Dealing with the Facebook ban hammer giving you a facebook ad account restricted? Coming from working at Facebook in ads, I’ll share some top tips on how to recover from this situation and avoid getting a facebook ad account restricted.
The biggest challenge running Facebook ads isn’t always getting conversions but navigating the landmines around Facebook ad policy automations. Often you’ll get flagged and try to log into Facebook Business Manager, and look for the reason why, but either not see a notification about the flag or not have an explanation for why you got flagged with a facebook ad account restricted. That’s because of the complicated interlinking of policy bots, where the left hand doesn’t always know what the right hand is doing.
About advertising restrictions
Fun Fact: Many ads that are not compliant will run for a much longer period of time than expected, because Facebook’s automations don’t always catch the flags that lead to a facebook ad account restricted.
Your advertising access is restricted – what does it mean? Facebook account restricted what to do
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A major drawback of getting a facebook ad account restricted is that no one online or at Facebook seems to know what to do to fix it. Facebook ad support doesn’t seem to know what you’re saying and offers no answers, you begin googling and find this blog about fixing a facebook ad account restricted. Welcome to the most trusted source for Facebook ad policy tips – I worked in ads at Facebook and want to help you not get the FB ban hammer.
Ready to stop guessing and stop losing money and time? Click here for a complimentary discovery call.
I’ve worked directly with the engineers at Meta, that created and manage the automations that do the banning (and no, I didn’t ban you) but I can offer better answers on this topic than many blogs you’ll find after googling facebook ad account restricted.
A huge misconception with running ads on Facebook when it comes to Facebook jail, is to assume that just because you know marketing you know Facebook bans. But those are 2 different topics. One is advertising to get ROI with a good unique selling mechanism like Todd Brown discusses, the other is understanding how automations seek and flag content in facebook ads that result in getting a facebook ad account restricted.
If you’re like my client Jack Randall, President of Social Flight, you’re tired of beating your head against the wall trying to guess why Facebook has shut you down, and want answers faster.
“Trevor helped me successfully diagnose exactly why my ad account was disabled, and helped me frame out a plan to move forward.” 👍🏻
Click here, to schedule a discovery call.
Why does Facebook say my advertising access is restricted?
The million-dollar question: why is Facebook punishing me for paying them money to run ads? Well, there are tons of reasons you got a Facebook ad account restricted. Sometimes you just have too many rejected ads, other times you triggered a ban because of the type of flag you got was a big one (anything connected to Forex, gambling, some health issues). It can be one thing that gets you a facebook ad account restricted and after it’s removed you’re good.
Other times it could be a log in issue, a bank issue, or a business model conflict if the automations flag your ads as belonging to a banned business model (like MLMs). Make sure to read my latest blog on removing ad account restrictions here.
If you have been keeping updated on the latest from Facebook, you’ll see the updates on Facebook Marketplace. Now, the ad policies for marketplace are not the same as for Facebook when it comes to getting a facebook ad account restricted. But it’s worth mentioning for something I’ll get into more detail about below.
Mark Zuckerberg is quietly sitting on a shopping empire with 4 times the customers of Amazon, as Facebook Marketplace skyrockets
Ethan Gaskill, a 29-year-old content creator, begins everyday the same way: “When I wake up in the morning—most people get on their phone and start checking Instagram—I check Facebook Marketplace.”
With his Los Angeles home furnished almost exclusively with second-hand items and a TikTok with over 220,000 followers interested in his thrifty hauls, Gaskill trusts the shopping platform to be a reliable source for hidden gems: a thousand-dollar Herman Miller light and pendant he nabbed for $400; a $5,000 bed from the same designer he bought for 20% of the original price; and, a Founders mid-century dresser worth $4,000 that Gaskill got for $800.
Facebook Marketplace has not only become a trusted source for LA’s second-hand scene. It’s made itself a real contender to go toe-to-toe with well-established e-commerce sites. Facebook has grown to 3.07 billion monthly active users (MAUs) as of the end of 2023, a 3% year-over-year increase. Of those, up to 40%, or 1.2 billion, are active users shopping on Marketplace, according to a March report from Capital One Shopping. How does this relate to getting a facebook ad account restricted?
