Meta ad rejected · Supplements
Why was my Meta supplement ad rejected?
A supplement rejection usually means Meta treats an ingredient as an unsafe substance, the ad can reach people under 18, or the copy claims to cure a disease. Stop promoting anything on Meta's unsafe list, set the audience to 18+, rewrite the claims, then edit the ad or request another review.
What usually triggers it
- Promoting a substance Meta treats as unsafe. Meta's examples include anabolic steroids, chitosan, comfrey, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), ephedra and human growth hormones, and the list is not exhaustive.“This once a day pill of human growth hormone makes losing weight easier.” (Meta’s own example)
- Encouraging people to use performance-enhancing, recreational or other potentially unsafe products, even without a direct sale.“Here’s your one-stop shop for performance-enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids.” (Meta’s own example)
- An audience that includes people under 18. Meta requires ads for dietary, health, weight-loss and weight-gain products to target people 18 or older.“A weight-gain shake ad set to ages 13–65+.”
- Claiming to cure, heal or eliminate a disease on Meta's list, such as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's or HIV. This applies even when the claim comes from a doctor or health organisation.“Our herbal capsules reverse diabetes for good.”
- Clickbait in a health or weight context: sensational, extreme claims, or a promised result within a set time without any qualifier.“Lose 10 kg in 7 days with one capsule a day.”
- Selling a prescription weight-loss medicine as if it were a supplement. Meta's Health and Wellness policy sends these to the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals rules.“Get GLP-1 shots delivered, no prescription needed.”
How to fix the ad
- Check every ingredient against Meta's unsafe substance examples. If the product contains one, rewording will not make the ad allowed, so do not promote it.
- Set the minimum age to 18 in the ad set. General food products, including protein products, are exempt from Meta's age rule, but supplements and weight products are not.
- Describe what the product is, what is in it and how to take it. Remove any claim to cure, heal or eliminate a listed disease, including quotes from doctors.
- If you show results for a weight-loss or weight-gain supplement, Meta allows 18+ ads to show people using it, its impact and the time taken to see noticeable results. Avoid fixed promises like “in 7 days” with no qualifier.
- Keep “you” and “your” away from health conditions. “Struggling with joint pain?” implies a personal attribute.
- Check the landing page against the same rules. Meta's review can include the page your ad links to.
- If the product needs a prescription, follow Meta's prescription drug rules instead. See our prescription drugs guide.
Risky wording, and safer wording
Illustrative examples to show the difference. Always check the full ad, image and landing page too.
| Risky | Safer |
|---|---|
| Ephedra fat burner, back in stock | Caffeine-free greens powder, back in stock |
| Natural HGH booster for faster growth | Unflavoured whey protein for post-workout shakes |
| Our capsules cure type 2 diabetes | A low-sugar fibre supplement, one scoop a day with water |
| Drop 3 dress sizes in 2 weeks, guaranteed | A meal-replacement shake for adults. Results vary and take time, alongside diet and exercise. |
| Struggling with joint pain? Try this. | A glucosamine supplement, taken once a day with food. |
If your ad is already rejected
- Read the reason in Meta Business Support Home or the rejection email, and find the ingredient, claim or targeting setting it points to.
- If the product contains a substance Meta treats as unsafe, do not resubmit it. A review will not change that, and repeated violations can restrict the account.
- Otherwise, fix the copy, image and age targeting, then edit the ad in Meta Ads Manager. An edited ad is reviewed again. Avoid deleting it if you might want a review, because a deleted ad may lose that option.
- If you believe the ad was compliant, request another review in Business Support Home. Meta aims to decide within 48 hours, and if it is rejected again you cannot request another review for that ad.
- Do not re-upload the same product under vaguer names, odd spellings or a different ad account to get past review. Meta prohibits evading its enforcement, and editing or deleting a rejected ad does not remove the violation.
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 advertise supplements on Facebook and Instagram?
Yes, for most supplements. Meta requires dietary, health and weight-product ads to target people 18 or older and to avoid its prohibited claims. Products Meta treats as unsafe substances cannot be advertised at all.
Which supplements does Meta treat as unsafe?
Meta lists anabolic steroids, chitosan, comfrey, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), ephedra and human growth hormones as examples. The list is not complete, and Meta says it decides what counts as unsafe at its sole discretion.
Do protein powder ads need 18+ targeting?
Not by default. Meta exempts general food products, including protein products, from the age rule. If the ad markets the product for weight loss or weight gain, treat it as a weight product and target 18+.
Can I mention a condition like diabetes in a supplement ad?
Never claim to cure, heal or eliminate it. Meta's cure-claim list does not cover claims about managing symptoms, but the ad still must not say or imply the viewer has the condition.
Can a supplement ad show results?
For 18+ audiences, Meta allows weight-loss and weight-gain supplement ads to show the product in use, its impact and how long noticeable results take. Our before-and-after and unrealistic outcomes guides cover how to show results safely.
Are GLP-1 weight-loss products covered by these rules?
Not these rules alone. Meta's Health and Wellness policy says weight-loss products that need a prescription fall under the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals policy, with its country and written permission requirements.
Meta's official pages
- About Meta's Drugs and Pharmaceuticals advertising policy (Meta Business Help Center)
- Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (Meta Transparency Center)
- Health and Wellness (Meta Transparency Center)
- How to troubleshoot a rejected ad (Meta Business Help Center)
- Privacy Violations and Personal Attributes (Meta Transparency Center)
- Introduction to the Advertising Standards (Meta Transparency Center)
Ad Account Shield is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Meta.
Related guides
- Prescription drugs, telehealthPrescription drug and GLP-1 ads need Meta authorization, eligible countries and 18+.
- Unrealistic health claimsWhy exaggerated health and weight loss promises and body-shaming copy get Meta ads rejected, and what to write instead.
- Personal AttributesWhy “you” copy about a viewer’s health, age, finances or identity gets Meta ads rejected, and how to rewrite it.