ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Geo restricted video
Google disapproves a video ad when the video is not available in a country the ad targets. Check the video on YouTube in each targeted country, and confirm it still exists. Then either change the video's availability or remove that country from the ad's targeting. Edit the ad and save for re-review. Appeal only when the video plays everywhere the ad targets.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page, as Disapproved under this policy.
- What stops
- The video ad stops serving until the video is available in every targeted country.
- How serious
- Low on its own. Google warns at least 7 days before any account suspension, but repeated violations can lead to one.
- How long
- Google says a re-review after an edit typically takes 24 to 48 hours.
What it means
Google requires ads and the content they lead to to work for the people who see them. A video ad is disapproved when the video cannot be viewed in one or more countries the ad targets. The page's own example is a video blocked in specific territories after it was uploaded.
The check is about the countries the ad targets, not the account's countries as a whole. An ad can run in one country and fail for another it also targets, so read the country list on the ad group before changing the video.
What actually triggers it
A territory block set on the video
The video is blocked in a country the ad also targets. The page's example is a video blocked in specific territories after upload. Check the block on the video itself, on YouTube, because the country list in Google Ads does not show it.
A video that is no longer available at all
This page's policy is about countries, and a video that no longer exists falls under a separate policy, Unavailable video. In one real account, several display ads that pointed to a video no longer available were flagged under that separate topic. Check that the video still exists before you assume a country setting is the cause.
Fix it in this order
- Open Campaigns, then Ads, and hover over the disapproved ad to read its status.
- Open the video on YouTube and check that it still exists, and that it plays in each country the ad targets. Replace the video if it is no longer available.
- If the video must stay blocked in a country, remove that country from the location targeting of the ad group or campaign.
- Hover over the ad or asset, select Edit, make the change and select Save. Re-review typically takes 24 to 48 hours.
If the video plays in every targeted country and you believe the decision is wrong, appeal from the account. If the ad cannot be changed to comply, remove it.
When to appeal
Appeal when the video plays in every targeted country and the ad was still disapproved. Check the country list again before you appeal.
An appeal does not change the targeting or the video. Fix either one first.
Often confused with
The video was altered after the ad was created. This page is about where the video can be viewed, which can be fixed without changing what the video shows.
Unavailable video
The video cannot be found at all, rather than blocked in some countries. Google lists it as a separate policy, and changing the targeting does not help: the ad needs a video that exists.