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<\/p>\nTrying to follow Facebook ads rules can feel like trying to hit a moving target in the dark. What can you advertise? How can you advertise it? Who are you allowed to advertise to? And once you’ve figured out those answers, how long does the mysterious Facebook ads review process take?<\/p>\n
Even when you\u2019ve finally figured out, Facebook changes another marketing policy, and your ads get rejected again. Or they sit in a \u201cpending review\u201d purgatory forever, never to be approved or denied.<\/p>\n
We have reviewed all of Facebook\u2019s current advertising rules, policies, and procedures and have organized them here for an easy summary.<\/p>\n
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Together, we\u2019ll increase your ad approval chances, keep you out of Facebook purgatory, and make sure you know what to do when an ad is rejected.<\/p>\n
Facebook has a posted procedure for the steps and the time they take to review your ads. But experience suggests their procedure is more a recommendation than a rule. Here\u2019s what we\u2019ve learned about the Facebook ads review process.<\/p>\n
According to Facebook<\/a>, ads review is a simple three-step process:<\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Whether your ad is approved or denied, Facebook will let you know by email and\/or notification in your account. If your ad is approved, it\u2019ll be published automatically, and you\u2019ll start to see results in Ads Manager<\/a>.<\/p>\n Behind the scenes, there seems to be a mix of people and machine-based reviews. Facebook says<\/a> they rely mostly on automated ad reviews but use human reviewers \u201cto improve and train our automated systems and, in some cases, to review specific ads.\u201d<\/p>\n There are two scenarios that cause your ads to be reviewed by Facebook:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Changes that trigger a review include:<\/p>\n Sometimes, your ad is approved quickly, only to be denied a day or two later. It\u2019s hard to say for sure why that is. The timing suggests that the first approval is done via an automated process, and then a human manually reviews and denies the ad.<\/p>\n Facebook says that most ads are reviewed within 24 hours. In reality, some ads are approved in minutes, while some can take days.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no official expedite function within the Facebook ads review policy; however, there are some things you can do that may help speed things along.<\/p>\n Publish between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.<\/b>, Monday through Friday.<\/b> Be consistent<\/b>. Don\u2019t bend the rules<\/b>. Allow for extra time in Q4.<\/b> Source<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n With all that ad traffic to review, it\u2019s best to give yourself some extra leeway leading up to the Q4 crunch. Ideally, submit ads at least two weeks before you need them to publish.<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes, your ad gets lost in Facebook limbo, with no status update on approval or denial.<\/p>\n So, my facebook Ad is stuck in “In Review”<\/p>\n Can anyone help me understand what to do? How to solve it?<\/p>\n Please retweet. \u2014 Arun Kumar Verma (@arun11192) November 23, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n You have two options to unstick your ad if it hasn\u2019t been dealt with in 24 hours: You can submit a form<\/a> to force a review. Or you can chat with Facebook support through the Facebook Business Help Center<\/a>. We recommend the first option and that you use chat only if the form fails.<\/strong><\/p>\n If your ad is denied, Facebook will let you know what rule you\u2019ve broken on your Facebook Account Quality page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Typically, a few infractions won\u2019t affect anything beyond having those ads denied. If you show a trend of breaking the Facebook ads rules over and over, or if your infraction is egregious, Facebook may take further action<\/a>, such as disabling, restricting, or revoking your account.<\/p>\n But what do you do if your account is negatively affected?<\/p>\n Welp, my Facebook ads account was banned after a whole 8 hours of running our first ad ever. Is it worth submitting for review or is this a lost cause?<\/p>\n \u2014 Scott Robinson (@ScottWRobinson) January 7, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n If this happens to you, review this page<\/a> from Facebook, and contact a representative through Business Center Help.<\/p>\n Avoiding ad rejection is an important part of Facebook marketing<\/a>. It starts with understanding what products and content Facebook reviewers will and won\u2019t allow.