I bring this up because you should know the focus right now for Meta is not on making sure you, the honest business owner or marketing agency is being taken care of when it comes to avoiding unnecessarily dishing out a facebook ban or Facebook ad account restricted.
When you prepare before blindly appealing Facebook accounts restricted from advertising, then you have a much better chance of recovery.
Advertising restrictions for policy violations
At its core, Facebook is a machine, scanning billions of ads every day. While many ad agencies disregard Facebook ad policy when determining their holiday ads, that one slip up can cost millions of dollars, beyond a single facebook ad account restricted.
If your Facebook account is restricted from advertising, it may hurt your ability to earn money in the future, so you’ll want to make sure your overall track record is in the black not the red. That means more approved ads than rejected. If your facebook account’s restricted it was done by bots.
Given how automated Facebook’s policy bots are, to be successful not getting thrown in FB jail, you’ll want to understand how and why these policy automations flag to avoid being on their radar. There’s some nuance to this you’ll want to know to side step getting a facebook ad account restricted.
Advertising restrictions for unusual activity
With a Facebook account restricted from advertising you may get the flag for unusual activity. Now, this can be frustratingly vague. Which activity was unusual? Why? How does this relate to getting a facebook ad account restricted?
What I’ve seen working at Facebook is that this flag typically is triggered by:
○ A log in on a new device, not usually signed in to your Facebook account
○ Logging into Facebook business tools while traveling – especially in Cuba
○ Your bank is rejecting Facebook pre-auth charges or ad charges but not telling you
This is hard to recover from because Facebook essentially blacklists your devices, and each case is unique.
How Serious is a Rejected Facebook Ad?
Facebook ads are what conservatives call Marijuana: a gateway drug. At least when it comes to bans – usually all bans are triggered at some point from a Facebook ad that led to a facebook account restricted.
Your Facebook ad gets rejected, you appeal or try to run it again, then your ad account gets disabled. You try to appeal this (probably incorrectly if you haven’t read my blog before) and then that appeal gets rejected and your Business Manager gets disabled.
It all starts with the Facebook ad and whether it follows ad policies or paints you as a bad actor to Facebook trying to circumvent systems in addition to being *awarded* a Facebook ad account restricted from advertising.
If you’ve read How to Unrestrict My Ad Account you get how vital your appeal strategy is and has to be when it comes to appealing a facebook ad account restricted.
What does a restricted Facebook ad account mean?
Generally speaking when your ad account is restricted, you cannot run Facebook ads at all. It also means that your other assets like your Facebook Business Page and your Facebook Business Manager may be on the chopping blog for a ban next too after getting a facebook ad account restricted.
You could have come into contact with a brand new Facebook automation that is attempting to sync with the existing automations, or sometimes you can get banned for simply acting too quickly. I’ve seen a series of quick thoughtless actions lead to a facebook ad account restricted before.
Facebook typically sends emails to your email account associated with your personal Facebook profile every time you have an ad approved and rejected. You may not see these emails if your gmail has filtered these out to the promotions tab or social tab. Or you may need to check your spam folder.
Other than that, logging into Meta Business Suite or Facebook Business Manager and going to the ad accounts you own on the Ads Manager page, you’ll typically see red letters detailing the warning you have gotten or ban.
How do I unrestrict my Facebook ads? Facebook ad account restricted tips
One of the pain points of ad agencies is that Facebook is always changing their ad policies leading to a facebook ad account restricted. Sometimes new ad policies punish old ads that WERE within policy WHEN THEY WERE PUBLISHED.
Facebook won’t take that into consideration when the bots descend on your ad account. And you don’t want a facebook account restricted. This means being aware of what may get banned and avoiding it is a full time job you can’t slack on if you want to avoid getting a facebook ad account restricted
It pays to be informed of what Facebook is doing as it effects industries at large, like Facebook’s recent NEW ad policies on selling CBD on Facebook. You need to stay current to avoid Facebook accounts restricted from advertising.
