ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
European user consent
Google disapproves ads whose landing pages use remarketing or conversion tracking for visitors in the European Economic Area or the UK without the right consent. Check that the banner shows to those visitors, that the tags wait for their choice, and that the banner links to how Google processes data. Fix the page first, then check the ad's status again.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page, as Disapproved. Hover over the status to read the policy name.
- What stops
- The flagged ads stop serving until the consent is in place.
- How serious
- Low on its own. Google's policy page says a warning comes at least 7 days before any suspension.
What it means
Google's page bars using Google Ads features such as remarketing or conversion tracking without appropriate consent from users in the European Economic Area or the UK. That means legally valid consent to cookies or other local storage where the law requires it, and consent to the collection, sharing and use of personal data to personalize ads.
Visitors must also get prominent, easy-to-find information about how Google processes personal data. Google's page suggests a prominent link to its Business Data Responsibility page inside the consent message.
What actually triggers it
Tags that fire before the visitor chooses
Not on Google's help page
The ads or conversion tag loads with the page while the banner appears a moment later, or not at all for some visitors. Visitors from Europe are then tracked before they choose. Open the page in a private window from a European location, or with a consent test tool, and watch whether the tags fire before the choice.
A landing page with no banner at all
Not on Google's help page
A banner set on the home page and left out of a landing page template means the ad's destination has no consent at all. The disapproval names the ads that land there, so check the landing pages before the home page.
A banner with no link to Google's data information
The consent message has to point visitors to how Google processes their data. A banner that offers Accept and Reject and nothing more can leave the disclosure requirement unmet, even when the tags wait for consent.
Remarketing tags placed with no consent rule
Not on Google's help page
A remarketing tag placed directly on the site, without a consent setting, sends data for every visitor in Europe. Check the tag list in Tag Manager for remarketing or conversion tags that have no consent rule.
Fix it in this order
- Open the disapproved ad and note the landing page it links to. Check that page from a European location, or with a consent test tool.
- Confirm the consent banner appears on that page and on the site's other landing pages, not only the home page. Fix the template if the banner is missing from it.
- Set the consent defaults before the tags load, and make sure the ads tags and any remarketing or conversion tags wait for the visitor's choice before they fire.
- Add a prominent link in the consent message to Google's Business Data Responsibility page, or to your privacy page that explains how Google processes data.
- Save the site change, then check the ad's status again after the review.
If the ad still shows Disapproved after the site is fixed, check the landing page again before you appeal, so the appeal names a page that now shows the banner.
When to appeal
Appeal only when the consent is in place on the landing page and you can show it. Start the appeal from the ad's status in the account, and name the page where the consent now shows.
An appeal does not change the tags. If they still fire before a choice, fix that first, because the review is likely to repeat the same finding.
Often confused with
Some pages missing consent for EEA users
A message in the Google tag's diagnostics about pages where consent is missing for EEA users. It is a finding about the site, shown in the tag tools, not an ad status. The fix is the same page-level consent set-up, and the diagnostic is the place to confirm it.
Unacceptable information sharing
The same policy page, but about personal data sent through tags and in page addresses rather than about consent. A form that puts an email address into the address bar is a different fix from a missing banner.