<\/p>\n Before you create a single ad or even commit to advertising on Facebook, make sure your products aren\u2019t subject to an automatic Facebook ad ban. Here\u2019s what\u2019s currently not allowed:<\/p>\n Illegal products or services<\/b> Tobacco and related products<\/b> Drugs and related products<\/b> Unsafe supplements<\/b> Weapons, ammo, or explosives<\/b> Adult products or services<\/b> Payday loans or bail bonds<\/b> Multilevel marketing<\/b> Penny auctions<\/b> Prohibitive financial products<\/b> Body parts<\/b> Additional considerations are required before some products can be advertised on Facebook. If you\u2019re in one of these industries, make sure you know the extra steps it takes to get your ad approved.<\/p>\n Alcohol<\/b> Dating<\/b> Online gambling and social casino games<\/b> Ads for casino games, where no money changes hands, are allowed without preauthorization as long as you restrict audience targeting to people over 18 years of age.<\/p>\n Online pharmacies<\/b> Over-the-counter drugs<\/b> Financial and insurance products<\/b> Branded content<\/b> Social issues, elections, politics<\/b> Cryptocurrency<\/b> Drug and alcohol treatment<\/b> Cosmetic and weight-loss procedures <\/b> Even if you promote an approved and unrestricted product, the Facebook ads review process denies ads if your creative doesn\u2019t adhere to the following guidelines. Creative includes text, images, video, and URLs.<\/p>\n Graphic or adult content<\/b> Controversial content<\/b> Grammar and profanity<\/b> Nonexistent functionality<\/b> Before and after photos<\/b> Misleading claims<\/b> Click-bait content<\/b> If you\u2019re unsure of your ad\u2019s quality<\/a>, Facebook helps you test it using their relevance diagnostics<\/a>.<\/p>\n Automatic animation<\/b> The updated 20% text on image rule<\/b> The Facebook ads review process doesn’t just look at your ad. It also scrutinizes the website<\/a> your ad links to.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Here are some landing page or URL characteristics that could get your ad blocked by Facebook.<\/p>\n Disruptive content <\/b> Nonfunctioning or non-matching landing page<\/b> Misleading URLs<\/b> Facebook is really picky about how advertisers use their logos and reference their products. Given the seemingly ubiquitous existence of things like the Facebook \u201cthumbs-up\u201d symbol, this can be a tricky thing to avoid. Here\u2019s how to make sure you\u2019re not overstepping Facebook\u2019s brand use guidelines:<\/p>\n Endorsement<\/b> Brand usage<\/b> Screenshots<\/b> Facebook maintains some policies that address broad categories like discrimination. Some are focused on marketing activities, and some also cover organic posts, messages, and comments. In either case, ads that cross these lines are rejected.<\/p>\n Several of the Facebook ads rules include language that prohibits or at least discourages discrimination. If your ads are denied, and you\u2019re not sure why, take a second look to see if anything might be mistakenly interpreted as going against these policies.<\/p>\n Overt discrimination<\/b> Targeting<\/b> Asserting personal attributes<\/b> Here are a few examples from Facebook:<\/p>\n OK: \u201cMeet black singles today!\u201d OK: \u201cDepression counseling\u201d Negative self-perceptions<\/b> Facebook has made its community standards public<\/a>. They apply to all forms of communication on Facebook, not just ads. Many of these standards, like authenticity, duplicate other Facebook ads rules we\u2019ve discussed. But two stand out as covering new ground:<\/p>\n Violence and criminal behavior<\/b> Exploitation, harassment, and privacy<\/b> As marketers, we love the ability to personalize ad experiences. Consumers are sometimes less enthused<\/a> and often express privacy concerns. Facebook has policies in place to help ease those concerns.<\/p>\n Data collection<\/b> Data sharing<\/b> If you advertise on Facebook for any length of time, odds are you will have an ad rejected eventually. It\u2019s frustrating, but you do have some options to get your campaign back on track.<\/p>\n You can simply review the part of your ad that Facebook says doesn\u2019t comply, and then make a change. This is usually the fastest and easiest option with the highest chance of success.<\/p>\n Once you make the change, Facebook automatically re-reviews your ad.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve reviewed your ad and can\u2019t see anything that conflicts with the Facebook ads rules or policies, you have the option to appeal the decision.<\/p>\n If your ad is denied quickly, like in a few minutes, it probably means something triggered the automated process. Submitting an appeal will move the review to human hands.