Ahem so, you got shut down by Facebook eh?
This ain't a test of the emergency broadcast system - you got shut down. If you saw the image above in your ads manager then you have your Facebook ad account disabled.
As a business owner or social media marketing agency this is a worst-case scenario. Well, except if maybe you shared your screen during week an accidentally had an adult website up lol. But no worries!
I'm here to offer help as someone who has worked at Facebook for quite a bit. This article on my blog will guide you through all the steps you'll want to take after facebook disabled ad accounts you were running ads on.
For the most common Facebook ad policies explained click here.
Just peep below to steer your ad ship back on course.
Table of Contents
1. Find out why you got on Facebook's radar
• What Happens When Your Facebook Ad Account is Disabled
• What Triggered Facebook's Automations to Disable Your Ad Account
2. How To Recover Disabled Facebook Ad Accounts
• The best way to contact Facebook Ad Support
• The chances at recovering your ad account
• Top tips for appealing a disabled ad account
• The time limit when you can no longer recover an ad account
• What to do if FB goes silent & you can't recover your ad account
Find out why you got on Facebook's radar
What Happens When Your Facebook Ad Account is Disabled
• All the ads that were running are turned off
• Your Business Manager is now on the radar for automation scans
• New ads can't be run from the disabled ad account
• Anyone who had a role on this ad account also has a black mark
• All sales your ads were driving stop
You'll also see this warning:
What Triggered Facebook's Automations to Disable Your Ad Account
Simmer down! I'll help you get the answers to this! Or at least get a better strategy for how to approach Facebook disabling ad accounts with a higher rate of success.
First things first - determine what triggered the automations to disabled your ad account.
Remember the goal is to make sure you don't repeat these same violations in future ads so your future ad accounts are safer from getting disabled.
Are your ad accounts fine but your Facebook ads are rejected? Read Facebook Ads Blocked Here's What You Can Do
Facebook's automations scan your ads based on machine learning. So, if your ad account is shut down you've demonstrated a pattern that consistently violated Facebook's advertising policies (a list of their FB ad policies is here - but there are 10K more unlisted).
1. Typically there are a series of micro-flags that won't shut your ad account down just put you on Facebook's radar. After you reach a threshold of micro flags you can be shut down.
I advise you to review your ads frequently and stay up-to-date on new Facebook ad policy changes. Put on your Facebook spectacles and see your ads through their eyes.
2. Traveling and logging into your Facebook Ads manager far away from your home. Facebook may flag you for suspicious activity.
I recommend that you log in from your phone when you travel - Facebook doesn't track this as suspicious.
3. Business Manager Settings: People Tab - if anyone in your BM gets flagged it shuts you down too.
I suggest auditing anyone in your Business Manager to make sure their side gigs aren't running scam or spam ads that Facebook will trace back to your main BM. Because FB can and will shut you down if someone else on your BM runs afoul of the ad policies.
4. Banks Flag FB ad charges: When your bank stops the pre-auth and the actual charge FB attempts to collect for your ad payments that will disabled your ad account.
The reason why this happens is so many clickbait farms try to do a quick pump-and-dump - running spammy ads, making a profit, then not paying Facebook for the ads they ran.
Which means Meta / FB is extra harsh if it looks like a bank is denying them their funds from your ads.
Call your bank and let them know to always approve charges from Facebook. Those charges often look like "Check Card: FACEBK XCNU9KBGE2 650-5434800 CA."
Or, if your bank offers a fraud prevention service, where a robodialer calls your phone for you to approve suspicious charges, make sure that's turned on. That way you can manually approve FB ad charges.
5. Policy Violations on bridge pages, squeeze pages or landing pages: automations can and will scan your lander. If you are breaking ad policies on your lander it will come back and get you disabled if you've run a ton of ads to a noncompliant LP.
Want to make sure your landing page doesn't get flagged by Facebook? Click here.
