ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Unauthorized pharmacies
Google Ads does not allow ads that offer prescription drugs without a prescription, or that target places where the seller is not licensed. Google treats this as egregious, so the account can be suspended on detection with no warning. Check the ads, the sales pages they link to and the location targets first, then apply for approval if the business qualifies.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads & assets page, as Disapproved. A suspension appears as a notice at the top of the account.
- What stops
- The whole account stops when it is suspended, not only the ad that broke the rule.
- How serious
- Severe. Google treats violations as egregious and suspends the account on detection, without a prior warning.
What it means
Google's healthcare and medicines policy covers the ads, the websites they link to and the advertiser account itself. Google may review all three, and third-party sources too.
This page is about a seller of medicine, not a maker. The page names two conditions: no prescription, and a location where the seller is not licensed. Either one breaks the rule.
What actually triggers it
A sales path that never asks for a prescription
The policy names offering prescription drugs without a prescription as the violation. Google reads the sales path behind the ad, so a checkout that sells the medicine without that step fails even when the ad copy is plain.
Location targets wider than the seller's licenses
The second named violation is targeting locations where the advertiser is not licensed. A campaign with a wide area can reach places where the seller holds no license, and the location targets are part of the fix, not only the ad text.
A content site that leads to an unlicensed seller
Google says it may review the ad, the website, the accounts and third-party sources. A page that sends visitors on to an unlicensed seller of prescription medicine is part of what that review can read, even when the ad itself names no drug.
Fix it in this order
- Read the suspension notice at the top of the account, and list every ad, website and sales page connected to it.
- Take the sales path offline before editing copy. Check every page the ads link to for prescription medicine offered without a prescription.
- Confirm the seller's licenses and the places they cover. Remove every location the license does not reach from the campaign targeting.
- If the business qualifies, apply for approval to advertise these products. The page says some of them may be advertised only by advertisers who have applied and been approved.
- Only then file the appeal described below, once the sales path and targeting no longer match either violation.
The outcome of an appeal arrives by email. A rejected appeal can be sent again through the same process.
When to appeal
Start the appeal from the Contact Us notice at the top of the account. The appeal form opens on the right side of the screen, with the relevant policy information shown while it is filled in.
Selecting Contact Us again while the appeal is still being processed only shows the Appeal pending status. The outcome arrives by email.
The page says reinstatement happens only in compelling circumstances, such as a mistake, so the appeal should be thorough, accurate and honest. Some advertisers must complete advertiser verification first, and if Google cannot verify their identity after 3 attempts, they cannot appeal.
Often confused with
This rule covers the company that makes the medicine. It needs Google certification by country, and its failures are disapprovals, not suspensions on detection.
Prescription opioid painkillers
Also egregious and suspended on detection. This page is about how a seller sells and where it is licensed. The opioid page bans mentions of one product class for most advertisers.