Rules · advertising

Why ads fail review and how to get them through

The sixteen topics behind most Meta ad rejections. Each topic shows what is restricted, what gets the ad rejected and what a version that passes looks like.

Why ad rules are stricter than organic ones

  • Paid reach hits many people fast, so the risk of harm or deception is higher.
  • The EU adds requirements on consumer protection, minors, alcohol, gambling, financial services and health claims.
  • Platforms protect a brand-safe environment because advertiser trust depends on it.

How review works

  • Automated detection first, then human moderators for disputed cases or after reports.
  • The creative, copy, headline, CTA, landing page, form and targeting are all reviewed together.
  • The outcome is approved, disapproved or limited delivery, plus warnings in Account Quality.
  • The ladder runs: rejected ads → limited ad features → restricted ad account → restricted Business Manager.

The rule that prevents most rejections

The ad and the landing page have to say the same thing. If you promise a discount, a price or a condition, it must be visible on the page the click lands on.

01

Misleading claims and fake offers

Promises of easy money, unrealistic results, hidden conditions and offers with nothing real behind them.

What gets it taken down

  • 'Earn 1,000 today with no effort' and 'guaranteed profit'.
  • Conditions buried in an asterisk in tiny type.

Do this instead

  • A real benefit with verifiable claims.
  • A visible price, deadline and limits, plus a link to the full terms.

Before

'Triple your money in 24 hours' with a 'Get it now' CTA and a landing page with no terms.

After

'-10% with code SPRING until 15.05' with an 'Order today' CTA and the terms visible at the top of the landing page.

Before you publish

  • Is there a real benefit and a verifiable claim?
  • Are 'guaranteed', 'easy' and 'risk-free' absent?
02

Before/after and sensational claims

Body and face transformations, sensational imagery and shocking visuals used as clickbait.

What gets it taken down

  • Close-ups of 'flaws' and dramatic before/after collages.
  • Numeric promises like '-15 kg in 10 days'.

Do this instead

  • Wide shots and silhouettes instead of visual exploitation.
  • Client stories with the method described and a disclaimer that results vary.

Before

A carousel with a before/after midsection and '-15 kg in 10 days', with no evidence.

After

A carousel with the coach and the program: 'Our clients follow a personal regimen for 12 weeks', with the method described.

Before you publish

  • No before/after and no sensational visuals?
  • Are the claims moderate and backed by real data?
03

Prohibited products and services

Illegal products and services, hacking tools, forged documents, fireworks, and the sale of accounts or engagement.

What gets it taken down

  • Advertising help with banned substances or devices.
  • Selling profiles, likes and followers.

Do this instead

  • A lawful alternative to the product.
  • Educational content that does not encourage purchase or use.

Before

A product from a banned category with 'Buy now — 100% guarantee'.

After

An explainer graphic on 'which products are regulated and why', with a 'Learn more' CTA.

Before you publish

  • Is the category legal in the country you target?
  • No workaround through a link, a QR code or another domain?
04

Alcohol, gambling, tobacco and vaping

A special regime: age and territorial limits, licensing requirements and mandatory legal notices.

What gets it taken down

  • Targeting that includes people under 18.
  • Missing legal markers and encouragement of excessive use.

Do this instead

  • Geo-targeting that follows local law, plus age verification.
  • The required warnings in the copy and a license on file.

Before

'Party without end!' with no age filter and no legal notices.

After

18+ targeting, regional requirements, and copy reading 'Drink responsibly (18+)'.

Before you publish

  • Are all three covered: age, country and licence?
  • Is the format allowed for this category?
05

Health: medicines, supplements, weight loss

Prescription drugs, high-risk supplements and medical claims with no evidence.

What gets it taken down

  • The words 'cures', 'heals' and 'guaranteed effect'.
  • Targeting by health status and before/after body shots.

Do this instead

  • A general wellness framing with no diagnoses.
  • An invitation to consult a specialist and a link to the research.

