ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Alcohol
Google limits alcohol ads by country, by age and by what the landing page shows. A campaign that targets only disallowed countries is disapproved. One that targets both kinds is limited to the allowed countries. Remove the disallowed targeting, show ABV on the landing page where required, and apply for certification where the policy asks.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page: Disapproved, or Eligible (limited) when only some targeted countries are disallowed.
- What stops
- A disapproved ad does not run. A limited ad runs only in the allowed countries.
- How serious
- Low on its own. Recertify straight away if certification details change materially, because failing to do so may lead to a suspension.
What it means
Google allows several kinds of alcohol advertising, including sales ads, branding and informational ads, mixers, home brewing accessories, and low-ABV and 0% drinks. The policy lists the countries where alcohol ads are allowed, and an ad may target only those countries.
Some formats do not allow alcohol at all, and the copy has its own limits. The country list, the age rule and the landing page rule all apply on top of the format rule.
What actually triggers it
A campaign that targets a country not on the list
Where a campaign targets only disallowed locations, the ad is disapproved and will not run. Where it targets both allowed and disallowed locations, it runs only in the allowed ones.
A format that does not allow alcohol
Reservation display ads and Google TV masthead ads cannot promote alcohol. Other formats that do not allow alcohol ads include app install image and video ads, discovery ads, dynamic search ads and Gmail ads.
Copy that overstates the drink
Ads cannot misstate a drink's strength, imply health benefits, encourage excess, or suggest alcohol brings social or sexual success.
An audience under the legal purchase age
Ads cannot primarily appeal to people under the legal purchase age in the target country. Minors and pregnant people can never be shown drinking.
An ABV the landing page does not show
Where an ABV limit applies, the highest ABV must be clearly shown on the landing page. Drinks at 0.5% ABV or higher must show ABV on the landing page.
Fix it in this order
- Open Campaigns, then Ads, and read the status of each alcohol ad. Hover over it to see whether it is Disapproved or Eligible (limited).
- Remove targeting for every country that is not on the policy's list.
- Apply for certification where the policy requires it: Poland for beer branding and informational ads, and for 0% alcohol ads in India, Indonesia and Egypt.
- Show the ABV on the landing page for each drink at 0.5% ABV or higher, and show the highest ABV where a limit applies.
- Hover over the ad, select Edit, make the change and select Save. Then check the status again.
If certification details change, recertify right away. Google's page says that failing to do so may lead to account suspension.
When to appeal
The page does not describe a separate appeal process for alcohol restrictions. The route it gives is the fix: remove the disallowed countries, add certification, or show the ABV.
Often confused with
The same ad can show two statuses. Disapproved means no targeted country is allowed, so nothing runs. Eligible (limited) means some targeted countries are allowed, and the ad runs only there.
Dangerous products or services
Drinks containing THC or other regulated substances fall under Google's Dangerous products or services policy, not this one.