Google Ads Now Support Intermediaries

October 6, 2026 · ShopsPlatform Team

Good news for various platform customers - starting on October 16, Google Ads will have an update to its business name policy allowing advertisers to use a business name that differs from the ad's destination domain. This is limited to three specific cases:

• The name reflects the advertiser's brand
• There is a verified direct relationship between the advertiser and the domain owner
• The advertiser's products/services are offered directly on the destination domain

There's another wrinkle - starting on October 12, any promotions on your site will be automatically extracted from your site for Search and Performance Max campaigns, according to SEO Roundtable.

Our hot take: Point number 2 could turn into a bit of a hassle if your platform isn't prepared for it. Naturally, we are. Here's a bit of feedback from what Google is looking for to make sure it isn't a problem. Let's use barber.shop as an example.

The Easy Parts

Google wants two general pieces of information present on a profile page:

• something that says (for example) 'powered by barber.shop'
• clear and consistent information between the advertisement and the profile page

Consistent, over-the-table disclosure and messaging is the important parts here. If Google doesn't like it, however, then it moves to the next part.

The Hard Parts

If Google remains skeptical, it will ask either the advertiser or the platform owner for more information, including:

• Collect and Provide Proof of Relationship Documentation - Google will ask you to provide a copy of your membership receipt or other documentation proving a relationship exists between you (the advertiser) and the platform you're on (us, or whoever else you're using)
• complete business representative affiliation, where we will have to provide an email address for Google to contact us - this is typically saved for sensitive account modifications or verification tasks, but it could come up
• verification code - Google will look up a Dun and Bradstreet number, verify the information, and send a one-time passcode

At ShopsPlatform, our priority is making sure customers, robots, and everyone else are able to see your business on the web. We go through great lengths to make sure you have a consistent web presence that you can use as a reference point for doing things like advertising and showing up in web or AI searches. If you're interested in building a stronger web presence for your business, we encourage you to build a profile on one of our many verticals or contact us if you're looking for something more bespoke for your needs.