Limited performance
Limited performance means a product in Google Merchant Center can still show on Google, but only in some places or without all of its details.
What it means
Limited is one of the five product statuses in Google Merchant Center. Google defines it as a product that “is only showing on Google in some instances or all of the product data may not be shown on the ad”. That may mean it can show “in some countries but not others”, or not in every way Google shows products.1
Some issues carry the phrase in their name. Limited performance due to missing value: GTIN [gtin] appears when a product sits in a category “that we suspect should have a GTIN” and none was sent. Google says products with a GTIN that are submitted without one “may have limited visibility”.2
Warnings have a similar effect. Products with warnings “will continue to show across Google; however, their performance may be limited”.3
Think of it like this
It is like a library book shelved without its subject label. Anyone who asks for it by name will find it, but readers browsing by topic walk straight past.
For example
Why it matters
Limited products are easy to overlook because they still show, yet each one reaches fewer shoppers, or shows less detail, than it could. Where the cause is a warning, Google says “If warnings aren’t resolved, they can lead to disapprovals.”3
Not to be confused with
Limited differs from a disapproval. A Limited product still shows in some places, while a Not approved product “can’t be shown on Google” until it is fixed.1
Sources
- Google Merchant Center Help. Check product visibility and status in Merchant Center.
- Google Merchant Center Help. How to fix: Limited performance due to missing value: GTIN [gtin].
- Google Merchant Center Help. Issues in Merchant Center.