Meta ad rejected · Prohibited Commercial Practices
Why was my Meta ad rejected for misleading claims or deceptive practices?
A Prohibited Commercial Practices rejection means Meta thinks your ad or landing page could mislead people out of money or personal information, for example with deceptive pricing, a fake endorsement or a guarantee that sounds too good to be true. Remove any claim you can’t prove, match the price to the checkout, then resubmit or request another review.
A real check of an ad that breaks this rule
We wrote this ad to break the rule on purpose and ran it through our checker on 20 October 2026. The score, flags and safer version below are the checker's real output.
Only 2 left! As seen on Shark Tank. 90% off today only, sale ends in 10 minutes. Trusted by Elon Musk.
Was $199, now $19
https://gadgetdeal.example/charger
- Misleading Claims“As seen on Shark Tank”high
- Misleading Claims“Trusted by Elon Musk”high
- Misleading Claims“Was $199, now $19”medium
- Misleading Claims“sale ends in 10 minutes”medium
- Low Quality or Sensational Content“Only 2 left!”medium
- Low Quality or Sensational Content“90% off today only”low
Meet the charger that keeps your devices powered without the clutter. Now $19. Tap to see details and check current availability.
Charger, now $19
Also change: I removed the Shark Tank and Elon Musk lines, the "Only 2 left", the 10-minute countdown, and the "was $199" reference price. Keep $19 only if it's the real current price. Add a verified end date, real stock level, or a documented previous price only if they're accurate. Make sure the landing page has no countdown timer, stock counter, Shark Tank logo, or celebrity mention unless each is true and documented. Make sure any strikethrough price matches a price you really charged.
The ad uses fake endorsements (Shark Tank, Elon Musk), an implausible 90% discount and fake urgency, all of which commonly lead to rejection.
What usually triggers it
- Prices or discounts that aren’t real or don’t match the checkout. Meta names deceptive pricing as a prohibited commercial practice.“80% off, today only”
- Using a celebrity’s or well-known brand’s name, face or voice as if they back you when they don’t. Meta calls these celebrity-bait and brand-bait scams.“The serum this famous actress swears by”
- Claims you can’t back up, or that set unrealistic expectations. Meta’s policy checklist says ads must not make potentially misleading claims.“Works for everyone, guaranteed”
- Guaranteed money, approvals or prizes: guaranteed or risk-free investment returns, guaranteed loan approval, guaranteed jobs, or giveaways that only ask for personal details.“Guaranteed approval, no credit check”
- An offer that differs from what people get: a different product or quality, a subscription that isn’t clearly disclosed, or a refund policy that isn’t honored.“Free, just pay shipping”
- Deadlines or stock warnings that aren’t true, such as a sale that ‘ends tonight’ every night. Meta’s policy doesn’t name these, but false urgency can make the price or offer itself misleading.“Only 3 left!”
How to fix the ad
- List every claim in the text, image, video and landing page. Keep only the ones you can prove.
- Use a discount only if it’s real, and make sure the checkout shows the same price as the ad.
- Remove any celebrity, influencer, media logo or brand you don’t have permission to use.
- Replace “guaranteed” and “risk-free” with what actually happens, including any conditions.
- Show subscription terms, trial length, shipping costs and the refund policy clearly near the price on the landing page.
- Use deadlines and stock counts only when they’re true, and end the offer when you said it would end.
- Make sure the ad accurately represents the product, and that the landing page sells the same thing.
Risky wording, and safer wording
Illustrative examples to show the difference. Always check the full ad, image and landing page too.
| Risky | Safer |
|---|---|
| 80% off, today only! | 20% off until Sunday at midnight. |
| Guaranteed results or your money back, no questions. | Not happy? Return it within 30 days for a full refund. |
| Celebrities swear by this serum. | Our bestselling serum. Read customer reviews on our site. |
| Guaranteed loan approval, no credit check. | Check your rate in 2 minutes. Approval depends on your credit. |
| Free phone, just pay shipping. | $19 phone stand plus $5 shipping. No subscription. |
If your ad is already rejected
- Open Meta Business Support Home (you may see it called Account Quality) and check which ad was rejected and why.
- Check the landing page and checkout, not only the ad. Pricing, product details and refund terms there need to match what the ad promises.
- Fix or remove the claim, then edit and publish the ad so it is reviewed again.
- If you believe the claim is accurate and allowed, request another review in Business Support Home. Don’t delete the ad first, or you may lose that option.
- Keep proof for any claim you keep, such as test results, written permission to use a name or image, and your price history.
