Notification

In this help center, you can find content for both Merchant Center Next and the classic Merchant Center experience. Look for the logo at the top of each article to make sure you're using the article for the Merchant Center version that applies to you. 

Adult-oriented content

A custom icon for Merchant Center Classic and Merchant Center Next.

This policy applies to Shopping ads and local inventory ads

Our policy

Google restricts Shopping ads for the following types of adult-oriented content:

  • adult merchandise
  • sexually suggestive content
  • images containing exposed skin and nudity

Restrictions for these Shopping ads include, but are not limited to, preventing ads from serving on Search or serving to minors. 

When listing adult content you may not do any of the following:

  • violate applicable laws or regulations for any location that you target
  • target minors
  • list sexually explicit content
  • list content with underage or non-consensual sexual themes, including child sexual abuse content
  • list services that may be interpreted as providing sexual acts in exchange for compensation

Refer to the product data specification for specific requirements on how to submit these products using the adult [adult] attribute, or by adjusting account level settings to ensure these products are shown to an appropriate audience.

Prohibited Adult Content

Sexually explicit content

Text, image, audio, or video of graphic sexual acts intended to arouse

  • Examples: Graphic depictions of sexual acts in progress, including hardcore pornography, any type of genital, anal, or oral sexual activity; graphic depictions of masturbation or genital arousal and language explicitly referencing arousal, masturbation, cartoon porn, or hentai
Non-consensual sexual content

Content promoting underage, non-consensual or other illegal sexual themes, whether simulated or real

  • Examples: Rape, incest, bestiality, necrophilia; lolita or teen-themed pornography
Child sexual abuse imagery
Content promoting the sexual exploitation of minors
  • Examples: Child sexual abuse imagery or other content

Restricted adult content

Adult merchandise

Promotion or sale of merchandise intended to enhance sexual activity

  • Examples: Sex toys
Sexually suggestive content

Content containing sexually suggestive text, images, audio, or video

  • Examples: Sexually suggestive language; non-sexually explicit erotic magazines, erotic DVDs, sexually suggestive lingerie promotions
Nudity

People or representations of people that display sexual body parts

  • Examples: Visible genitalia, nipples, or bare buttocks

Country-specific requirements

In addition to the requirements above, there may be further restrictions based on your target country. See additional country-specific requirements you must meet below.

Countries Details
Algeria
Bahrain
Belarus
Ecuador
Egypt
Georgia
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Malaysia
Morocco
Myanmar (Burma)
Oman
Peru
Philippines
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Korea
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
Vietnam
Not allowed Not allowed
In these countries, Google doesn't allow the promotion of adult-oriented content, including nudity.
Germany Allowed Allowed with limitations
In Germany, Google doesn’t allow adult-oriented content that displays sexualized nudity of human, digital, or otherwise artificially generated models (this includes cartoons, drawings, paintings, sculptures and anime). Sex toys must not be promoted in sexualized use by such models. Content must not show the genitals or the buttocks, or have exclusive focus on these body parts, even if those body parts are censored. 

What you can do

Here's what you can do if your product is disapproved or if your Merchant Center account is impacted:

Product disapproval

Products that don't comply with our policies may be disapproved. When a product is disapproved, it won't be eligible to serve. 

  1. Read our policies to learn what we don't allow.
  2. Update your website. If your ad or listing leads to content that violates a policy, update your website to meet the requirements and be in compliance with our policies.
  3. Remove the violating products from your product data. You’ll receive an email with details about the violation. 
    • If you have products in your product data that violate the policy (or policies), you'll need to remove the offers from your feed.
  4. Update your product data in Merchant Center. If you created a schedule for automatic uploads, update your product data manually or wait for your product data to be automatically updated before requesting any reviews.
  5. Request a review of your products or appeal the decision taken on this issue.
    • If the violating products are removed, you won't need to request a review or take any additional action.
    • If you fix your product-level issues by editing your product data via your chosen upload method (such as a file) or directly in Merchant Center, your products will be re-reviewed.
    • For certain issues, you can disagree with the issue but you may need to complete additional steps such as provide an appeal reason and/or upload required documentation.
    • If you use a third-party platform to list your products, you can refer to your third-party if you want to request a review. You won’t be able to do this in Merchant Center.
    • If a review or appeal is successful, the issue will disappear from Merchant Center.
Account disapproval

For most violations, we'll send you a warning email detailing the policy violation and give you 7 or 28 calendar days to fix your issue.

  1. Read our policies to learn what we don't allow.
  2. Update your website. If your ad or listing leads to content that violates a policy, update your website to meet the requirements and be in compliance with our policies.
  3. Remove any violating products from your product data. You’ll receive an email with details about the violation. If you have products in your product data that violate the policy (or policies) you'll need to remove the offers from your feed.
  4. Update your data in Merchant Center.
    • Review your account and submit any missing information or complete any unfinished steps.
    • If you created a schedule for automatic uploads, update your product data manually or wait for your product data to be automatically updated before requesting any reviews.
  5. Request a review of your account or appeal the decision taken on this issue.
    • If your account is still within the warning period, it will automatically be reviewed again at the end of the warning period. If the violating products are removed, you won't need to request an account review or take any additional action.
    • If your account is suspended and you've taken actions to resolve the issue, request an account review.
    • For certain issues, you can disagree with the issue but you may need to complete additional steps such as provide an appeal reason and/or upload required documentation.
    • If you use a third-party platform to list your products, you can refer to your third-party if you want to request a review. You won’t be able to do this in Merchant Center.

Note: Account reviews typically take 7 business days, but may take longer for complex reviews. If you remove violating products, the warning will be removed. If a review or appeal is successful, the issue will disappear from Merchant Center. In the case of account suspension, we will approve the account and allow products to be displayed again.

Account issue that limits product visibility

Your account has an issue and is operating with reserved functionality, therefore your products have limited visibility. An email was sent with a notice on what to do and the steps needed to resolve your account issue.

  1. Read our policies to learn more about our requirements.
  2. Update your website. If your ad or listing leads to content that violates a policy, update your website to meet the requirements and be in compliance with our policies.
  3. Fix any other open policy violation in your account. Review your products and your account details.
    • If products aren’t supported, remove them from your feed.
    • If account details are missing, complete them in Merchant Center.
  4. Request a review of your account or appeal the decision taken on this issue.
    • If your Merchant Center account is still within the warning period for certain policies, it will automatically be reviewed again at the end of the warning period.
    • If your account is affected and you've resolved the issue, request a Merchant Center account review.
    • For certain issues, you can disagree with the issue but you may need to complete additional steps such as provide an appeal reason and/or upload required documentation.
    • If you use a third-party platform to list your products, you can refer to your third-party if you want to request a review. You won’t be able to do this in Merchant Center.

Note: Account reviews typically take 7 business days, but may take longer for complex reviews. If you remove violating products, the warning will be removed. If a review or appeal is successful, the issue will disappear from Merchant Center. In the case of account suspension, we will approve the account and allow products to be displayed again.

To ensure a safe and positive experience for customers, Google requires that retailers comply with all applicable laws and regulations in addition to our policies. It's important that you familiarize yourself with and keep up to date on these requirements for the place where your business operates, as well as any other places your ads are shown. When we find content that violates these requirements, we may block it from appearing. In cases of repeated or egregious violations, we may ban you from advertising content with us.

If you’re working with a third-party platform, some of these instructions may not apply to you. Refer to your third-party platform for instructions on how to resolve the issue or complete the task. Learn how to find support if you use a non-Google platform.

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