Facebook Ads Banned Words — List in 2022 (2024)

Facebook's ad policy is strict, and all ads are carefully checked. Even a well-written, clean vaping ad will not be allowed because Facebook does not support the sale of tobacco products.

Facebook checks ads for certain words and phrases that violate the policy, and will often reject ads that contain them, even if the ad doesn't actually violate any ad rules.

Facebook Ads Banned Words — List in 2022 (1)

Before you launch an ad campaign on Facebook, keep in mind that you should be very careful in creating ads there. Overly targeted or misleading ads will be rejected by the platform.

To avoid tagging your ad, check its copy, and make sure that it doesn't violate thead placement rules. Then request a manual view and describe in detail why you think the ad meets the requirements. Your ad will be checked by a Facebook moderator. If it is approved, it will start working. If not, you will get feedback about which policies the ad violates.

In fact, rejecting ads is one of the biggest challenges during the promotion of a business on Facebook.

Facebook Ads Banned Words — List in 2022 (2)

What happens if you see this message? You will get a checkbox in your Facebook account and your ads will not be displayed until you fix them. If you receive several warnings like that, Facebook may block your advertising account. In this case, there are, of course, workarounds, but it is better to be careful and not get into this situation.

Avoiding these problems is as easy as following the tips below. Just remember: tips will not apply equally to everyone. Some Facebook advertising accounts, namely those that have more advertising history, can get away much easier than newcomers or not very active advertisers. This is why many accounts are finding it increasingly difficult to get their ads approved.

You, to You, Your

Ok, let’s deal with the first case. Here is an example of an ad: "Are you a busy mom, working hard, and you don't have time to cook for your family?"

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Facebook doesn’t appreciate the ads which speak too directly, or openly affect the pain of the target audience.

Just as Google's algorithm knows which keywords you type to get your page higher in search results, Facebook's algorithm knows when you use too many "you" or "your" words to directly call out viewers on the Internet. Although sometimes ads with the words "you" or "your" may pass, in most cases such ads can cause problems, so it is better not to use those words.

Just keep in mind that Facebook wants your ads to merge with your news feed and not differ much from the posts created by your friends.

Don’t panic, we will figure everything out. A good idea is to use stories, reviews, and personal experiences to ensure that your ads are not rejected. Delete as many "you" or "your" references from the text as possible. The ad that we gave as an example above can win if you rewrite it like this: "Dinner is ready! Fast food delivery for busy families."

It Becomes Too Personal

Facebook does not approve of touching upon someone’s personality. Here we mean direct or indirect mention of race, religion, age, etc. Facebook will block ads with the questions "do you practice Christianity?" or "Are you over 30?", as they indicate the personal characteristics of the target audience.

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Sensitive Content

Another example: "Tired of diets that do not give the promised result? Do you want to easily lose 20 kg, not counting calories?"

Oh, sensitive topics are strongly forbidden in 2022. Be careful with the health, weight loss, cosmetics, anti-aging products, dietary supplements - they all fall under the "sensitive topics" label and they are closely monitored by Facebook.

It is simple enough to avoid using pain points or "negative" words such as diet, weight loss, fat, depression, anxiety, stress, fear, shock, fright, etc.

The solution is pretty clear: use positive language instead of negative (this advice is applicable to any sphere of life). Focus on what you want people to feel after using the product. For example, instead of "Lose 10 kg this summer!" try "Feel easy, be in shape this summer. Join my free fitness class!»

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Earn Million in One Hour

It’s becoming hot —catch the next example: "Get $3000 within the next month! Join my free webinar to learn how to do this."

Facebook doesn't like offers to get rich quick and "earn", schemes, opportunities to work from home, and big —or even small — claims that may not be available to everyone. Facebook is addressing this issue in accordance with its policy.

Always check this out: if a message sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true.

Be very thoughtful using any words on the topic of earning money or working from home, because otherwise your ads may be banned or even lead to your account being blocked. The best way to avoid this is to use a description of your offer advantages in your ad.

So: "Earn a six-figure sum and work for yourself with this innovative technique" will turn into: "Learn the 5 most important habits that every successful entrepreneur needs to keep in mind." This text does not seem to be a scam and is likely to play well with the Facebook algorithm.

Cursing Words

Profanity is not a good idea over here. Even if it's just a word or two, Facebook won't skip it.

Family is really significant for the Facebook community. Therefore, this social media prevents cases when a child who is next to a parent may see a bad word in an ad. The use of sexual images, explicit topics, and intimacy is also prohibited.