Why is my Facebook ad account restricted?
I’ve seen a thousand and one reasons why Facebook ad accounts get rejected. When Facebook accounts are restricted from advertising, what’s seldom talked about is the difference of ad policy enforcement per industry.
Given my history of working with thousands of ad agencies both while I was working AT Facebook and in my own practice, I have stats on which ad policies are triggered the most in specific niches. Like personal attributes flags being higher in weight loss niches, or MLM flags being higher in the start-a-biz online nich.
Understanding how YOUR specific niche interacts with Facebook ad policy automations is KEY to staying out of Facebook jail and avoiding a facebook account restricted.
Facebook ad account restricted: Ad rejections
Your ad account was banned for too many rejected ads
Ever been to the DMV? Facebook has a similar bureaucratic approach to scanning and flagging ads and appealing them when Facebook accounts restricted from advertising. After asking Facebook to unrestrict your ad account many sit and wait indefinitely for an answer.
Now, just like your auto insurance goes up for each new traffic violation, your ad account score on the back end is negatively effected by rejected ads.
This is ok until you cross a threshold of rejected ads. Those negative points start adding up BUT – unlike insurance companies or the DMV who you can call, Facebook is a faceless black hole without help to resolve a facebook account restricted.
If you’ve read my What to Do After Violating Facebook’s Ad Policies [Step-by-Step Guide] you found out the hidden clues in FB warnings – that you may need an expert to decode into everyday language.
Just like my clients, the social media marketing agency for Wu-Tang Clan discovered, there are micro flags in ad copy and landing pages that have to be removed first before attempting to appeal or relaunch a brand with Facebook.
Want the same white glove treatment navigating Facebook shutdowns?
Click here, to schedule a discovery call to avoid getting a disabled Facebook ad account.
Facebook ad account restricted: disabled accounts
What Disabled Facebook Ad Account Means
If you see that, “You are restricted from running ads” this means you missed the canary in the coal mine beforehand. SOMETHING in your ads was pissing off Facebook and there were warning signs – probably not obvious because Facebook isn’t that transparent.
Now, depending on what type of Business Manager you have you may be able to create a new ad account as long as the new ads have 0 flags in them that the old ads have.
When reading the Facebook ad policies on Facebook ad rejections you may feel frustrated, because they won’t talk about your specific situation in any detail, if at all.
Facebook ad account restricted: Trust the right answers
A big hurdle to overcome with dealing with a Facebook ad account restricted is who to trust online. Most articles you’ll read come from outsiders, who have not worked at Meta and are shaking a Magic 8 ball to come up with best guesses.
Even worse, chatting in to Facebook ad support, you talk to people who don’t seem to understand your questions. I’ve heard stories from clients who got in a worst ban after talking to Facebook ad support before finding my blog.
And Facebook has a spotty track record for providing reliable advice on how to solve a facebook account restricted.
“Full Stop,” as my colleague Amanda Bond likes to say.
Is your Facebook ad account already disabled? Don’t get ripped off! Read How to Recover Facebook Ad Accounts now!
Just like my client Dr. Emi benefited from my funnel audits for compliance, you can too. It all starts with a free discovery call here. By the way, Dr. Emi was just featured on the Today Show on NBC. (In a rush? Skip the line with prepaid funnel audits with VIP Access).
Facebook ad account restricted: Business Manager
What is a Disabled Facebook Business Manager?
If you are restricted from running ads, when your Facebook Business Manager is disabled within the Facebook Business Suite as they (annoyingly) renamed it, then you may need to relaunch your brand depending on how severe this ban is.
Sometimes Business Manager bans if they are appealed fast enough with the right language can be overturned.
But out of lets say 100 disabled Facebook Business Managers I’ve seen, 1% gets recovered.
