When Google disapproves an ad

Know which problem you have

Several problems look alike in Google Ads. A disapproved ad or asset won't show because it breaks an ad policy. A keyword paused by Google may have broken the Ad Grants keyword rules. A deactivated grant account stopped because it missed an Ad Grants rule, such as the 5% click rate. A suspended account broke a wider Google Ads policy. And ads with no traffic may be fine but not matching any searches. Each one has a different fix.

For a disapproval, start in Google Ads. Hover over “Disapproved” in the Status column and select “Read the policy,” or add the Policy details column to the Ads table. Google's help page on fixing disapproved ads walks through both.

Fix the ad or the destination

If the problem is in the ad text, the editorial policy is the usual place to look. It covers capitalization or punctuation used for effect, symbols in place of words, gimmicky repetition, phone numbers typed into the ad text, and ads that don't name the organization. Rewrite the line and save, and Google reviews it again.

If the problem is the destination, the page may not load, may return an error, may block Google's crawler, or may sit on a different domain from the one the ad shows. Fix the page, or point the ad to a working page. Grant ads should link only to your own website, the one you registered with Google.

Appeal when it already complies

If you fixed the ad, or you believe Google made a mistake, you can appeal from Google Ads by choosing “Made changes to comply with policy” or “Dispute decision.” Google's page notes a limit of three appeals per ad and asks you to wait 24 hours between them. Since July 21, 2026, decisions made more than six months earlier go through Google Ads support instead.

Grantkeeper's part: read the reason from your screenshot, check that the linked page opens, write new ad text within Google's limits of 30 characters per headline and 90 per description, and add it as a new paused ad. It pauses the disapproved ad when you ask. You review the new ad, switch it on, and file any appeal in Google Ads.

Keep a one-line note of each disapproval and what fixed it, so the same mistake doesn't come back in the next campaign. If the whole account has stopped, see the account health guide instead.