Facebook Ad Rejected? Why It Happens and How to Fix It (2026)

Why was my Facebook ad rejected?

Your ad was rejected because Meta's review system found something in the image, video, text, targeting or landing page that breaks its Advertising Standards. Instagram doesn't have its own separate ad policies: Facebook and Instagram ads are reviewed against the same Meta policies, which is why the fixes below apply to both.

Meta says it relies primarily on automated review, with human reviewers used to train those systems and to check some ads manually. Automation is fast, but it's also literal. It reacts to wording, image patterns and targeting settings, not to your intent. A skincare brand with a perfectly legal product can still get rejected because of a single line of copy.

For e-commerce advertisers, the same handful of problems accounts for most rejections:

• Weight loss or supplement ads promising exaggerated or guaranteed results.
• Beauty and skincare copy that points at the viewer's appearance ("Tired of your acne?").
• Age targeting left open to under-18s in a restricted category.
• A price, discount or product in the ad that doesn't match the landing page.
• Broken, slow or redirecting product pages.

Where to find the exact rejection reason

Open Business Support Home. Ads Manager's Delivery column shows that an ad is rejected, but the reason itself lives in Business Support Home, where Meta names the policy the ad was rejected under, such as "Personal Attributes" or "Health and Wellness". That name tells you which part of the ad to look at.

Meta also emails you when an ad is rejected, with a link that goes straight to Business Support Home. From there, click the ad account (or catalog, for catalog ads) that holds the rejected ad, then open the ad to see the policy it was rejected under. Read the linked policy page before editing. Guessing usually means another rejection and another wait.

How long does Facebook ad review take, and why is my ad stuck in review?

According to Meta, most ads are reviewed within 24 hours, though some take longer. For review requests on rejected ads, Meta aims to reach a decision within 48 hours. A common reason an ad seems stuck "In review" is that it keeps getting edited.

Meta's review policy lists the changes that send a running or scheduled ad back into review:

• Targeting
• Creative (image, text, link or video)
• Optimization
• Billing event

Budget, bid amount and ad set schedule changes are not on that list, so raising the budget won't restart review. Rewriting the headline of an ad that's already waiting will, though. If an ad has been in review for more than 24 hours, leave it alone rather than tweaking it "to speed things up". Creative edits on live ads can also reset optimization; see our guide to the Meta learning phase for how that works.

Approval isn't permanent either. Meta says ads can be reviewed again after they go live, for example when they get unusually high engagement or when people hide or report them. You won't be notified of a re-review. You'll only hear about it if the ad is rejected and stops delivering.

Can you advertise supplements and weight loss products on Facebook?

Yes. Dietary weight loss and weight gain products, including supplements and pills, are restricted rather than banned under Meta's Health and Wellness policy. They can only be advertised to people aged 18 and over, and the ad itself has to avoid a specific list of prohibited content.

As of September 2026, the Health and Wellness policy prohibits these in weight loss and weight gain ads:

• Negative self-perception: statements of inferiority about physical appearance, or terms that attack someone's body, specific body parts or hygiene.
• Fat-pinching close-ups: images zooming in on a body area by pinching fat.
• Wearable-only claims: saying results come solely from a wearable product such as a waist trainer or shapewear.
• Clickbait: sensational language with exaggerated or extreme claims, or promises of specific outcomes within a set timeframe without disclaimers or qualifiers.

The policy does allow ads that clearly state how long it takes to see noticeable results. In practice, "Lose 15 lbs in 7 days, guaranteed!" is a rejection waiting to happen. "Designed to support weight management alongside a balanced diet and regular exercise" is far safer. Prescription weight loss drugs fall under the separate Drugs and Pharmaceuticals policy, which comes with its own geo-targeting and written permission requirements.

Are before-and-after photos allowed in Facebook and Instagram ads?

Sometimes. Meta's current Health and Wellness policy allows before-and-after images for general cosmetic products, procedures and surgeries, as long as the ad targets people aged 18 and over. For cosmetics, the photo is rarely the problem. The copy usually is.

This is where the Privacy Violations and Personal Attributes policy comes in. Ads must not assert or imply personal attributes, including age, physical or mental health, disability, financial status, race, religion or sexual orientation. Meta's own examples show the line: "Depression counseling" is allowed, while "Depression getting you down? Get help now." is not. The pattern to avoid is you/your plus a personal attribute.

