Why it happens
The category was never declared
The category was never declared
A mortgage broker, a recruiter or a lender ran a normal campaign. Meta reads the ad and the page and decides it belongs in a category.
The product sits next to a category
Credit repair, career coaching, home services tied to a sale, insurance. Meta classifies more of these as special category than it used to.
Social issue or political content
Ads that mention legislation, candidates or contested social topics need the category and an authorized advertiser with a paid for by disclaimer.
Targeting that the category does not allow
Age, gender, ZIP code and many detailed targeting options are unavailable for housing, employment and financial products campaigns.
How to fix it, step by step
Pick the right category
Housing, Employment, Financial products and services, or Social issues, elections or politics. Financial products and services replaced the old Credit category.
Declare it on the campaign
In Ads Manager, edit the campaign and turn on Special ad categories. Choose the category and the countries the ads run in.
Fix the targeting
Remove age, gender and ZIP code targeting. Location becomes a broader radius. Rebuild audiences from what the category still allows.
Authorize for social issues
For social issue and political ads, complete ad authorization for the person and the Page, and add the paid for by disclaimer.
Republish
Save the campaign. The ads go back to review under the new category.
Steps checked against Meta Business Help Center articles on special ad categories and ad authorization for social issue, electoral and political ads.
Sprites fixes this
Or let Sprites fix it
Sprites reads the rejection, declares the category on the campaign and shows you what targeting it changes. Nothing changes until you approve it.
What Sprites does
- Reads the review feedback on the rejected ads and the targeting on their ad sets.
- Updates the campaign’s special ad categories as an approval card.
- Proposes the ad set targeting the category still allows, for you to approve.
What it doesn't do
- Complete Meta's advertiser authorization for social issue ads
Questions
Which ads need a special ad category?
Ads for housing, employment, financial products and services such as credit, loans and insurance, and ads about social issues, elections or politics.
What targeting do I lose?
For housing, employment and financial products: age, gender, ZIP code targeting and many detailed targeting options. Location targeting is broadened to a minimum radius.
Can I declare the category on an existing campaign?
Yes, edit the campaign and turn it on. The targeting in its ad sets has to fit the category before the ads run again.
Do lookalike audiences still work?
Standard lookalikes are not available in these categories. Meta offers its own category-safe audience options instead.
Is credit still a category?
It became Financial products and services, which also covers loans, insurance and investment products.
Let Sprites fix it
Connect the account. Sprites finds the cause, stages the change and waits for your approval.