Data collection & use

Google wants users to trust that information about them will be respected and handled with appropriate care. As such, merchants shouldn’t misuse this information, nor collect it for unclear purposes or without appropriate disclosures or security measures.

Note: Additional policies apply when using personalized advertising, which includes remarketing and custom audiences. If you use personalized advertising targeting features for Shopping Ads, be sure to review these policies.

Below are some examples of what to avoid in your product listings.

Violations of this policy will not lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning. A

warning will be issued at least 7 days prior to any suspension of your account.

Inadequate data security

Failing to use appropriate security measures for the type of information being collected based on relevant industry standards is not allowed

Examples (non-exhaustive):
- Collecting personal information over an unsecured page which is not SSL protected and without a valid certificate. Some non-exhaustive examples of personal information:
  - First and last name
  - Mailing address
  - Phone number
  - Numbers for credit or debit cards
  - Bank and investment accounts
  - Wire transfers
  - National identity numbers
  - Login email and password
  - Tax ID numbers
  - Pension identifiers
  - Healthcare ID numbers
  - Driver’s license
  - Social security numbers

Misusing personal information

Using personal information in ways that users have not consented to is not allowed

Examples (non-exhaustive):
- Re-selling users' contact information
- Using images of users in content without their consent

Ads and listings that directly address the user using their personal information is not allowed

Example (non-exhaustive):
- Listings addressing a user by name, title, or job position
- Specific example: "Hello John Smith - buy flowers here!"

Ads and listings that imply knowledge of a user's personal information are not allowed

Example (non-exhaustive):
- Listings that claim to know your financial status or political affiliations
- Specific example: "You're buried in debt. Get help today."

European user consent

Note: This policy only applies to Shopping ads. It does not apply to free listings.

Promotions that violate the policy on consent from European users are not allowed

Example (non-exhaustive): Using Shopping Ads features, such as remarketing or conversion tracking, without obtaining appropriate consent from European Economic Area or UK users for using cookies or (in the case of remarketing) the use of personal data for personalized ads. This includes failing to obtain end users’ legally valid consent to the use of cookies or other local storage where legally required; and the collection, sharing, and use of personal data for personalization of ads. It also includes failing to provide users with prominent and easily accessible information about how Google processes personal data (i.e. by including a prominent link to Google's Business Data Responsibility page within your consent message).

Learn more about the Resources to help you get ready for privacy and regulatory changes for traffic in the European Economic Area (EEA).

Options to fix

Here's what you can do if your product is disapproved or if your Merchant Center account is impacted:

Product disapproval

Products that don't comply with our policies may be disapproved and won't be eligible to serve.

Read our Shopping ads policies to learn what we don't allow.
Update your website. If your ad or listing directs to violating content, update your website to meet all policy requirements.
- Remove the violating products. You must remove non-compliant offers from your product data source. You’ll receive an email with details about the violations.
- Update your product data in Merchant Center. Manually update your product data or wait for your automated upload schedule to run before requesting any reviews.
Request a review or appeal. After fixing the issue or if you believe the disapproval is incorrect, you can request a review or appeal the decision.
- Individual product review (if you fixed the issue)
  - If you edit your product data via your chosen upload method (such as a file) or directly in Merchant Center, the affected products will be automatically re-reviewed.
  - If you remove the violating products from your data source, no further action or review request is necessary.
- Standard appeal (if you disagree with the issue)
  - For certain issues, you can dispute the violation. You may need to complete additional steps, such as providing an appeal reason and/or uploading required documentation.
  - If a review or appeal is successful, the issue will be removed from Merchant Center.
- Bulk appeal (available in certain cases)
  - For specific policy issues where you believe a large number of offers require review, you may be able to submit a single bulk appeal.
  - ⚠️ Warning: Before submitting a bulk appeal, you must review your offers and remove any policy-violating items from your data source. Submitting a bulk appeal for a large set of offers risks immediate failure if violations are found. This may limit your ability to submit subsequent appeals for those products.
  - You must remove any offers that are violating our policies from your data source before attempting to appeal in bulk.
  - How to appeal in bulk: The bulk appeal option may not be available in all instances or when using third-party platforms.
    - Option 1 - Under all products
      - Go to Merchant Center > Products > Needs attention.
        
        Navigate to the specific issue.
        
        Select “View fix”
        
        Select the option to disagree with the issue for all products.
        
        Review any informational prompts that appear.
        
        Select “Request review” to submit the appeal.
      - Option 2 - Product details page
        
        From the product details page, selecting “Review and fix” will display the appeal options: “I disagree with the issue” and/or “I disagree with the issue for all products”.
      - Third-party platforms
        
        If you use a third-party platform to list your products, consult that platform for available review options.
        
        If a review or appeal is successful, the issue will disappear from Merchant Center.

Account disapproval

For most violations, we'll send you a warning email detailing the policy violation and give you 7 or 28 calendar days to fix your issue. However, we may not issue a warning for egregious policy violations.

