- There are three main kinds of suspension: serious policy violations, repeated violations (strikes) and billing or payment problems.
- A suspension stops ads everywhere, and related or new accounts can be suspended too, so don't open another account.
- Appeal from the notification in your account, one appeal at a time, after fixing the cause. You have at least 6 months.
- Policy suspensions such as unacceptable business practices or misrepresentation usually mean fixing your website first.
Why Google suspends Ads accounts
| Type | Examples | Warning first? |
|---|---|---|
| Serious (egregious) violations | Circumventing systems, unacceptable business practices, counterfeit goods, malicious software, coordinated deceptive practices | No, immediate |
| Repeated violations | Breaking the same ad policy again after warnings, tracked as strikes | Yes, holds after the first and second strikes |
| Billing and payments | Suspicious payment activity, unpaid balance, chargebacks, promotional code abuse | Sometimes temporary |
| Unauthorised activity | Someone else accessed your account | Temporary, to stop unauthorised charges |
For repeated violations, Google says the first and second strikes bring temporary holds of three and seven days, and a third strike leads to suspension, with notice at least 7 days before.
What a suspension means
- Your ads stop running in every location until the account is reinstated.
- The account becomes read-only. You can still view it, download reports, make payments, update security settings and appeal.
- Related accounts, and any new accounts you create, may also be suspended.
- Google treats a suspension as permanent unless an appeal succeeds.
When your website is the problem
Suspensions for unacceptable business practices, misrepresentation or circumventing systems often start with what Google sees on the page your ads link to. Common website causes:
Hidden business identity
No business name, address or company details, or a site that looks like it's hiding who runs it.
Unrealistic claims
Guaranteed results, miracle health benefits or earnings promises your landing page can't back up.
Hidden costs and conditions
Subscriptions, fees or delivery charges that only appear after someone has committed.
Landing pages that behave differently
Redirects, cloaking, or showing Google's crawler something different from what visitors see.
Broken or unfinished pages
Errors, placeholder text or pages that don't load, which can look like a site built to mislead.
Ad text that doesn't match the site
Promising something in the ad that the landing page doesn't offer or mention.
A free scan checks your landing pages for these problems, and the full report can also compare your ad text against your site.
How to appeal
- 1
Work out the reason
Open the suspension notification in your Google Ads account. It names the policy, such as unacceptable business practices or suspicious payment activity.
- 2
Fix the cause first
For policy suspensions, fix your website and ads. For billing suspensions, sort out the payment issue or verify your payment method. Google reinstates accounts only in compelling circumstances, so the appeal needs real changes behind it.
- 3
Complete verification if asked
Some advertisers must verify their identity to appeal. If identity can't be verified after 3 attempts, Google won't accept appeals.
- 4
Submit one appeal
Select the Contact us link in the notification to open the appeal form. Be thorough, accurate and honest. Explain what happened and what you've changed.
- 5
Wait for the result
The account shows "Appeal pending" while it's reviewed, and you'll get an email with the outcome. Sending several appeals for the same suspension can slow things down, and misuse can pause appeals for 7 days.
- 6
If it's rejected
You can appeal again, but only once you've found and fixed what was missed. Look again at every page your ads link to.
Your Google Ads appeal checklist
Tick these off before you send the appeal. Your ticks are saved in this browser.
- Code that treats Google's crawler differently from real visitors, which can look like cloaking
- Scripted (JavaScript) or meta-refresh redirects sending visitors to another site
- Redirects from your ad's domain to a different domain
- Hidden spam links or injected content from a hacked site
- Hidden third-party frames and suspicious obfuscated code
- Whether your site is on Google's malware or phishing list
- Google's ads crawler (AdsBot) blocked in robots.txt
- Ad text promising something your landing page doesn't mention (add your ad text when you scan)
- Tracking scripts running without cookie consent
- Subscription or recurring charges without clear cancellation terms
Common questions
Certanza is independent and not affiliated with Google. This guide is general information, not legal advice, and Google's policies can change.