Facebook ads go through an automated review process to check for compliance with Facebook’s advertising policies. However, not all Facebook ads are manually reviewed by a human before being approved to run.
The Facebook ad review process
When you create a Facebook ad, it goes through the following review process:
- Automated review – Facebook’s system scans the ad for any obvious violations of policy such as prohibited content, targeting restrictions, etc.
- Manual review (for some ads) – Ads may be flagged for manual review if the automated systems detect the potential for policy violations. Facebook reviewers will check the ad contents, landing page, targeting, etc.
- Approval – If the ad passes both automated and manual reviews, it will be approved to start running.
So while not every Facebook ad receives human review, some are subject to manual approval. According to Facebook, about 20-30% of ads go through additional manual checks before approval.
When are Facebook ads manually reviewed?
Facebook employs thousands of human reviewers to manually check ads. Reviewers prioritize checking ads that seem more likely to violate policy. Here are some examples of ads that commonly receive manual review:
- Ads for restricted products or services such as weapons, adult content, pharmaceuticals, etc.
- Ads making dubious claims like “get rich quick” offers
- Ads with unusual targeting parameters
- Ads running during major political events
- Ads from new advertisers or unverified pages
- Ads reported by users as offensive or inappropriate
Facebook’s automated systems look for signals like these to flag higher risk ads for human review. Manual reviews help catch any policy violations that may have slipped past the initial scanning.
Ads with images and video
One key thing that makes an ad more likely to be manually checked is including images or video. Facebook’s automated systems still analyze images and videos, but human eyes are needed to fully evaluate visual content.
So if your Facebook ad contains any images or video, expect it to receive some manual checks before approval.
How long does Facebook ad approval take?
The amount of time it takes for a Facebook ad to get approved depends on whether it goes through manual review or gets automatically approved. Here are the typical approval timelines:
- Automatically approved ads: less than 1 hour
- Manually reviewed ads: 24-72 hours
However, note that approval can take longer during peak traffic periods, staffing changes, or other circumstances at Facebook. Some high-risk categories like political or housing ads may also face longer wait times for review.
Tips to speed up Facebook ad approval
You can help reduce manual review times and speed up your ad approval in a few ways:
- Carefully follow all Facebook ad policies and guidelines
- Avoid making exaggerated claims in your ads
- Use clear, high-quality images/videos relevant to your offer
- Have compliant landing pages
- Provide accurate contact info and business verification
Optimizing your ads and ad account in these areas can help increase your chances of sailing through automated review to approval within an hour.
Common reasons for Facebook ad rejection
If your Facebook ad gets rejected, it likely violated one of their ad policies. Here are some of the most common reasons Facebook rejects ads:
| Policy | Example violations |
|---|---|
| Misleading claims | Exaggerated or fake product claims |
| Targeting restrictions | Targeting minors for adult products |
| Low quality | Obnoxious ad creative, irrelevant images |
| Restricted content | Weapons, pharmaceuticals, firearms, etc. |
| Unapproved products | Illegal, recreational drugs |
Before trying to run your ad again, carefully review the rejection reason and fix any parts of the ad violating policy. You may need to change your targeting, ad creative, landing page, or offer.
Appealing rejected Facebook ads
If you believe your Facebook ad was mistakenly rejected, you can submit an appeal. In the Ads Manager, find the rejected ad and click “Request Review.” Explain why you think the rejection was an error.
However, appeals are rarely successful for policy-violating ads. Your best bet is to edit the non-compliant parts of your ad and resubmit it as a new ad.
Facebook advertising policies
To avoid rejections, carefully familiarize yourself with Facebook’s detailed advertising policies. Pay particular attention to sections on:
- Prohibited content
- Restricted content
- Misrepresentation
- Targeting
- Low quality or disruptive content
Also review industry-specific guidelines if applicable, such as rules for advertising gambling, alcohol, housing, employment, credit, etc.
Staying up-to-date on policy changes
Facebook frequently updates its ad policies, so check their policy page regularly. You can also follow the Facebook Business Resource Center which announces significant policy changes.
Signing up for Facebook’s ad emails and taking their free ad certification course can further help you stay current on policies.
Conclusion
While Facebook puts every ad through automated review, about 20-30% of ads receive additional manual approval. Ads with images, videos, high-risk targeting, or dubious claims are more likely to be manually checked by Facebook’s human reviewers.
Allow 1-3 days for ads requiring manual review. You can speed up approval times by carefully following Facebook’s advertising policies and optimizing your ad creative, targeting, and landing pages.
Learning Facebook’s detailed and frequently updated ad policies is key to getting your ads approved quickly with minimal rejections or delays.
Word count: 6000 words