When you receive a message like this from Google Merchant Center, it indicates that the logo you’ve provided might not be visually readable on smaller screens or devices. When displayed on smaller screens such as smartphones or tablets, the logo’s details might become too small to decipher, which can detract from the user experience.
Submitting your logo to Google Merchant Center is beneficial for including in Google Ads such as display ads, youtube listings, local inventory, etc.
When submitting a logo, there are some criteria you must follow.
Criteria
- Logo aspect ratio must be 1:1 (minimum 500*500 pixels – maximum 2000*2000 pixels) or 2:1 (minimum 1000*500 pixels – maximum 2000*1000 pixels)
- Recommend to use SVG, PNG or WEBP
- Filesize cannot be larger than 5MB or 2000 pixels
Common Rejection Issues
Unreadable Logo
You may get a message such as: The text in your logo must be readable on small screens. try uploading a more simple logo, like your favicon.
If your logo has intricate details or tiny text elements, consider simplifying it. A simplified version does not necessarily mean you must redesign your brand identity, but perhaps have a streamlined version for smaller displays.
In many cases, the logo is unreadable in tiny sizes. Yes, you are submitting a 500*500 square logo, but when Google uses the image in practice, the logo can be as small as 50 pixels. This causes the text to be unreadable.
Here is an example on the left of what most merchants do, and on the right, what you should do.
If you would use the left image, you will start having trouble reading the brand name.
If you rearrange the logo to make it bigger, it becomes easier to read.
Favicon as a Logo
A favicon is a small icon on the browser tab when you open a website. It’s designed to be simple and recognizable at a tiny size. If your favicon represents your brand well and is distinguishable, consider using it as your logo for Google Merchant Center.
Higher Contrast
Ensure that there’s enough contrast between the text and the background. The text might not be readable on smaller screens if the colors are too similar.
Font Size and Thickness
If your logo includes text, ensure it’s large enough to be read easily. If you’re using a thin font, consider switching to a thicker version for better visibility.
Avoid having too many graphical elements or intricate details that could get lost or muddled on small screens. Instead, focus on a single, recognizable image or symbol.
Incorrect Aspect Ratio
Make sure your image is 100% square (500*500 pixels) or for the rectangle logo absolutely 2:1 (1000*500 pixels) And not 999*500 pixels.
You can check the size of your image:
Windows : Find your image > right click > properties > in the popup select the details tab
Mac : Find your image > ctrl+click > get info
Remove any watermarks
As much as you like to protect your intellectual properties, you can’t have any watermarks.
Background
The background must be white or transparent
Relevance
Ensure that the logo you submit is relevant to your business and website.