Google Merchant Center: 10 Feed Errors That Block Your Ads

Google Merchant Center is simultaneously one of the highest-ROI ad channels for ecommerce and one of the most error-prone. Unlike text or display ads, Shopping ads pull product data directly from your feed — and any feed error can suspend an entire category or your whole account.

Here are the 10 most common GMC errors we see when auditing ecommerce stores, in rough priority order.

1. Mismatched value (landing page price vs feed price)

The price in your feed doesn't match the price on the product's landing page. This is the most common reason for product disapprovals. It usually happens because: promo pricing updates landing page but not feed; currency mismatches on international storefronts; taxes included in one and not the other.

Fix: Automate feed regeneration on every price change. For most platforms, the native Google Shopping channel keeps feed prices synced automatically — use the native app rather than a manual upload.

2. Image requirements (low resolution)

Google requires product images to be at least 100×100 pixels for apparel and 250×250 for other categories, without text or watermarks. Many product images fail either the resolution minimum or the "no overlay" rule.

Fix: Use images at least 800×800 pixels with no text, logos, or price stickers. Use the lifestyle image slot for any imagery that includes overlays or branding.

3. Missing required attributes (GTIN, MPN, brand)

GTIN (Global Trade Item Number — usually a UPC or EAN) is required for most products with a manufacturer code. Missing GTINs cause "missing required attribute" disapprovals, especially for products where the manufacturer has assigned one.

Fix: Add GTINs to every product that has one. For private label products without GTINs, set the product as custom-branded and provide brand + MPN.

4. Mismatched availability

Your feed says "in stock" but the landing page shows out of stock (or vice versa). Common cause: inventory syncs lag, or a product went out of stock but the feed hasn't refreshed yet.

Fix: Feed refresh frequency should match your inventory velocity. High-velocity products need hourly feed updates (or real-time via Content API). Slow-turning inventory can refresh nightly.

5. Image size / processing errors

The image URL in your feed returns a 404, times out, or points to a CDN that blocks Google's crawler. Also: image exceeds 16MB, or image format isn't supported (HEIC, TIFF).

Fix: Crawl your image URLs weekly and fix broken ones. Ensure your CDN's robots.txt doesn't block googlebot or googlebot-image.

6. Invalid GTIN

You provided a GTIN, but it's not a valid UPC/EAN/ISBN. Often happens when a store enters a product's ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number), SKU, or internal part number in the GTIN field.

Fix: Only populate the GTIN field with actual GTINs. Use mpn for manufacturer part numbers, id for your internal SKU.

7. Shipping attribute issues

Missing shipping cost, or shipping cost on landing page differs from feed-specified shipping. Particularly an issue for stores with tiered shipping (free over $X, flat under).

Fix: Configure shipping in Merchant Center with all your actual rate tables. For variable shipping, configure service areas that match your shipping app's logic.

8. Promotional text in title or description

Titles like "SALE! Free Shipping! 20% Off Women's Running Shoes" trigger promotional-text disapprovals. Google wants product titles to describe the product, not the promotion.

Fix: Remove promotional language from titles. Put promotions in the sale_price field and Merchant Promotions feature instead.

9. Restricted content disapprovals

Products in restricted categories (supplements, health products, certain cosmetics, etc.) disapproved because they fall into Google's healthcare and medicines policy. Often requires certification.

Fix: Check if your product category requires certification (CBD, weight loss, prescription). Apply for certification through Merchant Center's restricted products program.

10. Incorrect category classification

Your google_product_category field doesn't match Google's taxonomy — or worse, is missing, causing Google to classify the product wrong. Wrong category = wrong SERP placement.

Fix: Use Google's official product taxonomy (available in Merchant Center Help). Choose the deepest applicable category for each product.

Monitoring Feed Health

The Merchant Center Diagnostics tab shows item-level and account-level errors. Check daily during promotional periods, at least weekly otherwise. Set up email alerts for any new error categories.

For broader store health (landing page quality, structured data, page speed — all of which affect both organic search and paid ad quality scores), run a free StoreVitals scan. Landing page problems that hurt Quality Score often hurt organic rankings too.