1. MisrepresentationEgregious
Misrepresentation covers ads, pages, or business practices that mislead people about what they are getting. Guaranteeing an outcome you cannot prove, hiding fees until checkout, impersonating another business, or presenting false contact details all land here. Google classes this as egregious, which means suspension on detection with no warning.
This is the violation that catches the most honest advertisers, because a vague return policy or a price mismatch between your site and your feed can trigger it. The fix starts with a full audit of your site: match every claim to reality, show the full cost early, and publish clear contact and policy information.
If your suspension traces to Merchant Center misrepresentation, the recovery path is different from a standard Google Ads appeal. Our guide on how to Resolve Google Merchant Center Misrepresentation Policy covers that process.
2. Circumventing Systems
This policy prohibits any attempt to interfere with or get around Google's ad review. Cloaking, where you show Google one page and users another, is the classic example. So is masking a landing page's true destination, manipulating ad text to dodge automated review, or spinning up a new account to escape an existing suspension.
Most legitimate advertisers hit this policy after a suspension rather than before. Opening a fresh account to keep advertising while the old one is down counts as circumventing, and Google links the new account back to the original and suspends both. The clean path is always to fix and appeal the original.
Our guide on how to Resolve Circumventing Systems Policy walks through the recovery step by step.
3. Destination Mismatch and Broken Landing Pages
Google requires the URL visible in your ad to match the domain the click lands on, and the landing page itself has to load properly. A 404 error, a page under construction, a redirect to an unrelated domain, or a browser security warning all trigger this flag. Mobile matters too: a page that works on desktop but breaks on a phone gets caught.
Fix the destination first. Confirm the display URL matches the landing page domain, test every link from ad to page to checkout, and run the same test on a phone. Keep an eye on SSL certificates, since an expired one can pull your ads without warning.
4. Editorial and Formatting Violations
Google holds ads to a set of editorial standards. Excessive capitalization, unusual spacing, symbols used to grab attention, misspelled words, and unclear calls to action all violate the policy. Punctuation in headlines, phone numbers in ad text where they are not allowed, and gimmicky formatting all land here too.
These are the easiest violations to fix: rewrite the ad within the rules and resubmit. Most editorial flags disapprove the individual ad rather than suspending the account, so the damage is limited if you catch them fast.
5. Trademark Violations
Using another company's trademarked name in your ad copy without authorization can trigger a trademark complaint. Google removes the ad when the trademark owner files, even if you are an authorized reseller. The policy covers ad text specifically, and in some regions, keywords as well.
If you hold authorization from the trademark owner, submit it through Google's trademark authorization form. If you do not, rewrite the ad to describe the product without using the brand name in the copy. Informational or reseller exceptions exist, but they vary by country.
6. Prohibited Content: Counterfeit GoodsEgregious
Selling products that copy a brand's trademark or logo without permission is an egregious violation. Google suspends the account immediately, and the policy applies whether the counterfeit is obvious or subtle. This one is hard to reverse, because the burden of proof sits on you to show the products are genuine.
If the flag is wrong, gather proof of authenticity: invoices from the brand or its authorized distributor, a reseller agreement, or a letter of authorization.
Our guide on how to Resolve Google Ads Counterfeit Goods Policy explains what evidence Google expects.
7. Prohibited Content: Dangerous Products and Services
Ads that promote weapons, explosives, recreational drugs, tobacco, or products designed to cause harm are banned outright. The prohibition extends to instructions for making dangerous items and to ads that facilitate the purchase of products that endanger people.
If your business sells a product that borders on a prohibited category, read Google's specific list carefully before you launch. Some items, such as knives sold as tools, may be permitted with the right framing, while the same product positioned as a weapon is not.
8. Malicious Software
Google flags ads that link to sites distributing malware, spyware, or any software that harms a user's device. The trigger often is not something the advertiser did on purpose: a hacked page, a compromised plugin, or an infected ad network script can inject malicious code without the advertiser knowing.
Cleaning the site is the core of the fix. Run a malware scanner, remove every infected file, update your CMS and plugins, and submit a clean scan as evidence in your appeal.
Our guide on how to Resolve Google Ads Malicious Software Policy covers the full recovery.
9. Unreliable Claims
Promising a specific result without evidence gets your ad flagged. Weight-loss guarantees, income claims, and miracle-cure language are the classic triggers. Google applies this whether the claim sits in the ad copy, the headline, or the landing page.
Back every claim with evidence or remove it. Replace guarantees with realistic language, and cite the source when you reference a study or a statistic. A truthful claim stated plainly passes; a vague promise dressed up as certainty does not.
10. Healthcare and Medicine Violations
Advertising prescription drugs, unapproved pharmaceuticals, or health products with misleading claims falls under healthcare restrictions. Google requires certification for many healthcare categories, and advertising prescription drugs is banned in most countries outside the US and a few others.
Check whether your product or service needs a Google Ads certification before you launch. Categories like addiction services, clinical trial recruitment, and online pharmacies all carry specific requirements that vary by country.
Not Sure Which of These Hit Your Account?
Google names the policy but rarely the specific fault behind it. Send us your suspension notice and your site URL, and within 48 hours you get a written verdict on which violation caught your account and whether the case has a real path forward.