Realistically tho? Just having ad policy violations on your lander won't get you shut down unless either you've ran so many ads that, like the micro flags in #1, you just reach a threshold of smaller flags. OR you have a critical ad policy violation - like some relating to the pandemic.
I advise making sure you've audited your landing pages and make sure they are compliant before running ads to them.
6. Spam Ads: If you run ads that seem too spammy Facebook will disable your ad account.
For some advertisers, they focus so hard on conversions they forget running FB ads mean you have to adhere to Facebook's ecosystem:
Facebook is a family-friendly place (at least in their eyes) for wholesome content focused on increasing connections, not just selling shit. That means if you've run a bunch of ads that sound like an MLM to Facebook you're gonna get your ad account disabled.
I recommend putting on your Facebook spectacles and seeing your ads through their eyes: does your ad feel or look spammy? Tone it down, make it sound more realistic.
7. Credit Card Numbers Flagged As Suspicious
This relates to #3 and #4 - if either your fellow marketers in your Business Manager have used the same credit card to run super spammy ads.
Your credit card numbers could be flagged by Facebook (especially if you're outsourcing social media management or ads to another country).
If your bank consistently challenged Facebook when Facebook automatically attempted to collect payments for ads run, your credit card could be black listed.
I suggest determining for certain if it's your credit card causing this issue then after following my advice on #3 & #4 above, getting a new CC if you know that's the only thing flagging you.
Otherwise you'll waste that credit card and get flagged again if it's something else causing Facebook to disable your ad account. You want to save swapping CCs for when you know why you were shut down.
8. Ban-Level Ad Rejections: Certain ad policies are weighed heavier than others
Not all ad rejections are created equal - some ads getting rejected will lead to an immediate ban on your ad account.
If you get flagged as a Multi-Level-Marketing company, or gambling ads without a letter of approval from FB / local govs or running a political ads without prior approval you can get an ad account disabled asap.
Other ban-level ad rejections can be something like running a special ad category ad without selecting the special ad category. Like running a real estate ad but failing to select the special interest category when creating the ad.
Facebook will assume you're trying to dodge the system and immediately ban your ad account. There are more ban-level ad rejections than what I've mentioned, these are just a few.
If you're looking for the scoop on the top reasons that Facebook ads get rejected click here.
It is worth mentioning that if your personal profile - I'm not referring to your Facebook Business Page which is your digital storefront for whatever product or service you're selling - if it is not following the Community Standards, and Terms of Service, you could get blocked from runnings ads.
For a full run down, you can check my video What to Do If Your Facebook Ad Account Disabled 2022 here.
Here's a summary, a quick and dirty TLDR of Facebook ad policies below:
For my essential guide to Facebook ad policies click here.
9. Facebook's Ad Policies Changed & You Didn't Notice
Facebook changes ad policies often - maybe even once a quarter, or half. Meaning Q1 of the year you could be compliant but by Q2 or Q3, new ad policies have made your existing ads completely noncompliant.
• Previously Approved Ads Now Flagged
A great example of this is selling face masks before 2020. One of my clients was running a face mask store way before C-19 hit in 2020. His face mask store used to be completely compliant.
Suddenly, Facebook changed all their ad policies about selling face masks on Facebook and he got flagged.
That's when he contacted me and I helped audit his funnel - but it is a prime example of how fast Facebook changes policies and will punish you for ads they previously approved and yet blame you for it.
Depending on how serious the ad policy violation this could disabled your Facebook ad account.
• You Made A Change to an Ad Running for a Long Time
If your ad has been running a long time, Facebook's automations can miss scanning it. Then, when new ad policies come, the automations don't notice it until you make a change to it. Now, all of a sudden your ad account is disabled too.
• A Competitor is Flagging Your Ads
While this doesn't happen often, sometimes a competitor can use the self-reporting tools to excessively hide your ads and give Facebook negative feedback about it. After a certain amount of this, FB will disable your ad account thinking you're creating a bad user experience.
