Why it happens
A banned ingredient on the landing page
A banned ingredient on the landing page
The ad can be clean while the product page lists a banned ingredient. Google reviews the destination too.
A supplement Google treats as unapproved
Some sports, weight-loss and nootropic supplements are on the list even where they are legal to sell.
A keyword naming the substance
Keywords count. Bidding on the ingredient name triggers the policy on its own.
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.
Find where the substance appears
Check ad text, keywords, sitelinks and the landing page, including ingredient lists and reviews.
Remove it or stop advertising that product
Send ads to pages that do not feature the substance, remove it from keywords and assets, or exclude the product from campaigns.
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: Healthcare and medicines; Google Ads Help: Fix a disapproved ad or appeal a policy decision.
Sprites diagnoses this
Sprites diagnoses it
Sprites shows every ad caught by the unapproved substances rule and where the term sits in the ad.
What Sprites does
- Reads the policy status of your ads and lists every one disapproved for unapproved substances.
- Rewrites ad text to remove the substance, once you approve, so the ad itself is clean.
What it doesn't do
- It does not edit your landing pages, which is often where the banned ingredient is listed.
- It cannot get a banned substance approved. No certification or appeal unlocks it.
Questions
Is there a list of unapproved substances in Google Ads?
Google publishes a non-exhaustive list and flags substances beyond it, so a product not on the list can still be caught.
Can I appeal an unapproved substances disapproval?
Only if the ad was flagged by mistake. If the product contains the substance, appeals do not work.
My supplement is legal in my country. Why is it banned?
Google sets this list globally and it is stricter than many local laws.
Can I advertise the rest of my store?
Yes. Ads that send people to pages without the substance can run normally.
See where it breaks
Connect your accounts. Sprites reads them side by side and shows you exactly where the numbers split.