Getting your Facebook ads rejected can be frustrating. There are many reasons why Facebook may reject an ad, but with some adjustments, you can avoid rejections and get your ads running successfully.
Why Are Facebook Ads Rejected?
There are a few key reasons why Facebook may reject an ad:
- The ad goes against Facebook’s Advertising Policies – This includes policies around accuracy, prohibited content, sensitive content, low quality or disruptive content, prohibited practices, restricted products and services, and more.
- The ad contains errors – This could include spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, improperly formatted links, missing images or videos, etc.
- The ad account or Page has a history of policy violations – If your ad account or Page has had multiple policy violations in the past, Facebook may be more strict when reviewing new ads.
- The payment method is invalid – The credit card or payment method on file may have expired or have insufficient funds.
- The target audience is too broad or undefined – Facebook requires advertisers to target specific demographics, interests, behaviors, etc.
How to Fix Common Issues That Lead to Rejected Ads
Here are some tips to help your ads pass Facebook’s review process:
Review the Advertising Policies
Carefully read through Facebook’s Advertising Policies and make sure your ad does not violate any of them. Pay particular attention to policies around:
- Prohibited content
- Misleading or false claims
- Sensitive content
- Restricted products and services
Avoid making any unsubstantiated or legal claims in your ads. Stick to factual statements about your products or services.
Proofread for Errors
Carefully proofread your ad copy, creative assets, landing page URLs, and any other components. Fix any typos, formatting errors, broken links, missing images, etc. Sloppy mistakes indicate your ad is low quality.
Use Compliant Images and Videos
Ensure your ad creative properly represents your product or service, and does not use unauthorized or inappropriate images or videos. Use original content rather than stolen or copied assets. Comply with Facebook’s Branded Content Policies.
Target Your Audience Precisely
Use Facebook’s detailed targeting options to tightly define your target audience. Broad targeting increases the chances your ad gets rejected. Build tailored audiences using interests, behaviors, demographics and other options.
Avoid Sensitive Topics
Steer clear of targeting or engaging with sensitive topics like politics, social issues, tragedies, or health emergencies without proper context. Tread carefully when mentioning these topics in your ads.
Update Billing Information
Make sure the credit card or payment method on your Facebook Ads account is valid. Many rejections happen because the payment source is invalid or lacks sufficient funds.
Best Practices to Get Ads Approved
In addition to avoiding common mistakes, there are some best practices you can follow to smoothly get your ads approved:
- Include your business name, landing page URL, and contact information in the ad creative.
- Be transparent that your ad is marketing something.
- Use high quality, eye-catching creative assets.
- Split test different versions of your ad.
- Target relevant, engaged audiences that will respond.
- Drive traffic to a customized landing page.
- Follow Facebook’s ad placement policies.
- Use descriptive ad text – explain what you’re advertising.
Submit for Review in Advance
Use Facebook’s Ad Review option to submit your ad for review before you officially launch your campaign. This allows you to catch any issues early.
Appeal Rejected Ads
If your ad does get rejected, you can appeal the decision within Facebook Ads Manager. Provide additional context and explain how you meet the advertising policies. Appeals are frequently successful if you address violations properly.
What Happens When You Get Ad Rejections
Here are some of the consequences of having your Facebook ads rejected:
- Your ads will not run, wasting your time and money spent creating the campaign
- Ongoing rejections can lead to your ad account being disabled
- You miss out on reaching your target audience and getting results
- It damages trust and credibility between you and Facebook
- Frequent violations negatively impact your future appeals
That’s why it’s crucial to preemptively avoid rejections by adhering closely to Facebook’s policies and running compliant ads. A few rejections won’t irreparably harm your account, but persistent issues could lead to disabling.
Common Facebook Ad Rejections and How to Fix Them
Here is a table summarizing some of the most common types of Facebook ad rejections, along with steps you can take to resolve them:
| Type of Rejection | How to Fix |
|---|---|
| Misleading Claims | Remove unsubstantiated claims, superlatives or subjective statements that can’t be proven. Stick to factual information about your product or service. |
| Sensitive Content | Avoid sensitive topics or add proper context explaining why the subject matter is relevant. Don’t include shocking or offensive imagery. |
| Low Quality | Fix typos, formatting errors, broken links, etc. Use high-quality, eye-catching creative assets. Improve targeting. |
| Unauthorized Content | Only use original content you have rights to. Don’t use copywritten or trademarked material without permission. |
| Prohibited Products | Don’t promote prohibited or restricted products like guns, drugs, or illegal services. |
| Targeting Errors | Narrow your targeting to relevant interests and demographics. Don’t have overly broad or irrelevant targeting. |
| Payment Failure | Update the payment information on file so it’s valid and has sufficient funds. |
Conclusion
Getting Facebook ad rejections can be annoying, but is usually fixable. By following Facebook’s advertising policies closely, proofreading your ads, using compliant content, precisely targeting your audiences, and avoiding common mistakes, you can develop successful ad campaigns. Pay close attention to the reasons for any ad rejection, and correct those issues before attempting to run your ad again. With refinement and experience, your approval rates will improve over time.