Facebook Advertising Policy Overview – What to Do When Ads Take Too Long to Get Approved or Are Rejected

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Facebook advertising policy is one of the first things you should consider when creating your ads. Based on Facebook’s rules, what products and services can you advertise? How can you speed up the approval process and what should you do if your ad is rejected by Facebook?
I – What is Facebook’s Advertising Policy?
Facebook’s advertising policy is a set of rules established by Facebook for ads posted on this platform. Facebook will use these regulations to review and approve your ad content. Therefore, understanding these policies before setting up Facebook Ads is very important.
II – Facebook Advertising Policy Review Process
After you submit your ad, Facebook will review it and provide feedback within 24 hours. Facebook will immediately start running the ads if your ad content passes all of the following factors:
- Landing page content: The landing page has content that aligns with the product or service in the ad post, is functioning well, and contains complete information.
- Ad content on Facebook: The post content, quality of the writing, images, etc., must comply with Facebook’s regulations.
- Advertising goals and targeting: The ad goals and targeting must be appropriate and not violate Facebook’s advertising policies.
If the ad is rejected, Facebook will inform you of the reason. In such cases, you can make edits based on Facebook’s feedback and then resubmit it for review.
III – Categories of Facebook Advertising Policies
1. Discriminatory policy
Some Facebook advertising rules do not encourage discrimination and prohibit discriminatory language:
- Discrimination: Your ad cannot directly discriminate or devalue people based on attributes such as race, religion, gender, ethnicity, etc.
- Targeting: Facebook will review advertising targeting that discriminates unfairly against certain groups of people. Be very careful when using audience characteristics such as location, interests, etc.
- Claiming personal attributes: You may mention an attribute such as ethnicity or religion in your ad, but you cannot directly or indirectly claim that the viewer has that attribute.
Example:
Allowed: “Depression counseling”
Not Allowed: “Is depression causing you to collapse? Get help now.”
- Negative self-awareness: Ads cannot contain content or images that attempt to create a negative self-image.
Example: A weight loss ad that focuses on body types rather than the product may be flagged and rejected.
2. Community standards policy
Facebook has publicly shared its community standards. These apply to all forms of media on Facebook, not just advertising.
- Violence and crime: Your ad cannot encourage, depict, or promote violence or criminal behavior.
- Exploitation, harassment, and privacy: These standards cover many areas, but generally, you cannot use Facebook to bully or exploit others. You also cannot disclose anyone’s personal information, including images or videos.
3. Facebook Advertising Policy on Video
- Disturbing content
Facebook is highly likely to reject video ads that are disturbing to users, such as using flashing lights or rapidly changing colors. - Disruptive content
Ads containing adult content or excessive depictions of issues such as drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, etc., will not be approved. - Copyright infringement of songs
Your ad may be rejected if it uses copyrighted songs in the video.
Your ad may be rejected if it uses famous music tracks in the video. The best option is to choose royalty-free music that can be downloaded and still meet your business needs.
IV – Important Policies to Note When Running Facebook Ads
1. Facebook Advertising Policy on Images
- Before-After Images in Facebook Ads
Facebook will ban ads that use images comparing bodies, physical appearance, status, human rights, objects, products, etc. - 18+ Content Images
Ads using close-up images of body parts, exposed skin, or sensitive areas will not be approved due to “adult content,” “sexuality,” or “cultural inappropriateness.” This issue is commonly found in fashion ads (e.g., bikinis), jewelry, spas, beauty products, cosmetic surgery, dental care, and cosmetics. - Trademark Infringement Images
Shops selling imported goods or Vietnamese export products are prohibited from using the names of famous brands such as ADIDAS, NIKE, H&M, GUCCI, ZARA, LOUIS VUITTON, etc., when running ads. The use of logos of these major brands in ads will also not be approved by Facebook.
- Posts Containing Images of Celebrities
Facebook does not allow the use of personal brand images or images of celebrities. If copyright infringement is detected, your account will be immediately suspended. In some cases, printing celebrity images on products will also be banned by Facebook.
- Images of Guns and Violence
Facebook prohibits images that contain violent elements. Ads promoting self-defense products will also be banned, even if the sales intent is not malicious.
- Too Much Text in the Image
Previously, Facebook had a simple rule stating that if your ad image contained more than 20% text, it would be rejected. Although this rule has now been removed, statistics have shown that the more text in an image, the less effective the ad is, and its reach becomes smaller.
2. Facebook Advertising Policy on Content
- Prohibited Content: Facebook prohibits certain types of advertising content such as adult content, weapons, ammunition, explosives, tobacco, unsafe supplements, cryptocurrencies, surveillance equipment, financial loans, pharmaceuticals, etc.
- Restricted Content: Facebook restricts certain types of advertising content such as alcoholic beverages, gambling, online games, dietary supplements, dating services, virtual currencies, weight loss products, etc.
- Inappropriate or Offensive Language: Facebook is likely to reject advertisements that have grammatical errors, improper punctuation, or use inappropriate, offensive language.
- Content Referencing Personal Attributes or Discrimination: According to Facebook, personal attributes include “race, ethnic origin, religion, belief, age, sexual orientation or practices, gender identity, disability, medical condition (including mental or physical health), financial status, union membership, criminal record or name.” The general principle is to avoid mentioning these topics in advertising content.
- Misleading Claims: Facebook does not allow misleading claims such as unproven financial benefits, intentionally confusing return policies, 100% guarantees, and methods for curing chronic diseases, etc.
- Engagement Bait: Content that encourages users to engage with phrases like “like, share, comment, tag, inbox,” etc., is likely to be rejected. If not rejected, the ad’s cost per impression may be significantly higher.
- Deliberately Circumventing Policy Violations:Using tricks such as punctuation (l.i.k.e), spacing (b ạ n bè), etc., to circumvent Facebook’s policies may result in your ad being rejected. The above list outlines the categories of policy violations for Facebook advertising that we have provided.
3. Personal Data Policy
4. Facebook Ad Policy Regarding Landing Pages
V – How to Speed Up Facebook Ad Approval Process
Most Facebook ads are reviewed within 24 hours. In reality, some ads are approved in just a few minutes, while others may take several days. Here are a few things you can do to speed up the approval process:
- Submit your ad for review between 8 AM and 8 PM, Monday to Friday.
- Use a reputable ad account with a long history.
- Double-check your ad content against Facebook’s policies and guidelines.
- During holidays, submit your ads at least 2 weeks in advance. During this time, many businesses and individuals are running ads, which may lead to longer approval times.
VI – How to Handle Ads Not Approved by Facebook
If your ad is rejected by Facebook, you have several options to get your campaign back on track:
6.1. Edit Your Ad Campaign
Facebook will provide feedback on which part of the ad violates their policy. Simply review the feedback and make necessary adjustments. This is typically the quickest and easiest option with the highest chance of success.
6.2. Appeal to Facebook
If you have reviewed your ad and don’t see any violations of Facebook’s advertising policies, you can appeal the decision.
6.3. Duplicate and Resubmit the Ad
While you cannot submit the same ad again, you can create a duplicate ad and have it reviewed. The ad may not pass the first reviewer, but it could pass with a different reviewer. This can be tried as an alternative to appealing, but it could be time-consuming if it gets rejected again.
Facebook occasionally updates its advertising policies and rules. Therefore, to run effective ads, you should familiarize yourself with and stay updated on Facebook Ads policies regularly.
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