{"id":3088,"date":"2025-09-05T20:54:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T20:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/?p=3088"},"modified":"2025-11-06T17:27:59","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T17:27:59","slug":"google-is-getting-lax-with-its-shopping-ads-policies-and-its-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/ppc\/google-is-getting-lax-with-its-shopping-ads-policies-and-its-working\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Is Getting Lax With Its Shopping Ads Policies, And It\u2019s Working"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3096\" style=\"width:483px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-2.jpg 384w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-2-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-2-295x393.jpg 295w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s been a major shift happening inside <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/faqs\/answer\/2987537?hl=en#:~:text=What%20is%20Google%20Shopping%3F,sellers%20to%20make%20their%20purchase.\">Google Shopping<\/a>, and no one\u2019s really talking about it, because Google isn\u2019t making a big announcement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The signs are all there: Google is starting to get a lot more relaxed with its <em>own<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/merchants\/answer\/6149970?hl=en\">Shopping ad policies<\/a>, and if you\u2019re not paying attention, you\u2019re missing one of the biggest opportunities to boost performance on the platform right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason? Google is trying to chip away at Amazon\u2019s dominance. With over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessdasher.com\/google-shopping-statistics\/#:~:text=Google%20Shopping%20has%201.2%20billion,conversion%20rates%20than%20text%20ads.\">1.2 billion searches<\/a> on Google Shopping every month, they\u2019re pushing harder than ever to keep buyers in <em>their <\/em>ecosystem. And if that means loosening a few long-standing policy rules to get better results? So be it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s Actually Happening on the Platform<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For years, Google had strict rules around <a href=\"https:\/\/tillison.co.uk\/blog\/how-to-fix-promotional-image-overlay-on-image-link-merchant-centre-disapproved-products\/\">overlays<\/a> on Shopping product images, no promotional text, no logos, and definitely no faces. That\u2019s quietly changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what we\u2019re seeing across the board:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Promotional Overlays Are Slipping Through<\/strong>: Ads with \u201c20% OFF\u201d or \u201cNEW PRODUCT\u201d banners, brand logos, and lifestyle elements in the actual product image are staying live longer without penalties.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"471\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-64-1024x471.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3092\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-64-1024x471.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-64-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-64-768x353.png 768w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-64.png 1206w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Big Names Are Blowing Past Guidelines<\/strong>: David Beckham\u2019s brand ran images of his face directly in the product tile, something that absolutely would\u2019ve been flagged in the past. It wasn\u2019t.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"437\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-63-1024x437.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-63-1024x437.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-63-300x128.png 300w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-63-768x328.png 768w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-63.png 1278w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Discount Messaging Is Sticking<\/strong>: Advertisers have been showing discounts right in the image for weeks before receiving any flag. And many don\u2019t receive one at all.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of these examples don\u2019t even make sense to have on the platform. From the product listing alone, we have no idea what David Beckham is really selling.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google isn\u2019t saying this is allowed, but they\u2019re absolutely letting it happen. Why? Because it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Google Knows It\u2019s Working<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We didn\u2019t want to guess. So we ran the test ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We added product overlays to select Shopping product images in a number of our accounts. Nothing wild, just simple product splashes and a few \u201cNEW PRODUCT\u201d icons. And the result was immediate: <strong>CTR jumped over 15% for those listings.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"376\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-62-1024x376.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3094\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-62-1024x376.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-62-300x110.png 300w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-62-768x282.png 768w, https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/unnamed-62.png 1144w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When your ad thumbnails become more scroll-stopping in a carousel full of white backgrounds and static images, it\u2019s no surprise that performance improves. That\u2019s why we\u2019re not treating this as an experiment anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re rolling this out as a best practice across our portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As long as these ads stay live and perform, and Google continues to look the other way, we\u2019re going to lean in to it. That doesn\u2019t mean breaking rules just for the sake of it, but it does mean being aggressive in the windows where results are real and enforcement is light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The platform is changing. Shoppers want visual clarity, standout offers, and more context up front.