ReferenceGoogle Ads disapproval
Unavailable video
Google disapproves a video ad when the linked YouTube video becomes private, deleted, a live premiere or members only after the ad was submitted, or when the video shows the Unavailable video label. Open the video in YouTube Studio and set its visibility to Public or Unlisted. The disapproval clears on its own. If the label stays, delete the ad and upload the video again.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- The Status column on the Ads page, under the Campaigns menu, as Disapproved under this policy.
- What stops
- The ad stops serving while the video is unavailable.
- How serious
- Low on its own. Google warns at least 7 days before any account suspension, but repeated violations can lead to one.
What it means
The disapproval reflects the video's state on YouTube, not the ad copy. A video that was public when the ad was built can become private, deleted or members only later, and the ad then breaks the rule without anyone editing it. Live premiere videos are listed as not allowed too.
For the private, deleted, premiere and members-only cases the change is made in YouTube Studio, not in Google Ads, so the ad is the last thing to touch.
What actually triggers it
The video was made private or deleted after the ad was submitted
The policy lists a video whose status changed to private or deleted after submission. Nothing in the ad changed, so the flag arrives without an edit. In one real account, several responsive display ads were flagged for a linked video that was no longer available.
The video is a members-only or live premiere video
Videos marked as members only, or as a live premiere, are listed as not allowed. Check the visibility of the video in YouTube Studio before changing the ad.
The video shows the Unavailable video label
A YouTube video that carries the Unavailable video label is disapproved as well. Google's fix for this label is to delete the video ad and upload the video again.
The video was edited after the ad was built
Google's page says to delete the disapproved ad and create a new one that links the updated video.
Fix it in this order
- Open Ads under the Campaigns menu and read the Status column for the disapproved ad, then open the linked video in YouTube Studio.
- In YouTube Studio, go to Content, find the video (use the Live tab for live uploads), under Visibility choose Public or Unlisted, and select Save.
- If the label reads Unavailable video, or the video was edited after the ad was built, delete the video ad and create a new one that links the video.
- Check the Ads page for the new status. An edited ad is reviewed again automatically.
If the video cannot be made public or unlisted, remove the ad. That also helps prevent repeated violations from leading to an account suspension.
When to appeal
Appeal from the account when the video is public or unlisted and the ad is still disapproved. An appeal does not change the video, so fix its visibility first.
Often confused with
The video is still on YouTube and available, but it is limited: age-gated, under an IP claim or under a YouTube content restriction. The fix is a changed or different video, not a visibility change.