Google requires a description for every product. When one is absent, Merchant Center lists the issue as "Missing product description", and the fix is to add a value for the description [description] attribute. This guide covers what the issue means, what Google expects the text to contain, and how to add it.
What the issue means
Google's help page says product descriptions must be included in Shopping ads and product listings, and that the issue usually arises when the description was left out or overlooked as the product was added. The description attribute page says a missing description triggers a warning and may limit performance.
- Issue: Missing product description
- Attribute: description [description]
- Required: For each product
- Length: 1 to 5,000 characters
Find the affected products
In Merchant Center, go to Products and open the Needs attention tab, then use the filter to find the products with this issue. You can download the list as a .csv file. Compare it with the product data you submit, since that is what Google reads.
What Google wants in a description
Google's guidance is specific about content and length. It suggests around 500 to 1,000 characters and says to put the most important details in the first 160 to 500, because shoppers may need to click to see the rest.
- Features: Size, material, intended age range, special features, technical specifications
- Appearance: Shape, pattern, texture and design
- Variants: The detail that defines this variant, such as its color or size
- Style: Standard grammar, ending with punctuation
What to leave out
A description that exists can still break the rules. Google's minimum requirements say to describe only the product.
- ❌ Promotional text, price, sale dates, shipping or delivery details
- ❌ All caps, or capital letters for emphasis
- ❌ Links to your store or other websites
- ❌ Comparisons with other products, accessories or compatible items
- ❌ Your company name, business history or policies
- ✅ Text consistent with the title and the landing page
Google also has a rule for AI-written text. Descriptions created with generative AI are to be submitted through the structured description attribute and labelled as such.
Add the descriptions
For one product, Google's steps are to click the product title on the Needs attention tab, choose Edit product, add the description and select Save. For many products, add the missing descriptions to your product data at the source and upload it again.
Google says a change may take 24 to 72 hours to show on the Needs attention page.
For writing the copy itself, see how to write product descriptions that sell and the common reasons products are disapproved.
Doing this at scale
FeedFix checks every product against Google Merchant Center and Meta Catalog rules and scores each one from 0 to 100 per channel. It drafts compliant description and title rewrites, which you review as before/after diffs and apply in bulk, and every change is audit-logged. See FeedFix.