Shopify Store GMC Compliance Checklist (146 Rules)

Google Merchant Center enforces over 146 compliance rules that your Shopify store must pass to keep your products listed on Google Shopping. Here's a comprehensive checklist organized by category.

Business Identity (18 rules)

Business name matches across site, GMC, and legal pages
Physical business address displayed (not PO Box or virtual office)
Legitimate phone number (not VoIP or burner)
Professional email address (not free email provider for business contact)
About Us page with business history and team information
VAT/tax ID displayed where required by law
Company registration number visible
Domain age and history (new domains face extra scrutiny)

Policy Pages (22 rules)

Return policy: clearly states timeframe, conditions, process
Refund policy: explains how refunds are processed and timeline
Shipping policy: delivery times, costs, carriers, international shipping
Privacy policy: GDPR-compliant, mentions data collection and usage
Terms of service: purchase terms, dispute resolution
All policies must be accessible within 2 clicks from any page
Policies must not contradict each other

Product Data (35 rules)

Accurate product titles with brand, type, and key attributes
Original product descriptions (not manufacturer copy-paste)
Correct pricing with currency
Real-time availability status
Valid GTINs/barcodes where applicable
Proper product categorization
Required attributes for category (color, size, gender, etc.)
No promotional text in product titles or images

Trust Signals (28 rules)

Valid SSL certificate (HTTPS everywhere)
Functional checkout process
Real customer reviews (not fabricated)
Social media presence with activity
Secure payment options displayed
Trust badges and certifications
Professional site design (not template-default)

Technical Requirements (25 rules)

All pages load within 3 seconds
Mobile-responsive design
No broken links (404 errors)
Structured data (schema.org Product markup)
Canonical URLs properly configured
No cloaking or hidden content
Proper robots.txt allowing Googlebot access

Content Quality (18 rules)

Original content (not scraped or auto-generated)
High-quality product images (real photos preferred)
No watermarks or promotional overlays on images
Consistent branding across all pages
No excessive pop-ups or interstitials
Content matches the language targeting in GMC

Automate Your Compliance

Checking 146 rules manually is time-consuming and error-prone. Automated compliance scanning tools can check all these rules in minutes, alert you to new issues, and monitor your store continuously to prevent future suspensions.