ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Abortion
Google Ads does not run abortion ads in the countries and territories its policy lists. An ad that targets only those places is disapproved, and one that also targets allowed places shows as Eligible (Limited). In the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland, queries about getting an abortion need certification. Remove the listed locations first, then edit the ad.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page: Disapproved when only listed locations are targeted, Eligible (Limited) when both kinds are.
- What stops
- The ad stops serving in the listed locations, and abortion ads do not appear on the Google Display Network.
- How serious
- Low on its own. Google issues a warning at least 7 days before any account suspension.
What it means
Google's policy lists countries and territories where abortion ads may not run. The page names Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico and Singapore among them.
Targeting decides the status. An ad whose only targets are listed locations is disapproved. An ad that targets listed and allowed locations serves only in the allowed ones and shows as Eligible (Limited).
What actually triggers it
A listed country added to the targeting
A campaign that adds a listed country to its locations can cause the ad to show as Eligible (Limited), with serving restricted to the places where abortion ads are permitted.
Only listed locations targeted
When every target is a listed location, the ad is disapproved outright rather than limited.
Queries about getting an abortion without certification
In the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland, queries about getting an abortion need certification as a provider or a non-provider. Google generates an in-ad disclosure from that answer: Provides abortions or Does not provide abortions.
An expectation of Display Network reach
Abortion ads do not appear on the Google Display Network. A campaign planned around Display reach for this product will not get it.
Fix it in this order
- In Google Ads, go to Ads under the Campaigns menu, and read the status of each affected ad.
- Remove the listed locations from targeting, or target only allowed locations. The page offers both routes.
- Hover over the ad or asset, select Edit, make the ad comply and select Save. Re-review typically takes 24 to 48 hours.
- If the ads are in the three certification countries and the business is not certified, apply for certification before those ads run for queries about getting an abortion.
- Check the Ads & assets page for the updated status. If an ad cannot be fixed, remove it to help avoid suspension for repeated violations.
When to appeal
Appeal from the account when the ad does not target a listed location and you can say which part you believe is wrong.
If certification is missing for queries in scope, an appeal does not replace it. The page names certification as the step, so apply for it first.
Often confused with
Birth control, fertility, and testing
Also location-restricted and disapproved in the same way, with its own country list. The abortion rule adds the Eligible (Limited) status and the certification disclosure, which that page does not describe.