Dealing with Ad rejections should be a proactive approach, rather than a reactive one. We should follow certain guidelines in order to avoid ad rejections. It becomes critical when dealing with products that are likely to get rejected, for example, products in the health & wellness industry. However, one should also be mindful of the ad rejections in case of a history of dealing with ad rejections regardless of industry. Here, we've collected the most common policies that advertisers, mostly unknowingly, tend to overlook.
Caution Note: Facebook records the log of the ad rejections on every ad account level. If we continuously violate the policies, Facebook can anytime restrict the brand from advertising on Facebook.
1.) Personal Attributes Policy
2.) Non-Functional Landing Page Policy
3.) Personal Health Policy
4.) Circumventing systems
5.) Adult Policy
6.) Misleading Claims Policy
1.) Personal Attributes Policy:
Ads should focus on product characteristics rather than assuming someone’s personal attributes.
Ads that suggest or assume that a user has a specific characteristic, condition, or background aren’t allowed on Facebook, considering its user experience. This includes but is not limited to: a person's medical conditions, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity & name.
Ads that use language such as “you” or “your” are more likely to be considered to be violating the policy.
Examples:
The following ad was not allowed on Facebook, as the language used on the ad text violates the Personal attributes policy.
We are not allowed to ask questions to users on specific characteristics or conditions. Instead of asking direct questions, try to use solution-oriented language promoting the features of your products.
2.) Non-Functional Landing Page Policy:
Ads must not direct people to non-functional landing pages.
This includes landing page content that interferes with a person's ability to navigate away from the page.
Landing pages should not be JPEG or PDF files.
Landing on pages that don’t match the product advertised.
The landing page should be a website, not a Facebook page.
If the objective of the campaign is conversions, the page should not hinder order placement.
The Landing page should not redirect a person from the website.
How to avoid it?
Check whether landing pages on the ad are working. If it is a carousel, ensure to check whether landing pages in all the cards are working fine.
If you plan to run any sale on different URLs or run any beta test between different URLs. Ensure to update the ad with a functional URL once sale/beta testing is done. (i.e) the website developer may develop some new web pages and host on new URLs for offers and beta testing. These web pages will take down once the offer is over. It is very essential to update the ad with the working URL.
This error will be shown while you open up the ad on Facebook Ads manager.
3.) Personal Health Policy
Ads must not contain "before-and-after" images or images that contain unexpected or unlikely results. Similarly, any image/video/thumbnail having measuring tape/weighing scale/zoomed in images of body parts is not allowed to be advertised.
Ad content must not imply or attempt to generate negative self-perception in order to promote diet, weight loss or other health-related products.
Negative self-perception here means - Making oneself believe that the desired result can only be achieved by using the advertised product.
For example, the following screenshot shows a rejected ad that has an image of a measuring tape in the thumbnail.
4.) Circumventing Systems
Ads must not use tactics that are intended to circumvent our ad review process or other enforcement systems.
This includes techniques that attempt to disguise the ad's content or destination page.
For example: Changing the FB page to advertise would be considered circumventing.
Strictly prohibited
If you create a new advertising account to run the same ads after they were restricted on a previous account
If you use Unicode characters or symbols in ad text with the intent to mislead users.
5.) Adult Policy:
Ads should not contain nudity, sexually suggestive poses/ images.
Neither should the ads sexualise any person in the image.
Ex: The ad below got rejected due to the usage of certain words which seemingly focus on sexual pleasure.
6.) Misleading Claims: Ads that promote offers/deals/products that are seemingly deceptive, get rejected. For example: misleading weight-loss claims like - lose weight in 7 days.
Ads that promote exaggerated claims and offers.
False information about product specifications, quality or functions.
Unclear delivery expectations
Claiming unrealistic results. Ex: Weight loss in 7 days.
Claiming cures of incurable diseases.