“My Facebook Ads Got Rejected!” Why it Happens & What to Do

After many months of back & forth emailing with your finance department, you finally got the ad budget approved for a new set of Facebook ads and sent in your ads for approval. Before you can heave a sigh of relief and reward yourself for a job well done, you get a notification highlighting that your Facebook ads got rejected.

It’s the Armageddon.

As someone who also does Facebook advertising, I cannot tell you how frustrating it can be to pour your heart and soul into ad copies and images, only to be rejected by their algorithm.

In business, time is of the essence. You don’t want to be wasting time troubleshooting and trying to understand why you Facebook ads got rejected.

The last thing you want is to have to scrap your entire strategy to comply with Facebook regulations.

Instead, you want your ad copies to reach the right audience and get the returns you want. To do that, you will need copies and images that comply with Facebook ad regulations.

So… why were you ads rejected?

Let’s take a closer look.

Here’s Why

Unfortunately, even fully-fledged marketers are not immune to unexpected rejections on Facebook. Here are 4 common but possible reasons why your ads might have been disapproved.

1. You Go Against Community Standards

Many ads on Facebook violate ‘community standards’. But what exactly are those ‘community standards’?

Ads that show violence or hatred are immediately banned from Facebook. Criminal attitudes and any type of bullying are also not welcomed by Facebook.

Facebook ads can’t reveal private or confidential information. Paid news and fake news are banned from Facebook. Nudity, sexual exploitation, and harassment ads will never find a place in Facebook ads.

Facebook closely observes copyright and intellectual property rights. So, your ads shouldn’t violate any copyright rules.

Basically, don’t use information, assets or ideas that are not yours.

What Should I do if my Ads Go Against Community Standards?

If you know that your ads do not comply, the solution is simple: think about how you can rework your ad copies and visuals.

Consider if you can deliver your brand messages in a friendlier and more appropriate way. Have a look at Facebook’s community standards and do your best to adhere to the guidelines listed.

When using visuals, either design them yourself or get them from a stock photo website. Ensure that you have the rights to the image if you are not designing one of your own.

2. Your Copy Sucks

Facebook advertisements should be readable.

This means you should write an ad with perfect grammar and spelling. If your ad has a weak and broken sentence structure, then your ads won’t get Facebook’s approval.

Incorrect spelling, grammar and punctuation are strictly forbidden.

Apart from that, you should also be careful about capital letters. Wrong use of capital letters can be a good reason to reject your ad.

For instance, YOU DO NOT WANT YOUR ADS TO LOOK LIKE THIS.

Profane and inappropriate language can create a bad impression. Consequently, Facebook can ban these ads. So, use perfect grammar, the right punctuations, and proper symbols to write your ad.

English is Not my First Language, What do I do?

English might not be your native language, but you could also use tools like Grammarly to do a quick grammar-check to make sure your ads are well-written.

Have a fellow team member proofread your ad copies before sending it to Facebook Ads Manager for approval.

Think about making your copy enjoyable to read, easy on the eyes and yet still eye-catching.

3. Your Landing Page Is Broken

Your Facebook ad may take your audience to your website. If it does, you need to make sure your landing page is working well, because Facebook will reject your ad if your landing page is faulty.

Facebook wants to feed their audience valuable and accurate information. Thus, an incomplete or improper landing page will probably get your ad penalised.

Moreover, your ad and your landing page should be the same. If they don’t match (text, image, or color), your ad might get rejected.

Some landing pages don’t allow their audiences to leave easily while others are full of spam and broken links. Facebook doesn’t like these types of pages. Your landing page should be a perfect one that is optimised for users.

How Do I Know if my Landing Page is Working Well?

If you have an in-house web-developer, have him/her do the final checks on your landing page before submitting your web copy to Facebook.

You might need to use an audit tool to pinpoint any errors on your website.

4. Your Copy Looks Misleading

A special gift awaits you when you click “see more”!

You might think that having clickbaits in your headlines are a great way to optimise your ads.

Sadly, Facebook thinks otherwise.

Some ads on Facebook use exaggerated headlines with tons of superlatives like claiming to be the best in the business.

These ads give false hope (ie. inaccurate information). Low-quality ads that hide content and reveal information only after clicking on them usually get rejected and do not convert as well.

How Can I Avoid Misleading Copies?

As I writer and someone who loves suspense, I empathise with any copywriter who might struggle in this area.

When it comes to Facebook advertising, however, think about keeping your ad copy concise and simple. Be straightforward and upfront with your texts.

Rejection is Part of Life

Sounds pretty philosophical, but it’s true!

Like I mentioned before even a seasoned marketer could have his Facebook ads rejected because of something he might have accidentally overlooked.

But just like how dealing rejections is a part of everyday life, it’s not the end of the world if your ads get rejected.

In the event that they do indeed get dismissed by Facebook, take another look at your copies and visuals to see if they comply with regulations. If necessary, get help from the Facebook Business Help Centre and have their customer service agent assist you.