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Account Suspension & Recovery

GMC Pre-Launch Compliance Checklist

A complete checklist of everything to verify before submitting your first products to Google Merchant Center.

On this page
  1. Why Pre-Launch Compliance Matters
  2. Website Requirements
  3. Checkout Requirements
  4. Product Feed Requirements
  5. GMC Account Setup
  6. Structured Data

Why Pre-Launch Compliance Matters

Getting suspended after your first product upload delays your Shopping launch by weeks. Google's initial review of new accounts is thorough — they check your website against the full policy list, not just product data. Running through this checklist before you upload a single product prevents that delay.

Website Requirements

  • Site uses HTTPS (padlock visible on all pages including checkout)
  • Business name on website matches GMC account name exactly
  • Physical address or registered business address is visible on the website
  • Phone number or dedicated support email is displayed (ideally on the Contact and footer)
  • About page exists and describes your business with real information
  • Privacy policy page exists, is accessible from the footer, and covers data collection
  • Return and refund policy page exists with: return window, conditions, refund method, and timeline
  • Shipping policy page exists with: countries served, estimated delivery timeframes, and cost structure
  • Terms of Service or Terms and Conditions page exists

Checkout Requirements

  • Guest checkout is available (no mandatory account creation)
  • All checkout pages are served over HTTPS
  • Payment method logos are visible on the payment step
  • Price in cart matches price on product page
  • Order confirmation page loads correctly
  • Checkout tested on both desktop and mobile

Product Feed Requirements

  • All required attributes present: id, title, description, link, image_link, price, availability, condition
  • Prices in feed match prices on product pages (±0%)
  • Image URLs return 200 and meet size requirements (minimum 100×100px, recommended 800×800px)
  • GTINs populated for all branded products that have them
  • google_product_category populated for all products
  • Feed scheduled to fetch automatically (daily or on update)

GMC Account Setup

  • Business country and currency set correctly
  • Website URL verified and claimed
  • Shipping settings configured in GMC (or feed-level shipping attributes used)
  • Tax settings configured for applicable countries
  • Correct time zone set in account preferences

Structured Data

  • Product schema on all product pages (or at minimum your top products)
  • Schema validated with Google's Rich Results Test
  • No price mismatch between schema and visible page price