Why it happens
A competitor or partner brand in the ad text
A competitor or partner brand in the ad text
Comparison headlines like "Better than Brand X" or "Brand X alternative" are the usual trigger.
You resell the brand but the page does not show it
Resellers can use the trademark only when the landing page is clearly dedicated to selling those products, with prices and a way to buy.
A generic word that someone trademarked
A common word that is also a registered mark can be restricted in some countries and industries.
How to fix it, step by step
Find the exact policy topic
Go to Campaigns, then Ads, and hover the Disapproved or Eligible (limited) label in the Status column. It names the policy and the part of the ad it applies to. Tools, then Troubleshooting, then Policy manager lists every affected ad in one place.
Remove the term or make the page qualify
Edit the ad to drop the brand name, or, if you sell or inform about the product, make the landing page clearly a reseller or information page for it.
Ask the owner for authorization
If you have permission to use the mark, the trademark owner submits Google's trademark authorization form naming your Google Ads account.
Resubmit or appeal
Saving an edited ad resubmits it for review. If you think the call was wrong, or the change was made outside the ad, open Policy manager, choose Appeal and pick Dispute decision or Made changes to comply with policy. Each ad gets 3 appeals, and only decisions from the last 6 months can be appealed from the account.
Steps checked against Google Ads policy help: Trademarks; Google Ads Help: Fix a disapproved ad or appeal a policy decision.
Sprites fixes this
Or let Sprites fix it
Sprites finds the ads limited by trademark and rewrites them without the restricted term.
What Sprites does
- Reads the policy status of your ads and names the trademark topic on each limited one.
- Rewrites the affected headlines and descriptions without the brand name, keeping the message.
- Reads each ad back after the edit so you see exactly which text landed.
- You approve every change before it goes live.
What it doesn't do
- It does not request authorization from a trademark owner. Only the owner can submit that form.
- It does not change your landing page to meet the reseller exception.
Questions
Can I bid on a competitor's brand name in Google Ads?
Yes. Google does not restrict trademarks as keywords. The restriction applies to the trademark in the ad text.
Why does my trademarked ad show Eligible (limited) instead of Disapproved?
Trademark restrictions are often limited by country or network rather than total, so the ad still serves where the owner has not restricted the term.
How do I get authorized to use a trademark in my ads?
The trademark owner submits Google's authorization form naming your account. You cannot request it yourself.
How do I stop others using my trademark in their ads?
Register a trademark complaint with Google for the countries where you hold rights.
Let Sprites fix it
Connect the account. Sprites finds the cause, stages the change and waits for your approval.