Having your Facebook profile restricted from advertising can be frustrating. There are a few common reasons why this may happen. In the opening paragraphs, I’ll provide a quick overview of the most likely causes and then explain each in more detail throughout the article.
Top Reasons for Facebook Advertising Restrictions
Here are some of the most common reasons your Facebook profile may be restricted from advertising:
- Your account is new or doesn’t have enough activity
- You haven’t completed the advertising authorization process
- Your ad account is in bad standing due to policy violations
- Your payment information is not valid
- You’ve hit your advertising spending limit
Your Account is New or Lacks Activity
Facebook wants to make sure advertisers are running real profiles in good standing. If your account is brand new or doesn’t have much activity, Facebook may restrict your ability to run ads until you build up your presence.
To resolve this, focus on regularly posting content and engaging with others on Facebook. Having an established account with friends, posts, and engagement signals to Facebook that you’re a real user. Here are some tips:
- Add friends and engage with their content by commenting and liking posts
- Post updates, photos, videos, and content regularly
- Join and participate in Facebook Groups related to your interests
- Build up your followers and interactions on your Facebook Page if you have one
Facebook doesn’t disclose the specific activity thresholds required, but consistently using your profile normally should eventually satisfy their requirements.
You Haven’t Completed the Authorization Process
All Facebook advertisers are required to go through an authorization process and get approved to run ads. The authorization helps verify your identity and account details. If you haven’t completed authorization, your ability to run ads will be restricted.
To authorize your ad account:
- Go to the Facebook Ads Manager
- In the left column, click “Authorization”
- Choose the country your business is based in
- Select the type of identification you want to use
- Enter your details and submit them for authorization
Facebook will review your information and send a confirmation when approved. The review process can take a few days. Make sure all the details you submit match your account profile information. Once authorized, the advertising restriction should be lifted.
Your Ad Account has Policy Violations
Facebook Advertising Policies clearly outline what can and cannot be advertised on their platform. If too many of your ads go against policy, your account can be restricted or banned.
Some common advertising violations that could trigger restrictions include:
- Using misleading or inaccurate information in ads
- Promoting prohibited or restricted products in ads
- Using improper targeting or exclusion tools
- Running political or social issue ads without authorization
- Using unauthorized or unverified ad accounts
If policy violations have caused your advertising restriction, you’ll need to appeal to Facebook. In the Ads Manager, find the feedback option that allows you to contact support. Explain the situation and steps you’ve taken to resolve the issue. Improving compliance can often get your restrictions lifted.
Tips to Avoid Policy Violations
- Carefully review all Advertising Policies
- Use clear, accurate language and images in ads
- Get proper authorization for restricted ad categories
- Don’t try to circumvent policy requirements
- Work only with authorized and verified ad accounts
Your Payment Method is Not Valid
Facebook requires advertisers to have a valid payment method on file, even for ads with no spending budget. This ensures you have the ability to pay if your ads do accrue costs. An expired credit card, closed account, or other invalid payment will restrict your ability to run live ads.
To fix this:
- Check the payment method currently on file for your ad account
- If invalid, enter new payment information that is valid
- Facebook will verify the new details and lift restrictions once approved
Keep your payment information updated to avoid interruptions. Facebook will notify you if your currently saved method becomes invalid for any reason.
You’ve Hit Your Spending Limit
Facebook sets a lifetime spending limit of $25,000 for advertisers who haven’t completed the authorization process. Once you hit this limit, your ads will be restricted until you get authorized.
This is another reason completing the authorization steps outlined earlier is important. Authorized advertisers do not have a preset spending cap. Limits are only based on your designated budget and ability to pay.
If you’ve hit the $25,000 spending threshold:
- Complete the authorization process
- Facebook will review your details and remove the lifetime limit
- Continue advertising without restrictions afterwards
Troubleshooting Other Potential Issues
Outside of the main reasons covered already, here are a few other things to check if your Facebook profile is restricted from advertising:
Make Sure Your Profile is Set to Public
Facebook requires advertiser profiles to be public. Check your privacy settings and make sure your profile visibility is set to public. Advertising restrictions can be triggered if you change to private mode.
Avoid Ad Blockers and Proxy Servers
Using ad blocking browsers, VPNs, or proxy servers when accessing Facebook can also lead to advertising restrictions in some cases. Facebook may block the ability to advertise if they cannot verify your accurate location and IP address.
Check Your Login Activity
If your Facebook account shows login attempts from unknown locations, it’s possible your profile was compromised. Restrictions may be applied until you secure your account. Check recent login locations under security settings.
Requesting a Review of Your Restriction
If you’ve taken all applicable troubleshooting steps and your Facebook profile is still restricted, you can request a review:
- From Ads Manager, choose “Request Review” from the options
- Clearly explain why you feel the restriction should be lifted
- Provide info confirming you resolved any issues
- Submit your review request to Facebook
Keep in mind reviews can take time. Focus on being detailed in your explanation and include evidence you took corrective actions where applicable.
Conclusion
Restrictions on advertising happen to protect Facebook users and maintain policy compliance. By understanding the common causes for these restrictions, advertisers can troubleshoot issues and get back to reaching their audiences.
The main reasons covered include needing more account activity, incomplete authorization, advertising policy violations, invalid payment methods, and hitting lifetime spending limits before authorization.
Carefully going through each potential cause and checking Facebook settings, payment information, login activity, and profile visibility can help identify and resolve the underlying issue. Submitting requests for review along with details of corrective actions can also help lift invalid restrictions.
With some targeted troubleshooting and a focus on compliance, most advertisers can get their Facebook profiles unrestricted and resume creating effective campaigns.