Before

A video of capsules with 'Cures gastritis. Guaranteed effect.'

After

A video with a coach and nutrition: 'Support for your energy. Read the ingredients.'

Before you publish

  • No diagnoses and no promised outcomes?
  • Is there an invitation to consult a specialist and a source for the data?
06

Personal attributes

Claims or hints that you know someone's personal status: health, race, religion, income, orientation, age.

What gets it taken down

  • Openers like 'Do you have diabetes? Buy this.'
  • Addressing 'you' or 'your group' by a protected characteristic.

Do this instead

  • General phrasing: 'people with diabetes often…' instead of 'you, who have…'.
  • Focus on what the product does, not on who the user is.

Before

'Do you have depression? Get X.'

After

'Resources for mental wellbeing.'

Before you publish

  • No address by a personal characteristic?
  • Does the copy work for a broad audience?
07

Housing, employment and credit (Special Ad Categories)

For housing, employment and credit offers, targeting is limited and the ad must be flagged in the matching special category.

What gets it taken down

  • Excluding people by ethnicity, religion, age or gender.
  • Running such an offer without flagging the special category.

Do this instead

  • Flag the campaign as a Special Ad Category and work with broad targeting.
  • Contextual placement and creatives free of discriminatory messaging.

Before

A housing ad reading 'for young families 25–35 only', with narrowed targeting.

After

Special Ad Category: Housing, broad targeting and neutral copy: 'New apartments — see what is available'.

Before you publish

  • Is the special category flagged?
  • No exclusions or stereotypes in the copy and the visual?
08

Content rights and trademarks

Logos, visuals and music you have no right to use, and third-party trademarks placed in a misleading context.

What gets it taken down

  • Claiming to be an 'official partner' with no contract.
  • Third-party footage and logos positioned to imply a relationship.

Do this instead

  • Your own assets or written permission.
  • Correct credits and precise wording about the partnership.

Before

A third-party logo and 'Official partner of …' with no contract.

After

'Joint campaign with …' using your own assets, a contract and a correct credit.

Before you publish

  • Do I hold usage rights for every asset?
  • Are the words 'partner' and 'certified' accurate?
09

Misinformation in ads

False claims on matters of public importance, fake offers and imitation of news sites.

What gets it taken down

  • A design that mimics a news story in order to sell a product.
  • Fake reviews and 'official news' with no source.

Do this instead

  • Verifiable sources in the description.
  • A clear line between the ad and editorial content, plus real testimonials with consent.

Before

A video in fake news styling: 'Shocking: product X cures everything'.

After

A video on 'how the product works according to research', with links to the studies and clear 'sponsored' labelling.

Before you publish

  • Is there a source behind every claim?
  • Is it obvious this is an ad and not a news story?
10

Political and social issues

These ads require advertiser verification and a disclaimer naming who paid for them.

What gets it taken down

  • Running an issue ad with no authorization and no 'Paid for by'.
  • Verification in the wrong jurisdiction.

Do this instead

  • Complete verification before you plan the budget.
  • Set up the disclaimer and keep the evidence about the payer.

Before

'Support the bill…' with a 'Donate' CTA and no disclaimer.

After

A verified advertiser with 'Paid for by', the correct jurisdiction and archived transparency.

Before you publish

  • Is there verification and the right disclaimer?
  • Does the geo targeting match the jurisdiction?
11

Landing pages

Mismatch between the ad and the page, hidden prices, blocking pop-ups, broken forms and misleading timers.

What gets it taken down

  • An offer in the ad that does not exist on the landing page.
  • Autoplay sound and pop-ups that block reading.

Do this instead

  • A one-to-one match between offer, visual and page.
  • A visible price and terms, a fast mobile page and an easy way out.

Before

An ad reading '−50% today' while the landing page shows no price and throws pop-ups.

After

'−20% with code SPRING until 15.05' with the same offer visible in the first screen of the landing page.

