ReferenceGoogle Ads account suspension
Age requirements on Google Accounts
Google suspends a Google Ads account when the person who holds the Google Account appears to be under the minimum age. Google Ads requires the holder to be 18 or older, above the general minimum for a Google Account. Check who holds the account and what age it lists, and update it within the 14 days the page allows, or the account will be disabled.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Google Ads account status, which shows the suspension on the whole account.
- What stops
- The whole account stops serving until the holder's age meets the requirement.
- How serious
- High. The page says the account will be disabled if the age is not corrected in time.
- How long
- The page gives 14 days to update the account once Google learns the holder may be too young.
What it means
Google sets minimum ages for holding a Google Account. Where a country is not listed, the minimum is 13. The page lists higher minimums, from 14 to 16, for some countries. Some services have their own limits, and Google Ads, AdSense and Google Analytics require the holder to be 18 or older.
The age Google checks is the age on the Google Account of the person who holds the ad account. A holder who meets the general minimum for a Google Account can still be under the 18 that Google Ads requires.
What actually triggers it
The account holder is under the general minimum
Google checks the age of the person who holds the Google Account. Where a country is not listed that minimum is 13, and the page lists higher minimums for some countries. Check the minimum that applies to the holder's country.
An ad account held by someone under 18
Google Ads sets an 18 minimum of its own. A holder who meets the general minimum of 13 to 17 can still fall short for the ad account, which is why the general minimum is not enough.
Fix it in this order
- Confirm who holds the Google Account that owns the Google Ads account, and what age that Google Account lists.
- If the holder is under the minimum for their country, or under 18 for Google Ads, correct the age on that Google Account. The page gives 14 days to update the account before it is disabled.
- If the holder meets the minimum and the account is still suspended, appeal from the account. The suspensions overview says to submit an appeal when you believe you have not violated the policies.
- If the holder cannot meet the minimum, the page gives no route to keep the account as it is. Plan for an account held by a person who meets the requirement before the 14 days end.
When to appeal
Appeal when the holder meets the minimum for their country and the suspension was applied to the account in error.
Do not let the 14 days pass while the age is wrong. The page says the account will be disabled.
Often confused with
A suspension for another reason, such as a policy or payment issue. This page is about the age of the person who holds the Google Account, which is fixed in that account rather than in the ads.