Shopify store suspended in Google Merchant Center? The five minute check
Before you press anything, spend five minutes on these. Every one of them came from a real store that Google suspended and later approved again. No app needed, no login to share.
1. Do your numbers match everywhere?
Write down the delivery days, the delivery cost and the return window. Then read them on the product page, the cart, the checkout, the shipping policy and in Merchant Center. In Shopify the rates live in Settings, Shipping and delivery. One checkout said 3 to 5 days while every page said 7 to 11. Merchant Center must never promise faster or cheaper than your page.
2. Can a stranger find out who runs the shop?
Company name, registration number, an address and a real way to reach a person. The same on every page, in the footer and in Merchant Center. In Shopify, check Settings, Policies, including the contact information. A footer that shows only your website name is not business information.
3. Is there anything on the site you cannot prove?
Review counts, star rows, "limited stock", timers, "4.8 from 5,000 customers", a 10% code that does not exist, crossed-out prices you never charged. Look at the product page, the collection pages and the checkout. One store carried six invented reviews on the collections page only. If you cannot prove it, Google cannot either.
4. Do your photos and links carry another shop's name?
In Shopify open Content, Files and read the file names. Then look at the product links in your browser bar. 68 photos on one store were named after another shop and the owner never saw it. Google reads the image link.
5. Does the checkout say what the site says?
Add a product, go to checkout, enter an address in your main country and read the delivery line and the price. That line is what Google compares against your pages and your Merchant Center shipping. One store's checkout charged £16.86 for a delivery the whole site called free.
Bonus: your page titles
In Shopify open Online Store, Preferences and read the homepage title and description. One store carried the owner's other brand there. The visitor never sees it. Google does.
Found something?
Fix what is clearly wrong, and hold off on the review button until you are sure nothing else is left. A rejected request makes the next one harder. Read what happened on stores that were rejected first, or browse all the cases.