Before you publish

  • Do the offer, visual and price match?
  • Does the page load fast on a phone, with no barriers?
12

Data collection and Lead Ads

Sensitive fields for health and financial data, forms without consent and without a link to the privacy policy.

What gets it taken down

  • Asking for a national ID, medical or banking details in the form.
  • Silently signing people up for a newsletter, with no link to the policy.

Do this instead

  • A minimal set of fields collected for a clear purpose.
  • An explicit consent checkbox, a link to the policy and double opt-in for email.

Before

A form asking for a national ID and health data, with no link to the policy.

After

A form with minimal fields, a consent checkbox and a link to the privacy policy.

Before you publish

  • No sensitive data in the form?
  • Is consent explicit and the purpose stated?
13

Branded content and disclosure

Paid partnerships without labelling and hidden advertising by creators.

What gets it taken down

  • '#ad' buried at the end of a long caption.
  • A missing paid-partnership tag where one is required.

Do this instead

  • Visible disclosure up front and a partnership tag.
  • Creatives agreed with the brand and contracts kept on file.

Before

'I love product X!!!' with no disclosure of the paid partnership.

After

'#ad My experience with product X…' with a partnership tag and a contract on file.

Before you publish

  • Is it clear from the first line that the content is paid?
  • Is there a contract and copy approved by the brand?
14

Circumventing the systems

Cloaking, rapid domain switching, text hidden in images and QR codes, re-uploading a rejected ad.

What gets it taken down

  • Re-uploading the same ad with one word changed.
  • Redirecting to content other than what was reviewed.

Do this instead

  • Remove the cause of the rejection on the merits.
  • Update creative and landing page honestly, then appeal with an argument.

Before

Re-uploading '-15 kg in 10 days' after a rejection, with a cosmetic change.

After

A corrected creative ('a healthy 12-week plan') with an explanation in the appeal.

Before you publish

  • No cloaking and no redirects?
  • Is the change substantive rather than cosmetic?
15

Sexualized and shocking content in ads

The limits here are stricter than for organic content: sexualized poses, emphasis on body parts and shock used to grab attention.

What gets it taken down

  • Close-ups of intimate areas and gestures with an undertone.
  • Bloody or shocking visuals used as a hook.

Do this instead

  • Neutral framing focused on the product and the benefit.
  • Visuals suitable for any audience.

Before

A video with a sexualized pose and 'The hottest offer…'.

After

A video of the product in use with 'Light and comfortable…'.

Before you publish

  • Is the visual neutral?
  • Is the product the focus rather than the body?
16

Limits for young audiences

Ads to people under 18 for sensitive categories: alcohol, weight loss, finance, dating, tobacco and vaping.

What gets it taken down

  • Targeting teenagers with a sensitive product.
  • Visuals and language that speak to children.

Do this instead

  • Age filters and content written for adults.
  • Alternative campaigns with no sales push if the audience skews young.

Before

A dating ad targeted at 16–17 year olds.

After

18+ targeting with copy reading 'Meet people near you (18+)'.

Before you publish

  • Is the target age 18+ for this category?
  • Are the language and visuals written for adults?

Ready-made wording

Sample wording that follows the rules

  • 'Save up to X% until [date]. Full terms: [link].'
  • 'Results vary depending on individual factors. Consult a specialist.'
  • 'Sponsored by [organization name].' Used for political and issue ads, after verification.

If the ad is disapproved

  1. 1

    Read the rejection notice and which policy it cites.

  2. 2

    Check all four elements together: creative, copy, landing page and targeting.

  3. 3

    Fix the substance. Swapping one word reads as circumvention.

  4. 4

    Appeal with a short explanation and evidence: links, licenses, screenshots.

  5. 5

    If rejections keep coming, run a full audit of creatives, catalogs, domains, pixels and forms.

The organic content rules Sanctions reference

Unban Solutions is not affiliated with Meta, TikTok or any other platform. This guide follows publicly published policies, which change over time. Not legal advice.

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