If you’ve logged into Google Merchant Center and seen the dreaded “Unavailable desktop landing page” error, you’re not alone. This issue can quietly prevent your products from showing in Google Shopping results, costing you visibility, clicks, and sales.
The good news? It’s usually fixable. Let’s break down what this error means, why it happens, and exactly how to resolve it.
What Does “Unavailable Desktop Landing Page” Mean?
This error appears when Google cannot access or load your product’s landing page on desktop devices. When Google’s crawler checks the URL you submitted in your product feed, it expects the page to load correctly for desktop users. If it doesn’t, the product can be disapproved.
Even if your page loads fine for you, Google may be seeing something different.
Common Reasons This Error Happens
- Page Returns an Error Code
Your landing page may be returning:
- 404 (Page Not Found)
- 403 (Forbidden)
- 500 (Server Error)
Google cannot index or serve a page that throws an error.
- Desktop Page Redirect Issues
If your desktop URL:
- Redirects incorrectly
- Loops endlessly
- Redirects to a mobile-only page
Google may flag it as unavailable.
- Geo-Restrictions or IP Blocking
Some websites block traffic from certain locations or from bots. Unfortunately, this can block Googlebot, making your page appear unavailable.
- Login or Password Required
If users must log in to view the product page, Google cannot access it. Product pages must be publicly accessible.
- Slow Page Load or Timeouts
If your site takes too long to load, Google may time out and mark the page as unavailable, even if it eventually loads for real users.
- Mismatch Between Feed URL and Website
If the URL in your product feed doesn’t exactly match the live desktop page (including http vs https, trailing slashes, or parameters), Google may not recognize it correctly.
How to Fix the Error (Step by Step)
Step 1: Test the Landing Page Manually
Open the product URL on a desktop browser:
- Use Chrome Incognito mode
- Disable ad blockers
- Try from a different network if possible
If the page doesn’t load cleanly, Google won’t be able to either.
Step 2: Use Google’s URL Inspection Tool
In Google Search Console:
- Paste the product URL
- Click Test Live URL
- Check for crawl or indexing errors
This shows you exactly what Google sees.
Step 3: Check Server & Hosting Issues
- Review server error logs
- Ensure uptime is stable
- Confirm your hosting provider isn’t blocking bots or unknown IPs
Step 4: Fix Redirects
Make sure:
- Desktop URLs load directly (no forced mobile redirects)
- HTTP redirects cleanly to HTTPS
- There are no redirect chains or loops
Step 5: Ensure Pages Are Public
Confirm that:
- No login, password, or age gate is required
- Robots.txt is not blocking the page
- Meta tags do not include noindex or nofollow
Step 6: Match Feed URLs Exactly
Your product feed URL should:
- Match the live desktop page exactly
- Use the same protocol (https)
- Include the correct product variant if applicable
Consistency is critical for Merchant Center approvals.
Step 7: Request a Re-Crawl
Once fixed:
- Go to Merchant Center
- Navigate to Products > Diagnostics
- Click Request review for the affected products
Google will re-check the URLs, usually within a few days.
Best Practices to Prevent This Error in the Future
- Monitor site uptime regularly
- Avoid blocking bots or regions unnecessarily
- Keep redirects clean and minimal
- Sync product feeds automatically with your website
- Regularly review Merchant Center diagnostics
If you need more help resolving your unavailable landing pages, reach out to the Google experts at TryAds!