Google Merchant Center Compliance Checklist for Shopify Stores

Before submitting your products to Google Merchant Center, you need to make sure your Shopify store meets Google's requirements. Missing even one item can lead to product disapprovals or account suspension.

Use this checklist to audit your store before connecting to GMC—and revisit it regularly to stay compliant.

Store Policies

Google requires clear, accessible policies so shoppers know what to expect. These are non-negotiable.

Refund and Return Policy

Your return policy must answer these questions:

Do you accept returns? If not, state this clearly
What's the return window? (e.g., 30 days from delivery)
What condition must items be in?
Who pays for return shipping?
How long do refunds take to process?
Are there items excluded from returns?

Where to add it in Shopify: Settings → Policies → Refund policy

Pro tip: Don't just copy a generic template. Google's reviewers can spot boilerplate policies, and they prefer specific, detailed information about your actual practices.

Privacy Policy

Your privacy policy needs to cover:

What personal data you collect (names, emails, addresses, payment info)
How you use that data
Whether you share data with third parties
How customers can request their data be deleted
Your use of cookies and tracking

Where to add it in Shopify: Settings → Policies → Privacy policy

Note: If you use Shopify Payments, Google Analytics, or any marketing apps, mention these specifically in your policy.

Terms of Service

While not always strictly required, having terms of service adds legitimacy and should include:

Purchase terms and conditions
Intellectual property rights
Limitation of liability
Governing law and jurisdiction

Where to add it in Shopify: Settings → Policies → Terms of service

Shipping Policy

Shoppers want to know when their order will arrive and how much it costs. Include:

Shipping methods available
Estimated delivery times for each method
Shipping costs (or free shipping thresholds)
Geographic restrictions
How orders are processed and dispatched

Where to add it in Shopify: Settings → Policies → Shipping policy, or create a dedicated page

Policy Accessibility

Having policies isn't enough—they must be easy to find:

Link all policies in your website footer
Ensure links work on every page
Make sure policies are on your domain (not external links)
Check that policy pages load correctly on mobile

Contact Information

Google wants shoppers to be able to reach you. Visible contact information is a major trust signal.

Business Email

Use a professional email on your domain (e.g., support@yourstore.com)
Avoid generic emails like yourstore@gmail.com
Make sure the email actually works and is monitored
Display it on your contact page and footer

Physical Address

Display your full business address
Avoid PO boxes if possible—they can trigger flags
If you work from home, consider using a registered agent address
Make sure the address matches what's in your Google Merchant Center account

Phone Number (Recommended)

While not always required, a phone number adds significant trust:

Use a real phone number that someone answers
Consider a business line or VoIP service
Display it prominently on your contact page

Contact Page

Create a dedicated contact page that includes:

Multiple ways to reach you (email, phone, form)
Expected response times
Business hours if applicable
Physical address

Pro tip: Don't hide contact information behind a form only. Google prefers to see actual contact details displayed on the page.

Product Information

Your product data must be accurate, unique, and match what's on your website. For a deeper dive into optimizing your feed, see our product feed best practices guide.

Product Titles

Each product should have a unique, descriptive title
Include key attributes (brand, color, size, material)
Avoid ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation
Don't stuff keywords unnaturally
Keep titles under 150 characters

Example of a good title: "Nike Air Max 90 Men's Running Shoes - White/Black - Size 10"

Example of a bad title: "BEST RUNNING SHOES!!! Nike Air Max CHEAP SALE"

Product Descriptions

Write unique descriptions for each product
Don't copy manufacturer descriptions verbatim (duplicate content)
Include relevant details: materials, dimensions, features, use cases
Avoid promotional language like "Best price!" or "Limited time!"
Don't include links in descriptions

Pricing

Your prices must match exactly between your store and product feed:

Base prices must be identical
Sale prices must match current promotions
Currency must be correct for your target market
Include tax information as required by your region

Common mistake: Running a sale on your store but not updating your product feed, or vice versa.