Facebook account restricted from advertising? KNOW THIS: What you want to keep in mind is the Facebook Business Pages – as they are your digital storefront for your brand name – and take them out before your Facebook Business Manager gets disabled!
That being said, when you have a disabled Facebook Business Manager that means every asset inside is jeopardized.
- Ad Accounts
- Facebook Business Pages
- People connected to this BM
Facebook ad account restricted: Causes
Here’s why:
When you have a disabled Facebook Business Manager, Facebook keeps track of who is in the Business Manager and the other BMs they are connected to.
So, everyone in a disabled Facebook Business Manager is at risk of having everything else they are working on getting shut down too. If you FORGOT a lurker in your BM who has a facebook account restricted it WILL come back to bite ya a$$ so BE AWARE.
A disabled Facebook Business Manager is the next to the worst ban you can get on Facebook.
When my client Happi Digital, an eCommerce Agency hired me to audit their Facebook ads, I uncovered flags that if left alone could have shut down their entire ad agency.
Need Facebook ad policy expert too? Schedule a call with me right now.
Facebook ad account restricted: Pages
What Does it Mean When Your Facebook Page is Restricted?
We saw ALOT of this going on during 2020 – when the pandemic first hit America with e-comm businesses that had shipping delays in China due to covid-19 shut downs. These e-commerce businesses saw their customers giving them bad reviews that took their Page quality score beneath a 1.
Then, just by automation alone, their FB Business Pages got restricted. And they didn’t even have a facebook account restricted-just the Page got shut down.
This is challenging because if you try to relaunch a new Facebook Business Page with the same brand name you may get blocked by Facebook right away for circumventing systems. You’ll need a better strategy more finely tuned for relaunching.
For top tips on making a landing page compliant read this.
Facebook ad account restricted: Profiles
More About Facebook profile Restricted From Advertising
If your personal Profile on Facebook is restricted from advertising – that is the worst ban you can get. And facing this, the odds will be insurmountable for running ads again. At least without guidance from a FB policy expert.
Your personal Facebook Profile is the key to all the different doors. It is what creates your Facebook Business Page, it’s what creates your Facebook Business Manager, all the ad accounts and more.
Once that’s banned, welp! You’re up shit creek without a paddle. Don’t hold your breath on getting it restored. The chances are around .1% that you’ll ever get a permanently restricted profile restored.
But I do know a way to resolve this in addition to resolving a facebook account restricted. Now, let’s talk a little bit about why your Facebook ad account may have been restricted.
Facebook ad account restricted: Reasons
Why is my Facebook advertising account restricted?
Still asking what to do when seeing, “You are restricted from running ads”? If you want to get to the bottom of why your Facebook advertising account is restricted, you’ll want to audit your funnel. This is to identify what was the biggest risk that got you on the radar and eventually shut down.
Have your Facebook ads been blocked? Read this blog here.
Here are a few of the Facebook ad policies you may want to glance at:
- Sexually Explicit Content. This one is a no-brainer: you can’t advertise anything sexual on Facebook. Given that Facebook’s approval is partly automated, health-based services (spas, etc.) can be flagged for body parts even if they’re not sexually suggestive it’ll get you a facebook account restricted.
- Prohibited categories. Even though some items may not be illegal per se, Facebook does have restrictions about advertising the following: Drugs or tobacco, supplements, weapons, and financial products (auctions, loans, etc.).
- Misinformation. False news on Facebook is a no-go.
- Sensational content. No click-bait, sensationalist content either.
- Bad grammar or punctuation. This is also a bad advertising practice in general.
- Inflammatory content. This is any content that could be categorized as hate speech.
- Unacceptable Business Practices. This generic term describes ads that “promote products, services, schemes or offers using deceptive or misleading practices, including those meant to scam people out of money or personal information.” This can be things like fake celebrity-endorsed products, subscription-based services that do not have the appropriate requirements met, or making exaggerated claims about a product.
