Fix disapproved YouTube ads

YouTube videos used in ads go through a creative review process to check that they comply with our content requirements . If your ad is disapproved during creative review, it won’t serve.

• For issues with the content of the ad, or ad settings in Display & Video 360, you can edit the ad . After you save, a new review starts.
• For other issues, like the ad's landing page, certification status, or video settings in YouTube, you can fix them and then resubmit the ad for approval .
• For disapproval based on policy decisions, you can dispute the decision if you believe we’ve made an error.

Fix ad content disapprovals

If the ad content isn’t compliant with a policy, follow the steps below to edit the ad and restart the review process:

1. Go to an existing YouTube & partners line item.
2. Click the YouTube ad groupstab. On the page that loads, you'll find a table with your ad groups and the ads in each of them.
3. In the Statuscolumn, click the ad’s Disapprovedstatus. To learn more about the policy that the ad doesn’t comply with, click Read the policy.
4. To fix issues with an ad, click its name to open it.

5. On the page that loads, find your ad in the Adssection, then click Edit.

   Note: Editing an ad replaces it and removes its stats.
   Editing an ad replaces it and removes its stats.
6. Click Edit ad.
7. Update the ad so that it complies with the policy, then click Done.
8. Savethe ad group. Ad review starts automatically.

Review timeline

• When you edit a disapproved ad, the existing ad is removed and a new one is created.
• The new ad is automatically submitted for review. The “Status” column changes from “Disapproved” to “Under review.”
• Most ads are reviewed within 24-48 hours, but complex reviews might take longer.

Fix other disapprovals

Your ad might be disapproved for reasons unrelated to the ad content or settings in Display & Video 360. Some common disapprovals are related to:

• Landing pages: If the ad’s landing page isn’t compliant with specific policies or wasn’t working at the time of initial review, you’ll need to update the landing page.
• Missing certifications: Your advertiser hasn’t been certified for serving ads for certain restricted products and services .
• Changes to the video in YouTube: This includes updating the thumbnail image, changing the video from private to public, or age-restriction settings.
  • Age Restrictions: If a video is age-gated on YouTube, it cannot be used for ads. To fix this, edit the video on YouTube or appeal the restriction in YouTube Studio.
  • New Assets: If you modify your video to comply with policies, upload it as a new asset to YouTube to ensure the system processes the updated version correctly.

After you change an ad to comply with a policy, follow the steps below to re-submit the ad for review:

1. Go to an existing YouTube & partners line item.
2. Click the YouTube ad groupstab. On the page that loads, you’ll find a table with your ad groups and the ads in each of them.
3. In the Statuscolumn, click the ad’s Disapprovedstatus. To learn more about the policy that the ad doesn’t comply with, click Read the policy.
4. Click Appeal.
5. On the page that loads, select “Made changes to comply with policy” as the reason for the appeal.
6. Select which ads you want to include in the appeal.
7. Click Submit.

Dispute policy decisions

If you believe we’ve made an error with a policy decision, you can appeal the decision directly from Display & Video 360:

Check the status of your appeal

After you submit an appeal, it usually takes about 24-48 hours for the review. You can check the appeal status in Appeal Historyto find the result.