Facebook and Instagram ad policy: why your ad was rejected, what is banned or restricted, and how to request a review
How Meta reviews an ad, the most common rejection reasons with examples of what is rejected and accepted, what is banned and what is allowed with conditions, what to do after a rejection step by step, and a one-minute check before publishing.
The ArabyBot teamOfficial Meta partner · written from our own platform dataOn this page 6
The short answer
Meta reviews every Facebook and Instagram ad before it runs against its "Advertising Standards": the text, the picture or video, the targeting and the page it opens. The most common reasons store ads are rejected: a line naming a trait of the customer such as "Do you suffer from…?", a health promise or before-and-after pictures, a banned or counterfeit product, and a landing page that does not work or does not match the ad. After a rejection you either edit the ad so it is reviewed again, or request a review from "Account Quality" if you think Meta was wrong.
Also asked as: «سياسة اعلانات فيسبوك» · «سياسة اعلانات الفيس بوك» · «سياسة الاعلان في الانستقرام» · «سياسات الإعلانات على فيسبوك» · «لماذا رفض فيسبوك اعلاني» · «سبب رفض الاعلان الممول» · «ازاي اطلب مراجعة لاعلان مرفوض» · «facebook ad policy» · «facebook ad rejected» · «why was my facebook ad rejected» · «meta advertising standards» · «publicité facebook refusée»
What Meta reviews in an ad
The rules are the same for Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, and Meta calls them the "Advertising Standards" in its Transparency Center. Review does not read the text alone: it looks at the picture or video, the words written on them, the targeting and the page the ad opens. So your text can be fine and the ad rejected because of the landing page.
The most common reasons store ads are rejected
| Reason | Rejected | Accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Naming a trait of the customer | "Do you suffer from hair loss?" | "A serum to reduce hair loss" |
| A health promise or guaranteed result | "Lose 10 kilos in a week" | The product's ingredients and how to use it |
| Before-and-after pictures | Two pictures of a body or skin before and after use | A picture of the product itself or a person using it |
| A counterfeit product | "Master copy" or "exact replica" with a brand's name and logo | Your product under your own name |
| A fake button or notification | A play button drawn on a picture, or a new-message badge | A real video, or a picture with no trick |
| A poor landing page | A broken link, or a page that does not match the ad | The product's own page with its price as in the ad |
The writing examples themselves — excess punctuation, "last piece" when it is not, asking for likes and shares — are in writing ads with AI.
Banned outright, and allowed with conditions
- Banned everywhere
Illegal products and services, drugs, tobacco and e-cigarettes, weapons and ammunition, supplements Meta considers unsafe, sexual content, scams and misleading offers, and counterfeit goods.
- Allowed with conditions
Among them: slimming products and cosmetic procedures for people over 18, dating, gambling with Meta's written permission, alcohol by the country's law and the audience's age, and crypto and financial products under Meta's terms for each country.
- Categories with special rules
Ads about social issues, elections and politics need authorisation and a "paid for by" disclaimer. In some countries Meta requires a "special ad category" for employment, housing and credit ads, with narrower targeting options.
After a rejection: what to do
- Read Meta's reason
The reason shows on the ad in Ads Manager and in Meta's notification. Find the line or picture it means before changing anything.
- If it is right: edit
Change the text, picture or link and save, and the ad goes into a new review. Do not copy the rejected ad unchanged into a new ad; it will be rejected again and count against you.
- If you think Meta was wrong: request a review
From "Account Quality" in your Meta business account, choose the ad and request a review, and Meta's team reviews it again. When the account itself is restricted, the review request is made from the same place.
- Do not work around it
Opening a new ad account or Page to get around a rejection or restriction is a violation in itself for Meta, and it may restrict all your accounts because of it.
When Facebook rejects one of your ads you get a "Facebook rejected the ad" alert, and opening the ad shows Facebook's reason as written. The ad writer warns you about a phrase that may be rejected before publishing, and rewrites a rejected ad while keeping what was good in it. Ads manager.
Before you publish: a one-minute check
- No line telling the customer what they are: their illness, weight, religion or income.
- No promise of a result within a period, and no before-and-after pictures.
- No brand name or logo unless you sell the genuine product with its permission.
- The link works, and opens the same product at the same price.
- The offer is real and its duration is correct.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an ad review take?
Meta says most ads are reviewed within 24 hours, though it can take longer. An ad can also be reviewed again while it runs, and stop days after it was approved.
Why was my ad rejected when similar competitor ads are running?
Review is mostly automated and errs both ways: it can reject a sound ad, and pass a violating one and stop it later. If your ad complies, request a review, and do not judge by someone else's ad.
Does one rejected ad close my ad account?
Usually not. But repeated rejections count against the account, and Meta may restrict advertising from it or from the Page. So edit or delete the rejected ad rather than leaving it rejected and publishing another like it.
Is a lot of text on the picture a reason for rejection?
Not any more; Meta dropped the text-ratio rule, but says pictures with little text perform better. Designing an ad with AI.
Can I advertise slimming and beauty products?
Yes, with conditions: an audience over 18, no before-and-after pictures, no promise of a result within a period, and no line that makes a person feel bad about their body. Show the product and how it is used instead of a promise.
How we write these guides Figures come from our platform and Meta's actual invoices, dated with their sample; we describe what works today, not what we plan, and say what we do not do and when someone else is the better choice. Reviewed by the ArabyBot team on 21 October 2026.
Read next
Try the agent before you pay anything
The agent that will answer your customers is the one answering you now: ask it from the chat button here or on WhatsApp. Your account is free with no credit card, and the free trial on your own number or page is activated after you contact our team on customer-service WhatsApp.