Health Claim Compliance in Product Feeds
Supplement brands walk a tightrope between compelling product descriptions and Google's strict health claim policies. One wrong word in your feed can trigger mass disapprovals. Here's how to optimise without crossing the line.
The Compliance Landscape
Google applies different levels of scrutiny to health-related products. Supplements fall into a particularly sensitive category where automated systems flag anything that sounds like a medical claim.
Common Disapproval Triggers
- Disease or condition claims ("helps with diabetes", "treats anxiety")
- Cure or prevention language ("prevents cancer", "cures insomnia")
- Before/after implications in images or text
- Unrealistic efficacy claims ("lose 10kg in a week")
- Drug-like terminology ("clinically proven", "doctor recommended")
The challenge is that the same claims might be perfectly legal under ASA or EFSA guidelines, but still trigger Google's automated review systems. Compliance with advertising standards doesn't guarantee compliance with Google's policies.
Google's Health Product Policies
Google maintains several overlapping policies that affect supplement advertising:
- Healthcare and medicines policy: Restricts claims about treating, curing, or preventing diseases
- Misleading content policy: Prohibits exaggerated or unrealistic claims
- Dangerous products policy: Restricts certain ingredients and product categories
- Shopping policies: Specific requirements for product data accuracy
These policies are interpreted by a combination of automated systems and human reviewers, with the automated systems erring heavily on the side of caution.
Compliant Feed Optimisation
The key is shifting from benefit claims to ingredient and format descriptions:
Avoid
"Vitamin D3 for immune support and bone health - prevents deficiency symptoms"
Use Instead
"Vitamin D3 5000 IU - High-Strength Cholecalciferol - 180 Easy-Swallow Tablets"
Focus on: dosage, ingredient form, quantity, format (tablets, capsules, liquid), and objective product attributes rather than claimed benefits.
Titles and Descriptions
Your product titles and descriptions need to work hard for SEO while staying compliant:
Title Formula for Supplements
[Brand] + [Ingredient] + [Strength/Dose] + [Form] + [Count] + [Key Attribute]
Example: "NutraLife Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000mg Softgels 120 Capsules - Triple Strength EPA/DHA"
For descriptions, lead with objective information and save any permitted health claims for later in the text:
- Open with ingredient source and quality certifications
- Include manufacturing standards (GMP, HACCP)
- Mention dietary suitability (vegan, gluten-free, allergen info)
- Use EFSA-approved claims verbatim if including benefit language
Category Mapping
Correct Google Product Category assignment affects both visibility and compliance scrutiny:
Health > Vitamins & Supplements
Standard category for most supplements. Triggers health policy review but is expected.
Food > Sports Nutrition
Better for protein powders and workout supplements. Slightly less restrictive policies.
Personal Care > Wellness
Appropriate for topical supplements or beauty-from-within products.
Avoid miscategorisation to evade policies. It leads to account-level trust issues when caught.
Ongoing Compliance Monitoring
Compliance isn't a one-time fix. Build systems to catch issues before they cascade:
- Daily disapproval monitoring: Check Merchant Center diagnostics every morning
- Feed validation rules: Automated checks for banned phrases before submission
- Landing page sync: Ensure website content matches feed claims
- Policy change tracking: Google updates policies frequently; subscribe to announcements
The Bottom Line
Health claim compliance in feeds is about knowing where the lines are and staying well inside them. The short-term temptation to push boundaries isn't worth the risk of mass disapprovals or account suspensions. Build compliant feeds from the start, and you'll spend your time scaling rather than firefighting disapproval issues.