Banned for an ad account restriction on Facebook? I can help – I’ve worked at Facebook in ads.
So many people post fluff online when you google how to fix ad account restrictions on Facebook, but I’ll share how to avoid Facebook bans and ad account restrictions in this article.
My other blogs provided you with a Facebook Ad Policies Checklist. And today, I’ll explore exactly how the Personal Attributes flag bans advertisers and how to avoid Facebook jail.
As Liana Lang, CEO of Power Up Strategy Inc. said, “Please meet Trevor, my ‘secret weapon’ for all things Facebook compliance. I highly recommend hiring him to help you out especially if you plan to be running ads.”
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What are personal attribute ad account restrictions?
There are many reasons why your ad account restriction happened. Today, I’m focusing on the Personal Attributes flag and how that triggers ad account restrictions.
Personal Attributes is a detail about someone that ad copy calls out. Personal Attributes consist of targeting 1 specific group of people, and singling them out, negatively or positively. These attributes can be height, weight, age, gender, financial status, sexual orientation, or belonging to a subgroup.
One of the biggest roadblocks advertisers face when getting hit with a Facebook shut down is not being told why it happened. The rules of advertising when it comes the ole problem-pain-solution formula don’t work on Facebook. Or they work but only if customized for Facebook ad policy.
What you consider normal may not be perceived the same by the bots that do the flagging within Facebook’s ecosystem. That’s why things get tricky. You may feel your ad copy sounds normal – but if you want to follow the Facebook ad policies, you gotta frame your copy specifically for Facebook’s website.
Ad Account Restriction GENERAL GUIDANCE
This list sounds deceptively simple. You’re thinking, “How hard can it be to follow these 4 bullet points?”
Well, it can be harder than it sounds because a machine is the one interpreting your ad copy as compliant or ban worthy. (Check out my article Facebook ad account disabled next steps).
What “Text referencing or alluding to personal attributes or characteristics of the targeted group or individual,” means, is if you are calling out a specific smaller sub group of people you can get the Personal Attributes flag.
Facebook’s philosophy here is that if you are being too negative about a small enough group of people, they’ll leave Facebook, feeling too singled out. And Facebook loses a lot of ad money if people leave Facebook for a competitor platform.
You and Your are tricky pronouns, because they do specifically call out the viewer. So, you’ll need to be extra careful with how you use these 2 words. Especially if you single out an attribute of your target audience negatively AND use “you” or “your.”
Ad Account Restriction: RACE OR ETHNICITY
This is a great example of what not to say. When you use the word “other” you are dehumanizing (aka “othering”) a select group of people. Facebook doesn’t like that because it sounds bad.
Navigating Facebook’s Advertising Policies as a Business is a good read too if you’re looking to go from ignorance on Facebook ad policy to having some clarity.
Ad Account Restriction: RELIGION
If you’re paying attention you may start to see the pattern – meeting “other” Buddhists isn’t allowed. Saying a specific group of individuals after “you” isn’t allowed.
Did you already say something that got your Facebook ad account disabled?
Don’t get ripped off! Read How to Recover Facebook Ad Accounts now
If you’ve been shutdown a lot but never got answers, you’re like one of my clients, Steve Martinez, Vice President of Apollidon Learning.
“Trevor took us through the process of getting one of our University of Texas ad accounts reinstated (within minutes). He offered some critical insights to why our Facebook Ad Account was disabled and shared options to reduce our chances of future issues. We have a better understand of how the algorithm works and know exactly what to do and say if our account gets disabled again.”
Want to see how I can help you? Schedule a free discovery call here. Or, if you’re in a rush, prepay for your consulting call and skip the line.
Ad Account Restriction: AGE
Ever hear the expression, “Never ask a woman her age?” Well, Facebook feels that way times 1000.
Some of my clients have included skin care companies, and they often have run into issues talking about looking younger or older. It’s a really fine line here. As you can see saying “teenagers” is allowed, as well as “seniors” but definitely not combining “you” and “younger.”
A good thought exercise before writing ad copy about age, is to say, “Would a person, sensitive to their age, get offended in any way by my ad copy?”
Filter your ad copy through that and you’ll have a better chance avoiding the ban hammer.
Ad Account Restriction: SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR PRACTICES
You can see like 80s nostalgia goes with Stranger Things, combining “other” with identifying a specific group of people will get you Facebook ad account restrictions.
It’s much better to go 3rd person. That’s a safer route than saying, “you” “your” or “other.”
Already completely banned?
If you are running ads and spending $100K a year or more on ads, I can help with that.
Also check out: Top Reasons Why Facebook Disables Ad Accounts
Ad Account Restriction: GENDER IDENTITY
This is one of the newest Facebook Policy Personal Attributes flags that came out, very recently. According to Facebook, you can say “Come meet transgender singles.”
But if I were you, I’d avoid doing so. It’s a hot topic, very divisive, and the machines at Facebook want to eliminate any ad that may put Facebook in a bad light. While it’s allowed right now within 6 months Facebook will impose stricter automations that will severely flag you for saying this.
Ad Account Restriction: PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH AND DISABILITY
You can see that the pattern continues of not directly asking with “you” about someone’s personal attribute. It’s much better to use the 3rd person perspective here.
Ad Account Restriction: VULNERABLE FINANCIAL STATUS
One of the most common businesses to get flagged for vulnerable financial statuses are loan companies. Also, car accident personal injury attorneys also get hit with the Personal Attributes flag.
