The 10 most common GMC disapprovals and how to fix each one

After managing Google Shopping campaigns for 30+ ecommerce clients, we've seen the same disapproval reasons come up over and over. These 10 account for 85% of all product disapprovals. Fix these first, and the rest becomes manageable.

1. Price mismatch (feed vs. landing page)

The #1 disapproval. Your product feed says $29.99 but your landing page shows $31.99. Even a $0.01 difference triggers it.

Fix: Ensure your feed price matches your landing page structured data price to the penny. Use automatic item updates in GMC settings as a safety net. Increase feed refresh frequency to every 6 hours minimum.

2. Missing or invalid GTIN

Products with GTINs submitted incorrectly (wrong check digit, wrong format) or products that should have a GTIN but don't.

Fix: Validate all GTINs using the GS1 check digit algorithm. Use identifier_exists=false only for custom or handmade products that genuinely have no barcode. Never invent fake GTINs.

3. Misrepresentation (business identity)

Your business name on the website doesn't match your GMC account name. Google cross-references your footer, Organization schema, GMC account, and Google Ads account.

Fix: Pick one canonical name. Use it everywhere. Read our full misrepresentation recovery guide if you're already suspended.

4. Missing shipping information

No shipping rates configured for your target country. Every product targeting that country gets disapproved.

Fix: In GMC Settings > Shipping and Delivery, configure rates for every country you target. Include handling fees in your declared shipping cost. See our shipping mistakes guide for the 5 most common errors.

5. Image quality issues

Promotional text on images, watermarks, borders, or images smaller than 100x100px. Google uses OCR to scan every product image for text overlays.

Fix: Use clean product photos on white or neutral backgrounds. No text overlays, logos, or promotional badges. Minimum 100x100px for non-apparel, 250x250px for apparel. See our full image requirements guide.

6. Missing return/refund policy

No returns policy page on your website, or the page has two sentences of placeholder text.

Fix: Create a comprehensive returns policy page linked from your footer. Include:

• Return window (e.g., 30 days from delivery)
• Item condition requirements
• Refund method and processing time
• Who pays return shipping

7. Availability mismatch

Feed says "in stock" but the landing page shows "sold out." This happens when inventory changes between feed refreshes.

Fix: Sync your inventory system with your product feed in real-time (or as close to real-time as your platform allows). Use the correct availability values: in_stock, out_of_stock, preorder, or backorder.

8. Landing page not working

Product URL returns 404, 500, or redirects to homepage. Google crawls your product URLs regularly and flags broken links.

Fix: Validate every product URL in your feed. Each one must return HTTP 200 and show the correct product. Remove deleted products from your feed immediately.

9. Missing required attributes

Products missing title, description, image, price, or availability in the feed. These are hard requirements.

Fix: Audit your feed for empty required fields. Set up feed rules in GMC to catch products with missing attributes before they trigger errors.

10. Restricted content without proper handling

Adult products without the adult attribute, alcohol in restricted countries, or healthcare products without certifications.

Fix: Set the adult attribute to yes for applicable products. Check Google's country-specific restrictions for alcohol, healthcare, and other regulated categories.