Why it happens
A parent is off
A parent is off
Ad set off or campaign off under the ad. The ad toggle can be on while a level above is paused.
Rejected or in review
The ad failed review or is still waiting. Rejected ads show the policy when you hover the status.
Billing or account issue
A failed payment, a reached account spending limit or a restricted account stops delivery everywhere.
Scheduled or completed
The start date is in the future, the end date has passed, or a lifetime budget is spent.
Bid or audience leaves no auction to win
A tight bid cap or cost goal, or an audience so small Meta cannot find anyone to show the ad to.
How to fix it, step by step
Hover the delivery status
In Ads Manager, hover Not delivering on the ad, ad set or campaign. Meta names the reason when it has one.
Fix the level it names
Turn on the off ad set or campaign, change the schedule, or extend the end date.
Check rejections
Open the rejected ad, read the policy, and edit it. Request another review in Account Quality if you think the decision is wrong.
Check Billing and payments
Clear failed payments and check the account spending limit.
Loosen bid and widen audience
If nothing is named, raise or remove the bid cap and widen the audience.
Steps checked against Meta Business Help Center articles on delivery statuses, ad review, account spending limits and bid strategies.
Sprites fixes this
Or let Sprites fix it
Sprites reads the delivery state of every ad set and ad at once, says which ones are not delivering and why, and proposes the fix. Nothing changes until you approve it.
What Sprites does
- Lists every ad set and ad with effective status, learning stage, Meta’s delivery issue text, spend and impressions, and marks the ones that delivered nothing.
- Names the blocking parent when an ad is held from above.
- Reads the review feedback on rejected ads and the schedule, bid and audience size on ad sets.
- Proposes the fix as an approval card: turn on the level, change the schedule, loosen the bid, or publish a corrected copy of a rejected ad.
What it doesn't do
- Fix billing or a payment hold
Questions
What does not delivering mean on Meta ads?
The ad is not being shown. Meta usually adds the reason under the status: off, rejected, in review, scheduled, completed or an account issue.
Why are my Facebook ads not delivering when they are approved?
An approved ad can still sit under a paused ad set or campaign, outside its schedule, or behind a bid cap the auction never clears. Check the parent levels and the bid strategy.
How long until a fixed ad starts delivering?
Usually within hours. An edited ad goes back to review first, which is most often under 24 hours.
Is not delivering the same as learning limited?
No. Not delivering means no impressions. Learning limited means the ad set is delivering but is not expected to get enough optimization events to stabilize.
Can a Meta outage cause not delivering?
Rarely. When delivery stops across the whole account at once, billing and the spending limit are far more likely. Check those first.
Let Sprites fix it
Connect the account. Sprites finds the cause, stages the change and waits for your approval.