I hope you’re starting to understand that on 1 level, the general idea about Personal Attributes is to not negatively call out details about your target audience. And to get more granular, this applies to each attribute.
Ad Account Restriction: VOTING STATUS
Attributing ownership of a ballot to a Facebook user here isn’t allowed, whereas the 3rd person “Learn about voter registration” is kosher. The same goes with identifying a Facebook user in your target audience by voter registration card.
Ad Account Restrictions: MEMBERSHIP IN A TRADE UNION
Do trade unions use Facebook ads much? I’ve never seen a Facebook ad about this but I’m not in a union. You’ll read above that Facebook isn’t not cool with advertising dissing Union reps – with “your” preceding it. A better version of this ad copy would be something like, “Issues with a Union rep?”
Ad Account Restriction: CRIMINAL RECORD
Asking someone if they are felon is not a great icebreaker. If felons are your target audience, Facebook probably isn’t going to be the best platform. Even the 1st approved copy example would still get you flagged.
This is where Facebook tends to frustrate advertisers and businesses alike – because above Facebook says you can create ad copy about “previous offenses” but I guarantee you the automations will still flag and shut you down. If not at 1st, eventually they will.
It’d be better to partner up with a vertical who already serves this clientele, that has their email addresses, like a probation company, do a JV or just buy an email list and create a custom audience from it and/or Lookalike audience.
Ad Account Restriction: NAME OR IDENTIFICATION
I didn’t even know this was a thing until I was hit with Facebook ads using my personal name – idk who sold my data, Shopify or something – and the company offered me personalized quilts with my name. Bad targeting on their part and against Facebook ad policy.
So, it’s only a matter of time before they are shut down unless they change to a new tactic. And I hope I don’t have to tell you not to ask for someone’s Driver’s License on a Facebook ad.
That’s like saying, “Hey buddy, comment on this Facebook ad with your social security number, credit card number and billing zip!”
Ad Account Restriction: Examples of violating ads with personal attributes
Hopefully these examples give you a better idea of what Facebook will flag you for. The “Alternative ideas” are almost all useless because they are too vague.
If you need help rewriting ad copy to be compliant with Facebook I offer a prescreen service – book a discovery call here.
Ad Account Restriction: Getting the Language Right in Your Facebook Ad
There are a few techniques you can use to ensure Facebook doesn’t flag you for Personal Attributes. One is to write everything in 3rd person. The other is to use a 1st person testimonial. These are pretty good alternatives than kicking the pain points a bit too hard.
However, you can still get flagged when using the 3rd person if you are too specific with who you call out with pain points. So, be careful there.
Determining Why Your Ad was Rejected
I have a process that has worked 100% of the time for identifying why a Facebook ad was rejected – but that’s because I’ve worked at Facebook for many years.
If you don’t know someone like me with this experience, skill and context, then I’d suggest taking a good look at the ad copy in your ad above the creative, below the creative as far as the headline goes, as well as your website.
Do the litmus test: Ask yourself, “If I was someone who got easily offended at any remark, positive or negative about myself, would this ad copy be on the line for a flag?”
Looking through that lens can help you identify potential Personal Attributes flags.
Fun fact: Facebook doesn’t flag as seriously on landing page outside of the Facebook platform, when it comes to Personal Attributes. Does that mean you say whatever the hell you want like a drunk Gilbert Godfrey (RIP)?
The answer is no, you’ll still get flagged if you negatively call out an attribute too specifically on your website. But, there is a little more wiggle room on an LP. Keep reading below for more details on Landing Pages (LPs).
Facebook Ad Policies and Landing Pages
Facebook | Meta has a list of verbatim words programmed into their automations and if you trigger this on your lander, yes, you’ll still be flagged.
BUT, some words NOT allowed above a Facebook ad creative in the ad ON Facebook, are in a grey area on your landing page. Meaning, if everything else in your funnel IS compliant then, you can get away with a little bit more on your website than on Facebook itself.
Meaning because, simply said, Facebook.com is prime real estate 100% owned by Zuck | Parent Company Meta. Your website is yours, but if it’s connected to Facebook ads, you’ll have some scrutiny. For more info read How to Fix NonFunctional Landing Pages
Having trouble defining where that line exactly is for what you can and cannot say? This is my zone of genius, schedule a free discovery call here.
Use Third-Person Narrative
This is a great technique for Facebook ban-proofing your ads. (So is my prescreen service). You are safer the more you are able to use the 3rd person, and avoid saying things like, “Want to lose weight off your fat a$%? Click Learn More!”
If you haven’t had a chance yet, read my break down of Common Facebook Ad Policy Violations [Explained]
Even if you spent a week reading Facebook’s Ad Policies you’d still be at risk of a shut down for Personal Attributes simply because there are ways Facebook’s bots flag you that Facebook isn’t transparent about.
Generally speaking, your ads have to follow a 1000 more rules than you are actually told about.
BUT – don’t miss out on an opportunity to never have to get flagged again.
What if you had a guarantee that your ads were compliant before they went live on Facebook? What if you knew 100% without guessing why your ad account was disabled? What if you knew why your Facebook ads were blocked and had a path to get ads live again?
Keep reading for these answers and more:
Facebook Ad Account Restriction Fix
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