Complete Website Requirements Checklist for Google Merchant Center Approval
Google reviews your entire website before approving your Merchant Center account. This checklist covers every requirement — from policy pages and contact information to technical standards and product page elements.
Why This Happens
You're preparing your website for Google Merchant Center submission and want to pass review on the first attempt
Your GMC application was rejected for website-related issues
You received a suspension notice citing website compliance problems
You want to audit your existing store against Google's complete requirements
What Google Requires
Return policy page with return window, costs, and contact information linked in the footer
Shipping policy page with methods, costs, delivery times, and shipping regions linked in the footer
Privacy policy page covering data collection, cookies, and third-party sharing linked in the footer
Contact page with business email (domain-based), physical address, and phone number
Valid SSL certificate on all pages with no mixed content warnings
Working checkout process that supports guest checkout
Common Mistakes
Policy pages exist but aren't linked in the website footer navigation
Using template policies without customizing them with your actual business details
Missing a privacy policy or having one that doesn't mention data collection practices
No About Us page or business story to establish trust and legitimacy
Product pages missing key details like price, availability, or clear product descriptions
How to Fix This
Create or update your return policy page with your specific return window, process, and costs
Create or update your shipping policy page with all shipping methods, costs, and delivery estimates
Create or update your privacy policy page covering data collection, cookies, and sharing practices
Set up a contact page with your domain email, physical address, and phone number
Add an About Us page with your business story, mission, and team information
Link all policy pages and contact page in your website footer navigation
Verify your SSL certificate is valid and all pages load over HTTPS without errors
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the minimum number of pages my website needs?+
At minimum: homepage, at least one product page, return policy, shipping policy, privacy policy, contact page, and terms of service. An About Us page is strongly recommended.
Do all policy pages need to be in the footer?+
Yes. Google expects return, shipping, and privacy policies to be accessible from the footer on every page. Header links are a bonus, but footer links are the standard requirement.
Does my website need to be complete before applying?+
Yes. Don't apply to GMC with a partially built store. All pages should be live, all products should be listed with accurate information, and the checkout should be fully functional.
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