ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Local services
Google Ads limits or stops ads for some local service categories in certain countries. In the United States and Canada, restricted categories need advanced verification. In several European countries, the listed categories cannot run at all. Check the country you target against the list before you edit the ad.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page, as Limited or Disapproved.
- What stops
- Ads in the restricted category stop serving, or serve with limits, depending on the status.
- How serious
- Accounts are not suspended immediately. Google gives a warning at least 7 days before any suspension.
What it means
Google watches complaints from users, regulators and consumer groups for categories prone to abuse. Where a category carries an unreasonable risk, Google can limit or stop its ads, even for a business that meets every other policy.
The restriction depends on the country you target, not on the category alone. The same ad can run in one country and be stopped in another, so the country list on the policy page is the first check.
What actually triggers it
A locksmith or garage door ad in a restricted country
Locksmith and garage door repair ads are restricted in the United States, and locksmith ads are restricted in Canada. Advertisers in those countries must apply for advanced verification.
A category Google routes towards Local Services
Not on Google's help page
In one real account, a limit was raised on ordinary search and call ads, and all of them were in removed or paused campaigns. The limit did not stop the ads outright, so the status can look like the ad is still running.
Fix it in this order
- Open the policy's country list and check each country you target against the category you advertise.
- Where the country requires advanced verification, apply for it before the ad runs.
- Where the country lists the category as cannot run, remove that category from that country's targeting. Verification does not change that.
- For an ad with a limited status, open Campaigns, then Ads, hover over the ad, select Edit, make the change and select Save. Then check the status on the Ads & assets page.
When to appeal
Appeal from the account when the category is not restricted in your country, or when verification is complete and the ad still shows the restriction. Google's page says ads for local services can run outside the restricted areas even before verification is complete.
Often confused with
Limited status
A limited ad still serves, with restrictions. A disapproved ad stops. The Local services policy can produce either status, so read the status column before you decide what to fix first. Local Services leads and their Google-owned conversion action are a separate product and do not confirm this policy.