ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Political content
Election ads in some regions run only after Google verifies the advertiser there, and they must disclose who paid. Rules differ by country and by US state group, and the page lists separate limits for Brazil, Canada, the EU, Japan and others. Synthetic or digitally altered election content must be flagged in campaign settings. Complete the verification, or remove the ad.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page, as Disapproved under this policy.
- What stops
- The flagged ad does not run until the region's requirements are met.
- How serious
- Disapproval, plus disclosure of account and ad information to regulators if the rules are broken. Synthetic content violations come with at least 7 days' warning before any suspension.
What it means
Political content covers election ads and issue ads in the countries and regions that have their own rules. Some regions need advertiser verification before an election ad can run, and the verification is region-specific. To run election ads outside the region they concern, an advertiser needs either that region's verification or advertiser verification for the region where it is located.
The rules differ by place. The page covers Canada's election-period limits on ads featuring federal parties, leaders or candidates, the EU's political advertising regulation with its limited exemptions, and restrictions on ads during campaign or silence periods in several countries.
What actually triggers it
An election ad from an unverified advertiser
In regions that require verification, an election ad runs only after Google verifies the advertiser for that region.
An election ad without a disclosure
Verified election advertisers must identify who paid for the ad. Google adds that label for most formats. For some, such as third-party ad serving on YouTube and the Google Display Network, the advertiser must add it.
Synthetic content not flagged
Election ads that realistically depict people or events in an inauthentic way need the Altered or synthetic content checkbox selected in campaign settings. Google generates the in-ad disclosure for Feeds, Shorts on mobile and in-stream formats; other formats need a clear, prominent disclosure added by the advertiser. Minor edits such as cropping or color correction are out of scope.
Radius targeting in an election ad
Election ads can target by geographic location, but the page excludes radius targeting. They can also target by age, gender and contextual options.
Fix it in this order
- Open Ads & assets from the Campaigns menu, and check which regions the flagged ad targets.
- If the region requires verification, complete it in Google Ads for that region. If you cannot get verified there, remove the ad.
- Check the disclosure label on the ad. For synthetic content, check the Altered or synthetic content setting and any in-ad disclosure the format requires.
- Hover over the ad, select Edit, make the change, and select Save to send it back for review.
The ad goes back for review after the save. The page says most ads are reviewed within one business day, and complex reviews can take longer.
When to appeal
Appeal when the ad is not political under that region's definition, and say which definition applies. Google says to appeal from the account if you believe there was an error.
Some exemptions are applied for rather than appealed. Canadian news organizations promoting their election coverage are exempt from the Canada election-period limits, and EU exemptions go through an exemption application.
Often confused with
Restricted targeting in Personalized advertising
Audiences grouped by a sensitive category, including political affiliation, are a targeting question. A political ad can be disapproved for its content under this page or for its audience under that one, and the fixes differ.