Availability

Only show products as "in stock" if they're actually available
Update inventory in real-time if possible
Remove or mark as unavailable products that are out of stock
Don't advertise products you can't actually ship

Product Identifiers

Google uses identifiers to match your products:

GTIN (UPC, EAN, ISBN) — required for most products with manufacturer barcodes
MPN (Manufacturer Part Number) — required when GTIN isn't available
Brand — required for all branded products

If you sell custom or handmade items without GTINs, you can mark them as identifier_exists = false.

Images

Product images must meet Google's standards:

Minimum 100x100 pixels (250x250 for apparel)
No watermarks, logos, or promotional text on images
Product should fill 75-90% of the image frame
Use white or transparent backgrounds for main images
No placeholder images

Technical Requirements

Your website needs to meet basic technical standards.

SSL Certificate (HTTPS)

Your entire site must use HTTPS
Shopify provides this automatically for all stores
Check that your custom domain has SSL properly configured
Look for the padlock icon in the browser address bar

Domain Age

Google is suspicious of brand-new domains
Domains less than 90 days old face extra scrutiny
If your domain is new, focus on building other trust signals while you wait
Don't try to game this by buying old domains—Google can detect this

Website Speed

Slow websites create poor user experiences:

Aim for page load times under 3 seconds
Optimize images (compress, use proper formats)
Minimize apps and scripts that slow down your store
Test your speed with Google PageSpeed Insights

Mobile Friendliness

Most shoppers browse on mobile devices:

Your site must be fully responsive
Buttons and links should be easy to tap
Text should be readable without zooming
Forms should work properly on mobile
Test using Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool

No Broken Links

Check that all product links work
Ensure policy pages load correctly
Fix any 404 errors
Make sure images display properly

Payment and Checkout

Your checkout process must be secure and transparent.

Secure Checkout

Entire checkout must use HTTPS
Display security badges and trust seals
Checkout should stay on your domain (not redirect elsewhere)
Payment processing should be through recognized providers

Payment Methods

Clearly display accepted payment methods
Include recognizable options (credit cards, PayPal, Shop Pay)
Show payment icons in your footer or checkout page
Avoid cryptocurrency-only or unusual payment methods

Transparent Pricing

No surprise fees at checkout
Show shipping costs before final checkout step
Display taxes clearly
Include any handling fees upfront on product pages

Checkout Flow

Checkout should be simple and straightforward
Don't require account creation to purchase
Provide order confirmation immediately
Send confirmation emails promptly

Quick Reference Checklist

Use this summary to quickly audit your store:

Policies

Refund/return policy published and linked in footer
Privacy policy published and linked in footer
Terms of service published and linked in footer
Shipping policy with delivery times and costs

Contact

Professional email address displayed
Physical business address visible
Contact page easily accessible
Phone number (recommended)

Products

Unique, descriptive product titles
Original product descriptions
Prices match between store and feed
Accurate stock availability
GTINs/MPNs where applicable
High-quality images without watermarks

Technical

SSL certificate active (HTTPS)
Domain at least 90 days old
Fast page load times
Mobile-friendly design
No broken links

Checkout

Secure payment processing
Multiple payment methods displayed
No hidden fees
Clear confirmation process

What Happens If You're Missing Something?

If your store doesn't meet these requirements, you could face misrepresentation flags:

Products may be disapproved — They won't show in Google Shopping until fixed
Account warnings — Google will notify you of policy violations
Account suspension — Repeated or serious violations can suspend your entire account

The good news is that most issues are fixable. Address problems promptly, and you can usually get back in good standing within a week.

Stay Compliant Automatically

Manually checking all these requirements is tedious—and it's easy to miss something.

ClearCheck automatically scans your Shopify store against Google Merchant Center requirements and tells you exactly what's missing or needs attention.

Stop guessing whether your store is compliant. Get a clear report and fix issues before Google flags them.