Free tool
Google Merchant Center Misrepresentation Checker
Check your store for the trust signals Google looks at before it suspends an account for misrepresentation. You get a risk score, what is missing, and how to fix each point.
How it works
From store address to a fix list in three steps
Enter your store address
Use the address shoppers land on from your ads, the same one you claimed in Merchant Center.
The checker reads your store
It opens your homepage, contact and policy pages, robots.txt and two product pages, looks up the domain age and has AI review the content. Nothing is changed and nothing is stored.
Fix the biggest risks first
Failed checks come first, sorted by how much weight Google gives them. Each one says what we found on your store and what to change.
What the checker looks at
23 checks, weighted the way Google weighs them
These are the signals Google's systems and reviewers use to decide whether a store is who it says it is. The weight shows how much each one counts in the score.
Trust and identity
Contact information
critical · weight 9Google wants shoppers to be able to reach a real business. A store with only a contact form and no email, phone number or address is a classic misrepresentation trigger.
Domain age
high · weight 7New domains get more scrutiny. It is not a violation on its own, but a young domain with thin trust signals is what Google's systems look for.
Business name consistency
high · weight 5Google compares the name on your site with your Merchant Center account, your structured data and your policies. Different names look like an attempt to hide who is selling.
Social media links
low · weight 1Active profiles elsewhere are a small extra sign that a real business is behind the store.
Deceptive patterns
critical · weight 7Fake countdown timers, invented stock levels, sitewide discounts that only apply to a few items and unrealistic claims are direct misrepresentation violations.
Policies
Return and refund policy
critical · weight 6A missing return policy is one of the most common reasons for a misrepresentation suspension. Google needs to see how a shopper gets their money back.
Return policy is specific
high · weight 4Template policies without a time limit, conditions or a clear process are treated as missing. Google wants the terms that apply to your store.
Shipping information
high · weight 4Shoppers must know what delivery costs and how long it takes before they buy. Hidden costs at checkout count as misleading.
Privacy policy
high · weight 4Collecting customer data without a privacy policy is a basic trust failure, and in the EU a legal one.
Terms and conditions
medium · weight 3Terms show the rules of the sale: payment, delivery, warranty and who the seller is.
Policies linked from the homepage
high · weight 4Google checks that policies are easy to find, not only that they exist. A policy you can only reach through checkout does not count.
Technical
Secure connection (SSL)
critical · weight 6Google requires a secure checkout and treats a store without a valid certificate as unsafe.
Google crawlers allowed
critical · weight 6If robots.txt blocks AdsBot-Google or Googlebot, Google cannot verify your pages, and products get disapproved or the account gets flagged.
No suspicious redirects
high · weight 4A store that sends visitors to a different domain looks like cloaking, which Google treats as a serious policy violation.
Structured data
medium · weight 2Organization and Product markup tell Google who sells and at what price, and help it match your site to your feed.
Server response time
low · weight 2A store that responds very slowly is harder for Google to crawl and frustrates shoppers who click an ad.
Mobile set-up
low · weight 1Most Shopping clicks are on a phone. A page without a mobile viewport is hard to use there.
Content
No placeholder text
high · weight 4Lorem ipsum, demo text from the theme or fake addresses tell Google the store is not finished or not real.
Enough own content
medium · weight 3A store with almost no text of its own, or copied supplier content only, gives Google little reason to trust it.
Product range makes sense
medium · weight 3A random mix of unrelated products is a pattern Google links to low-quality dropshipping stores.
Product page quality
medium · weight 3Product pages need a clear price, availability, a real description and good images. Missing basics look like a store that does not deliver.
EU requirements
Company registration (EU)
medium · weight 3EU stores are expected to show their company registration or VAT number. It is one of the strongest signs that a real, traceable business is behind the store.
14-day right of withdrawal (EU)
medium · weight 2EU consumers can cancel an online purchase within 14 days. A return window shorter than that is misleading and against the law.
Honest limits
What it does not check
Your feed and Merchant Center
Google compares prices, availability, business name and shipping in your feed and account with your site. This tool only reads the site. Use the Product Feed Checker for the feed.
Your Google Business Profile
A mismatch between the address on your site and your Business Profile can also trigger a review. We do not look it up.
Checkout and payment
We do not place orders, so hidden costs or payment problems at checkout do not show up here.
Your history with Google
Earlier suspensions, linked accounts and complaints play a role in Google's decision. Only Google sees those.
Already suspended? Read what to do in the first 48 hours and how to find the real cause of a misrepresentation suspension. Want to check your feed as well? Use the Product Feed Checker.
Questions
Misrepresentation checker questions
Free feed review
Suspended, or worried you will be?
The checker reads your public pages. I also look at your feed and Merchant Center, where many misrepresentation problems start: price or name mismatches, shipping settings and account details. Within 3 business days you get the 5 biggest fixes, in plain language. Free, 5 reviews per month, no commitment.
Get your free feed review