ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Shocking content
Google disapproves ads and destinations that show violent or gruesome material, obscene or profane language, or content likely to shock or scare. Misspelled or masked profanity still counts. Edit the ad and the page it links to, save, and wait for the review. Appeal only if you believe the flag is wrong.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page, as Disapproved. Hover over the status for the explanation.
- What stops
- The flagged ad stops serving. Other ads in the same campaign keep running.
- How serious
- Low on its own. Google warns at least 7 days before any account suspension, and repeated violations can lead to one.
- How long
- Google says a re-review typically takes 24 to 48 hours after a save.
What it means
The rule covers ads and destinations. It names violent language, gruesome or disgusting imagery and graphic accounts of physical trauma, gratuitous bodily fluids or waste, obscene or profane language, and content likely to shock or scare.
The language test is the one ordinary advertisers miss. Profanity counts when it is misspelled, and it counts when a sound effect covers the word in a video.
What actually triggers it
Profanity in a misspelled or masked form
A misspelled curse word counts as profanity under the rule. So does a word covered by a sound effect in a video ad, even though the word is never heard.
A business or product name with profanity in it
If the official name of a business, website or app contains profanity, Google's page does not offer a fix. It offers a request for review through the link on the page, with details of the name.
Promotion that suggests danger or infection
Promotions that suggest the reader is in danger, is infected with a disease or is the victim of a conspiracy are listed as likely to shock or scare.
Crime, accident or execution imagery
Crime scene photos, accident photos and execution videos are listed as graphic images of physical trauma.
The page the ad links to
The policy covers the destination as well as the ad. A clean ad can be disapproved because the page it sends people to contains the content.
Fix it in this order
- Open Campaigns, then Ads, and hover over each disapproved status to read the explanation.
- Hover over the ad or asset, select Edit, and remove the content. Include misspelled or masked profanity, which the rule counts.
- If the destination is the problem, change the page it links to.
- Select Save. Re-review typically takes 24 to 48 hours. Check the Ads & assets page for the new status.
If the ad cannot be changed to comply, remove it. Google's page points to removal as the way to avoid repeated violations.
When to appeal
Appeal when you believe the flag is an error. The appeal is made from the ad's status in the account.
If the content does break the rule, the route the page gives is to fix or remove the ad. It does not describe an appeal for that case.
Often confused with
A crawler error: the page did not load for Google's checker. Shocking content is about the words and images on the ad or the page, and the page loads fine.