How do I check why my ad is disapproved?

A Disapproved status means your ad, asset, or landing page violates one or more of Google Ads’ advertising policies and is currently ineligible to run. Finding the exact reason is the first step to fixing the issue.

Step 1: Locate the Disapproval Reason

The quickest and most direct way to find the reason is to check the Status column in your Google Ads dashboard.

Log In to your Google Ads account.
Click Campaigns and navigate to Assets > Assets
In the main table, find the ad with the status “Disapproved.”
Hover over the “Disapproved” status in the Status column. A pop-up box will appear.
This pop-up will usually state the specific policy violation (e.g., “Editorial policy: Repeated punctuation or symbols”) and often provides a link to “Read the policy” for details on how to fix it.

Step 2: Use the Policy Manager (For Comprehensive View)

For a central overview of all policy issues across your entire account, use the Policy Manager.

Click the Tools in the left side menu.
Under the ‘Troubleshooting’ section, click Policy manager.
This page lists all ads and assets with policy violations, the specific policy broken, and whether an appeal can be filed.

Step 3: Identify the Common Causes

Disapprovals are often related to one of the following four areas. When an ad is disapproved, you must check all four areas:

Area of Violation	Common Policy Violations	Fix Example (UTDS)
1. Editorial & Format	Excessive punctuation/symbols (e.g., “Software!!!”), Incorrect capitalization (e.g., “BEST SOFTWARE”), Spelling/grammar errors, or Gimmicky copy (e.g., “Click Here”).	Change “ULTIMATE SOLUTION!” to “Ultimate Business Solution” (Sentence Case, correct punctuation).
2. Landing Page/Destination	Destination Not Working (404 error or broken link), Destination Mismatch (ad promises X, but landing page is about Y), or Uncrawlable Page (Google’s bot cannot access the page).	Ensure the Final URL is live, secure (HTTPS), and the content is highly relevant to the ad copy.
3. Prohibited Content	Promoting Dangerous Products (e.g., weapons, recreational drugs), Enabling Dishonest Behavior (e.g., hacking, fake documents), or Inappropriate Content (hate speech, violence).	UTDS will not face these, but these are severe violations.
4. Restricted Content	Advertising sensitive but legal topics that require certification or special compliance, such as Healthcare & Medicines, Financial Services, or Alcohol (UK laws vary).	UTDS may need to ensure any financial claims about ROI are substantiated.

Step 4: Fix, Save, and Resubmit

To resolve the disapproval:

Edit the Ad: Go to the ad in question and click Edit.
Make the Change: Adjust the ad copy, the Final URL, or the landing page content to comply with the stated policy.
Save: When you Save the ad after editing, it automatically triggers a re-review by Google.

Note: If the violation is on the landing page, fixing the page and then saving the ad in Google Ads will resubmit both the ad and the destination for review.

What to do if you believe it’s an error

If you believe Google has made an error and your ad does comply with policy (e.g., full capitalization is part of your registered brand name, like “UTDS”), you can file an appeal from either the ad’s Status menu or via the Policy Manager.

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