Solution: try to make your ads in a way that you can safely show them to your child. People try to circumvent these rules and attract the attention of the audience by adding spiciness. But remember that Facebook can read between the lines, even if you use groups of characters "&% #% @% #% $ &", and such ads will quickly be blocked.

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Corona Words

Facebook does not want us to take advantage of the circ*mstances. But it is pretty messy because if we do not talk about Corona, we may be considered “insensitive” — seems like we do not care about what is happening in a marketplace. So, we need to notice an elephant in the room but in a way that makes Facebook happy.

The recipe here is the following: do not use the words “Pandemic, Corona, Coronavirus, infection, anxious, disease”. They are overused, so Facebook blocks ads with such content. Likewise, avoid the following phrases: “confirmed case, positive case, social distance”. It is ok to use them separately though.

How to speak about the biggest problem of recent years? Here are some substitutions for the words mentioned before: write “stuck at home” instead of “Corona”, “chaos” instead of “anxious”, “trying times” instead of “pandemic” and “well-being” instead of “health”. People will understand you anyway.

Do you manage to avoid Corona words?

47 votes

Yes — 66%No — 34%

Don’t Be Aggressive

If you use mostly capital letters and exclamation marks, you will definitely not be liked by Facebook. For example, the ad "STOP!!! DO not PASS BY, you DEFINITELY NEED to come HERE!!!”. It a priori implies aggression, and it seems as if you are shouting at the network users. Use capital letters only when they are really necessary, or to emphasize significant words. Try not to use exclamation marks, but if you need to emphasize the importance of your intentions, you can useemojis.

The Word “Facebook”

Here’s one word you should avoid, with ONE exception.

Youdon'twant Facebookto suggestanyrelationshiporcollaborationbetween them and yourcompany.

Copyright Infringement

Don'tusetext (orpicturesof course) thatviolatesa third party'sprivileges.

Whenyou see a great ad headline, landing page copy, etc., let it inspire yours. Don't swipethat over.

Tobacco, Drugs and Weapons

It comes without saying that advertising such products is prohibited on Facebook. So, it is better to avoid the words “cigarettes,vaporizers, guns, ammunition, explosives” etc.

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Forbidden Topics

Let’s now emphasize the general topics you should avoid in your ads if you are looking for eco-friendly content that will attract subscribers. They are not prohibited, but they are highly flammable —they are very likely to ignite a discussion:

  • Politics,
  • Religion,
  • Sex minorities,
  • Gender identification,
  • Conspiracy theories,
  • Feminism and body positivity.

Much depends on the content delivery and the overall orientation of the page. These topics are undesirable for the business and public accounts, whose purpose is the promotion of products or services. Here you need positively colored content that works to attract and retain subscribers. Humor is allowed, but cynicism should be avoided. Even if the post itself is not negative, it may appear in the comments, because people may have radically different views on the listed topics.

Toxic comments in business publics are not beneficial at all. People come here for the specific purpose of learning more about the product, not letting off steam. And the dirt in the comments can easily ruin a carefully constructed promotion strategy. Another thing is entertainment communities, where content on the verge of a foul works well for promotion.

Conclusion

If you are too lazy to remember all the rules on Facebook, remember the main principle: advertising must be ethical. If you think that your publication might offend, deceive, or mislead someone, then it probably won't work.In addition, It can be useful to use Facebook'sad Libraryfor inspiration from your competitors or similar industries that succeeded.

If you think that you did everything correctly and your ad was rejected by mistake, you can contact Facebook using the followingform.

Facebook Ads Banned Words — List in 2022 (2024)

FAQs

Facebook Ads Banned Words — List in 2022? ›

The rest of the top 10:
  • “That being said.”
  • “Asking for a friend.”
  • “Circle back.”
  • “Deep dive.”
  • “New normal.”
  • “You're on mute.”
  • “Supply chain.”
Jan 2, 2022

What words are banned in Facebook ads? ›

Facebook prohibits content that includes profanity, sexual innuendo, and discrimination. You will not be allowed to run any ads that contain this type of content, so keep it out of your copy and creative.

What words should you avoid on Facebook? ›

Remember: Avoid using pain points or "negative" words like diet, weight loss, fat, depression, anxiety, stress, fear, overwhelm, terrified, etc... The solution: Use positive language instead.

