Insufficient information: contact and policies Google expects
What “insufficient information” and incomplete contact or policies mean in Merchant Center Help — and why buyers of GMC stores should read the pages, not just the feed.
“Insufficient information” is Google saying a shopper cannot find or cannot understand the facts they need before they buy. Editorial and technical requirements call out websites missing required contact information, unverified business information in Merchant Center, or both — and websites whose contact, shipping, or FAQ copy is incomplete or hard to act on.
What the Help pages ask for
- Legal business name, physical address, phone number, and email — visible on the site and consistent with Merchant Center.
- At least one reachable contact method before checkout (email, phone, or contact form) plus a verified phone and business address in the account when Google requires it.
- Shipping, return/refund, and privacy policies that are explicit links, not footer decoration that 404s.
- If you do not accept returns, say so clearly. “Missing return and refund policy” is a named common reason for warnings and suspensions.
Why store buyers get this wrong
Feed tools can keep titles and GTINs tidy. They cannot put a real address on a Shopify page. When you buy a store, you are buying the destination Google already said it reviews: the website. Incomplete policies and mismatched contact details are website problems, not feed problems.
Read the live Contact, Shipping, Refund, and Privacy URLs on any listing you may buy. Do not treat “established GMC history” as proof those pages exist and match the Merchant Center business profile.
Sources
Questions
Is a contact form enough?
Merchant Center Help asks for legal business name, physical address, phone, and email that are clearly listed and consistent with Merchant Center settings. A form can be an extra method. It does not replace consistent, visible business details.
Which policies does Google name?
The misrepresentation / website-needs-improvement audit list names shipping, refund, and privacy policy links. The warnings page also calls out a missing return and refund policy as a common suspension reason. If you do not accept returns, Google still wants that stated clearly.
Does GMC Marketplace scan policy pages on listings?
No. We review the listing a seller submitted. Some listings include Scout store facts (for example domain age or product counts). Open the live store and read Contact, Shipping, Returns, and Privacy yourself before you enquire.
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