ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Business name requirements
Google Ads disapproves an ad when its business name is generic, location-based or promotional, or does not match your domain or verified name. Set the name to your domain or recognized business name, within 25 characters, and save. A legal name longer than 25 characters may need brand verification instead.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page, and the business name field on ad formats that require one.
- What stops
- The ad stops serving until the name is corrected and reviewed.
- How serious
- Low on its own. Repeated violations can lead to suspension.
- How long
- Google says re-review typically takes 24 to 48 hours after the edit is saved.
What it means
Some ad formats require a business name, and Google sets the rules for it. The name has to be your domain, your recognized business name or the promoted app. A generic or location-based name, or one with promotional language, is not allowed, even when the business is real.
Advertiser verification changes the check. Once you have completed it, the name must strictly match the domain or the name submitted during verification. A name that was correct before verification can be disapproved after it, because the check is now against the verified record.
What actually triggers it
A town added to the name
A name with a location in it, which Google's page lists as location-based. Its example is a plain trade name with a city added after it.
A promotional word in the name
Words such as Buy, Sale or Free in the business name. Google's example is a company name with the word Sale in it.
A name that differs from the verified record
Not on Google's help page
A name typed into the ad that is not the verified name or the domain, after verification is complete. The ad was approved before the verification, so the mismatch appears only after it.
A legal name over 25 characters
A registered name longer than the 25-character limit. Google says brand verification is the route when the legal name does not match or exceeds 25 characters, and you hold an active trademark registration.
Fix it in this order
- Open Campaigns, then Ads, and open the Status column for the disapproved ad. Note the business name it shows.
- Compare that name with your website domain, and with the name you submitted for advertiser verification if you completed it.
- Hover over the ad or asset, select Edit, and set the business name to your domain with spaces between words, or to the verified name. Keep it within 25 characters.
- Select Save, then check the status on the Ads & assets page after the review.
When to appeal
Appeal when the name matches your domain or your verification, and the policy was applied in error. Appeal from the account.
A name that exceeds 25 characters, or a legal name that differs from the verified one, goes through Brand Verification if you hold an active trademark. Appealing the same name again does not change the match.
Often confused with
The business name asset is disapproved because it is neither the domain nor the verified legal name. That page covers the asset itself; this one covers every name check the policy runs.
Business name requirements is about the name field on an ad: generic, promotional or mismatched. Misleading representation is about what the ad or site says about the business, such as a claimed license or affiliation. A correct name can still sit under a false claim, so both need checking.