ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Free desktop software
Google allows ads for free downloadable desktop software only from authoritative distribution sites that have completed an application. The site must be the official source, allow direct downloads and have no current or past violations. Cloud services are outside the policy. If another site is registered for the software, point the ad there; otherwise apply, then edit the ad and check its status.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page, as Disapproved under this policy.
- What stops
- The ad stops serving until the site is approved or the destination changes.
- How serious
- Low on its own. Google warns at least 7 days before any account suspension.
What it means
The policy limits ads that promote downloadable free software: executable files, extensions, plug-ins, add-ons and desktop applications that do not need payment information to download. Free trials, freeware, shareware, freemium software and downloadable demos are covered.
The restriction is on the site as well as the product. Only authoritative distribution sites may advertise, and a site becomes one through an application. Cloud services, which the policy calls SaaS, are out of scope.
What actually triggers it
A download page run by someone other than the maker
The site must be the official source for the software. A download page run by someone other than the software's maker is not the official source.
A site with a past violation
The site must be free of current and past policy violations, so a past violation on the domain counts against a new application.
A site that does not allow direct downloads
The site must allow direct downloads. A site that does not offer the file straight from its page does not meet the requirement.
An ad without the software's name
Every ad must include the software's name, and the domain on the application form must be correct.
A cloud product read as desktop software
Cloud services (SaaS) are not covered. A disapproval on a cloud product is an error the page says to appeal, and no registration is needed for those ads.
Fix it in this order
- Check the destination. If another site is already registered for the software, point the ad's final URL to that site.
- If the business owns the software and its site meets the requirements, submit the application to advertise as an authoritative distribution site, with the domain entered correctly.
- In Google Ads, go to the Ads page under the Campaigns menu, hover over the ad, select Edit, make the change and select Save.
- Check the Status column or the Ads & assets page. Re-review typically takes 24 to 48 hours.
When to appeal
Appeal from the account if you believe the decision is an error. For a cloud service listed under this policy, the page says an appeal is the route.
Often confused with
Third-party consumer technical support
Covers help with software installation, not the ad for a free download. A site can break both rules, but each one has its own fix.