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the difference between your average media buyer and the best-of-the-best. Taking advantage of opportunities, no matter how small, for the benefit of the business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Google Is Encouraging Something They&#8217;re Actively Prohibiting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s official Shopping policies still prohibit promotional overlays in product images, no text, no pricing, no logos, no lifestyle cutouts. That hasn\u2019t changed. What has changed is the way Google is building their own tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their newly launched <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/\">Asset Studio<\/a> now lets advertisers create product-focused visuals directly inside the Google Ads platform. The kicker? These tools include overlays, <em>the exact same things their policy says are disallowed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Shopping creatives now allow policy-breaking elements<\/strong>: You can add overlays, badges, pricing, and lifestyle imagery that used to get flagged.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Google is sending a clear signal<\/strong>: They\u2019re telling you not to do it, while giving you the exact tools to make it happen.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>This shift is all about competition<\/strong>: They\u2019re loosening enforcement to go head-to-head with Amazon\u2019s visual-heavy, promotion-first Shopping experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the contradiction: <strong>Google is actively encouraging the kind of content it still technically bans.<\/strong> But if they\u2019re offering the tool, and they\u2019re not enforcing the rules, you should pay attention to what really matters, <strong>what works.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why This Matters<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re focused on growth through Google Ads, <strong>Shopping is the place to win right now<\/strong>, but only if you&#8217;re evolving your creative strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Google Shopping is one of the most scalable acquisition channels for ecommerce brands. It\u2019s also where the competition is softest, <em>if<\/em> you\u2019re aggressive with content.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Great creative now outperforms perfect product titles or niche keywords. With AI writing your copy and machine learning optimizing your bids, <strong>creative is the last real lever<\/strong>.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you&#8217;re still relying on plain white-background images with zero branding, you&#8217;re missing the moment. Google is rewarding bold, click-worthy visuals.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t need to go rogue, but you do need to push the edge. Test overlays. Try lifestyle imagery. Use Asset Studio to generate variants. <strong>Your competitors already are.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is one of those rare windows where Google\u2019s not enforcing the rules they\u2019ve written. That\u2019s not going to last forever. If you\u2019re smart, you\u2019ll take advantage now, test faster, get your CTR up, and own your category before the rulebook tightens again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Need help building shopping creative that stands out, and stays compliant (or close)? Let\u2019s build it together. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/book-your-call\">Book a call with our team<\/a>, and we\u2019ll map out a creative strategy built to convert in today\u2019s more relaxed Google Shopping environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Is Google relaxing its Shopping Ads policies?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Yes. Google appears to be loosening enforcement of its Shopping Ads policies, allowing promotional overlays, logos, and text in product images that previously would have been disapproved.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Why is Google becoming more flexible with Shopping Ads?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Google is easing restrictions to compete with Amazon\u2019s visually engaging product listings. By allowing more creative flexibility, Google aims to improve Shopping Ad performance and keep users within its ecosystem.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Can advertisers use overlays and promotional text in Shopping Ads now?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"While Google\u2019s official policies still prohibit overlays and text in product images, enforcement has become inconsistent. Many ads using these elements are running successfully without penalties.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What are the performance results of using overlays in Shopping Ads?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Tests have shown that adding simple overlays such as 'NEW PRODUCT' or discount icons can boost click-through rates (CTR) by more than 15%, making ads more noticeable in crowded Shopping carousels.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How can brands safely take advantage of these changes?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Advertisers should test subtle overlays and creative variations while staying close to compliance. Using Google\u2019s Asset Studio to create attention-grabbing visuals can help increase performance during this relaxed enforcement window.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s been a major shift happening inside Google Shopping, and no one\u2019s really talking about it, because Google isn\u2019t making a big announcement.&nbsp; The signs are all there: Google is starting to get a lot more relaxed with its own Shopping ad policies, and if you\u2019re not paying attention, you\u2019re missing one of the biggest&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":3089,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"thumbnail_src":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Untitled-design-39-3-300x225.png","thumbnail_medium_src":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Untitled-design-39-3-768x576.png","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Untitled-design-39-3.png","author_avatar_src":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/john1.webp","author_name":"John Vickery","category_labels":["PPC"],"tag_labels":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3088"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3088"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3088\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3223,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3088\/revisions\/3223"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}