Google's new video verification for Merchant Center: what you need to know (April 2026)

Google started testing a new verification method for Merchant Center suspensions in April 2026: video review. Instead of (or alongside) the standard document submission process, some merchants are being asked to record a video showing their business, products, and operations as part of the reinstatement appeal.

If you get the video verification request, you have three attempts. Fail all three and your account faces permanent suspension. This is not a drill, and it is not something you can wing.

What video verification is

Video verification is Google's response to the rising volume of fraudulent Merchant Center accounts. The idea is simple: show us your business is real. Record yourself or your team in the physical or operational environment where you sell products. Show the products, the website, the processes.

Google's review team watches the video and compares what they see to what your Merchant Center account, website, and product feed claim. If the business looks real and consistent with your listings, the appeal moves forward. If anything conflicts, the attempt is rejected.

As of April 2026, this is in testing, meaning not every suspended account will receive the video verification option. Google appears to be rolling it out to accounts flagged for misrepresentation specifically — which according to data from StubGroup covers roughly 90% of all Merchant Center suspensions.

Who gets asked for it

The video request shows up in the Merchant Center interface during the suspension appeal workflow. Not every merchant will see it — Google is targeting accounts where document-based appeals have failed or where the misrepresentation flag is high.

High-risk signals that increase your chances of being asked for video:

• Multiple previous appeal rejections
• Newly created account with a rapid product upload history
• Inconsistencies between website policies and product feed data
• Business address that does not match registered company details
• Products that do not match the physical location or business type

What Google is looking for

Google has not published an official checklist, but based on what the suspension review community has pieced together, the video review focuses on four things.

1. Business legitimacy

Is this a real business? Show your location, your signage if you have it, your team if there is one. For dropshippers or online-only stores, show your operational setup: the computer you run the store from, your supplier order history on screen (blurred is fine), your customer service system. The goal is to prove a human runs this account.

2. Product reality

Show the actual products you sell matching what is in your feed. If you list electronics, show electronics. If you list clothing, show it. Google is checking that you have access to, or actual possession of, what you claim to sell. Print-on-demand and dropshippers should show their supplier relationship, not just a Shopify dashboard.

3. Website consistency

Your website must match what you show in the video. If the video shows product X at price Y, your website must show product X at price Y right now. Policy pages must be live and findable. Return policy, shipping policy, contact page — all of them need to be accessible without digging through the footer.

4. No scripted or staged content

Google's reviewers watch for signs the video was prepared specifically to pass review rather than show genuine operations. Avoid reading from a script, using an empty warehouse staged with a few props, or showing products you sourced specifically for the recording that do not match your normal inventory.

How to prepare your business before the video call

Do not start recording until every one of these is true.

1. Your prices match your feed. Open your website and your product feed side by side. Every price must match exactly. A 5% discrepancy is enough to fail.
2. Your return policy is live and findable. It must be accessible from the homepage in two clicks or fewer. If it requires a search to find, fix it.
3. Your contact page has a real address or phone number. A contact form alone is not enough for businesses that list a physical location. Match the address in Merchant Center.
4. Your shipping information is accurate. Estimated delivery windows on your site must be realistic and match what Google's shipping configuration shows.
5. Your product images match real inventory. The products shown in your feed images should be identifiable in the video.
6. No countdown timers or fake urgency. If your site has "Only 2 left!" counters that never change, or countdown timers that reset, remove them. Google's misrepresentation policy treats these as deceptive tactics.

Common mistakes that fail video attempts

These come from accounts that have gone through the process and been rejected.

• Reading from a written script. It reads as staged. Speak naturally about what you actually do.
• Showing an empty warehouse or storage unit. If you claim to ship physical goods, show actual inventory that matches your listed products.
• Products in the video do not match the feed. The products you film must be the ones in your Merchant Center listings. Filming generic stock items when you list specific branded products will be caught.
• Website is out of date during the review period. Google may check your live site during or shortly after reviewing the video. A policy page that was live when you filmed but went down afterward is a failed attempt.
• Price mismatch between video and website. If you show a $49.99 price tag in the video but the website shows $54.99, that is misrepresentation, not a minor inconsistency.