Instagram ads allow businesses to reach their target audience on one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. You can leverage the platform’s laser-focused targeting capabilities to reach your audience with the right offer at the right time with optimized ads to spring prospects into action. But what do you do if Instagram doesn’t approve the ads you’ve spent so much time creating and optimizing?
Today, you’ll learn the eight biggest reasons your Instagram ads aren’t approved and how to get the platform to reconsider and launch your ads.
Why are my Instagram ads not getting approved?
Before your ads appear in your audience’s feed or stories, they go through the approval process. Commonly, it takes 24 hours to get your ad approved or declined. The reasons for this may vary from the ad content to the technicalities of their publishing.
With all the opportunities Instagram advertising offers to promote products and services, grow brand awareness, and connect with customers, your Instagram ads mustn’t get rejected—or they only show on a limited basis.
Between heightened competition across social media and constant changes in the algorithms, many businesses find their Instagram ads not delivering—either because they were disapproved or because the ads are not optimized for the best campaign results.
The good news is your Instagram ads not delivering doesn’t mean the platform is wrong for your business. It could simply mean that you made a small mistake during ad setup that prevents it from showing, or maybe your ad strategy needs some tweaking. Either way, it’s most likely fixable.
8 Reasons why Instagram rejects your ads
1. Your Instagram account set up needs to be optimized
The most basic explanation for your Instagram ads not showing is that your account isn’t set up as a business account — and you can’t have an ad account without this in place.
So, before going any further in this list, ensure you have a business account rather than a personal one.
If you still find your Instagram ads not working, it might be because you’re not a page admin on your Meta Page. Keep in mind, Instagram ads are created through the Meta Ads Manager (formerly Facebook Ads Manager).
2. Your ad doesn’t follow guidelines
There are several reasons why Instagram ads could get disapproved.
First, you must adhere to Meta’s advertising policies and guidelines to advertise on either Facebook or Instagram successfully.
On top of that, Instagram has its own set of rules for using the platform. If you’re guilty of any of the following, it could get your Instagram ads rejected or, even worse—get you banned from the platform altogether:
- Impersonating others or providing inaccurate information
Unlawful, misleading, or fraudulent activity - Violation (or helping/encouraging others to violate) of these Terms or other policies, including Instagram Community Guidelines, Instagram Platform Policy, and Music Guidelines)
- Interference with or impairing the intended operation of the Service
- Attempting to create accounts or access/collect information in unauthorized ways
- Buying, selling, or transferring any aspect of your account (including your username) or soliciting, collecting, or using login credentials or badges of other users
- Posting private or confidential information or doing anything that violates someone else’s rights, including intellectual property
- Using a domain name or URL in your username without Instagram’s prior written consent
3. You’re not using the correct ad format
Instagram provides a number of ad formats for businesses, and while choosing the wrong one won’t result in getting your IG ads disapproved, it could certainly impact delivery.
Photo ads allow you to tell your story through a clean and simple creative canvas with square or landscape photos but might attract less attention than a video ad that includes movement and sound.
Video ads provide the same visually immersive quality as photo ads—with the added power of sound and motion—for up to 60 seconds. These will likely be a good fit for your brand if you have a product, feature, or service to demonstrate (how-to videos, explainer videos, recipes, etc.).
Carousel ads let users swipe to view additional photos or videos, so you can expand the theme or message of your campaign and add more depth to your offer. This ad type is particularly effective for selling products because you can show the same product from different angles or display a range of different items:
Collection ads help tell an integrated story with a product or lifestyle focus through multiple videos, images, or both, all within the same ad. These ads are great for visually inspiring and helping your audience discover, browse, and purchase products:
Stories ads complement your IG feed content by reaching 500M+ accounts using Instagram Stories daily, which is an optimal way to reach your crowd. This ad placement uses a fullscreen, vertical format, enabling you to immerse viewers in your content:
Explore ads reach Instagram users on the Explore page while they’re conveniently in a discovery mindset, looking to expand their interests beyond the accounts they already follow:
4. You’re targeting the wrong audience
Targeting the right audience is another element that won’t get your Instagram ads disapproved but will limit delivery and impact campaign performance. You could create show-stopping ads, but if they aren’t reaching the best audience, they’re likely not producing the results you’d hoped for.