- Low-quality or deceptive content. This includes ads that are cropped so that you need to click to see the full image, or anything sexually suggestive or shocking. It’s important to note that Facebook also looks at your ad destination to make sure the content is relevant to the ad itself.
- Personal attributes. This one is a bit tricky, Essentially, you cannot make it known that you know (or assume to know) any specific detail about your audience. This can be things like medical conditions, demographics, or even sexual preference. This can be statements such as “Is your weight problem getting serious?”, or, “You’re a woman over 50.”
That’s just a summarized view of the Facebook ad policies to keep in mind if your Facebook account’s restricted from advertising.
In reality, there are 1000s more that you are policed on by the automations but never told about.
Want access to a funnel audit to ensure you are compliant? Click here for a discovery call.
How to appeal advertising restrictions
There is a right way and a wrong way to appeal getting a Facebook ad account restricted. The wrong way is to mash buttons, click request review, and wait for the Facebook gods to grant you clemency. With staffing shortages, and reliance on automations, the first approach won’t get you far. But identifying what got you flagged, and what is the hierarchy of risks in your funnel and replacing the offending content with compliant copy is a much better place to start before appealing.
Facebook ad account restricted: Fixes
How do I fix my restricted Facebook account?
You want to fix your restricted Facebook ad account right? Doesn’t everyone?! No one wants to see: “You are restricted from running ads.”
If you googled disabled facebook ad account or Facebook ad rejections you’ll find a number of bullshit articles out there – even by major brands – that will just tell you to “Request Review.”
That CAN help if you have already removed ALL the flags from your funnel. But if you have not…Full stop, no pass go, don’t click it.
What you’re doing here is saying to the automations that shut you down: “Hey bud, I know you are machine, but can you decipher human empathy and context? Even better can you send this Appeal to ANOTHER robot? And put my fate in the next bot’s hands?”
Really the best chance you have is to appeal within 48 hours of getting shut down AFTER identifying the EXACT source of the Facebook automation flag.
Anything less than that, and you are thrown to the wolves. Now, if you’ve found me within that time period, I can possibly help you, depending on your type of business and other factors. Click here to schedule your call.
Really the BEST way to handle a shut down, on any level but a profile restriction (which you don’t usually get appeals for), is to audit your funnel for violations, then remove them from your funnel and get on Facebook Ad Support Chat once you know 100% why you were shut down.
There are other options to get Facebook ads live again as well if you have a product or service to sell and your main goal is getting your marketing active rather than just recovering for the sake of recovering an account hit with a flag for a Facebook ad account restricted.
Learn more
Learn more about the appeal process: when appealing keep in mind you’re chatting wit outsourced workers who have a goal of getting more chats per day than increasing real resolution rate.
They will try to shut you down every step of the way. I can help you navigate these hurdles, and get the best chances you can have for making an appeal if you have contacted me fast enough after a ban.
Beyond that window, the chances get slimmer. But you do have other options if your goal is to get Facebook ads live again and not just trying to recover old disabled ad accounts.
What if you had a guarantee that your ads were compliant before they went live on Facebook?
Keep reading for these answers and more:
Facebook Ad Account Restriction Solution
Ad agencies: tired of getting the silent treatment from Facebook when all you want to do is get your Facebook ads live and revenue in the door?
I’m a Facebook ad policy specialist who worked at Facebook and I’m trusted by high level brands that take accuracy and results seriously.
I can show you how to resolve FB bans even if Facebook ad support is useless to resolve ad account restrictions.
Don’t lose any more money from Facebook bans and schedule your call with me now.
Don’t take my word for it, let my clients tell you what it was like working with me:
It shouldn’t be a mystery on what to do to recover from a ban. I strive for customer satisfaction, being a business owner myself.
My clients have included the social media marketing agencies of Tony Robbins, Harv Eker, and Dean Graziosi. How much is it costing you to have a disabled Facebook ad account? Talk today.
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If you’re ok with waiting a bit longer, and entering the waitlist to see if you’re eligible – Schedule a call or contact me via email.
