I'm not going to go into illegal items etc. This comes directly from Google Merchant Policies.
Google is committed to providing policies that benefit our users, merchants, and Google. To achieve this goal, we maintain high standards for products accepted into the Google Product Search program. The policies listed below complement our
Terms of Service and describe Google's posting policies. Application of our policies will always involve an element of discretion and we reserve the right to reject or approve any product or account at any time. All Google Product Search users must abide by these policies. Sellers who accept Google Checkout must also abide by
the Google Checkout policies.
Link and product availability
- Your URLs must link to a working website. If your site is under construction or down for maintenance, you must make sure your products are not active.
- Your URLs must link directly to webpages that contain information about your products. We do not allow links that redirect through or to domains other than the one specified in your Google Merchant Center account settings.
- Your URLs must not link to pages that contain pop-up windows or pages that prevent a user from using their browser's 'Back' button.
- We do not allow links to an email address or a file (ex. an image, audio, video, or document file) that requires an additional program or application to open or run.
- We do not allow links or image links to sites with a robots.txt file that prevents Google from crawling. Learn more about allowing Google to crawl your site.
- We do not allow links to content or landing pages that require a registration or password to view or require the acceptance of cookies to render.
- We do not allow listings for products that require a paid club or website membership to purchase.
- Event tickets, vehicles, services, and products bundled with service plans (such as cell phones) should not be submitted for listing in Google Product Search.
- All products posted must be available for purchase if applicable. Products that are out of stock or otherwise not available for purchase must either be omitted or you must include the 'quantity' attribute with a value of '0'.
Duplicate and borrowed content
We do not permit duplicate products in the same account or between multiple accounts. If products are available on multiple sites under the same ownership, one site must be chosen to exclusively submit those products. For example, if you own two websites that sell the same product, you may not submit that product for both sites, regardless of pricing or promotional differences. If you have one product (such as a memory card) that is compatible with multiple systems (such as different cameras), we require that you list that product only once - supported models can be listed using the compatible_with attribute.
Posting is not permitted for content borrowed from other websites. You must own the content you submit, or you exclusively must be submitting on behalf of the content owner. Please do not include image links from sites that you do not own or have explicit permission to link to.
Price and payments policies- Only fixed prices are allowed. Variably-priced products, such as auctions, are not permitted.
- For products that can be purchased in various bulk quantities, you should include the total price for the minimum quantity available on your site. For example, if a user must purchase a minimum quantity of ten items, you should include the total price for ten items.
- All item pages must be able to accept electronic payments and process transactions securely online (SSL-protected).
- Products and landing pages must list prices in a supported currency. Learn more about accepted languages and currencies
Content policies- Do not include promotional or boilerplate text in your product data feed. All text should directly describe the product you are submitting. Text relating to shipping or store policies should not be included.
- Do not submit image links to logo images or other generic images such as "image not available" images. If you do not have a specific image for your item, please leave the attribute blank.
- Products and landing pages must list text in a supported language. Learn more about accepted languages and currencies
Marketplace policies
Prohibited products
Adult goods and services: All adult products must be marked as unsuitable for minors. Posting is not permitted for the promotion of prostitution or non-consensual adult material.
Learn more about the adult setting in your Google Merchant Center account.
Affiliates, cataloged drop-shipping programs, and multi-level marketing: Posting is not permitted for the promotion of affiliate or pay-per-click links, products sold through a commission-based relationship, or sites that sell through cataloged third-party drop-shipping programs. This includes item pages that are made up almost entirely of advertisements, or pages where advertisements obstruct the view of the product. Posting is not permitted for the promotion of multi-level marketing (MLM) business products or for other businesses that recruit members and offer them rewards for recruiting others and/or selling services.
Anti and Violence: products and associated websites may not promote violence or advocate against a protected group. This standard applies to everyone who wants to post on Google, whether we agree with their viewpoint or not. A protected group is distinguished by their race or ethnic origin, color, national origin, religion, disability, sex, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation/gender identity.
Body parts: Posting is not permitted for the promotion of body parts or human remains.
Bulk marketing tools: The promotion of the following bulk marketing products is not permitted if the stated or implied use of these products is unsolicited spam:
- Email lists that are not opt-in
- Bulk email software
- Bulk messaging
Copyright unlocking devices: Posting is not permitted for the promotion of mod chips or other devices designed to circumvent copyright protection.