That’s why every advertiser should take the time to become familiar with Instagram’s targeting options below (along with their exact target audience) before creating a new ad set:
- Location — Targets people based on specific locations including states, provinces, cities, countries, etc.
- Demographics — Narrows your audience based on information like age, gender, and language.
- Interests — Helps you reach people based on their specific interests, such as apps they use, ads they click, accounts they follow, etc.
- Behaviors — Defines your audience by activities they do on and off Instagram and Facebook.
- Custom Audiences — Targets customers who have previously interacted with your business based on email address or phone number.
- Lookalike Audiences — Used to find new people who are similar to your existing customers
- Automated Targeting — Instagram quickly creates an audience for you, who might be interested in your business using a variety of signals including location, demographics and interests.
5. You’re using the wrong ad content
While including prohibited content could result in your Instagram ad not being approved, promoting boring, salesy, or invaluable content can result in poor delivery and performance.
When creating ads, you must ensure they:
- Represent and reflect your brand
- Aren’t too promotional, invasive, or salesy
- Appeal and provide inspiration to viewers
- Deliver the same message across the image and ad copy
Since Instagram is a platform for sharing images, videos, and stories; you must create ads to look like organic Instagram posts with entertaining, amusing, and/or inspirational content, rather than screaming, “This is an ad!” or “Buy this!”
See the difference:
The first one uses:
- A high-quality lifestyle photo of a couple enjoying their vacation
- Bright, contrasting colors for aesthetic appeal
- Smiling faces enjoying the vacation
- A small logo in the bottom corner
Compared to the second one with:
- Too much ad text
- Salesly, gimmicky copy
- Pricing placed on the image
The image of the water isn’t relevant for a vacation offer. If your ads are attention-grabbing and tell a story, they’ll feel natural in the Instagram feed, and your business will reap the benefits through engagement (and ultimately sales). If not, there’s a good chance you won’t see the ad campaign results you wanted.
6. Not checking Instagram Insights
One of the most common reasons why your Instagram ads aren’t delivering is because you’re not closely monitoring Instagram Insights to track the following:
- Impressions – Number of times your ads were viewed
- Reach – Number of unique accounts that viewed your ads
- Interactions – Number and types of actions (profile visits, follows, and website/link clicks) that were taken on your profile after viewing an ad
These analytics help you understand your audience (gender, age, location, etc.) and how your audience is engaging with your ads so you can see what is working and what needs improvement.
7. Your landing page isn’t optimized for mobile
Instagram advertising can only be done on the Instagram app, not on the web platform. Since the app is mobile-only, you must make your ads — and the landing pages they lead to — mobile-friendly.
If you find your Instagram ads not showing or performing well, there are typically two common explanations related to the landing page:
- Perceived friction — The mental block that occurs when a user goes from your ad to a mobile landing page lacking message match.
- Actual friction — When a page isn’t mobile responsive, people struggle to complete forms with their thumbs, scroll or pinch/zoom to find the CTA button, or can’t click the CTA button.
You could be harming your conversion rate without a mobile-optimized landing page. Be sure the landing page to which you send your mobile app traffic responds to every size, displays information best suited to the device used, includes only a few form fields, and contains an easy-to-click CTA button.
8. Violation of copyright or intellectual property rights
An often overlooked pitfall that can lead to the disapproval of your Instagram ads is the infringement of copyright or intellectual property rights.
Using a recognizable image or video piece like a trendy meme, iconic photo, or movie scene to draw attention to your goods may be tempting. However, what regular users can get away with a business account cannot, especially when the ad content is involved.
Meta takes a firm stance against the unauthorized use of content that doesn’t belong to you. If your ad includes images, videos, or any other material that infringes on someone else’s intellectual property, it’s a fast track to rejection.
Avoid the following to ensure there’s no violation of copyright:
Unauthorized content use — Always ensure you have the right to use the images, music, or any other content in your ads. Unauthorized use can lead to ad disapproval and pose the risk of legal repercussions.
The original, the better — Instagram thrives on original and authentic content. Avoid using copyrighted material without permission, and prioritize creating visuals that represent your brand uniquely.
