What are common ad policy violations?

One advertiser gets rejected for a before and after image. Another gets rejected for saying "guaranteed results" in the headline. A third runs for months without issue, then loses every active ad in a single afternoon because a landing page update added a claim the reviewer flagged as misleading.

Common ad policy violations follow patterns. Reviewers see the same mistakes thousands of times a week, which means the rejection reasons in your dashboard usually fit a known category. Once you learn those categories, you can scan your own ads the way a reviewer would. Here are the violations that cause the most trouble.

What counts as an ad policy violation?

An ad policy violation happens when your ad creative, targeting, landing page, or account setup breaks a rule published by the ad network. Violations range from minor wording issues to serious breaches involving prohibited products or deceptive practices.

Not every rejection is permanent. Many violations are fixable with a copy change, a swapped image, or an updated landing page. The danger is repeat violations, which signal to the network that your account needs closer scrutiny or stronger penalties.

The most frequent ad policy violations

Misleading or exaggerated claims top the list. Words like "guaranteed," "instant," or "cure" trigger reviews in categories where results vary by person. Superlatives without proof, such as "best" or "number one," cause problems when you cannot substantiate them.

Missing or unclear disclosures are the second major group. Ads for financial products, health services, and promotional offers often need visible terms, eligibility notes, or expiration dates. Burying those details on the landing page while leaving them out of the ad is a common rejection path.

Creative and content violations

Before and after images, sensational body imagery, and shock tactics get flagged in health, beauty, and weight loss categories. Copyrighted music, logos, or footage you do not own cause rejections even when the rest of the ad is compliant.

Clickbait headlines that promise one thing and deliver another on the landing page violate both ad policy and user trust. The ad and the page must tell the same story.

Landing page and destination violations

Broken links, pages under construction, and destinations that require unexpected downloads all fail review. Pages that collect personal data without a visible privacy policy are another frequent rejection reason.

Destination mismatch is subtle but common. The ad promotes a free trial but the page leads straight to a paid checkout. The ad mentions a local service but the page lists national pricing. Reviewers treat those gaps as policy violations, not just poor user experience.

How to spot violations before submission

Read your ad out loud and ask whether every sentence is literally true today. Check that images match the product or service you actually sell. Open the landing page on mobile and confirm the main claim from the ad appears above the fold.

Keep a living list of rejection reasons your account has received. Patterns in your own history are more useful than generic policy documents. If misleading claims keep appearing, read avoiding misleading claims in ads for wording frameworks that pass review.

Restricted industries face extra categories of violations. If your business operates in health, finance, alcohol, or gambling, review restricted industries ad rules before scaling spend.

Frequently asked questions