Check your next ad before you upload it
Paste the copy and add the image or video. The free checker scores the rejection risk, points to the exact words at fault and the Meta policy behind each one, and suggests a safer version. It estimates risk; it isn't a decision from Meta.
Likely to be rejected. Fix the flagged lines before you upload.
This supplement ad combines a personal-attribute callout, a specific weight-loss result, guaranteed results, clickbait and a URL shortener, so it is very likely to be rejected.
Are you struggling with belly fat? Our gummies helped Maria lose 12 kg in 3 weeks!!! See the before and after pics. Doctors hate this one trick.
GUARANTEED RESULTS
https://bit.ly/slim-offer
6 issues found · tap a highlight to jump to it
“Are you struggling with belly fat?” · primary text
The ad asserts a personal characteristic about the viewer by addressing them directly about a body condition.
Fix: Our gummies are designed to support a healthy metabolism.
“helped Maria lose 12 kg in 3 weeks!!!” · primary text
A specific weight-loss amount within a short timeframe is an exaggerated, unrealistic result, and supplement ads must target 18+.
Fix: Remove the specific result; use a general statement such as 'Part of a balanced routine for healthy weight management.'
“GUARANTEED RESULTS” · headline
Guaranteed results are a prohibited claim for health and weight-loss products.
Fix: Use 'Start your wellness routine today' or remove the claim entirely.
“Doctors hate this one trick.” · primary text
This is classic clickbait, and the triple exclamation marks add to the sensational tone.
Fix: Replace with 'Learn how our gummies fit into a healthy routine.'
“See the before and after pics.” · primary text
Before-and-after comparisons for weight loss are high risk and draw rejection.
Fix: Remove the before-and-after reference and focus on the product's ingredients.
“https://bit.ly/slim-offer” · landing page
URL shorteners hide the true destination and are high risk, and can lead to account-level enforcement.
Fix: Use the full, direct landing page URL on the brand's own domain.
Safer version
Are you struggling with belly fat? Our gummies helped Maria lose 12 kg in 3 weeks!!! See the before and after pics. Doctors hate this one trick.
GUARANTEED RESULTS
Meet our gummies, designed to support a healthy metabolism. Easy to add to your day and made to fit into a balanced routine for healthy weight management. Learn how they fit into a healthy routine.
Start your wellness routine today
Also change: Link: replace the bit.ly shortener with the full, direct URL on your own brand domain, and make sure the landing page has no before-and-after photos, guaranteed-result claims or specific weight-loss numbers. Creative: remove any before-and-after images and any overlay text about kilos lost. Show the product or lifestyle shots instead, with overlay text like "Support your healthy routine". Set ad targeting to 18+.
Questions
Is this the same as “Fraud, Scams and Deceptive Practices” or “misleading claims”?
Largely, yes. Meta’s Advertising Standards now group misleading pricing, celebrity-bait, guaranteed returns and similar tactics under Prohibited Commercial Practices, so older articles and notices may use different names.
Can I appeal the rejection?
Yes, you can request another review in Meta Business Support Home if you believe the ad was rejected by mistake. Meta aims to decide within 48 hours and allows one review request per ad, and the decision may stay the same.
Will this get my ad account banned?
It can. Meta says severe or repeated ad violations can lead to restrictions on your business portfolio, ad account, Page or user account, and editing or deleting a rejected ad does not remove the violation.
Can I use a celebrity or influencer in my ad?
Only with their permission and without misleading people. Meta prohibits falsely using a public figure’s name, likeness or imagery to bait people, and ads that promote a creator’s branded content must tag the business partner with the branded content tool.
Do customer complaints matter?
Yes. Meta says it watches for patterns of negative feedback about things like non-delivery, misleading pricing and refunds that aren’t honored, and can restrict accounts if the problems continue after warnings.
Does this apply to Instagram ads and the landing page?
Yes. Meta’s Advertising Standards cover ads on Instagram, and ad review can include the landing page, so a claim on your site can get the ad rejected.
Meta's official pages
- Introduction to the Advertising Standards
- Meta Advertising Standards: Prohibited Commercial Practices
- Meta Community Standards: Prohibited Commercial Practices
- Advertising policy basics checklist
- How to troubleshoot a rejected ad
Ad Account Shield is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Meta.
Related rejection reasons
- Health and WellnessWhy exaggerated health and weight loss promises and body-shaming copy get Meta ads rejected, and what to write instead.
- Financial and insurance products and servicesIncome promises, guaranteed returns, loans, insurance and crypto: what Meta allows, what needs permission, and how to fix the ad.
- Relevance and Spam (deceptive links)Broken pages, ad-to-page mismatches, redirects, pop-ups and risky page content: why Meta rejects the ad and how to fix the page.