Trademark respect — A trademark or logo signifies the copyright owner or the author of the content. Advertising a product using branded content that belongs to someone else is considered bad taste and promotion to the copyright owners, which does not look like proper brand communication. Plus, Instagram is quick to spot any attempt to leverage someone else’s brand for your gain.
What is the ad review process?
Before ads on Facebook and Instagram show up, they must pass a review process according to Meta Advertising Policy Principles.
During the ad review process, the following components are checked:
- Images
- Text
- Targeting
- Positioning
- Post-click content and functionality (an ad may be disapproved if the landing page content isn’t fully functional, doesn’t match the offer promoted in your ad, or doesn’t fully comply with Advertising Policies)
Although some ads may take longer, most are reviewed within 24 hours. If your ad doesn’t get approved, its status will change to “Rejected” in the Ads Manager:
This could be because of the following reasons.
How to appeal a disapproved Instagram ad
When dealing with IG ads not being approved, there are two main approaches you can take:
- Edit your ad — Check your email notification explaining why your ad wasn’t approved, edit your ad (or create a new compliant one), and resubmit it for review.
- Appeal the decision—If you can’t edit your ad or feel it was a mistake that it wasn’t approved, you can appeal the decision by requesting an ad review using your Ad Account:
Now, what happens behind the scenes? Instagram employs a thorough ad review process to ensure that every ad aligns with its community standards, guidelines, and policies. This evaluation is about maintaining a high-quality user experience and safeguarding the platform’s integrity.
What does the Instagram ad review process entail?
Policy compliance: The first checkpoint involves an examination to ensure your ad complies with both Meta’s advertising policies and Instagram’s specific guidelines. The policy compliance check covers a spectrum of criteria, from content appropriateness to adherence to community standards.
Visual and textual analysis: Instagram scrutinizes your ad’s visual and textual elements. The reviewers check for overly promotional language, the quality and relevance of images or videos, and the overall tone to ensure it resonates with the platform’s aesthetic and guidelines.
Targeting assessment: The platform evaluates your chosen audience targeting to verify that it aligns with Instagram’s criteria. This ensures your ad reaches the right demographic without breaching privacy or ethical standards.
How long does a typical ad review process last?
The duration of the review process can vary, and Instagram doesn’t provide specific timelines. In most cases, the review process takes anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. Some marketers report waiting for the resolution over two days, while generally, it is done within 24 hours. The volume of pending appeals in the queue, the complexity of your ad content, and the platform’s current workload can influence the review timeline.
Some tips for a smooth Instagram ad review process
Plan ahead. If your ad is time-sensitive, plan your campaign well in advance to accommodate the review process. Don’t cut it too close to your desired launch time.
Learn the rules. Before creating your ad, get familiar with Instagram’s advertising policies and guidelines to address potential pitfalls.
Ensure content quality on your end. Ensure your ad meets high-quality visual and content standards to expedite the review process.
Make sure your Instagram ads are approved and delivering
Don’t let a rejected Instagram ad keep you from benefiting from all the platform has to offer businesses. Determine what you did wrong (or what you could do better if your ad is underperforming), fix the issue, and move on.
Remember, a great ad campaign is about creating an engaging landing page, which means personalizing it to each unique audience segment. Learn how to create personalized, Instagram-approved landing pages at scale with an Instapage 14-day free trial today.
FAQ
My Instagram is restricted for ads. Does it ever get unrestricted? It has been restricted for quite some time now.
Instagram ad restrictions can be temporary or permanent, depending on the nature of the violation. Temporary restrictions may lift automatically after a specified period. If the restriction persists, try reviewing Instagram’s community guidelines, rectifying any possible policy violations, and contacting Instagram support for further assistance.
Are Instagram ads manually approved?
Instagram ads undergo a manual review process to ensure compliance with community standards, advertising policies, and guidelines. While most ads are approved within 24 hours, some may take longer based on content complexity and the volume of pending appeals.
Instagram ad approved but not running. What should I do?
There could be several reasons why your Instagram ad has been approved but is not running. Check your campaign settings, targeting options, and budget to ensure all the settings are correct.
You should also monitor for any notifications or emails from Instagram explaining the issue. If the problem persists, consider editing your ad or appealing the decision through the provided channels for further review.