There's nothing you can do about that unless you know the profile that's flagging your ads, you can potentially block it from seeing your Facebook Business Page
• Special Ad Category Not Selected
If your ads fall into the special ad categories: Credit, Employment, Housing, Social Issues, elections or politics and you don't select this when creating your ad, that is enough for Facebook to assume you're hiding from them trying to circumvent their systems.
Meta will disable your ad account for this - because they assume you're guilty first because of the amount of spammers on Facebook. One bad apple here does ruin it for everyone else.
Also - if the wording of your ad SOUNDS LIKE a special ad category, Facebook can mis-flag your ad as special ad category and punish you for not selecting it.
So, be super clear on how you word your ad if you are not in the special ad category and don't want to be shut down. Here's the full list of special ad categories here.
Come back to my blog for an upcoming article about Special Ad Categories as a new change is happening soon at Facebook with these type of ads.
You can check out AdExpresso's article here for a full run down of these type of ads (although it is a bit dated).
• Facebook's Automations Glitched Out
I know you're saying, "I KNEW IT! FACEBOOK BUG!" but in reality, this happens less than .005% of the time.
As I mention in Facebook Ads Blocked: Here’s What You Can Do, the automations often make mistakes APPROVING ads giving you a false baseline to go by if you think an ad not following FB's policies that was mistakenly approved is what to copy in the future.
But, in rare instances, I have seen, for every 100 clients I've worked with, about 2 have legitimately glitched shutdowns. Where Facebook's automations have wrongfully shut down & disabled a Facebook ad account.
How to fix this: you have to be within around 48 hours of the glitch disabling your Facebook ad account to have a chance at appealing. And you have to use certain words and approaches to successfully appeal a disabled Facebook ad account.
How To Recover Disabled Facebook Ad Accounts
The Best Way to Contact Facebook Ad Support
1. As of this year, the current link to contact Facebook ad support is: https://business.facebook.com/business/help/support/get-help
2. Select the ad account from the drop down menu that has been disabled.
3. You don't want to request review, that's a machine reviewing your ad account, scroll to the very bottom.
Click contact Support
• Facebook Ad Support will not know why you were flagged - they are low-skilled workers just a few inches above a sweat shop.
• Don't expect a quick reply - once you've told FB Ad Support why you think you were flagged (don't expect them to know, they have never run ads for profit before and are clueless), it may be a while before you get an answer on whether your ad account will be reinstated.
• If you're working with me, and have your funnel audited, using my expertise from working at Facebook for years since before even Cambridge Analytica happened, and I discover that you were incorrectly shut down (chances are slim that's the case), you can use this form to appeal, with my help.
Why Can't I Contact Facebook Ad Support?
The Chances at Recovering Your Ad Account
Here's the deal: if it isn't a glitch or a bug and Facebook has correctly flagged your ad account (which is true 98% of the time) but just isn't explaining why, and you don't know why your Facebook ad account was disabled - just accept it's gone.
If you do know what part of your funnel triggered the automations to shut you down and disable your Facebook ad account then you may be able to make a convincing case with Facebook ad support - if you use the right phrasing - to get it reactivated.
Keep in mind 3 out of 4 times you won't get it back.
Top tips for Appealing a Disabled Ad Account
• If you don't know why your Facebook ad account was disabled you won't be able to make an effective appeal. You need to audit your funnel first, and relay why you think you've been disabled to Facebook ad support.
• Don't just chat with Facebook ad support saying, "I don't know why you disabled my ad account, reactivate it now!" They will not respond to that approach.
• You want to inform them (because again they are clueless) why you got shut down. Then promise you won't break this specific rule again. That will up your chances.
But above all else, audit your entire funnel before appealing so you know every policy you broke and why you're on the radar. Clean up your funnel, make it compliant, then appeal.
The Time Limit When You Can No Longer Recover an Ad Account
Important: If you are not within 48 hours of the ad account being disabled your chances of recovery are slim to none.
