Meta ad rejected · Privacy Violations and Personal Attributes
Why was my Meta ad rejected for Personal Attributes?
A Personal Attributes rejection means your ad asserts or implies something personal about the viewer, such as their health, age, religion, finances or name. Rewrite it to describe what your product does instead of what the viewer is or has, then resubmit, or request another review in Meta Business Support Home if you believe it was wrong.
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.
Struggling with anxiety at night? You deserve to finally sleep. Our calming magnesium drink helps you unwind after a long day.
Tired of lying awake?
https://calmcup.example/sleep
- Personal Attributes“Struggling with anxiety at night?”high
- Personal Attributes“Tired of lying awake?”medium
- Medical Claims“helps you unwind after a long day”medium
- Medical Claims“You deserve to finally sleep.”low
Looking for a calming evening drink? Enjoy a relaxing evening ritual with our magnesium drink. Make your evenings more relaxing, one cup at a time.
A calmer way to wind down
Also change: Check that the landing page (calmcup.example/sleep) doesn't make claims about treating anxiety or insomnia, or promise sleep results. Also avoid second-person condition wording like "struggling with anxiety" in its headline and body. Rename the URL path to something neutral, such as /evening, if you can.
The ad asserts a personal mental health condition directly to the viewer and makes a supplement-style claim, which is likely to trigger rejection under Personal Attributes and a health-claim review.
What usually triggers it
- Asking the viewer whether they have a listed attribute. A question counts as implying it.“Do you have diabetes?” or “Are you bankrupt? Check out our services.”
- Tying “you” or “your” to a physical or mental health condition.“Depression getting you down? Get help now.”
- Using “other” or “like you” to place the viewer in a group.“Meet other seniors” or “Other single moms like you love this app.”
- Implying you know the viewer’s age, often in skincare, anti-aging and retirement ads.“Ready to upgrade your skin to look younger?” or “people like you who just turned 62.”
- Implying you know the viewer’s financial situation, criminal record or voting status.“Criminal record holding you back? We can help you find a job.”
- Using the viewer’s name, or copy that implies you know it.“Billy Taylor, get this t-shirt with your name in print!”
How to fix the ad
- Lead with the product and its benefit, not the viewer. Meta’s own advice is to focus the ad on the benefits of the product or service.
- Turn questions about a condition into plain statements about the service. Meta allows “New diabetes treatment available” but not “Do you have diabetes?”
- Delete “other” and “like you” next to any group. “Meet seniors” is allowed; “Meet other seniors” is not.
- Keep “you” and “your” only where no personal attribute is attached, like “Get your free quote.”
- Check every place words appear: primary text, headline, text on the image, captions and what is said in the video, plus any text variations in the ad.
- Run the copy through our free checker at /check before upload. It flags attribute language and estimates risk; it is not Meta’s decision.
Risky wording, and safer wording
Illustrative examples to show the difference. Always check the full ad, image and landing page too.
| Risky | Safer |
|---|---|
| Do you have diabetes? | Diabetes-friendly meals, delivered weekly. |
| Are you struggling with belly fat? | A 20-minute core workout you can do at home. |
| Other single moms like you love our app. | A planner app made for busy parents. |
| Are you bankrupt? We can help. | We help people rebuild credit after bankruptcy. (Credit ads reaching the US also need the Financial products and services Special Ad Category.) |
| Ready to upgrade your skin to look younger? | Our night cream targets fine lines and dryness. |
If your ad is already rejected
- Open the rejection email or Meta Business Support Home and read the reason. Find the exact line or image that refers to the viewer.
- Edit the ad in Ads Manager to remove that wording. An edited ad is automatically sent for review again. Avoid deleting it if you might want a review, because Meta says a deleted ad may lose the option to request one.
- If you believe the ad did not break the policy, request another review in Business Support Home: select the account, select the ad, click Request review, then Submit. Meta aims to decide within 48 hours, and if the ad is rejected again you cannot request another review for it.
- Do not upload the same wording in new ads or with odd spellings to get past review. Editing or deleting a rejected ad does not remove the violation, and repeated violations can get the account restricted.
- Keep records: a screenshot of the rejected ad, the reason Meta gave, the date and what you changed. It helps if the same flag comes up again or a client asks.
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
Can I still use the word “you” in Meta ads?
Yes. Meta allows “you” and “your” as long as the ad does not attach a personal attribute to them. “Get your free quote” is fine; “your depression” is not.
Can I mention a health condition at all?
Yes, as long as the ad does not say or suggest the viewer has it. Meta lists “Depression counseling” and “New diabetes treatment available” as allowed, while “Do you have diabetes?” is not.
Can I appeal a Personal Attributes rejection?
Yes. If you believe the ad was wrongly rejected, request another review in Meta Business Support Home; Meta aims to decide within 48 hours. If it is rejected again you cannot request another review for that ad, so fix the copy when the flag is fair.
Will a Personal Attributes rejection get my ad account banned?
One rejection is not a ban, but Meta can restrict ad accounts, Pages and businesses for severe or repeated violations. Editing or deleting the ad does not remove the violation, while a rejection that is overturned on review does not count against you.
Does this apply to Instagram, and to text inside images and videos?
Yes. Meta reviews Facebook and Instagram ads against the same Advertising Standards, and the review looks at images, video, text and the landing page, not just the primary text.
Is targeting an audience the same as a Personal Attributes violation?
No. This policy is about what the ad says or shows to the viewer. Targeting has its own separate rules, but the ad itself must not tell people it knows something personal about them.
Meta's official pages
- Meta Transparency Center: Privacy Violations and Personal Attributes
- Meta Business Help Center: About Meta’s Privacy Violations and Personal Attributes advertising policy
- Meta Business Help Center: How to troubleshoot a rejected ad
- Meta Business Help Center: About ads in review
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.
- Health and WellnessWhen Meta allows before-and-after photos in weight loss, cosmetic and skincare ads, and what gets them rejected.
- 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.