ReferenceGoogle Ads account suspension
Unacceptable business practices
Google suspends an account on detection when an ad or site hides or misstates the business, claims a brand or government affiliation it lacks, sells what it cannot deliver, or impersonates a business to collect money or details. Check every claim against what is true, remove the false ones, and appeal only with proof, because reinstatement needs compelling circumstances.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The account notification, which names Unacceptable business practices.
- What stops
- The whole account stops serving, and the advertiser is barred from advertising with Google Ads again.
- How serious
- Suspension on detection, with no warning. Google treats this policy as egregious.
What it means
This is one of Google's egregious policies. It covers hiding or misrepresenting information about the business, its products or its services. Google's examples include a fake discount store that never ships orders, a fake charity, a fake login page, and an impersonated business.
The suspension comes first, with no warning, so the work is in the claims an account makes before a review finds them.
What actually triggers it
Claiming an affiliation with a brand or government body that does not exist
The policy names falsely claiming affiliation with another brand or government entity. One form is a partner or endorsement claim the business cannot show.
Offering what cannot be delivered or is not licensed
The policy covers products or services the advertiser cannot deliver or is not licensed for. A claim of a license the business does not hold counts.
Misstating a service that affects health or safety
The policy names lying about services that affect health or safety. A claim about a treatment, a certification or a safety result is the kind it covers.
Impersonating another business or a login page
The policy covers impersonating other businesses to collect money or personal information, and phishing, which poses as a trusted entity to get passwords or payment details.
Fix it in this order
- If the suspension notice names an ad or a page, note it. Otherwise list the ads and the landing pages they link to.
- List every claim in them: affiliations, endorsements, what is offered, and any license.
- Remove or correct any claim you cannot prove. The policy is egregious, so the cleanup comes before any appeal.
- Gather proof for anything that stays: contracts, written agreements, credible news articles, or public statements that confirm a partnership or endorsement.
- If the account asks for advertiser verification, complete it, then appeal through the Contact Us link in the account notification.
When to appeal
Appeal through the Contact Us link in the account notification, and explain the situation with proof. Google's page asks for contracts, written agreements, credible news articles or public statements.
Some advertisers must complete identity verification before they can appeal. Check whether the account asks for it first.
Reinstatement happens only in compelling circumstances. An appeal that still makes a claim the business cannot prove is unlikely to succeed, so fix the claims first and say what changed.
Often confused with
Coordinated deceptive practices
Also an egregious suspension, but its scope is political, social or public-interest content with concealed identity or origin. A business selling a product is not under that policy.
Misusing personal information
Ads that greet a person by name or claim to know their finances. That policy is about how an ad speaks to someone, not what the business is.