That's the window you have. While there are always exceptions, and miracle moments when an ad account is suddenly active again, don't count on it.
You can't rely on luck to run your business or your ads. After 48 hours the chances of recovering your ad account go down a lot.
What Happens Now After Appealing Disabled Facebook Ad Accounts
You are going to see a few possible outcomes from submitting an appeal (or not being able to appeal):
1. Facebook never replies. You're stuck in permanent limbo because Facebook never told you yay or nay (happens pretty often - they are backlogged).
2. Facebook reactivated your disabled Facebook ad account. Meta miraculously said, "Our bad, you are reactivated sir or ma'am."
3. You get an email that says this is the final decision. You're fucked here - there isn't any coming back from final decision emails. Your ad account is permanently gone.
If you're getting #2 here - that doesn't mean just because FB reactivated your ad account that they aren't watching you. If anything you are even more on the radar.
Also it doesn't mean Facebook made the right decision! Too many advertisers want to do the happy dance because they got their disabled Facebook ad account back online.
But often FB reactivates ad accounts by mistake - or the low-skilled workers missed the flags hidden in your ads.
That means, unless you know the exact reason why you were shut down your ad account could be a ticking time bomb that on the next re-scan gets disabled again. You aren't out of the woods yet.
Now, if it actually was a glitch that shut you down (which happens rarely) then, you're probably ok if you got reactivated.
Stuck dealing with #1 or #3 with no replies or a final decision? Keep reading for help.
What to do if FB goes silent & you can't recover your ad account
You can create a new ad account in the same Business Manager and advertise again after warming up your new ad accounts. Or create a new Business Manager.
But only if you know without a doubt the exact reason you were shut down and avoid doing it in your new ad funnel.
Otherwise, it's going to really suck if you get your new ads rejected, new ad account disabled and then your Business Manager gets disabled.
You have to follow Facebook's advertising policies. BUT there are thousands of ad policies Facebook doesn't tell you about due to the nature of machine-learning with their automations.
This is where all the reading of articles about How to Fix Disabled Facebook Ad Accounts won't solve jack shit because these people are still just guessing from an outsider's perspective on why Facebook is shutting you down.
WARNING: If your Business Manager get disabled and you haven't taken out your main Facebook Page and Instagram Page they will be trapped inside a disabled Business Manager and you won't be able to advertise on them again.
So you've checked the Business Help Center but Meta / Facebook isn't responding. They won't tell you why your ad account was disabled and worse yet, Facebook won't recover your disabled Facebook ad account.
You're sweating bullets, and are googling "how to recover disabled Facebook ad accounts." I've got good news and bad news.
The bad news is no one who is not a scammer, offers disabled Facebook ad account recovery. People will try to trick you here, but unless you have an Account Manager (or a Client Partner) AT FACEBOOK, then you won't get your ad account back.
The good news is you can still rebuild and start again after getting help determining why you were shut down and start with a clean slate.
New Solution to Facebook Ad Policy Violations
After years of working at Facebook, I understand exactly what ad copy in your funnel is triggering the automations and how to get compliant. I'm a Facebook ad policy specialist and can audit your funnel, and share what to say that Facebook wants to see instead - but just isn't telling you.
Want to book a call to talk to Facebook and get results? Get solid answers directly from the source instead guessing, googling and playing roulette? Schedule a call with me and I can easily tell you proven reasons why the automations flag you and how to become compliant.
You'll be swapping out walking in a minefield of ad flags, to have a sure path to having your Facebook ad accounts protected from being disabled.
My clients have included social media marketing agencies of Tony Robbins, Harv Eker and Dean Graziosi. I'm featured on the Queen of Facebook Mari Smith's Marketing Essentials Course.
Save energy and money - how much is it costing you to not know why Facebook is shutting you down?
If you want to skip the line before this offer ends, immediately secure an expert-level Facebook consulting call from someone at Facebook. Book a call with me now!
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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