Facebook Ad Account Restricted: 8 Steps To Reinstate [2024]

Are you looking for a recovery solution for a Facebook ad account restricted from advertising? This article will cover common reasons for your ad account restriction, full-step instructions to deal with it, and proactive measures to avoid it in the future. Gear yourself up to reinstate your ad account and restart powerful Facebook ad campaigns for business success.

What Does Facebook Ad Account Restricted Mean?

When you have a Facebook ad account restricted, it means that Facebook has placed some limitations on your ad account. These limitations can be lifted when you carry out the required actions or appeal Facebook’s decision. 

If your ad account is restricted from advertising, you may: 

• Be limited on ad spend.
• Lose access to some Facebook ad features.
• Lose the ability to advertise on Facebook and Meta platforms using this account.

If your Facebook personal ad account is restricted from advertising, you may:

• Lose the ability to create or manage new ads.
• Lose the ability to add admins, partners, and users.
• Lose the ability to use and manage ad accounts.
• Lose the ability to create new ad accounts, business portfolios, and other assets.

Identify a restricted Facebook ad account

When you access Ads Manager, you will be informed about the restriction. Click See Details to be directed to Business Support Home. 

In the Account Overview section, you can see the status of your ad account. Facebook may also provide some general explanations about this restriction.

How does it affect your business?

Every paused ad is a missed opportunity, resulting in losses of customers and revenue. 

When a Facebook ad account is restricted, it stops existing ads and prevents you from creating new campaigns on Facebook and reaching its enormous audience base.

Hence, it’s important to recover your restricted ad account and find solutions to minimize risks and restrictions when advertising on Facebook.

My Facebook Ad Account Is Restricted, Why?

Thousands of advertisers are restricted from Facebook ads every day. It’s a common experience you may suddenly encounter at any time in the Facebook marketing journey.

Facebook restricted ad accounts for three main reasons.

Policy violations

This is the most popular mistake yet the hardest to navigate for advertisers. 

Facebook’s advertising policies are ever-expanding and subject to change without notice, with a long list of rules to read. Thus, advertisers must always update their knowledge to ensure ad compliance.

Moreover, even when you don’t violate the policies with your ad account, it may still be restricted due to a connection with a violating asset. 

We can break down policy violations into 3 main types:

Violating content

Posting content that goes against Facebook’s policies is how to get a restricted Facebook ads account or even a disabled ad account. Facebook doesn’t allow or restrict kinds of ad content as below:

• Unacceptable content: Child sexual exploitation, coordinating harm, dangerous organizations, discriminatory practices, hate speech, human exploitation, misinformation, vaccine discouragement, etc.
• Deceptive practices: Fraud and scam content, misleading practices, disguising ad content/landing page.
• Restricted goods and services: Alcohol, hazardous goods, adult products, sales of human body parts, tobacco, weapons, unsafe substances, cryptocurrency, online gambling, etc.
• Objectionable content: Sexual content, bullying and harassment, profanity, privacy violations, persona attribute implication, shocking content, violence, suicide, self-injury, and more.
• Intellectual property infringement: Copyright, trademark, and other legal rights infringement.
• Low-quality or disruptive content: Withholding information, sensationalized and exaggerated language, low-quality landing pages, etc.

Evading enforcement

Trying to outsmart Facebook’s systems will put your ad account in danger. 

Your ad account is subject to a restriction if you:

• Try to create a new ad account to repeat violations after getting a disabled account.
• Coordinate with other accounts or assets to run the same ads breaching Facebook’s policies.
• Run ads without a clear business goal to circumvent Facebook’s review system.

Violating networks or associations

Facebook also looks at associated connections to detect violating advertisers and restrict them.

Ensure you are not in an account network with ad accounts or business assets that egregiously violate Facebook’s policies.

Suspicious activities

Facebook may also limit your ad account to certain advertising features when your ad account displays unusual activities to protect your account and payment method from hackers.

Sometimes, Facebook may mistakenly restrict your ad account if you log into your account from a different IP address or increase your budget too quickly within a short time.

Account authenticity

Facebook prioritizes advertisers’ authenticity for security purposes. Therefore, using a fake account or not enabling two-factor authentication can make your Facebook account restricted for ads.

How To Recover A Restricted Facebook Ad Account In 2024?

The best thing to do when having a Facebook ad account restricted is to check the Account Overview section to see why it happened. If you believe the restriction is incorrect, you can appeal the decision to reinstate your ad account.

There are two primary ways to appeal: chat with Meta’s support team (if available), or request a review from Business Support Home.

Chat with Meta’s support team

Find a live chat option at the Facebook Business Help Center. If it’s available, you can start a chat with a representative and get quicker support.

You can provide your account information, describe the issue, and ask them to review your case. If your ad account is restricted by mistake, it will probably be restored.

However, live chat support isn’t available for everyone. It partly depends on your region and account.

Appeal from Business Support Home

In case you cannot find the live chat option, you can appeal the restriction by following these steps:

Step 1: Open Business Support Home.

On a computer, go to the Business Support Home.

Step 2: Select the restricted ad account

From Account Overview, click the restricted ad account you want to reinstate.

Step 3: Read recommendations

View Facebook’s recommendations in the What You Can Do section on the right of the screen. They can vary based on the restriction type and reason.

The next 4 steps are all actions Facebook may ask you to do. You can skip any steps that are not required.

