How to Fix Google Shopping Feed Disapprovals on Shopify

How to Fix Google Shopping Feed Disapprovals on Shopify

Introduction:

If your products are getting disapproved in Google Merchant Center and you're unable to run Shopping Ads, you're not alone. Many Shopify store owners face Google Shopping Feed disapproval issues — which means your products won’t appear in search or shopping ads, leading to lost sales.

This blog will walk you through the most common causes of disapprovals, how to fix them quickly, and how to keep your Google Shopping Feed optimized and compliant.

1. Why Your Shopify Products Get Disapproved

Google enforces strict policies for product listings to maintain a high-quality shopping experience. Disapprovals usually occur due to:

  • Policy violations (misleading content, prohibited products)

  • Missing or incorrect product data

  • Mismatch between feed and website

  • Pricing, availability, or landing page errors

  • Image or GTIN issues

Let’s break down the causes and fixes.

2. Set Up Google Merchant Center Properly

Before uploading your products:

✅ Connect your Shopify store to Google Merchant Center using the Google & YouTube app (formerly Google Shopping app).

Steps:

  • Go to Shopify Admin → Apps → Google & YouTube

  • Connect your Google account

  • Select your Merchant Center account

  • Choose the correct target country, language, and shipping settings

  • Sync your product feed

3. Top Disapproval Reasons and How to Fix Them

A. “Missing Value [gtin]” or “Identifier Exists” Errors

🛑 Cause: GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) is missing or marked incorrectly.

✅ Fix:

  • If your product has a barcode (UPC, EAN), enter it in Shopify under the product's “Barcode” field.

  • If the product has no GTIN, uncheck “identifier exists” by setting custom_product to TRUE.

📌 This can be managed via feed rules in Google Merchant Center or a feed tool like Feedonomics.

B. “Product Page Not Accessible” or “Website Not Claimed”

🛑 Cause: Your domain isn’t verified or the product landing page is blocked.

✅ Fix:

  • Go to Merchant Center > Settings > Business Information > Website.

  • Add and verify your website.

  • Use Meta Tag or Google Tag Manager for verification.

C. “Mismatched Price or Availability”

🛑 Cause: The product feed shows different price/stock than the product page.

✅ Fix:

  • Ensure your Shopify product data is up-to-date.

  • Set feed updates to auto-sync regularly.

  • Use automatic item updates in Merchant Center (Settings > Automatic Updates).

D. “Invalid or Promotional Text in Title/Description”

🛑 Cause: Titles or descriptions contain promotional content like “Best Product!”, “Buy Now”, “Free Shipping”.

✅ Fix:

  • Keep titles clear and factual (e.g., “Black Leather Wallet – 100% Genuine”).

  • Avoid symbols like ALL CAPS, “!!”, or phrases like “Limited Offer”.

E. “Image Issues”

🛑 Cause: Images are too small, watermarked, or contain promotional overlays.

✅ Fix:

  • Use high-quality, plain product images (800x800 or larger).

  • No text overlays, logos, or watermarks.

  • Use clean white or light backgrounds.

4. Optimize Product Titles for Approval & SEO

🧠 Best Practice Format:
[Brand] + [Product Type] + [Key Feature] + [Size/Color]

Example:
“Adidas Men’s Running Shoes – Cloudfoam – Size 10 – Black”

This format improves both approval rate and Google Ads performance.

5. Set Accurate Shipping & Tax Settings

Shipping mismatches cause frequent rejections.

✅ Fix:

  • In Merchant Center → Tools → Shipping and Returns, define your shipping settings.

  • Match them with your Shopify settings (including free shipping thresholds, rates, etc.).

For US-based stores, set up Sales Tax based on state requirements.

6. Use Google Feed Rules for Quick Fixes

Feed Rules help you correct or modify product data without touching Shopify.

📌 Example Fixes:

  • Set all condition fields to “new”

  • Remove promotional terms from descriptions

  • Change product category mappings

Go to: Merchant Center → Products → Feed Rules

7. Use Diagnostics Report to Monitor Issues

Your go-to dashboard for fixing issues:

➡️ Merchant Center → Products → Diagnostics

Check:

  • Item disapprovals

  • Warnings (not always critical, but fix them)

  • Suggested improvements

Fix issues and Request Review for re-evaluation.

8. Advanced Fix: Use a Feed Optimization Tool

Tools like:

  • DataFeedWatch

  • Feedonomics

  • ShoppingFeeder

Let you customize product feeds, fix errors, and add rich attributes without modifying Shopify data.

These are ideal for large inventories or multi-country feeds.

Conclusion:

Google Shopping Feed disapprovals can be frustrating, but with the right setup and attention to detail, they’re fixable. Keep your product data clean, follow Google’s policies, and review diagnostics regularly. A compliant feed = more visibility + better ad performance + more sales.

At RootSyntax, we help Shopify merchants set up and manage Google Shopping feeds that actually get approved and perform.

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