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Ad Account Restricted Facebook FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How to fix ad account disabled on facebook
Your first step should always be to stop active ads running with the same copy as the rejected ad, then audit your funnel for flags, and appeal using the strategy outlined in the appeal section of the FAQs
2. How to enable my disabled facebook ad account
If you have a spare ad account in your Facebook Business Manager that you can run ads from, feel free to. BUT, identify the micro and major flags FIRST, so as not to repeat the same mistake.
Ready to Finally Make the Money You Need in the Hours That Work for You & Your Family? Don’t miss out,Learn More here.
3. How to appeal a disabled facebook ad account
As far as how to appeal a disabled Facebook ad account, you’ll get 48 hours to make your appeal. The best strategy is to communicate to Meta | Facebook that:
A. You understand WHY you were banned.
B. You are committed to following the policies from here on out.
C. You have identified and REMOVED the offending content from your funnel.
You can also get some top tips on facebook ad policy in this complimentary eBook: Top 5 Reasons Agencies Fail at Facebook
4. how to get disabled ad account up and running
Depending on how long your ad account was disabled, sometimes, if your appeal is written correctly, the appeal itself CAN potentially get you reactivated, if you understand to communicate with Facebook ad support correctly.
5. How Many Policy Violations Before Account is Shut Down?
Typically, it’s a 1 to 10 ratio. For every single rejected ad that you get, you’ll want 10 Facebook ads that are approved. After a pattern of behavior is established by machine learning, from Meta’s automations, you may spiral rapidly into Facebook jail if your ratios aren’t correct. 3 consecutive ads getting rejected risks your ad account getting disabled. But, it also depends on how severe the ban is.
And, if this still all seems too confusing, your clients are yelling at you to get ads live to bring in money, simply schedule a complimentary Facebook discovery call here
6. How to remove restriction on facebook ad account
As far as removing a restriction on a Facebook ad account, if we’re talking about a disabled ad account, well, you can rehabilitate your funnel and then appeal, possibly getting it reactivated if you do this SMART (I have methods that work if you’re in the appeal window). But as far as removing a restriction from Facebook ads, see the previous FAQ answer: you need to get in a positive approval-cycle ratio.
7. how long does facebook take to review restricted ad account
Now, ask yourself, is it an election year? Have there been over 20,000 Meta employees laid off? Did you word your appeal using specific language Facebook ad support can and will respond better to? These are the factors in play. Typically, you get an answer within a week. If you have a more severe ban or are in the special ad categories, you may get an answer faster but it won’t be one you like. Severe bans end up as permanent restrictions and they deliver that ban hammer faster than other lighter Facebook ad policy restrictions.
8. how to fix your access can’t be reinstated because too much time has passed since we restricted your account
In a situation like this, your recovery options depend on what is banned:
a) Facebook Ad Account
b) Facebook Business Page
c) Facebook Business Manager
d) Facebook profile
So, each one may have a different recovery option, depending on your situation, and type of ban it is, as well as your particular niche or business’s vertical, and the health of the accounts before the ban. Want to get a pathway to get Facebook ads live? Schedule your complimentary discovery call here.
9. How To Get Your Disabled Facebook Ad Account Back
First, let me also address the elephant in the room: personal and emotional attachments to disabled ad accounts. I’ve worked with tons of Fortune 500 level companies, and the amount of hair pulling and FML-ing over ONE ad account being disabled, is incredible. Sometimes, it’s faster, and cheaper, to just start a new ad account, and relaunch, rather than recover a tainted asset.
That being said, the same answer applies here to the instructions above, for appeals
10. How to unblock your Facebook ad account
Now, unblocking an ad account, may be possible if you get in fast enough with the right kind of messaging to Facebook ad support. While they are the gatekeepers, and don’t have any real power, they CAN talk to the right folks who, if you word your appeal right, can unblock your Facebook ad account. And of course, if you need next-level assistance, I’m always available to chat and see if it’s a good fit here.