Meta ad rejected · Weapons, Ammunition or Explosives
Why was my Meta ad rejected for weapons or accessories?
Meta bans ads that promote the sale or use of weapons, ammunition, explosives and weapon modification accessories such as optics, flashlights and suppressors. Items that are not part of a weapon, like holsters, cases, safes and targets, are allowed when targeted 18 and over, so check which side your product falls on before you fix and resubmit.
What usually triggers it
- Selling firearms, firearm parts or ammunition, including paintball guns and BB guns.“9mm ammunition back in stock. Order online today.”
- Weapon modification accessories, such as scopes, sights, weapon lights and suppressors.“Upgrade your rifle with our 4x scope, 20% off.”
- Self-defence weapons and blades, such as pepper spray, tasers, batons, nunchucks and non-culinary knives.“Stay safe walking home with our pepper spray keyring.”
- Explosives, including fireworks.“Bonfire night fireworks bundle, half price this week.”
- Reviews of firearms, other banned weapons, weapon modifications or bladed items.“Our review of this year’s top 5 hunting knives.”
- A weapon shown on its own with no discussion or context, or in a violent context.“A close-up photo of a handgun with the caption ‘New arrivals’.”
- Allowed accessories, such as holsters, gun cases or protective vests, in ad sets that can reach people under 18.“A gun safe ad set to ages 13 to 65.”
How to fix the ad
- Check whether the product can cut, strike, shoot or otherwise harm people or animals, or attaches to a weapon to change how it looks or works. If it does, Meta does not allow ads for it, and rewording will not change that.
- If the product is not sold as part of a weapon, such as a holster, gun case, safe, lock, sling, target, clay thrower, belt, pouch, protective vest or military clothing, set the ad set to 18 and over.
- For accessory ads, keep the creative about the accessory. Avoid showing the weapon as something to buy, and avoid violent scenes.
- For firearm safety courses, license training or safety books and videos, promote the course itself, not guns or ammunition for sale.
- Check the landing page too. Meta’s review can include the destination, so a holster ad that lands on a page selling firearms can still be a problem.
- Run the copy and images through our free checker at /check before upload. It estimates policy 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 |
|---|---|
| Shop rifles, scopes and ammo in one place. | Lockable gun cases and safes, built to keep firearms secure. (Ad set to 18 and over.) |
| Our top 5 hunting rifles, reviewed. | A one-day firearm safety course for new hunters. |
| Pepper spray: the self-defence gift every woman needs. | A self-defence class for beginners, taught by certified instructors. |
| Leather holster ad set to ages 16 and over. | The same leather holster ad set to ages 18 and over. |
| Rapid-fire upgrade kit for your pistol. | Paper shooting targets, pack of 100. (Ad set to 18 and over.) |
If your ad is already rejected
- Read the reason in Meta Business Support Home (formerly Account Quality) or in the rejection notice.
- If the ad promotes a weapon, ammunition, a modification accessory or fireworks, accept the rejection and stop advertising that product on Meta. Severe or repeated violations can restrict the ad account.
- If it was an allowed item, such as a holster or safe, fix the age targeting or creative in Ads Manager. An edited ad goes back into review automatically. Do not delete the rejected ad if you might request a review.
- If you believe the ad was wrongly rejected, 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 rename a weapon accessory, crop the weapon out of the photo or swap the landing page to get it past review. 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 holsters, gun cases or safes on Facebook?
Yes, if they are not sold as part of a weapon and the ads target people 18 and over. Meta allows items that carry, encase or secure a weapon, such as holsters, cases, safes, locks, slings and tripod mounts.
Are scopes and weapon lights allowed?
No. Meta treats products that attach to a weapon to improve or customise it, including optics, sights, flashlights and suppressors, as weapon modification accessories, which ads cannot promote.
My shop can post about firearms on its Page, so why are the ads rejected?
Organic posts and ads follow different rules. Meta’s Community Standards let legitimate brick-and-mortar retailers post firearms for sale with visibility restricted to adults 21 and over, but its Advertising Standards do not allow ads that promote the sale or use of weapons or ammunition.
Can I advertise a firearm safety course?
Yes. Meta allows ads for firearm safety training and license courses, and for books and videos about firearm safety.
Are fireworks allowed in Meta ads?
Not for sale. Meta counts fireworks as explosives, which ads cannot promote, though fireworks can appear in a celebratory, non-violent context.
Can my ad show a gun at all?
Sometimes. Meta allows weapons in a non-violent military, police, sport or hunting context with no attempt to buy or sell them, and in fiction such as games, films and music, but not a weapon shown on its own with no context.
Meta's official pages
- Weapons, Ammunition or Explosives (Meta Transparency Center)
- Introduction to the Advertising Standards (Meta Transparency Center)
- Restricted Goods and Services (Meta Transparency Center)
- How to troubleshoot a rejected ad (Meta Business Help Center)
Ad Account Shield is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Meta.
Related guides
- Clickbait and low qualityClickbait headlines, “you won’t believe…”, “tag a friend” and shouting in capitals.
- Circumventing SystemsThe ad or its link looks built to hide the real content from Meta’s review.
- Landing page problemsBroken pages, ad-to-page mismatches, redirects, pop-ups and risky page content: why Meta rejects the ad and how to fix the page.