Mandatory Google Merchant Center Requirements for 2026
Setting up a GMC account takes 15 minutes. Getting it approved and keeping it active? That's the hard part. Here's everything you need.
Prevention is Better Than Cure
Many new merchants go through the basic setup, submit their product feed, and assume they're ready. Then, within days, they receive a suspension notice without ever running a single ad. This guide ensures you get it right the first time.
Google has strict compliance requirements that go far beyond simply having products to sell and a functioning website. These requirements exist to protect Google's users from scammers, fraudulent merchants, and low-quality shopping experiences.
The challenge is that many of these requirements aren't explicitly stated in Google's official documentation. They're implied through various policy documents, scattered across different help center articles, or enforced through automated algorithms that look for specific trust signals. What Google considers obvious might not be obvious to you as a new merchant.
Important: None of these requirements are particularly difficult to meet if you know about them in advance. The bad news is that failing any one of them can result in immediate suspension. Let's make sure you get it right from the start.
Essential Website and Security Requirements
Before Google will even consider approving your Merchant Center account, your website must meet certain fundamental security and functionality standards. These aren't suggestions—they're absolute requirements.
HTTPS Encryption (Non-Negotiable)
Your entire website must use HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate. When someone visits, their browser should show a padlock icon, and URLs should start with "https://" not "http://".
Watch for: Mixed content issues where some elements (images, scripts) still load over HTTP even though the main page uses HTTPS. These warnings can cause Google to reject your site.
Public Accessibility
Your website must be publicly accessible without requiring passwords, memberships, or special access. Many merchants accidentally leave their site in "password protected" mode after launching.
- Shopify's password protection feature during development
- "Coming soon" pages blocking product access
- Geo-blocking that restricts Google's crawlers
Professional, Maintained Appearance
Google's algorithms look for signs of abandoned or low-quality sites. Check for:
- • Broken images (including missing product photos)
- • 404 errors on important pages
- • Outdated copyright notices (don't say "© 2023" if we're in 2026)
- • Placeholder text like "Lorem ipsum" anywhere
- • Broken links in navigation or footer
Mobile: Over 60% of Shopping traffic is mobile. Test on actual devices—iOS and Android—to verify everything works.
Contact Information and Business Transparency
One of the most common reasons for immediate Merchant Center rejection is insufficient or missing contact information. Google needs to verify that you're a real business with real people behind it.
The official policy states at least one contact form, but in practice:
Simply having a contact form is rarely sufficient in 2026. Google's algorithms are looking for concrete, verifiable business information. Display at least two of the following: physical address, phone number with country code, and business email using your domain.
Physical Address Requirements:
- Actual business location, not just a P.O. Box
- Displayed prominently in website footer (visible on every page)
- Match exactly with Merchant Center business settings
- Verifiable on Google Maps (Google will check)
Phone & Email Requirements:
- Phone must be active and capable of receiving calls
- Include proper country code for international clarity
- Email should use your business domain (contact@yourstore.com)
- Avoid free providers (yourstore@gmail.com) if possible
About Us page: Explain who you are, what you sell, and why customers should trust you. Include photos of your team or office if possible.
Checkout and Payment Functionality
Google has specific requirements for how your checkout process must function. These ensure customers can easily complete purchases without friction, hidden requirements, or deceptive practices.
Guest Checkout Required
Customers must be able to complete a purchase without creating an account. You can offer account creation as an option, but you cannot require it.
Streamlined Process
No unnecessary intermediate steps. Customers should go directly from product page to cart to checkout without forced quiz pages or landing pages.
Complete Price Transparency
Final total (including all fees, shipping, taxes) must be visible before customers enter payment information. No surprise costs at the final step.
Full HTTPS Throughout
Every page in the checkout flow—cart, shipping, payment, confirmation—must use HTTPS encryption.
Accurate Payment Logos
Only display payment methods you actually accept. Showing PayPal logo without offering PayPal = "Untrustworthy Promotions" violation.
Legal Policy Pages (The "Semantic" Trap)
This is where many merchants fail without realizing there's a problem. It's not enough to simply have policy pages—those pages need to contain specific, complete, clear information. Google's AI actually reads and analyzes the text of your policies.
Return & Refund Policy Must Include:
- Specific timeframe: "30 days from delivery date" NOT "within a reasonable time"
- Who pays return shipping: Explicitly state customer or merchant
- Return method: "Email support@store.com" or "Use Returns Portal"
- Refund method: Original payment method, store credit, etc.
- Processing time: "Refunds within 3-5 business days after receipt"
- Restocking fees: State amount/percentage or "no fees"
- Exceptions: List non-returnable items clearly
Language That Gets You Banned Immediately:
- • "We may accept returns at our discretion"
- • "Refunds are processed when possible"
- • "[INSERT YOUR BUSINESS ADDRESS HERE]"
- • "[COMPANY NAME]" placeholder text
- • "Our policy complies with [YOUR COUNTRY] consumer protection laws"
- • Copy-pasted templates from other websites
Other Required Policies:
Critical: All policies must be accessible from footer, visible without login, written in target market language, and free of placeholder text.
Product Feed Technical Requirements
Your product data feed is how you communicate with Google Merchant Center about what you're selling. Getting the feed configuration right is critical for both approval and performance.
Required Attributes for Every Product:
- Unique product ID
- Product title
- Product description
- Link to product page
- Image link
- Price (with currency)
- Availability status
- Condition & Brand
GTIN Requirements (Strict in 2026):
- • Brand-name products: GTIN required (from manufacturer barcode field)
- • Custom/handmade products: Set identifier_exists to "false"
- • Fashion: Also requires color, size, and gender attributes
Image Requirements:
- No promotional text overlays ("50% OFF!", "Best Seller")
- No watermarks or logos obscuring the product
- No "image coming soon" placeholders
- Minimum 100x100px (800x800+ recommended)
- Clear visibility against neutral background
Pre-Launch Verification Checklist
Before you submit your Merchant Center account for review, go through this comprehensive checklist. Missing even one item can result in rejection or suspension.
Website Security & Functionality
- □ Entire site uses HTTPS with valid SSL certificate
- □ Site publicly accessible without password
- □ All pages load correctly on desktop and mobile
- □ No broken images or 404 errors
- □ Navigation clear and intuitive
Contact Information
- □ Physical business address in footer
- □ Phone number with country code visible
- □ Business email (preferably @yourdomain)
- □ Address matches Merchant Center exactly
- □ Address verifiable on Google Maps
Legal Policies
- □ Return policy with specific timeframes
- □ Shipping policy with costs and timeframes
- □ Privacy policy (GDPR if targeting EU)
- □ No placeholder text in any policy
- □ All policies linked in footer
Checkout & Payment
- □ Guest checkout available
- □ All checkout pages use HTTPS
- □ Final total visible before payment info
- □ No surprise fees at payment step
- □ Only display actual payment methods
Product Feed
- □ All required attributes included
- □ Prices match website exactly
- □ Images meet quality standards
- □ GTINs for brand-name products
- □ Availability status accurate
Launch with Confidence
Don't risk a suspension because you missed a requirement. Scan your store against Google's 2026 compliance requirements.
Check My Store Compliance