Step 4: Confirm your identity

You may be asked to confirm your identity with some of the following items:

• Your account’s email address
• Your mobile phone number
• A photo of your government ID
• The associated payment method

If Facebook requires no further action, you can regain your ad account after completing this step. 

Otherwise, return to the Business Support Home and follow other recommended steps in the What You Can Do section.

Note: You may need to complete the confirmation process within a certain time frame once you start the process.

Step 5: Complete Verification

For a Facebook ads account restricted due to unusual behavior, you may be asked to confirm you are the owner of the account, not an unauthorized user. 

You may see the option to Start verification or Request review. It may vary based on the type of verification.

If you see Start verification:

• Click Start verification in the What You Can Do section.
• Follow the on-screen steps and provide the required items, such as:
  • Account’s email address associated with your account
  • Photo of your valid ID
  • The payment method used for your ad account

If you see Request Review:

• Click Secure your account in the What You Can Do section.
• Follow the on-screen steps, which may involve:
  • Secure your account: Enable two-factor authentication.
  • Verify email address: Look for an email sent by Meta to your account’s email. Click the verification link in the email to continue.
  • Request approval: Ask the business account admin to approve your access to the ad account. 

After completing these steps, you may successfully reinstate your account.

Step 6: Secure your account

Facebook requires advertisers to enable two-factor authentication if they want to access a business portfolio over 90 days old.

To enable two-factor authentication:

• Click Secure your account.
• Follow the on-screen steps.

After you have enabled two-factor authentication, Facebook will reinstate your ad account. 

Step 7: Request a review

To troubleshoot a Facebook ad account restricted for a policy violation, requesting a review for the decision is needed. 

To request a review:

• Click Request Review.
• Complete the on-screen steps.

You should include a clear and concise description of the situation and affirm that you always follow Facebook’s advertising policies. You can find additional tips and an appeal sample in the next section. Keep scrolling for more!

Step 8: Wait for the result

After you send the request, Facebook will take another look at your account to see whether the restrictions should apply. 

The review process typically takes place within 48 hours, but sometimes you may have to wait longer. There are 2 possible outcomes after appealing:

• Your appeal is successful and Facebook removes restrictions. You’ll be able to run ads again.
• Facebook determines the restriction should apply and remains its decision. If it’s not a personal ad account, you may try to create a new ad account in a new business portfolio. Remember to use another payment method and follow Facebook’s policies.

Facebook Ad Account Restricted: Additional Tips To Make A Successful Appeal 

There is a limitation in the number of times you can request a review for a restricted ad account. Once Facebook has reviewed your account, the decision is final. 

Therefore you must deliver your appeal with extra caution. Follow these tips for a successful appeal.

Be clear and concise

State the issues accurately and concisely, mention the time frame, provide relevant reference codes, cite relevant policies, and add a screenshot for evidence (if applicable).

Submit valid ID

Submit a photo of your valid government ID to confirm your identity successfully. The ID must include your name and birth date or photo. It can be your national identity card, passport, driver’s license, or birth certificate.

Facebook may reject your ID if it is:

• Too dark, too blurry.
• Not fully captured in the photo frame.
• Expired.
• Digitally concealed.

Don’t submit more ID photos than needed as you may incidentally delay the review process. 

Be polite 

Keep calm, use polite language, and maintain a respectful tone when you appeal as you are communicating with a human. Never argue and accuse Facebook. 

You can use the sample script below to craft an effective appeal: 

Hello Facebook Support Team,

I’m writing about a restriction on my Facebook ad account (ID:123456789) due to a policy violation.

I always adhere to your advertising guidelines to ensure a positive experience for my customers and Facebook users. All of my previous ads are compliant with your policies. Therefore, I would like to request a full review of my account in hopes that you can reinstate it for me.

Also, please let me know where I need to improve to avoid future restrictions.

Thank you

Best Practices To Prevent Facebook Ad Account Restrictions 

To ensure the health of your Facebook ad account and avoid account activity being restricted from Facebook ads, it’s crucial to take proactive measures. 

Here are the best practices to avoid future restrictions, ensuring smooth and uninterrupted advertising efforts.

Review Facebook’s policies regularly

Facebook’s advertising policies are subject to change, thus, it’s crucial to review them regularly to ensure your ad content and landing page are compliant. You can subscribe to GDT Agency to stay updated on policy changes.

Learn from rejected ads

If any of your ads are rejected, don’t just abandon them and create new ads with the same violations. Analyze why they were not accepted and avoid these mistakes in your next campaigns.

Verify your account 

Proactively verify your account to avoid a Facebook ad account restricted issue. 

You can verify your account on the Facebook Identity Confirmation page at https://www.facebook.com/id/hub/. 

Secure your account

Secure and monitor your Facebook account regularly to detect any unusual activity that can lead to a restriction.

You should:

• Enable security features like Login Alerts and Two-Factor Authentication
• Review and update your account’s Security Settings frequently.
• Regularly review activity logs to track any changes and detect unauthorized activity.

Be consistent with your ad account

When using your ad account, you should be consistent with logging patterns, IP, budget strategies, etc. If you want to increase your ad budget, do it gradually, and avoid overspending in a short period.

Protip: Rent Facebook agency accounts to minimize the risk of advertising restrictions and run ads without limits.

Conclusion

So far, I have walked you through all the steps to deal with a Facebook ad account restricted issue. I hope that by following this guide, you can get your ad account back in full power and restart wonderful campaigns for your business. Remember to stay updated with Facebook’s policies, secure your account, and be consistent when running ads to avoid future restrictions.

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