Counterfeit products (account suspension)
What a Counterfeit products suspension in Google Merchant Center means, why it happens without warning, and the fix path if you believe it's a false positive.
Google suspended your account because it flagged listings that look like counterfeit goods, branded items that aren't genuine or aren't properly licensed. This is one of the few policy areas Google enforces with an immediate suspension and no warning period, so the fix is to remove anything genuinely counterfeit or ambiguous before appealing.
What triggers this suspension
Google's systems (and manual reviewers) look for listings using a real brand's name, logo, or product imagery on goods that aren't genuine, aren't licensed, or are otherwise misrepresented as the authentic article. Replica goods, unlicensed lookalikes, and generic products with a well-known brand name tacked onto the title to attract search traffic are the usual triggers. Because counterfeit goods cause direct harm to shoppers and brand owners, Google treats this as a severe violation and suspends the account on detection, without the warning period that applies to most data issues.
This is distinct from misrepresentation, which covers dishonest business practices more broadly (fake reviews, undisclosed ownership, false claims). Counterfeit suspensions are specifically about the authenticity of the goods themselves.
The path back is straightforward but requires certainty before you act: remove or correct every listing that could plausibly be read as counterfeit or brand-misattributed, then appeal only once you're confident the catalogue is genuinely clean. An appeal filed while real violations remain elsewhere in the account typically fails and resets the clock.
/tools' feed enrichment never invents or upgrades a brand attribute it isn't confident about, and its disapproval prediction flags products where brand and category combinations look unusual before they reach Google's review, reducing the chance an accidental brand mismatch escalates into an account-level policy flag.
Step by step
- Read the exact policy notice. Google's suspension notice for counterfeit goods names the policy violated. Confirm it's genuinely counterfeit goods and not a related but distinct issue like misrepresentation or trademark use in ad text.
- Audit every listing for authenticity. Check that every branded product is genuine and properly sourced. Remove or correct anything using brand names, logos, or imagery for products that aren't the authentic article, including replicas, unlicensed lookalikes, and compatible or aftermarket parts described as if they were the brand's own.
- Check for reused brand names on generic goods. A common accidental trigger is applying a well-known brand name or model number to a generic or unbranded product to make it easier to find. Remove any brand attribution that isn't genuinely accurate.
- Appeal only once you're certain. If you're confident the flag was a false positive, for example a small brand name that coincidentally matches a trademarked term in an unrelated category, submit an appeal through Merchant Center explaining the specific listings and why they're genuine. Appeals on accounts that still have real violations present are likely to fail and can extend the suspension.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get suspended for counterfeit products without any warning?
Yes. Counterfeit goods are treated as a severe policy violation, so Google suspends the account immediately on detection rather than issuing warnings first, unlike most data-quality issues which get a chance to be fixed before anything is disapproved.
What if I sell genuine parallel-import or grey-market goods?
Genuine goods sourced outside a brand's official distribution channel are not counterfeit, but they can still trip other policy checks (misrepresentation, restricted brand terms). Be precise and honest in your titles and descriptions about exactly what you're selling.