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Google Ads Disapproved? How to Fix Common Google Ads Policy Violations in 2026

Seeing “Disapproved” beside your Google Ads can be frustrating.

You build a campaign.

You write your advertisements.

You select your keywords.

You prepare your landing page.

Everything looks ready.

And then Google rejects the ad.

Sometimes the reason is simple: a spelling issue, punctuation problem or broken URL.

Other times, the problem can be considerably more complicated.

You may see policy labels such as:

I recently created a detailed video covering these Google Ads disapprovals and how advertisers can investigate them. The biggest lesson from that video is something I want to emphasize here as well:

Do not appeal first and investigate later.

First understand why Google has disapproved the ad.

Then correct the real issue.

After that, request another review or submit the appropriate appeal.

Google itself explains that a disapproval can originate from the ad, an asset or the landing-page destination, and advertisers generally need to correct the relevant content before requesting another review.

Let me walk you through the most common situations.

What Does “Disapproved” Mean in Google Ads?

A disapproved ad cannot serve because Google has determined that it violates an advertising policy.

You can normally identify the reason from the Status or Policy details information inside your Google Ads account.

Google’s current process allows advertisers to review the specific policy affecting an ad and, for many policies, either make changes or appeal when they believe the decision is incorrect.

This distinction is important:

Ad Disapproval Is Not Always the Same as Account Suspension

A single advertisement can be disapproved while the rest of the account remains operational.

A suspension is a much more serious account-level action.

However, advertisers should still take repeated disapprovals seriously.

Do not keep recreating advertisements in an attempt to get around an enforcement decision.

Some policy categories—particularly Circumventing Systems—can result in much more serious consequences.

1. Circumventing Systems

This is one of the most serious Google Ads policy issues covered in my video.

Google’s Circumventing Systems policy deals with attempts to interfere with or bypass Google’s advertising review and enforcement processes. Google currently classifies violations of this policy as egregious and says accounts can be suspended without prior warning when such violations are detected.

Examples can include attempts to:

What Should You Do?

Do not automatically create a new account.

Do not simply change the domain and submit the same content again.

Instead, investigate the complete history.

I normally recommend checking:

Previous Google Ads Accounts

Has this business previously had a suspended account?

Previous Domains

Was another website previously used with Google Ads?

Domain History

Has the website changed ownership?

Business Identity

Are the company information, advertising account and website representing the same genuine business?

Previous Appeals

What did you previously tell Google, and were Google’s concerns actually resolved?

With a serious policy such as Circumventing Systems, guessing can make the situation worse.

The objective should be to understand the policy issue and correct it—not to find another way around Google’s review process.

2. Compromised Site

A very common situation we review at AARSWEBS is a Compromised Site disapproval.

And this one can be confusing.

You may look at your website and think:

“My website is working perfectly. How can it be compromised?”

Because a compromised website does not necessarily look broken.

Google defines a compromised destination as a site whose code has been manipulated, often without the owner’s knowledge, in a way that benefits a third party or can harm users. Examples include injected scripts, malicious redirects or exploited CMS vulnerabilities.

Start With Google Search Console

One of the first checks I demonstrate in the video is reviewing Google Search Console.

Look for:

But do not stop there simply because Search Console looks clean.

Check Google Safe Browsing

A security check can sometimes reveal whether your domain has been associated with malicious behaviour.

Run Additional Malware Checks

Third-party security scanners can be useful as another diagnostic layer.

Depending on the site, you may also need to inspect:

Check for Broken or Suspicious Links

A website can contain old links, hacked URLs or redirects that the owner does not immediately notice.

This is particularly common on websites that:

Your ad can look perfectly fine while the problem sits somewhere inside the destination.

That is why fixing only the ad copy may achieve nothing.

3. Malicious or Unwanted Software

A related issue is Malicious or Unwanted Software.

This can involve software, scripts, plugins, downloads or behaviour on the website that Google considers unsafe or deceptive.

Google maintains a specific Unwanted Software policy under its rules against abuse of the advertising network.

If this appears on your account, check for:

Do Not Assume a Plugin Is Safe Simply Because You Installed It Yourself

A plugin may have been legitimate when you originally installed it.

Later, it could:

This is why regular website maintenance matters even when your Google Ads campaigns themselves are professionally configured.

4. Unreliable Claims

Now we move away from technical website problems and into advertising claims.

This is another area where advertisers can accidentally create policy problems.

Google’s current Misrepresentation policy prohibits inaccurate claims and claims that present improbable outcomes as if those results are what users can normally expect.

For example, be careful with statements like:

The fact that one customer achieved a particular result does not necessarily mean you can advertise that result as what everyone should expect.

Your Landing Page Matters Too

Advertisers often remove a claim from the advertisement but leave the same problematic language on the website.

Google can evaluate the destination as well.

So review:

Ask yourself:

Can I substantiate what I am promising?

And:

Am I presenting an exceptional outcome like a normal or guaranteed result?

If yes, the copy probably needs further review.

5. Misrepresentation

Misrepresentation goes beyond exaggerated results.

Google wants users to understand:

Google’s policy specifically addresses misleading or omitted information concerning business identity, affiliation, qualifications and services.

What Should Your Website Clearly Show?

Depending on your business model, I recommend reviewing:

The objective is transparency.

Imagine visiting your own website as a customer who has never heard of your company.

Can they clearly answer:

Who is behind this website?

What exactly am I buying?

How can I contact the business?

What happens if something goes wrong?

If those basic questions are difficult to answer, the website deserves further review.

6. Trademark Violations

Another disapproval covered in the video is trademark-related advertising.

Businesses sometimes include another company’s trademark because:

Trademark situations can be very context-dependent.

If your advertisement is rejected for trademark reasons, first identify exactly where the trademark appears.

Check:

Then review the specific policy notice inside the account before changing the campaign.

Do not assume that because another advertiser uses a brand name, your own use is automatically permitted.

7. Destination Not Working

This sounds simple, but it causes a surprising number of disapprovals.

Google requires ad destinations to work on commonly used browsers and devices. A page that returns certain HTTP errors, is unavailable or is incorrectly configured can trigger a Destination Not Working disapproval.

Things to Check

Open the landing page yourself.

Then test it from:

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