A Google Ads account was suspended for not complying with Google Ads Terms and Conditions. Its linked Google Merchant Center was also affected, and the advertiser could no longer run campaigns normally.
Four days before we recorded this case study, the advertiser was still seeing the suspension notification. After a detailed account and website review, compliance corrections and advertiser verification, Google reactivated the account.
In this case study, we explain what our AARSWEBS team reviewed, which inconsistencies required attention, how we prepared the account for appeal and what advertisers should learn from the successful restoration.
Important: This article documents one completed case. Google makes every enforcement and appeal decision. AARSWEBS cannot guarantee that another account will be reinstated or that a review will follow the same timeline.
Case-study summary
| Item | Case details |
|---|---|
| Main notification | Account did not comply with Google Ads Terms and Conditions |
| Connected issue | Linked Google Merchant Center was also affected |
| Review scope | Ads account, website, policies, checkout, claims, technical health and business verification |
| AARSWEBS process | 160+ point compliance checklist |
| Additional step | Advertiser verification assistance |
| Final outcome | Google Ads account reactivated and campaigns running |
What does a Google Ads Terms and Conditions suspension mean?
“Does not comply with Google Ads Terms and Conditions” is a broad account-level message. It may not identify one exact sentence, page or setting that caused the action.
The correct response is not to guess or immediately submit repeated appeals.
Google’s suspension guidance explains that an account suspension is considered permanent unless an appeal is successful. Google can also suspend related accounts, including accounts connected through payment or ownership signals.
Depending on the case, the wider review may involve:
- Ads, keywords and assets
- Landing pages and destination behavior
- Business model and identity
- Billing and payment information
- Advertiser verification
- Linked Merchant Center accounts
- Website security
- Related accounts
- Prior policy history
That is why our investigation began with the complete advertising environment rather than one advertisement.
Why we audited before submitting the appeal
An appeal should be accurate, thorough and supported by evidence.
If the advertiser submits an appeal before identifying the underlying problem, the submission may simply state that the business is legitimate without showing what was inspected or corrected.
Our process was:
- Capture every suspension notification.
- Review Google Ads and Merchant Center separately.
- Inspect account, billing and verification information.
- Crawl the website and important historical URLs.
- Check policies, commercial terms and contact details.
- Test product, cart and checkout behavior.
- Review claims and testimonials.
- Correct genuine inconsistencies.
- Complete the required verification.
- Prepare the account for a truthful appeal and review.
The AARSWEBS 160+ point suspension audit
Our checklist has developed through years of work across Google Ads, Google Merchant Center and Google Business Profile policy cases.
It does not assume that every account has the same problem. Instead, it helps the team review the categories that can affect policy compliance and user trust.
Account and enforcement review
We examine:
- Exact suspension wording
- Dates and earlier policy notifications
- Prior appeals and responses
- Account ownership and access
- Billing profile
- Payment-method consistency
- Advertiser-verification status
- Related or duplicate account risks
- Linked Merchant Center status
Creating another account to avoid enforcement is not a solution. Google’s policies identify attempts to re-enter the system after suspension through new or duplicate accounts as Circumventing Systems behavior.
Website security and technical review
The team checks:
- Google Search Console security information
- Google Safe Browsing status where relevant
- Malware and unwanted-software indicators
- Compromised or injected code
- Suspicious redirects
- Cloaking or content differences
- Broken links and missing pages
- Outdated URLs still accessible to crawlers
- Mobile functionality
- SSL and secure checkout
- Third-party scripts and external destinations
A compromised website can be disallowed even when the owner did not knowingly add the malicious code. Themes, plugins and third-party scripts therefore require careful review.
In this case, historical or contradictory information also needed attention so that current business information was consistently accessible.
Conflicting return and refund information
The audit found differences between policy statements.
Examples included:
- An FAQ mentioning exchanges when product pages did not clearly disclose the same exchange conditions
- Two policy versions showing different return-window requirements
- Return or supplement-product wording that could be interpreted ambiguously
- Commercial terms that were not expressed consistently throughout the buying journey
Google Merchant Center explicitly requires return and refund information to be clear and easy to find. If returns are not accepted, that must also be stated clearly.
We aligned the relevant pages so customers could understand:
- Whether returns were accepted
- How long customers had to request a return
- Which products were excluded
- Who paid return shipping
- When refunds were issued
- How exchanges worked
- How customers could contact the business
One wording difference does not prove that it caused the entire suspension. The goal was to remove contradictions and make the commercial experience transparent.
Business identity and contact-information consistency
The client’s business address had changed, but older information still appeared in parts of the wider digital footprint.
We reviewed consistency across:
- Website footer
- Contact page
- About page
- Terms and conditions
- Privacy policy
- Return and shipping pages
- Checkout
- Merchant Center business information
- Google Ads verification
- Public social profiles where relevant
The same principle applies to the legal business name, email address and telephone number.
Google’s Merchant Center guidance specifically highlights inconsistent or missing business details, unclear policies, broken links and insecure checkout as issues that require correction.
Contact forms and customer support
A contact form should not exist only for appearance. It must work.
We tested:
- Form submission
- Confirmation message
- Email delivery
- Telephone links
- Support email
- Response routes
- Contact information visible before checkout
A broken form is not automatically proof of the exact suspension cause. However, a merchant that cannot be reached creates a serious trust and customer-experience problem.
Product pages, cart and checkout testing
Policy review should include a real customer journey—not only a visual scan of the homepage.