Read our Shopping ads policies to learn what we don't allow.
Update your website. If your ad or listing directs to violating content, update your website to meet all policy requirements.
- Remove the violating products. You must remove non-compliant offers from your product data source. You’ll receive an email with details about the violations.
- Update your product data in Merchant Center. Manually update your product data or wait for your automated upload schedule to run before requesting any reviews.
Request a review or appeal. After fixing the issue or if you believe the disapproval is incorrect, you can request a review or appeal the decision.
- Individual product review (if you fixed the issue)
  - If you edit your product data via your chosen upload method (such as a file) or directly in Merchant Center, the affected products will be automatically re-reviewed.
  - If you remove the violating products from your data source, no further action or review request is necessary.
- Standard appeal (if you disagree with the issue)
  - For certain issues, you can dispute the violation. You may need to complete additional steps, such as providing an appeal reason and/or uploading required documentation.
  - If a review or appeal is successful, the issue will be removed from Merchant Center.
- Bulk appeal (available in certain cases)
  - For specific policy issues where you believe a large number of offers require review, you may be able to submit a single bulk appeal.
  - ⚠️ Warning: Before submitting a bulk appeal, you must review your offers and remove any policy-violating items from your data source. Submitting a bulk appeal for a large set of offers risks immediate failure if violations are found. This may limit your ability to submit subsequent appeals for those products.
  - You must remove any offers that are violating our policies from your data source before attempting to appeal in bulk.
  - How to appeal in bulk: The bulk appeal option may not be available in all instances or when using third-party platforms.
    - Option 1 - Under all products
      - Go to Merchant Center > Products > Needs attention.
        
        Navigate to the specific issue.
        
        Select “View fix”
        
        Select the option to disagree with the issue for all products.
        
        Review any informational prompts that appear.
        
        Select “Request review” to submit the appeal.
    - Option 2 - Product details page
      - From the product details page, selecting “Review and fix” will display the appeal options: “I disagree with the issue” and/or “I disagree with the issue for all products”.
  - Third-party platforms
    - If you use a third-party platform to list your products, consult that platform for available review options.
    - If a review or appeal is successful, the issue will disappear from Merchant Center.

Note: Account reviews typically take 7 business days, but may take longer for complex reviews. If you remove violating products, the warning will be removed. If a review or appeal is successful, the issue will disappear from Merchant Center. In the case of account suspension, we will approve the account and allow products to be displayed again.

Account issue that limits product visibility

Your account has an issue and is operating with reserved functionality, therefore your products have limited visibility. Check your email for a notice with details about the issue and steps to resolve it. Common issues include policy violations or missing account information.

Read our Shopping ads and listings policies to learn what we don't allow.
Update your website. If your ad or listing directs to violating content, update your website to meet all policy requirements.
- Remove the violating products. You must remove non-compliant offers from your product data source. You’ll receive an email with details about the violations.
- Update your product data in Merchant Center. Manually update your product data or wait for your automated upload schedule to run before requesting any reviews.
Request a review or appeal. After fixing the issue or if you believe the disapproval is incorrect, you can request a review or appeal the decision.
- Individual product review (if you fixed the issue)
  - If you edit your product data via your chosen upload method (such as a file) or directly in Merchant Center, the affected products will be automatically re-reviewed.
  - If you remove the violating products from your data source, no further action or review request is necessary.
- Standard appeal (if you disagree with the issue)
  - For certain issues, you can dispute the violation. You may need to complete additional steps, such as providing an appeal reason and/or uploading required documentation.
  - If a review or appeal is successful, the issue will be removed from Merchant Center.
- Bulk appeal (available in certain cases)
  - For specific policy issues where you believe a large number of offers require review, you may be able to submit a single bulk appeal.
  - ⚠️ Warning: Before submitting a bulk appeal, you must review your offers and remove any policy-violating items from your data source. Submitting a bulk appeal for a large set of offers risks immediate failure if violations are found. This may limit your ability to submit subsequent appeals for those products.
  - You must remove any offers that are violating our policies from your data source before attempting to appeal in bulk.
  - How to appeal in bulk: The bulk appeal option may not be available in all instances or when using third-party platforms.
    - Option 1 - Under all products
      - Go to Merchant Center > Products > Needs attention.
        
        Navigate to the specific issue.
        
        Select “View fix”
        
        Select the option to disagree with the issue for all products.
        
        Review any informational prompts that appear.
        
        Select “Request review” to submit the appeal.
    - Option 2 - Product details page
      - From the product details page, selecting “Review and fix” will display the appeal options: “I disagree with the issue” and/or “I disagree with the issue for all products”.
  - Third-party platforms
    - If you use a third-party platform to list your products, consult that platform for available review options.
    - If a review or appeal is successful, the issue will disappear from Merchant Center.

To ensure a safe and positive experience for customers, Google requires that retailers comply with all applicable laws and regulations in addition to our policies. It's important that you familiarize yourself with and keep up to date on these requirements for the place where your business operates, as well as any other places your ads are shown. When we find content that violates these requirements, we may block it from appearing. In cases of repeated or egregious violations, we may ban you from advertising content with us.

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