depends on how often your inventory data changes. If you update prices or stock frequently, update your feed daily. If you change them only a few times each week, a weekly update should work. But updating only monthly is risky and can lead to errors like expiring items, price mismatches, or availability issues. Regular updates help keep your GMC data fresh and accurate.

6. Do Google Merchant Center errors affect free listings and organic shopping surfaces equally?

Yes.