There are a few common reasons why you may see a message from Facebook saying you’re not allowed to run ads:
- Your ad account is disabled
- Your ad was disapproved
- Your payment method was declined
- You’ve reached your spending limit
Let’s take a closer look at each of these situations and what you can do to resolve them.
Your Ad Account is Disabled
If your entire ad account has been disabled by Facebook, you’ll see a notification saying something like “Your account is not eligible to run ads.”
This usually happens if you’ve violated one of Facebook’s advertising policies repeatedly. Some common reasons for getting your ad account disabled include:
- Running too many low quality or spammy ads
- Using targeting options that are not allowed, like targeting based on race or ethnicity
- Promoting prohibited products or services, like illegal drugs
- Engaging in other policy violations like cloaking or misrepresentation
If your account has been permanently disabled, you will not be able to run any more ads from that account. Facebook does not allow people to create new accounts to get around an ad account ban.
However, for first-time violations, Facebook may just temporarily disable your account for a period of time, like 1 week or 1 month. In this case, you just have to wait out the duration of the suspension. Do not try to create a new account, as that will likely result in a permanent ban.
When your temporary suspension is over, you should be more careful about following Facebook’s policies going forward. Read their Advertising Policies and Community Standards thoroughly. Also take time to learn about common pitfalls and policy violations to avoid.
If you believe your account was disabled by mistake, you can try appealing to Facebook through the Help Center. However, appeals are rarely successful for disabled ad accounts.
Your Ad was Disapproved
Another common reason you may be blocked from running ads is if one of your ads gets disapproved by Facebook. This means your ad violated a policy, and is no longer allowed to run.
Some top reasons ads get disapproved include:
- Using prohibited content in the ad creative, like copyrighted material or offensive imagery
- Making misleading or exaggerated claims in the ad text
- Targeting an inappropriate audience
- Promoting restricted products, services or content
If your ad gets disapproved, you’ll receive a notification explaining the policy violation. You can edit your ad to resolve the issue and submit it for review again. However, you won’t be allowed to run any other new ads until your existing ad is approved.
To avoid getting your ads disapproved in the future:
- Carefully review Facebook’s Advertising Policies and Community Standards
- Avoid using copyrighted or unauthorized content
- Be truthful and accurate in your ad text
- Use appropriate targeting for your audience and objectives
It’s also recommended to have someone else proofread your ads before running them. A second set of eyes can help spot potential policy issues.
If you believe your ad was wrongly disapproved, you can appeal the decision through Ads Manager. However, appeals are often unsuccessful. It’s usually faster to simply edit the ad and resubmit it for review.
Your Payment Method was Declined
Facebook requires a valid payment method to run ads. If your card is declined when Facebook tries to charge it, your ads will stop running and you’ll be prevented from launching new campaigns.
Some common reasons for declined payments include:
- Expired or insufficient funds on your card
- The card issuer flagged the charges as suspicious
- You’ve reached the transaction limit on your card
- Your billing address doesn’t match the card details
To resolve this, first add a new valid payment method to your Ads account. This could be a different card, PayPal, or debiting your bank account.
Next, you may need to reach out to your card provider if the transaction was falsely flagged. Get them to remove any blocks on future Facebook charges.
You should also update the billing details to match your card’s. Make sure there are sufficient funds to cover your advertising costs. Consider setting spending limits on your account to avoid surprise overages.
Once you have an approved payment method again, your ads will resume running. Be sure to keep your payment info up to date to avoid further issues.
You’ve Reached Your Spending Limit
If you impose a daily or monthly spending cap on your Facebook advertising, your ads will pause once you hit that limit. You’ll then be prevented from launching any new ads until your next billing cycle resets the limit.
This is an intentional limitation you set, versus the other issues which were imposed by Facebook. Still, it can be frustrating if you hoped to continue advertising but are now blocked.
Some tips for dealing with hitting your spending limit:
- Carefully monitor your spending as you approach the limit
- Set your limit high enough to reasonably allow for unexpected high-performing days
- Consider expanding your budget mid-cycle if you’re seeing great ROI
- Pause lower-performing ads first as you near your cap
- Use Facebook’s pacing options to smooth out your spending
Basically, plan ahead and be strategic about your spending cap. Build in some buffer room, and be willing to increase your budget if your ads are working well. Prioritize pausing poor-performing ads first as you near the limit.
The only other option is to wait patiently until your cap resets at the start of the next billing period. Use this as an opportunity to optimize your ads for better performance next time. Just don’t be tempted to create a new ad account to evade your own limit.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some general tips for troubleshooting when Facebook blocks you from running ads:
- Carefully read any error messages or notifications from Facebook
- Check your ad account status in Ads Manager for any restrictions
- Confirm your payment method is valid and able to transact
- Review recent ad rejections for policy violations
- Ensure your account, ads, targeting, and creatives comply with all policies
- Appeal decisions if you think Facebook made a mistake
- Reach out to Facebook ad support if you need clarification
Acting quickly and resolving any underlying issues will get your ads back up faster. Be polite but persistent with appeals and support requests.
Preventing Future Blocks
Here are some tips to avoid having Facebook block your ads in the future:
- Maintain a clean ad account with no history of violations
- Familiarize yourself inside and out with Facebook’s policies
- Use compliant targeting, creatives, and ad text
- Set up billing alerts and keep payment info current
- Impose reasonable spending limits you can stick to
- Have someone else review your ads before launch
- Move cautiously when testing new targeting or creative approaches
Essentially, play by the rules, keep your payment methods valid, and don’t push boundaries too quickly. Seek guidance if unsure about policy compliance. A ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Conclusion
Facebook blocking your ads is frustrating, but usually fixable. The key is to diagnose the cause, then take appropriate action to resolve the underlying issue.
Common reasons include policy violations, payment problems, and spending limits. Carefully review Facebook’s error messages and notifications to understand why you’ve been blocked.
Appeal any incorrect decisions, fix your ads if they were non-compliant, update your payment details, or simply wait out any temporary restrictions. With some strategic troubleshooting, you should be able to resume advertising quickly.
Just be sure to learn from any mistakes and tighten up your account to prevent future blocks. Familiarize yourself with all Facebook policies, targeting guidelines, and review processes. Maintain properly configured payment methods. And pace your spending to avoid surprises.
With some diligence and care, you can avoid undue blocks from Facebook and ensure your ads keep running smoothly. Be patient, be prudent, and be careful – and Facebook should pose no unreasonable obstacles as you grow your advertising on their platform.