<\/p>\n Get started by filling out the form that\u2019s linked in your rejection notice on the Facebook Account Quality page<\/a>. Reference the rule that\u2019s been \u201cbroken,\u201d and explain how your ad actually complies with the rule.<\/p>\n Although you can\u2019t submit the same ad over and over again for approval, you can create a duplicate ad that\u2019s automatically reviewed.<\/p>\n If a human reviewer denied your ad the first time, it\u2019s possible a new human reviewer may pass it. You can try this as an alternative to an appeal, but it could waste some time if it\u2019s denied again.<\/p>\n In advertising, A\/B testing<\/a> is the practice of creating multiple versions of an ad to see which best achieves some predetermined outcome.<\/p>\n In this case, A\/B testing is done to see which ad passes review. This gives you a better shot at getting an ad out if one gets denied. If multiple ads pass on the first go, then you\u2019ll get to see which performs best with customers.<\/p>\n Facebook gives organic posts more leeway than ads in terms of the content they can contain. Of course, you still don\u2019t want to discriminate or advocate violence. But you might be able to mention a dating service or use copy that would get flagged by ad reviews.<\/p>\n Organic posts usually see way less reach than paid ads, so it\u2019s not an ideal option. But at least you can use the creative you\u2019ve spent time making.<\/p>\n Note that boosted posts<\/a> are reviewed like ads. So you can\u2019t just create a post and boost it if it was already restricted.<\/p>\n Facebook describes<\/a> their standards as \u201ca living set of guidelines.\u201d Twice a month, they meet globally to review their current rule book and look for ways to improve it.<\/p>\n The good news is, Facebook publishes the notes<\/a> from those meetings. You can read what the people responsible for Facebook\u2019s community and ad policies are planning to change in just a few minutes each month. With that kind of heads-up, you\u2019ll never have another ad rejected. Well, fewer ads rejected, anyway.<\/p>\n Now that you know all the Facebook ads rules, you’re ready to start brainstorming some creative. If you need some inspiration from those that do it really well, check out these examples of top performing Facebook ads<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
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What triggers a Facebook ads review?<\/h3>\n
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How can I speed up my ad review?<\/h3>\n
\nFrom our data, we see ads posted during these times often get a faster review.<\/p>\n
\nDomains and ad accounts with a long history of approved ads seem to be denied less often.<\/p>\n
\nIf your ad is on the edge of breaking one of the Facebook ads rules, it\u2019s more likely to get flagged for additional review. You may win an appeal if it\u2019s denied, but you\u2019ll lose a lot of time in the process.<\/p>\n
\nBusinesses place more ads leading up to the holidays. You can see that play out in the fourth-quarter spikes of Facebook ad revenue.<\/p>\n![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/adespresso.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/image-2021-01-13T154328.833.png\")
What if my ad is stuck in review?<\/h3>\n
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\nThanks.#Facebook<\/a> #facebookmarketing<\/a><\/p>\nWhat happens if my ad is denied?<\/h3>\n
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5 Facebook Ads Rules to Follow to Get Your Ad Approved<\/b><\/h2>\n
1. Don\u2019t advertise prohibited products.<\/h3>\n
\nYou can\u2019t advertise any product that would get you arrested or fined for selling. This includes offering age-restricted products to minors.<\/p>\n
\nNo cigarettes, cigars, vapes, or any product that simulates smoking. Antismoking ads are OK, as are ads that lead to tobacco-enthusiast groups, like a cigar club \u2014 as long as the ads don\u2019t lead to the sale of a related product.<\/p>\n
\nThis means both illegal and prescription drugs, as well as paraphernalia and images that imply drug use.<\/p>\n
\nThink steroids, ephedra, or human growth hormones. Facebook\u2019s policy on this is clear: They get to decide which products are included in the category, so it\u2019s going to be subjective.<\/p>\n
\nHandguns, rifles, and shotguns are obvious exclusions here. But this category also includes pepper spray, tasers, and things like batons and non-culinary knives. You can advertise accessories like holsters, scopes, and gun safes if you set your audience targeting to 18 years or older. Toy guns and gun-safety classes are also allowed.<\/p>\n
\nYou can advertise contraceptive products, but you have to focus the messaging on their contraceptive features, and audience targeting needs to be 18 years or older.<\/p>\n