Copyrighted or counterfeit goods: All products must respect copyright and trademark law. Posting is not permitted for unauthorized or "bootleg" copies of media, software, or other licensed or protected material. Posting is not permitted for products that are replicas or imitations of designer goods; Products without a celebrity endorsement that would normally require such an association, fake autographs, counterfeit stamps, and other potentially unauthorized goods.
Drugs, drug paraphernalia, and drug test circumvention aids: Posting is not permitted for the promotion of illegal drugs and drug accessories, including herbal drugs such as salvia and magic mushrooms. Posting is not permitted for the promotion of products such as drug cleansing shakes and urine test additives.
False representation: You may not post on behalf of Google, or otherwise impersonate a Google employee.
Fireworks and hazardous materials: Posting is not permitted for fireworks and related goods; toxic, explosive, flammable, and radioactive materials and substances.
Gaming/gambling: Posting is not permitted for online casinos, sports books, bingo, and affiliates with the primary purpose of driving traffic to online gambling sites.
Illegal goods and services: You must post in accordance with the laws of your target country. Posting is not permitted for materials, products, or information promoting illegal goods or enabling illegal acts. You may not disclaim knowledge of, or responsibility for, the authenticity or legality of the products you offer. You must authenticate any products you sell. Submitted products must be legal in the entire target region in order to be accepted. For example, items submitted to Google Product Search US must be legal in all 50 states.
- Posting is not permitted for illegal knives or other illegal weapons.
- Posting is not permitted for pornographic materials involving minors.
- Posting is not permitted for fake IDs, passports, diplomas, and noble titles.
- Posting is not permitted for manuals, how-to guides, information, or equipment enabling illegal access to software, servers, websites, or other protected property.
- Posting is not permitted for products that descramble cable and satellite signals in order to obtain free service.
Miracle cures: Posting is not permitted for the promotion of unsubstantiated cures, remedies or other products marketed as quick health fixes.
Online gaming goods and services: Posting is not permitted for the promotion of currency, items, or related services for online games.
Personal Information: You may not post content that includes contact or personal information about another individual without their permission.
Precious metals: Posting is not permitted for the promotion of rare, scarce, or valuable metals or gemstones.
Prescription drugs or pharmacies: Posting is not permitted for the promotion of prescription drugs for sites not pre-approved by Google. Please
contact us to request approval.
Wholesale currency: Posting is not permitted for the promotion of discounted currencies or currency exchanges.
Editorial Guidelines
All your product submissions should follow three principles:
- Be honest and factual.
- Describe your message clearly and accurately.
- Include relevant and complete information about your products with attributes.
In addition, make sure you:
- Use Standard Spelling and Grammar. Avoid any repeated and unnecessary use of punctuation, capitalization or symbols. Don't use exclamation points in your product titles. The use of symbols, numbers, and letters should adhere to the true meaning of the symbol.
- Avoid gimmicky repetition. You may not post excessive, repetitive, or irrelevant keywords.
- Avoid offensive or inappropriate language.""
This entire content was copied from Google Policies:
Now come on everyone use your head. Everyone is running around like a chicken without its' head. I have heard so many rules that are FALSE. Read that it is all about being descriptive and not written like a paid ad. You can use punctuation just use it correctly. Read this and then listen to all of the things you hear that are wrong.
Come on it's Google Title Description Guidelines not the Bible. I guess I just wish people would calm down and worry more about their product and less about the "don'ts".
Survey states that everyone that is worrying about this to extreme's will have a panic attack within 2 weeks and half to be placed on anti-anxiety meds within 2.5 weeks. Some people will end up in the Psych ward walking around telling everyone the "Gossip Rules". They will forget their real names and insist on being called, "Google".They won't be able to leave until they go through Google Check out. There will be a 12 step program for out patient therapy in which they will find out that Google Analytics is really a counseling firm for Google for this syndrome. They will find out that Google has ties with the mob as the mail states-gmail. Google is taking over the government and their rules will apply to our taxes. If you don't pay your taxes there will be a freeze on your account. Anyway I could go on and on. THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH IS FICTITIOUS.