What are the new banned words? ›

Here are the list of the banished words and terms for 2022 and the reasons for their banishment:
  • Wait, what? ...
  • No worries. ...
  • At the end of the day. ...
  • That being said. ...
  • Asking for a friend. ...
  • Circle back. ...
  • Deep dive. ...
  • New normal.
Dec 31, 2021

Why do my Facebook ads keep getting rejected 2022? ›

If the display URL — the one you choose to display with your ad — doesn't go to the same website as the link your ad brings people to upon click, Facebook may reject the ad. This is to ensure that users get the experience they are expecting when they click on an ad.

What are Facebook's trigger words? ›

Typical examples are words like “Free”, “Like”, “Share”, “Buy”, “Sale” are obvious reach killers. Facebook dislikes brands trying to force reach (“Like” and “Share” being obvious examples). It also clamps down hard on what it sees as promotional content. So words like “Buy” and “Sale” are obvious indicators of that.

Can you say the F word on Facebook? ›

Generally, cursing and swearing is not against Facebook's Terms or Community Standards. If your business is directed at a mature audience, you're free to swear up a storm on your page, provided the cursing doesn't cross into bullying or hate speech.

Can I use the word you in Facebook ads? ›

In your Facebook ad copy, avoid using the words you and your too often. While those words work well in email marketing, the Facebook algorithm doesn't favor ads that are full of them.

What can you not do on Facebook ads? ›

Complete guide to The do's and don'ts of Facebook Ads
  1. Don't Be Deceptive. Do not set your ad as bait for the viewers. ...
  2. Don't Ignore Mobile Users. ...
  3. Don't Put Your Campaign On Auto-Pilot. ...
  4. Don't Overdose it with Text. ...
  5. Know your target audience. ...
  6. Include a clear call-to-action (CTA) ...
  7. Set the right budget. ...
  8. Proofread.
Mar 18, 2019

What gets you banned on Facebook? ›

Facebook will ban people or users if they're sharing spam, fake news, or pretending to be someone or a business that they're not. Facebook says it won't let users post content that doesn't belong to them, so if something is under copyright, you can't share it.

What words can't you say in 2021? ›

University releases top 10 'banished words' for 2021
  • COVID-19 (COVID, coronavirus, Rona) ...
  • Social distancing. ...
  • We're all in this together. ...
  • In an abundance of caution (various phrasings) ...
  • In these uncertain times (various phrasings) ...
  • Pivot. ...
  • Unprecedented. ...
  • Karen.
Jan 1, 2021

What words should you not say? ›

The 7 phrases you should never say to anyone
  • “Come here!” ...
  • “Because those are the rules.” ...
  • “Calm down!” ...
  • “I'm not going to say this again.” ...
  • “What do you want me to do about it?” ...
  • “What's your problem?” ...
  • “Why don't you be reasonable?”
Jul 31, 2020

What words are not allowed in school? ›

Here is the complete list of words:
  • Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological)
  • Alcohol (beer and liquor), tobacco, or drugs.
  • Birthday celebrations (and birthdays)
  • Bodily functions.
  • Cancer (and other diseases)
  • Catastrophes/disasters (tsunamis and hurricanes)
  • Celebrities.
  • Children dealing with serious issues.
Mar 28, 2012

Why did FB reject my ad? ›

One of the most common reasons for ads being rejected today is because the display URL doesn't match the domain that the ad is sending people to. The 'display URL' is the URL that is displayed at the bottom of the ad.

Why is Facebook not approving my ads? ›

It's not uncommon to see this message next to your Facebook Ads: Rejected. This typically means that you must edit something within your ad or change the target audience selections. After rectifying the situation, you can resubmit the advertisem*nt, which usually doesn't take more than a few minutes for approval.

Why is my ad disapproved Facebook? ›

One of the biggest reasons Facebook ads get disapproved is because of personal attributes. Facebook doesn't like you to call out specific attributes of the viewer in your ad.

Can you use the word love on Facebook ads? ›

Users can connect emoji to specific words and phrases

For instance, if a user creates a word effect for the phrase, “I love you,” and pairs this phrase with the heart eyes emoji, anytime this phrase is used in the conversation, the heart eyes emoji will appear from the bottom of the screen.

What gets you banned on Facebook? ›

Facebook will ban people or users if they're sharing spam, fake news, or pretending to be someone or a business that they're not. Facebook says it won't let users post content that doesn't belong to them, so if something is under copyright, you can't share it.

What will put you in Facebook jail? ›

Facebook Jail is when Facebook punish an account (profile or business page) -it could be that it blocks some features or disable the full account- because it breaks Facebook laws (post inappropriate content, post too fast, give too many likes, etc.).

Can you cuss in an ad? ›

It's against federal law to use obscene, indecent or profane language in a broadcast.

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