\nBasically, any loan with a term of less than 90 days designed to cover expenses until the borrower\u2019s next payday is a banned ad product.<\/p>\n
\nThis restriction also bans advertising any opportunity to make a quick buck with little investment. You have to be very clear on what your business model and associated products are if you want to promote moneymaking opportunities on Facebook.<\/p>\n
\nThey\u2019re also called \u201cbidding fee auctions<\/a>,\u201d and you can\u2019t advertise them on Facebook.<\/p>\n
\nSome financial products are synonymous with misleading claims. Binary options<\/a> and initial coin offerings<\/a> are examples, and Facebook blocks ads that promote them.<\/p>\n
\nWe hope this is self-explanatory.<\/p>\n2. Do be careful when advertising restricted products.<\/h3>\n
\nMost of the restrictions on alcohol<\/a> ad placements revolve around age targeting and local laws. For example, in the United States, you can\u2019t target ads for alcohol to an audience under the age of 21. In Canada, the age threshold for alcohol ad targeting is 19.<\/p>\n
\nDating services, online or otherwise, are subject to lots of ad restrictions<\/a>. First and foremost, you have to fill out a form<\/a> to request permission before you can place a single ad. Then, there are additional Facebook ads rules around imagery, language, and the types of services that can be offered (e.g., no mail-order brides).<\/p>\n
\nAny game where you have to make a purchase for a chance to win something with monetary value falls into this category, according to Facebook<\/a>. If that\u2019s your niche, you\u2019ll need to get permission to run your ad, and you\u2019ll need to use proper age targeting and adherence to local laws. Exceptions are brick-and-mortar casinos and government-led lotteries.<\/p>\n
\nWhile you can\u2019t advertise for pharmaceuticals at all, you can post an ad for an online pharmacy<\/a> with advanced written permission.<\/p>\n
\nTo sell aspirin, cough syrup, or any over-the-counter drug through Facebook<\/a>, you\u2019ll need to set age targeting and follow laws and guidelines per your geographic location.<\/p>\n
\nYou can advertise credit card applications, mortgage loans, and other financial products, but you have some rules to follow<\/a>. You have to be clear about loan fees, interest rates, and your physical location. You can\u2019t directly ask for personal financial information. And you have to target your ads to people over the age of 18.<\/p>\n
\nOnce you get paid by a company to publish a post, that post becomes an ad (even if you don\u2019t actually pay Facebook to promote that post). A common example is an influencer who publishes a post that features them wearing a brand\u2019s shirt, and they get paid to do so. That\u2019s called branded content. In these cases, the person publishing the post needs to use the branded content tool<\/a>, which makes it clear to viewers that the post is an ad.<\/p>\n
\nMostly this restriction<\/a> is about following local regulations for political ads, but it also requires prior Facebook approval. Here are more guidelines and best practices <\/a>for these types of ads.<\/p>\n
\nAds for cryptocurrency and related items<\/a> (e.g., equipment for mining bitcoin) also require prior Facebook approval<\/a>. You can also run ads for cryptocurrency tax services, events, and trading platforms with this preauthorization.<\/p>\n
\nHere\u2019s the application<\/a> to run ads for drug and alcohol treatment products and services. You\u2019ll also need to be approved by LegitScript<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nFacebook allows ads for elective surgeries like rhinoplasty, dermabrasion, and weight-loss\/cosmetic procedures, but you\u2019ll need to get permission first<\/a>.<\/p>\n3. Do use high-quality, relevant, truthful creative.<\/h3>\n
\nYour ads cannot include images that are sexually explicit, are sexually suggestive, or include nudity. You\u2019ll also need to steer clear of adding shocking, graphic images that depict things like medical procedures, car accidents, or weapons pointed at the viewer.<\/p>\n
\nYou may be able to post about a controversial political topic in your organic feed, but you can\u2019t exploit that topic commercially in an ad, says Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nVery poor grammar in an ad gets it flagged for review and\/or denial, as does profanity.<\/p>\n
\nPlacing a fake \u201cvideo play\u201d button in your image may get more people to click on your ad, but it\u2019s deceitful, and Facebook won\u2019t allow your ad to run.<\/p>\n
\nYou can\u2019t use images comparing the effects of a product on someone\u2019s appearance. Weight loss and hair restoration are common examples here.<\/p>\n
