Why Facebook Rejects Certain Ads — And What to Do About It

Are your Facebook ads not getting views?

I'm talking about literally zero views.

Sure, some ads just don't perform well. Facebook advertising is a trial and error process, and it can take some time to figure out what works.

But, it's possible that your ads were actually outright rejected by Facebook.

If so, there should be an email in your inbox somewhere that notifies you.

They'll also give you the reason your ad wasn't approved.

So why do ads get rejected?

Facebook has a bunch of guidelines in place, which are mostly there to discourage spam and adult content.

If you're selling tobacco products, cannabis products, or firearms, you cannot use Facebook to advertise.

But that's not all.

You can't show those “Before & After” photos for weight loss products — even if they are 100% real.

Weight loss products in general leave you in a precarious position, and selling that kind of thing raises the likelihood that some of your ads will be rejected.

The same goes for anything having to do with making money online.

In a recent blog post, AdEspresso explains in detail why some posts aren't approved, and what you can do to fix them.

Your ads have been disapproved

If your ads have been disapproved, Facebook will send you a notification, with the reason of disapproval, to the email address that you have registered with them.

[image source: AdEspresso]

If you can’t get into your e-mail, or just can’t find the notification, you can also check your status inside Facebook’s ad manager.

You can also find the status of your ad in AdEspresso by going to the All Ads page.

Disapproved ads will be marked by a red circle with a white line through it.

[image source: AdEspresso]

If your ad has been rejected, there are a lot of reasons why that may be. Here are the most common ones.

9 Reasons Why Facebook Will Reject an Ad

1. The ad features or promotes tobacco, drugs and drug-related products (including pharmaceuticals)
2. The ad promotes unreliable and/or unsafe diet supplements (what qualifies as unreliable and unsafe is unfortunately up to Facebook and their discretion)
3. The ad is selling weapons, ammunition, and explosives
4. The ad features sensational, excessively violent content
5. The ad promises counterfeit or fake documents, such as degrees, passports, or immigration papers
6. Malware and spyware, surveillance equipment (spy cams and cell phone trackers, for example) can be found in the ad
7. The ad uses unlikely or exaggerated “before-and-after” images to promote weight loss (ads for health and weight loss products must be targeted to people over 18 years old)
8. The ad features “Adult Content”
9. Unrealistic claims or get ‘get rich quick’ schemes

P.S You can check out our guide for even more guidance on why your ads may be getting disapproved).

Facebook’s Advertising Policies will also provide additional information about exact specifications.

What can you do to fix it?

1. Make the requested changes.

For example, if Facebook cited your graphic as being inappropriate, simply change the image out to one that fits their standards.

Once you’ve made your changes and saved the ad, it will automatically be resubmitted to Facebook for further review and (hopefully) approval.

2. Appeal the disapproval.

Everyone makes mistakes, especially Facebook.

So if you feel that your ad has been erroneously disapproved, you can always submit an appeal through Facebook.

To do so, all you have to do is fill out this form here and provide the required information.

If you are successful in your appeal, Facebook will automatically start your ads and alert you via the Ad Account or Facebook Page.

You can learn more about making sure your ads reach your audience over at AdEspresso.