Why was my Facebook ad rejected?

Meta tells you which standard an ad broke, but the message is short. This guide from our Meta ads help centre explains the rules that catch NDIS providers, migration agents and finance businesses in Australia, with example copy that fixes each problem.

Check these first

1. Read the reason. In Ads Manager, click the Rejected status on the ad to see which standard Meta applied.
2. Open Account Quality to see the full detail and the option to request a review.
3. Check the landing page. Meta reviews the destination as well as the ad. A page with the same problem will get a fixed ad rejected again.
4. Ask whether the ad is about a social issue. Content about disability funding or migration policy can be treated as a social issue ad, which needs authorisation in Australia.
5. Ask whether you are promoting a financial product. Loans, insurance, credit and investments have their own verification rules.

Cause and fix

What you see	What it means	How to fix it	How long it takes
Privacy violations and personal attributes	The copy asserts or implies something personal about the viewer	Rewrite it to describe your service, not the person reading	Same day; the edited ad is reviewed again
Ads about social issues, elections or politics	Meta classed the ad as being about a social issue	Remove the advocacy angle, or complete authorisation and add a Paid for by disclaimer	Authorisation needs ID checks, so allow extra time
Financial and insurance products	The product may need a licence and advertiser verification	Complete Meta's verification and target people 18 and over	Depends on verification
Misleading or exaggerated claims	Promised outcomes, guarantees or claims you can't support	Remove the promise and state what you actually do	Same day
Landing page problems	The page is broken, slow or doesn't match the ad	Fix the page so it loads on mobile and matches the ad	Same day

Special ad categories: what they mean in Australia

Meta's special ad categories are housing, employment, financial products and services, and social issues, elections or politics. Financial products and services replaced the older credit category in January 2025.

Meta's standards say housing, employment and financial products ads must be declared, and run with restricted targeting, when they reach the US, Canada or parts of Europe. For a campaign that only reaches Australia, those targeting limits don't apply. Meta's developer documentation says advertisers outside those regions can choose None. So a "missing special ad category" is rarely why an Australian-only NDIS or migration ad was rejected.

Two things do apply here:

• Social issues, elections or politics. Meta's policy requires authorisation, using government photo ID, and a Paid for by disclaimer on ads about social issues. Advocacy about disability funding or migration policy can fall into this, even from a business. Ads that mainly promote a product or service generally don't.
• Financial products. Australian verification rules apply. See the finance section below.

Personal attributes: the rule NDIS and migration ads trip on

Meta's personal attributes policy stops ads asserting or implying things about the person seeing them. The listed attributes include disability, physical or mental health, race or ethnicity, religion, age, vulnerable financial status and criminal record. "You" and "your" are fine on their own. "You" plus an attribute is the problem. Meta's own examples reject a question like "Do you have diabetes?" while allowing a general statement that a service is available.

Visa status isn't on Meta's listed attributes. But wording aimed at a nationality can cross into race or ethnicity, and "struggling with money?" questions fall under financial status.

The examples below were written for this guide. They are not real client ads.

Type	Likely to be rejected	Written to comply
NDIS	Are you living with a disability? Get the support you deserve.	We deliver daily living and community access supports to NDIS participants across Logan and Brisbane's south.
NDIS	Is your child autistic? We can help.	Early childhood occupational therapy and speech pathology in Ipswich. Book an intake call.
NDIS	Struggling with your mental health?	Psychosocial recovery coaching for NDIS participants. Talk to our team about how it works.
Migration	Indian nationals: is your visa about to expire?	Employer sponsored visa advice from a registered migration agent, MARN [your number]. Book a consultation.
Migration	Guaranteed PR in 6 months!	We assess your options for permanent residency and explain the steps, costs and timeframes.
Finance	Bad credit? Drowning in debt? We'll approve you.	Car loans for self-employed borrowers. Fees and rates on our website. Lending criteria apply.

NDIS provider ads

• Only describe yourself as a registered provider if you are registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
• The I/We ♥ NDIS and I/We support NDIS logos are for registered providers only, and must be shown with the Registered Provider tagline. Unregistered providers can't use them in ads, but can say in plain words that they deliver supports to NDIS participants. Our NDIS logo guide has the details.
• Don't suggest the NDIA endorses you or that you are part of the NDIS.
• Don't promise plan outcomes. Funding decisions are made by the NDIA, not providers, so "get more in your plan" claims mislead.

Migration agent ads

Registered migration agents have advertising rules in Australian law, on top of Meta's standards. They sit in the Migration Agents Code of Conduct, in force since 1 March 2022.

• Clause 25 requires agents to take reasonable steps so a registered agent's MARN appears on the business website, on social media and in any advertisement for immigration assistance. Put the MARN in the ad itself.
• Clause 26 prohibits false or misleading statements, claims of a special relationship with government officials (which includes the Department and the Authority), and claims that the agent can get a particular decision. "Guaranteed visa" or "100% approval" copy breaches it.
• Avoid imagery that looks like the Department of Home Affairs. It implies the special relationship the Code rules out.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current Code before you publish.

Finance and insurance ads

Meta's financial and insurance standard says ads for credit cards, loans and insurance must target people 18 and over. Advertisers may need to show they hold the licence required in the country they target. Payday loans, short-term loans of 90 days or less, binary options and contracts for difference are not allowed.

For Australia, Meta announced in December 2024 that ads for financial products and services reaching Australians would need advertiser verification and a Paid for by disclaimer, as SBS News reported. Verification includes Australian Financial Services Licence details unless an exemption applies. Reports at the time said credit licence holders such as mortgage brokers could claim the exemption.

How to request a review

1. If the ad breaks the rule, fix it. An edited ad is treated as new and reviewed again.
2. If you believe it complies, request a review in Account Quality. Keep your explanation short and factual.
3. Don't resubmit the same ad again and again, or duplicate it to dodge review. Meta's standards say accounts that keep breaking the rules may be restricted. If that has already happened, see ad account disabled or restricted.

Meta says ad review is typically completed within 24 hours. If an approved ad still won't run, read Facebook ads not delivering.

When to get help

A specialist reviews the ad, the landing page and your account history against the exact standard Meta named, then rewrites the copy so it describes your service without describing the viewer.

Talk to our Meta ads team

About this guide

Written by Amann Jhamb, Director of AR Digital Solutions, 17 years in web design, SEO and paid ads. Last checked: 3 November 2026 against Meta Transparency Centre: Privacy violations and personal attributes. Change note: first published 3 November 2026. Part of our Meta ads help centre.