\nUnproven financial gain, purposely confusing return policies, and cures for incurable diseases are all examples of misleading claims that Facebook doesn\u2019t allow in ads. If you can\u2019t prove it, don\u2019t use it in your ad.<\/p>\n
\nYou\u2019ll never believe what Facebook doesn\u2019t allow in ads! Hint: It\u2019s hiding information or using sensational language. Also, don\u2019t try to run up engagements with irrelevant either\/or polls (e.g., Hit \u201clike\u201d for hamburgers or \u201clove\u201d for pizza).<\/p>\n
\nThis means no flashing strobes or jarring sounds that play without a person\u2019s interaction with your ad.<\/p>\n
\nIt used to be that Facebook denied ads that had text covering more than 20% of their image. That rule was removed recently, but it\u2019s still suggested you keep text confined to a small area of your photos. Ads with too much text won’t perform well simply because they are not very nice to look at.<\/p>\n4. Don\u2019t link to an irrelevant, poorly designed landing page or URL.<\/h3>\n
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\nNo one likes hitting the \u201cnext\u201d button a hundred times to read one short article. Facebook hates it too. So if your ad leads to that kind of content, be ready for denial.<\/p>\n
\nUsing a call-to-action of \u201cclick here and lose unwanted weight\u201d to drive traffic to a divorce attorney\u2019s website might be funny, but Facebook will notice the bait and switch. Your ad will not likely be approved.<\/p>\n
\nLikewise, if the URL included in your ad looks like it leads to one type of landing page, but it\u2019s redirected to something unrelated, your ad won\u2019t run. So don\u2019t use a URL like \u201cwww.stopsmokinginstantly.com\u201d to link to a website for chewing tobacco.<\/p>\n5. Don\u2019t misuse Facebook or Instagram brand assets.<\/h3>\n
\nYou can\u2019t say or imply that your product or service is endorsed by any Facebook company or platform, including Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and so on.<\/p>\n
\nOfficially, Facebook says to not make their logos or branding a prominent feature in your ads or on the landing pages they link to. We\u2019ve heard stories about denials of ads that had images with a Facebook-branded box in the background.<\/p>\n
\nIf you use screenshots from any version of the Facebook, Instagram, or Messenger user interfaces, make sure it\u2019s represented accurately. Don\u2019t modify or crop the image.<\/p>\nFacebook Marketing Policy: What You Need to Know
\n<\/b><\/h2>\nDiscrimination policies<\/h3>\n
\nOf course your ads can\u2019t directly discriminate against or demean people based on attributes like race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and so on.<\/p>\n
\nWith a little deductive reasoning, it\u2019s possible to use audience characteristics\u2014 location, interests, etc.\u2014 to target ads in a way that unfairly discriminates against some groups of people. Doing so jeopardizes both your ad approvals and your account status with Facebook.<\/p>\n
\nYou can mention a characteristic like ethnicity or religious affiliation in an ad, but you can\u2019t directly or indirectly assert that the viewer has that characteristic.<\/p>\n
\nNot OK: \u201cMeet other black singles near you!\u201d<\/p>\n
\nNot OK: \u201cDepression getting you down? Get help now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAds can\u2019t contain copy or pictures that try to induce a negative self-image. For example, a weight-loss ad that focuses on body types rather than the product would likely be flagged and denied.<\/p>\nCommunity standards policy<\/b><\/h3>\n
\nYour ads can\u2019t incite, depict, or promote violence or criminal behavior. They also can\u2019t support groups that openly encourage or engage in those behaviors.<\/p>\n
\nThese standards cover a lot of ground, but they\u2019re generally meant to say that you can\u2019t use Facebook to bully or take advantage of other people. You also can\u2019t expose anyone\u2019s private information, including images, on the platform.<\/p>\nPersonal data policies<\/b><\/h3>\n
\nFacebook lead ads<\/a> are ads with an embedded form that allows you to gather information about your customers. Before you can use them, though, you must create a privacy policy<\/a> and link it to your lead form.<\/p>\n
\nAny data you collect from your Facebook ads can only be shared internally or with \u201csomeone acting on your behalf<\/a>,\u201d like a service provider.<\/p>\nHow to Keep Your Campaign Running If Your Ad Is Denied<\/b><\/h2>\n
Edit your ad<\/h3>\n
Appeal the ruling<\/h3>\n
Duplicate and resubmit your ad<\/h3>\n
Create multiple versions and A \/B test<\/h3>\n
Try organic posting instead<\/h3>\n
Stay on top of Facebook Ads Rules and Marketing Policies<\/h3>\n