11. Financial Services Violations
Financial products carry disclosure requirements. Ads for loans, credit cards, and investment products have to show relevant terms, interest rates, and risks. Cryptocurrency exchanges and related services need Google certification, and some financial products, such as binary options, are banned outright.
Add the required disclosures to your ad and your landing page. If your product needs certification, apply through Google's advertiser verification program before you launch campaigns.
12. Gambling and Games of Chance
Online gambling ads are restricted to certified advertisers targeting approved countries. Each country has its own rules, and serving a gambling ad in a region where it is not permitted triggers a violation. Lottery ads, sports betting, and online casinos all fall here.
Get certified through Google's gambling advertising program and target only the countries your license covers. Google verifies gambling advertisers against local licensing authorities, so unlicensed operations cannot advertise.
13. Alcohol Advertising Violations
Alcohol ads are restricted by country and by placement. Google prohibits targeting minors, and it blocks alcohol ads entirely in countries where local law forbids them. Ads for products that resemble alcohol, such as non-alcoholic beer, carry the same restrictions in some markets.
Confirm that every country you target allows alcohol advertising, then set your audience targeting to exclude minors. Google's policy page lists the countries where alcohol ads are permitted, and the list changes, so check it before each launch.
14. Sexually Explicit ContentEgregious
Ads containing sexual content, nudity, or sexually suggestive material are prohibited as an egregious violation. Google draws a broad line here: explicit imagery, suggestive poses, and adult-oriented products all fall on the wrong side. Some adult content can run in restricted form on certain platforms, but the rules are tight.
If your business is in a related category, read Google's sexual content policy carefully before you build any creative. What reads as mild to you may read as explicit to Google's review system.
15. Political Advertising Violations
Political ads carry verification requirements in most countries. You have to prove your identity and disclose who paid for the ad, and the ad itself has to comply with local election law. Running a political ad without completing Google's election verification process gets it pulled.
Complete Google's election ads verification before launching any political campaign. The process confirms your identity and your authorization to run ads related to elections in the targeted region.
16. Data Collection and Privacy Violations
Google prohibits ads that collect personal information irresponsibly. Gathering credit card data over an unsecured connection, claiming to know a user's personal attributes like sexual orientation or financial status, and remarketing in ways that violate user consent all fall here.
Ensure every form on your landing page loads over HTTPS, your privacy policy is clear and visible, and your remarketing tags comply with Google's personalized advertising rules. Handle user data the way your privacy policy promises, and nothing more.
17. Copyright Violations
Using copyrighted images, text, or video in your ads or on your landing page without permission triggers a copyright flag. Google also prohibits ads that facilitate access to pirated content, including torrents, unauthorized streaming, and file-sharing services.
Use original content or properly licensed material. If you receive a copyright complaint, you can counter-notify through Google's process if you hold a license or believe the claim is wrong.
18. Unacceptable Business PracticesEgregious
This egregious violation covers businesses that scam or defraud users. Taking payment and not delivering the product, refusing refunds when your policy promises them, impersonating a government agency, and phishing for personal information all sit here. Google suspends immediately and states that reinstatement is unlikely.
If the flag is a mistake, you need strong evidence that your business delivers what it promises. Customer records, shipping confirmations, and a clean complaint history are the kind of proof that supports an appeal.
19. Coordinated Deceptive PracticesEgregious
Operating multiple accounts or identities to deceive Google or users is an egregious violation. Running the same misleading campaign across several accounts, using fake identities to open accounts, and coordinating with others to evade enforcement all fall here.
This one rarely hits a legitimate single-business advertiser, but agencies and multi-brand operators can trip it if their account structure looks like an attempt to dodge enforcement. Keep your account structure transparent and tie each account to a real, verifiable identity.
20. Trade Sanctions ViolationsEgregious
Advertising from, to, or on behalf of entities or regions under trade sanctions is an egregious violation. Google enforces sanctions compliance strictly and suspends accounts immediately when it detects a violation.
This typically affects advertisers operating across borders. If your business touches a sanctioned country or entity, consult a legal advisor before running any Google Ads campaigns, because the consequences here go beyond account suspension.
What to Do When a Violation Hits Your Account
Start with the notice. Google names the policy in the suspension email, and that name points you to the right entry above. Fix the underlying cause before you appeal, because Google checks actual compliance, not a promise to comply. File one careful appeal rather than several rushed ones, complete advertiser verification if Google asks, and wait for the decision.
If the reason still feels unclear, or you want to catch every issue before you spend an appeal, a structured Free Diagnosis of your account and site can pinpoint the exact signals Google objects to. You have at least six months from the suspension date to appeal, so a short delay to prepare a strong case beats a rushed attempt that burns the opportunity.
Staying on the Right Side
Prevention costs an afternoon. Read the policies for your industry before you launch, and revisit them when Google updates the rules. Keep your landing pages honest, fast, and matched to your ads. Drop guarantees you cannot prove and fees you do not disclose. Lock down account access with a strong password and two-step verification. When a warning arrives, treat it as the free save it is and fix the issue inside the window.
Google publishes its full advertising policies at the Google Ads Policy Center. Bookmark it, check it before every new campaign type, and treat it as the rulebook it is.