Four ways to fix Merchant Center issues
Every approach works for someone. Here’s what each one involves, so you can pick the right one for your shop. We’ve tried to be fair, including about when Merchant Guard isn’t the right choice.
Swipe the table sideways to see all four options.
| Merchant Guard | Doing it yourself in Merchant Center | Hiring a freelancer or agency | A feed management tool | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works with any shop platform | Yes, it reads Merchant Center itself | Yes | Yes | Usually, through its own connectors |
| Explains each issue in plain English | Yes, grouped by cause | Google’s wording | Yes, if you ask | Varies |
| Finds the correct value for you | From your website, Shopify or a spreadsheet | You look it up | They look it up | Through rules you set up |
| Fixes many products at once | One-click fix, after you check | One at a time, or edit your feed | Yes | Yes, with feed rules |
| You approve every change, with undo | Yes | Yes | Depends on the person | Changes apply through rules |
| Checks your website for suspension risks | Yes, eleven checks | No | Often, as part of an appeal | Rarely |
| Alerts when Google flags something new | Yes, by email, 24/7 (Pro) | Merchant Center emails | If they monitor for you | Some do |
| Time to first fix | Minutes | Hours, if you know where to look | Days | Hours to days of setup |
| Typical cost | Free to start, £24 a month, or a £49 one-off Fix pass | Free, plus your time | Usually charged per job or per hour | A monthly subscription, often priced by catalogue size |
Do it yourself if…
you have a handful of products, one issue, and time to learn Google’s product data rules. Our free fix guides and error checker will help.
Hire someone if…
your account is suspended for something complicated, like a policy dispute, and you’d rather hand the whole appeal to a specialist. Run our free suspension risk check first so you know what to ask for.
Use a feed tool if…
you advertise a large catalogue on many channels (Google, Meta, marketplaces) and need ongoing feed rules and optimisation across all of them.
Use Merchant Guard if…
products are being disapproved or limited and you want them fixed today, safely, with every change shown to you first, and then want to hear about new problems before they cost you sales.
Freelancers and feed tools vary widely in what they offer and charge, so check each provider’s own details.