Our team performed sample actions such as:
- Opening multiple product pages
- Selecting variants
- Adding one and several items to the cart
- Confirming quantity and total updates
- Applying available discount codes
- Checking taxes and shipping information
- Reviewing import-charge wording
- Testing checkout navigation
- Confirming policy and contact links remained accessible
Google’s checkout requirements state that relevant information such as returns, refunds, terms and contact options should remain easy to access throughout the purchase process.
Health, supplement and product claims
Health-related wording requires a separate review because a technically possible outcome can still be considered misleading if it is presented as a normal or likely result.
We assessed:
- Product descriptions
- Benefit statements
- “Free from” claims
- Medical or health implications
- Before-and-after language
- Testimonials
- Endorsements
- Supporting evidence
- Disclaimers
Are testimonials automatically approved?
No.
Google’s unreliable-claims guidance states that testimonials claiming specific results need visible qualification explaining that results are not guaranteed and can vary. When endorsements suggest that results are typical, third-party verification or a noticeable disclaimer may be required.
However, a disclaimer cannot make a false, exaggerated or prohibited claim acceptable. The underlying statement must still be accurate, supportable and permitted.
The safe approach is not to manufacture a claim through customer quotations. It is to ensure that every claim—whether made by the business or a testimonial—meets the same standard of truthfulness.
Advertiser verification
The team also assisted with advertiser verification after the compliance review.
Verification information may include details about the organization, payment profile and individuals connected to the account. Documents must be authentic, current and consistent with the advertising business.
We do not disclose the client’s registration, identity or payment documents publicly.
Google warns that submitting false information during verification can itself lead to suspension. Verification must therefore be handled accurately rather than treated as a formality.
Preparing the appeal
A strong appeal should not accuse the system, make unsupported statements or hide account history.
It should explain:
- The suspension message received
- The business and advertising model
- The account and website areas reviewed
- Specific problems discovered
- Specific corrections completed
- Verification or business documents available
- The advertiser’s commitment to ongoing compliance
If more than one related account is suspended, Google instructs advertisers to submit a separate appeal for each account and provide relevant information in every appeal.
Successful outcome: the account was reactivated
After the compliance work and verification, Google sent a notification confirming that the account had been reactivated.
The message explained that the account had been temporarily suspended while billing information and policy compliance were verified and that the ads could begin running again.
We then checked the live interface:
- The account showed as unsuspended.
- The campaigns were able to run.
- Spend had resumed.
- The earlier suspension notification was no longer blocking delivery.
This was a successful restoration case.
It is not a universal promise. Review time, required evidence and outcome depend on the account, policy, business model, website and enforcement history.
Mistakes to avoid after a Google Ads suspension
Opening another account
Related or newly created accounts may also be suspended. Creating another account to bypass enforcement can be treated as Circumventing Systems.
Changing the domain to hide the original website
Moving the same noncompliant offer to a different destination does not resolve the underlying problem.
Hiding content from Google
Showing reviewers different content from ordinary users is cloaking and can create a more serious violation.
Repeated appeals without corrections
An appeal is not a lottery ticket. Submit when the account has been reviewed, corrections are complete and the explanation is accurate.
Assuming a disclaimer solves every claim
Disclaimers add context; they do not legalize or validate false promises.
Ignoring linked Merchant Center problems
When Ads and Merchant Center are connected, follow the exact suspension messages and resolve each platform’s policy issues in the appropriate order.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Google Ads Terms and Conditions suspension be appealed?
Yes. Google allows advertisers to appeal when they believe the decision was incorrect or after genuine policy problems have been corrected. Google makes the final reinstatement decision.
Is a Google Ads suspension permanent?
Google describes an account suspension as permanent unless an appeal is submitted and the account is successfully reinstated.
Can a Google Partner unsuspend an account?
No agency or Google Partner can independently overturn a suspension. A qualified agency can audit the account, help correct compliance problems, organize documentation and communicate with available support channels, but Google’s policy team controls the decision.
How long does Google Ads suspension restoration take?
There is no guaranteed timeline. This case reached reactivation after the described audit and verification work, but another case may require different corrections, evidence or review time.
Should I create a new Google Ads account after suspension?
No. Creating new or duplicate accounts to bypass a suspension may violate the Circumventing Systems policy and can cause related accounts to be suspended.
Can a broken website cause Google Ads suspension?
Security problems, compromised code, deceptive redirects, inaccessible destinations and serious trust or checkout problems can contribute to enforcement. A minor defect does not automatically prove the cause, so the entire account and destination should be investigated.
Are customer testimonials allowed in Google Ads?
Testimonials can be used when they are truthful and policy compliant. Specific-result testimonials require visible qualification, and exaggerated, misleading or prohibited claims remain unacceptable even when attributed to a customer.
Can a linked Merchant Center suspension affect advertising?
Yes. Merchant Center policy enforcement can stop Shopping ads and free listings, and linked-account suspensions may require separate corrective and review steps. Follow the instructions shown in both accounts.
Need professional Google Ads suspension assistance?
AARSWEBS is a Google Partner agency with more than 18 years of digital-marketing experience. Our team provides:
- Google Ads suspension audits
- Website and policy compliance reviews
- Merchant Center reviews
- Advertiser-verification assistance
- Malware and destination checks
- Appeal preparation
- Google Ads management after reinstatement
Our process is compliance based. We do not create bypass accounts, conceal business information or promise guaranteed restoration.
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