The short answer

Google Shopping ads get disapproved when your product data doesn’t match Google’s requirements — usually a mismatch between your website and your Merchant Centre feed, a policy violation, or missing product information. The good news: most disapprovals are fixable. The frustrating part: Google’s error messages are vague, and fixing one issue often reveals another.

I’ve fixed Merchant Centre accounts for dozens of UK small businesses. Here’s what’s actually causing your disapprovals — and how to resolve them.

Why Google disapproves Shopping ads

Before diving into fixes, it helps to understand what Google is actually checking. When you submit a product feed to Merchant Centre, Google compares your feed data against your live website and its own policy requirements. Any mismatch or violation triggers a disapproval.

Disapprovals fall into two categories:

  • Item-level disapprovals — specific products are disapproved, but your account stays active
  • Account-level suspensions — your entire Merchant Centre account is suspended, which stops all Shopping ads immediately

Account suspensions are more serious and require a formal review request. Item disapprovals can usually be fixed and resubmitted within 24–72 hours.

The most common reasons your Shopping ads are disapproved

1. Price mismatch between your feed and website

This is the number one cause of disapprovals I see with UK e-commerce businesses. If the price in your Merchant Centre feed doesn’t exactly match the price on your product page — including VAT — Google will disapprove the product.

Common triggers:

  • Your feed shows ex-VAT prices but your website shows inc-VAT
  • A sale price on your website that hasn’t been updated in the feed
  • Currency formatting issues (£ vs GBP)
  • Promotional discounts applied at checkout but not reflected in the feed

Fix: Check your feed’s price attribute against your live product pages. For WooCommerce stores, make sure your feed plugin is pulling the correct price field (inc-VAT for UK). Update and resubmit.

2. Missing or incorrect GTINs

Google requires Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs — barcodes, ISBNs, MPNs) for products that have them. If you’re selling branded products and submitting without GTINs, or with wrong GTINs, you’ll get disapproved.

Fix: Add the correct GTIN for each branded product. For own-brand or handmade products, set identifier_exists to FALSE in your feed. Don’t leave this field blank.

3. Landing page doesn’t match the ad

If your Shopping ad points to a product page that’s out of stock, redirects elsewhere, requires login, or loads a 404 error, Google will disapprove it. This also happens when the product title or image in the feed doesn’t match what’s on the landing page.

Fix: Make sure every product URL in your feed resolves to a live, accessible product page with matching title, price, and image. Remove out-of-stock products from your feed or use the availability attribute correctly.

4. Policy violations

Google has strict policies around certain product categories. Common policy-related disapprovals include:

  • Misleading claims — words like “best,” “cheapest,” or unsubstantiated health claims
  • Prohibited products — certain supplements, weapons, adult content
  • Insufficient payment information — your website doesn’t clearly show accepted payment methods or a returns policy
  • No secure checkout — your site isn’t HTTPS on checkout pages

Fix: Review Google’s Shopping ads policies and audit your website for compliance. Make sure you have a clear returns policy, contact details, and payment information visible on your site — not just in your T&Cs.

5. Image quality issues

Google requires clean, clear product images on a white or transparent background for most categories. Images with watermarks, overlaid text, promotional banners, or low resolution will be disapproved.

Fix: Use high-quality product images (minimum 250x250px, ideally 800x800px). Remove any text overlays or watermarks. For apparel, Google increasingly prefers lifestyle images — check the requirements for your category.

6. Feed errors from your plugin or platform

If you’re using WooCommerce with a feed plugin (like WooFeed, Product Feed Pro, or the built-in Google Listings integration), misconfiguration is a very common cause of disapprovals. Wrong field mappings, missing required attributes, or encoding issues in product titles all trigger errors.

Fix: In Merchant Centre, go to Diagnostics → Feed and look at the specific error messages against each product. Cross-reference with your feed plugin settings. The most common culprits are the google_product_category and condition fields being left blank.

How to check and fix disapprovals in Merchant Centre

  1. Log into Google Merchant Centre
  2. Go to Products → Diagnostics
  3. Filter by “Disapproved” to see affected items
  4. Click on each issue to see which products are affected and why
  5. Fix the issue in your feed or on your website
  6. Go to Products → All Products, select affected items, and click Request Review
  7. Google typically re-reviews within 3–5 business days (often faster)

If you have an account-level suspension, the process is different — you’ll need to submit a formal appeal via the Account Issues section. Be specific about what you’ve fixed.

When to fix it yourself vs bring in a specialist

DIY fixes work well when:

  • You have a small number of disapprovals with clear error messages
  • The issue is a straightforward data mismatch (price, availability)
  • Your account is item-disapproved but not suspended

Bring in a specialist when:

  • Your entire account has been suspended
  • You’ve fixed the obvious issues but disapprovals keep recurring
  • You have hundreds of products and can’t identify the pattern
  • You’re spending money on ads but a large percentage of your catalogue is disapproved
  • Google’s error messages don’t match anything obviously wrong with your data

Account suspensions in particular can be tricky — Google’s reasons are often vague, and submitting the wrong appeal or appealing too quickly can make reinstatement harder. If you’re suspended, I’d recommend getting a professional review before you appeal.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take for Google to review disapproved products?

Once you fix the issue and request a review, Google typically re-reviews products within 3–5 business days. Account-level suspensions can take longer — sometimes 7–14 days. If your appeal is rejected, you’ll need to wait before submitting another.

Can I still run Google Ads if some products are disapproved?

Yes — if you have item-level disapprovals, your other approved products will still appear in Shopping campaigns. However, disapproved products won’t show, which means you’re missing potential sales. If your account is suspended, all Shopping ads stop until reinstatement.

Why does Google keep disapproving my products even after I fix them?

This usually means there’s a deeper issue Google hasn’t clearly communicated, or the fix didn’t fully address the underlying problem. Common causes include: your feed updating on a delay so the old data is still being checked, a policy issue affecting your whole account rather than individual products, or a mismatch elsewhere on the page that isn’t obvious. If this keeps happening, a full Merchant Centre audit is the most efficient solution.

What’s the difference between a product disapproval and an account suspension?

A product disapproval means specific items in your feed don’t meet Google’s requirements — your account stays active and other products can still show. An account suspension means Google has found a policy violation serious enough to suspend your entire Merchant Centre account, stopping all Shopping ads. Suspensions require a formal appeal and are more complex to resolve.

Do I need GTINs for all my products?

You need GTINs for branded products that have them. For own-brand, handmade, or custom products that genuinely don’t have GTINs, set the identifier_exists attribute to FALSE in your feed. Don’t leave the field blank.

How do I fix a Merchant Centre account suspension?

First, identify the reason in the Account Issues section of Merchant Centre. Fix every issue mentioned — and audit your entire website for compliance, not just the specific products flagged. Then submit a reinstatement request explaining clearly what you’ve fixed. Be specific. If your first appeal is rejected, consider getting professional help before your second attempt.