ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Eligible (limited)
The ad meets Google's policies but may show only in some places, to some ages, on some devices or on some surfaces, so it runs to fewer people. Add the Policy details column to see which policy limits it. If that policy does not apply to the business, appeal. If it does, the limit stays, and only rewording the trigger can change it.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads page as Eligible (limited). Assets show Approved (limited).
- What stops
- Nothing outright. The ad skips the locations, ages, devices or surfaces the policy rules out.
- How serious
- None for the account. Google's definition says the ad complies with its policies.
What it means
Google gives this status to ads that comply with its policies but are limited in where and when they can show. Policies such as Alcohol, Gambling, Healthcare and Trademarks can keep an ad from certain locations, certain ages or certain devices.
The limit can also come from the words. Google says ads can be limited because the ad or the website uses terms tied to a regulated industry, even when the products or services comply.
A stronger form, Eligible (limited all locations), means the ad cannot run in the targeted locations at all, only for people interested in them.
What actually triggers it
A word that reads as a regulated industry
Not on Google's help page
In real accounts, a sitelink naming a care-related service was limited under a health policy, and ordinary service ads in one category were limited under Local services. Nothing in either was against the rules: a word placed them in a restricted category.
One headline out of several
Not on Google's help page
In a real account, five headlines used the same phrase and exactly one of them was limited, the others approved. The whole ad then showed Eligible (limited) because of that single headline. Decisions on near-identical text are not always consistent, so check headline by headline.
A trademark in the ad text
Where a trademark owner has complained, ads using the term are limited in the countries and industries the complaint covers. Assets show Approved (limited) for trademark use.
A business in a restricted category
A certified gambling advertiser serves as Eligible (limited) by design. For an advertiser in such a category, the status is the expected result, not a fault.
Fix it in this order
- On the Ads page, click the Columns icon, then Modify columns, Attributes, Policy details and Apply. The column names the policy behind the limit.
- Open the ad and read the status of each headline, description and asset, to find the one piece that carries the limit.
- If the policy plainly does not apply to the business, appeal: in Policy manager, on the Policy issues tab, click Appeal, choose Dispute decision and Submit.
- If a word triggers it and the ad does not need that word, rewrite that piece and Save. The edit is reviewed again on its own.
- If the status is Eligible (limited all locations), compare the campaign's location targeting with the policy's country rules before changing the ad.
Judge the result on calls and leads from the ad, not on the status. A limited ad that still reaches the right people may be worth leaving as it is.
When to appeal
Appeal when the ad is labeled for a policy that does not apply to it, which Google says is what an appeal is for. Each ad can be appealed three times before support has to be contacted.
Do not appeal a limit that matches what the business really offers, such as a certified restricted category. The limit is the policy working, and an appeal will not lift it.
Often confused with
Google has not decided yet. Eligible (limited) is a finished review with a restriction.
Not eligible
Nothing to do with policy: the campaign or ad group is paused, removed, ended, pending or incomplete.
Disapproved
The ad or its destination breaks a policy and gets no impressions at all.