ReferenceMicrosoft Advertising disapproval
Approved Limited
Approved Limited means the ad or keyword is approved and serving in at least one targeted location, and pending review or disapproved in another. Hover over the status to see the location and the reason. If it reads that no rejection data is available, the review is still running; otherwise edit the ad for that location's policy or request an exception.
At a glance
- Where it shows
- In the Delivery column of the Ads and Keywords tables, and in the Policy status column for assets and Performance Max asset groups.
- What stops
- Serving in the locations named in the status details. Every other targeted location keeps serving.
- How serious
- No penalty. The ad is live, but not everywhere it targets.
- How long
- Microsoft says most reviews are completed within 48 hours.
What it means
Microsoft reviews ads and keywords against the policies of each location they target, so one ad can be approved in one country and held in another. Approved Limited is the status for that split: approved and eligible to serve in at least one targeted location, and pending or disapproved in at least one other.
For assets and Performance Max asset groups the status means the same thing at that level: eligible in some locations, pending review or disapproved in others. Once every location approves, the status changes to Eligible and the ad serves everywhere it targets.
What actually triggers it
A campaign that targets more than one country
Not on Google's help page
Microsoft's own example is a keyword targeting the United States and Canada, approved for the United States and still under review for Canada. A business that serves one country but left a second one in its location targeting can see this on every new ad.
A rule that is stricter in one market
Microsoft says its policies can vary by the country or region where the ad shows. The same words can pass in one and fail in another, and the status details name the location.
A review still running in one location
When the status details read No rejection data is available at this time. Please try again later., nothing has been disapproved yet. The review in at least one location has not finished.
One asset that fails in one location
Assets are reviewed one by one, so a single headline can carry the limit for the whole ad in that market. The asset details show which.
Fix it in this order
- Hover over Approved Limited, or select the ellipsis beside it, to see the reason, the location and the part of the ad that set it off.
- If the details say no rejection data is available, leave the ad alone and check again after the review has had its 48 hours.
- If a location is named, read that location's Microsoft Advertising policy for the reason given.
- Check whether the campaign should target that location at all. If it should not, remove it from the location targeting, which removes the limit with it.
- If it should, edit the ad or asset so it meets that location's rule and save it for a new review. A keyword cannot be edited: add a corrected one and delete the old.
When every targeted location approves, the status changes to Eligible. Microsoft says to contact Support if a component still reads Under Review after two business days.
When to appeal
If the reason given does not apply in that location, request an exception from the same status: Microsoft's appeal route for Approved Limited is the same as for a disapproval.
An exception refused there shows as Approved limited, exception denied, and a second refusal is final, so make any edit first.
Running Microsoft Advertising beside Google is one of the things we sell. An ad held at “Approved Limited” is the kind of problem we clear as part of that work, in an account that stays in your name.
Often confused with
The component serves nowhere. Approved Limited serves somewhere.
Eligible (limited) in Google Ads
Google's limit can come from a policy on the ad's content anywhere. Microsoft's Approved Limited is about location: approved in one place, not in another.
Limited: Not enough conversion data
A bid strategy status, not an editorial one. It is about how much conversion history the campaign has, not about the ad's words.