Two more cosmetic rules to know: skin whitening or bleaching products that permanently change skin color can't be advertised, and the ban on statements that attack someone's appearance covers cosmetic products and procedures as well as weight loss. Ads for cosmetic procedures and surgeries must be age-gated to 18+; non-permanent products such as creams, makeup and hair products are exempt from that age limit, but if you use before-and-after images, target 18+ anyway, because that permission depends on it. If you create product imagery with AI tools, keep the result realistic; our guide to AI product photography covers where the line sits between enhancing a photo and misrepresenting a product.

What are the most common reasons e-commerce ads get rejected?

For online stores, rejections usually come down to four things: wrong age targeting in a restricted category, copy that implies a personal attribute, exaggerated health or results claims, and a landing page that is broken or doesn't match the ad. Meta reviews targeting and the destination page as well as the creative.

With catalog ads, a rejection often traces back to a single product among hundreds, which is hard to spot by hand. For a lasting fix on the feed side, use the product data checks in our Meta catalog ads guide.

Local law matters too. Meta lists non-compliance with the laws in the advertiser's jurisdiction as a rejection reason, so rules on alcohol, gambling, financial products or health claims in your market apply on top of Meta's own standards.

How do I request a review of a rejected Facebook ad?

If you believe the ad was rejected by mistake, request a review in Business Support Home. Meta relies more heavily on human reviewers for these requests than for initial review, and asking for one doesn't count against you.

1. Open Business Support Home Use the link in the rejection email, or go to business.facebook.com and open Business Support Home.
2. Select the account or catalog Click the ad account or catalog that contains the rejected ads.
3. Choose the ad Tick the ad, ad set or campaign you think was rejected incorrectly.
4. Request review Click Request review, then Submit.
5. Track the outcome Check the status on the same screen. If the decision is reversed and the campaign is active, the ad starts delivering on its own.

If the decision is overturned, the rejection doesn't count as a violation on your account. If it's upheld, the ad stays rejected, and you generally can't appeal the same ad again.

Should I edit the ad or request a review?

Simple rule: if the policy named in the rejection genuinely fits something in your ad, edit it. If it doesn't, request a review. Appealing an ad you know breaks a rule wastes roughly 48 hours and uses up that ad's review request.

To edit, change the ad in Ads Manager or Meta Business Suite and publish it; it goes back into review automatically. Some ad types can't be edited. In that case, create a new ad, but switch the old one off rather than deleting it.

• Which policy does the rejection name? Have you read the text, image, targeting and landing page against that policy?
• If the product is in health, weight loss, supplements or cosmetic procedures, or the ad uses before-and-after images, is the ad set's minimum age 18?
• Does any line combine "you/your" with health, weight, age or appearance?
• Have you removed absolute or time-bound promises ("guaranteed", "in 7 days", "permanent results")?
• Does the text overlaid on the image or video contain the same risky wording, not just the primary text?
• Does the landing page load on mobile and show the same product and price as the ad?
• If none of the above applies: have you requested a review without deleting the ad?

Can repeated ad rejections get my ad account restricted?

A single rejection won't get your account restricted, but serious or repeated violations can. Meta says it looks at the number of previous rejections, how serious the violations are, and any attempts to get around review.

So re-uploading the same rejected creative with tiny changes is a bad strategy. Meta says it may factor in an advertiser's past policy compliance when deciding whether an ad needs extra review, and a clean history means less friction for your future ads. Duplicating an ad without real changes will usually just get it rejected again.

If you advertise on several channels, it's easy to miss that a rejected or stuck Meta ad has quietly shifted spend and results elsewhere. Marpany's ad performance dashboard shows Meta, Google and TikTok side by side, so a campaign whose spend suddenly drops stands out. For how policy and review differ between platforms, see our Meta Ads vs Google Ads comparison.

What to do today if your ad was rejected

Read the reason first, then decide. Don't delete the ad and don't start editing at random.

1. Open the rejection in Business Support Home and read the named policy.
2. In a restricted category, set age targeting to 18+ and rewrite any "you/your" lines as product-focused statements.
3. If nothing actually breaks the rules, request a review without deleting the ad, and don't touch it while you wait.
4. Keep a library of approved copy and build new creatives from those patterns.
5. If rejections start piling up, check your account status in Business Support Home regularly. Acting before a restriction is much easier than appealing one.