ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Clickbait ads
Google disapproves ads that use sensational text or imagery to pull clicks, such as a teaser line that withholds the point, and ads that frame a negative life event to push a purchase. Edit the wording, replace shocking images and save. Google warns at least 7 days before any suspension, and removing a flagged ad helps prevent repeat violations.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column in the Ads section, as Disapproved, with Clickbait ads in Policy details.
- What stops
- The ad stops serving while the flagged wording or image is in it.
- How serious
- A warning first. Google warns at least 7 days before any suspension.
- How long
- Google says re-review usually takes 24 to 48 hours after an edit.
What it means
The policy covers two things. One is clickbait phrasing, which teases the viewer into a click. The other is negative life events, such as death, accidents, illness, arrests or bankruptcy, used to provoke fear, guilt or strong negative feeling and push people to act at once.
The imagery rules cover clearly altered zoomed-in body parts, mugshots, real accident or disaster photos, and before-and-after images that promote a significant alteration of the body.
What actually triggers it
A teaser line that withholds the point
Google's examples are phrases such as Click here to find out and You won't believe what happened. The line promises a reveal and makes the viewer click to get it.
Pressure to buy to avoid harm
Google lists ads that pressure users to buy or subscribe to avoid harm. A line that frames the offer as the way to avoid a disaster, an illness or a loss is the pattern.
Shocking or altered imagery
Real accident or disaster photos, mugshots, and before-and-after images of the body are named in the policy. A picture can disapprove an ad even when the words are plain.
A clickbait entry on an ad still showing as approved
Not on Google's help page
In real accounts, a clickbait entry was recorded on several image and video ads whose status read approved with a limited label. The approval was not clearance: the policy entry was prohibited. Read the policy entry on every ad, not only the status.
Fix it in this order
- Read the Policy details and the ad's text and image, and note the line or picture the policy names.
- Replace a teaser line with a plain statement of what the ad offers.
- Rewrite any line that frames the offer as protection from a negative event, using the offer's real terms.
- Replace altered, mugshot or disaster imagery with a plain picture of the product or service.
- Edit the ad in Campaigns, then Ads, and save. After the review, check the policy entry again, not only the status.
When to appeal
Appeal from your Google Ads account if you believe the decision is an error.
If you cannot fix the wording or the image, remove the ad. Google says removal helps prevent future suspensions for repeated violations.
Often confused with
A feature used for the wrong purpose. This policy is about the tone and pictures of the ad, not its fields.
Unacceptable business practices
A policy about what the business is. Clickbait is about how the ad is written and shown.