ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Misuse of ad features
Google disapproves an ad or asset that uses a feature for something other than its purpose, such as a URL field carrying a line of ad text, or a ValueTrack tag showing in the copy. Find the element the policy names, move its content into the field it was built for, and save. Google warns at least 7 days before any suspension.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads page or the asset report, as Disapproved, with Misuse of ad features in Policy details.
- What stops
- That ad or asset stops serving until it is edited.
- How serious
- A warning first. Google says it 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
This is an editorial policy. Each ad unit has features built for one use, and the policy bans an ad, asset or destination that uses a feature for another purpose. The policy is about the field's purpose, so a line in the wrong field is a violation whatever it was meant to do.
A violation does not cause an immediate suspension. The policy's own page says the warning comes at least 7 days before any suspension, so the fix is usually a single ad, not the account.
What actually triggers it
The URL field used as an extra line of text
Google's own example is the URL field used as an additional line of text. The copy reads as a line of the ad, but the field is for an address.
A ValueTrack tag visible in the ad text
ValueTrack tags are placeholders that fill in at click time. Typing one into copy that a searcher reads makes it visible, and the policy bans that.
A text ad missing a line of text
Google's example is a text ad with a line missing. The ad looks incomplete to the reader, and the policy treats the missing line as a misuse of the text fields.
A screenshot standing in for a text ad
A screenshot of a text ad, used to simulate an authentic ad, is banned by the same policy.
A custom HTML5 ad with altered clickability
Google bans HTML5 ads that modify clickability through the Tap Area or the Exitapi.exit() call. The check is in the ad's code, not its picture.
Fix it in this order
- Read the Policy details for the ad and note the asset or element it names.
- Open the ad in Campaigns, then Ads, hover over the asset, and select Edit.
- Move the content out of the wrong field. Put each line in the headline, description or other field it was built for, and delete the copy from the field it was misused in.
- Remove any ValueTrack tag from the visible text. Keep it in the tracking template where it belongs.
- Save. Google re-reviews the edit, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
When to appeal
Appeal from your Google Ads account only when the ad really follows the policy. Google says an appeal is for a decision you believe is an error.
If you cannot or will not fix the violation, remove the ad. Google says removal helps prevent suspensions for repeated violations.
Often confused with
A number in the right place that Google cannot tie to the site. Misuse of ad features is the wrong element for the content, not an unconfirmed one.
The display URL itself is malformed or uses an IP address. In a misuse case the URL is fine, and the problem is the field holding words that are not an address.