How to recover suspended Google Ads account
Suspension of your Google Ads account out of the blue is, to say the least, a jarring experience. Especially if one day everything is functioning perfectly, and the next day you receive an email stating that you can no longer advertise your business.
We’ve received frantic emails from advertisers who have no idea which policy they violated or how, yet their accounts have been suspended. The suspensions of Google ads are not limited to small businesses; even multinational corporations spending millions of dollars per month can have their accounts suspended.
You may have already attempted to remedy the issue with Google’s support team without success. Don’t worry, however. We have dealt with numerous cases similar to yours, and we will assist you in resolving the suspended Google Ads account issue so that you can resume generating ad revenue.
What happens when your Google Ads account is suspended?
When Google suspends your Ads account, all of your advertisements will cease. This means that every campaign, ad group, and advertisement ceases to run. They are no longer displayed anywhere on the Google network and no longer direct potential customers to your landing page, website, or app. The suspension halts all advertisements, regardless of whether they violated the policy. Furthermore, merchant accounts are suspended.
Despite this suspension frenzy, your organic traffic is unaffected. Advertisers have a tendency to fret, fearing that they will also lose visitors. We wish to assuage this concern; organic traffic will not be impacted unless your website contains malware.
Google suspends Adwords accounts if malicious content is detected on a website. In the following sections, we will go into greater depth, but suffice it to say that this is not a minor issue. We do have a solution, so we can help you resolve the issue before it worsens.
So, the current status quo is that your advertisements are not functioning, and you may or may not know which policy you have unintentionally violated. We will walk you through the process of reactivating your Ads account, concentrating specifically on your website.
In our experience, malware is the leading cause of suspended Ads accounts. This article will focus on eradicating malware from your website, as it is unquestionably the most important.
Why has Google suspended my account?
Google suspended your Ads account because one of their policies was violated by your ads (or landing pages, website, or app). If you are aware of which policy you violated, you are headed in the correct direction. However, if, like the vast majority of people, your suspension came as a surprise, we will discuss Google’s policies.
Learn about Google Ads policies
There are five main categories of policies that govern the suspensions of Google ads.
Our conclusion after perusing all that legalese is that violations are not necessarily your fault. Even if it wasn’t your error, hosting malware on your website is prohibited. Google holds you accountable because your website is considered your property. Keeping it secure for their users is now your responsibility; otherwise, you cannot use their advertisements to drive traffic to your site.
A word of caution: our explanations are not exhaustive; they are merely illustrative. Google’s policy documents are also indicative, so the fact that something is not listed in the policy does not indicate that it can be promoted via Google Ads.
However, you previously ran identical advertisements, and Google did not suspend your account.
Google has no obligation to be consistent. As a company with a large number of employees, each policy can be interpreted differently by various individuals. Additionally, the AI that scans the advertisements is not flawless; it is artificial intelligence, after all. It is still a student. Finally, there is a method to report ads, so it is possible that a user flagged your ad as inappropriate and reported it to Google.
Frankly, this line of thought is not worth pursuing. You are understandably upset, but you must now concentrate on your Google Ads account suspension. You must lift the suspension as quickly as possible.
Determine what went wrong
To get your account back on track, you must determine what went awry. Once you have this comprehension, you can proceed to devise a solution. Here are the most common causes for a Google Ads account suspension:
1. Your site has been compromised.
Your advertisements, website, landing page, or application contain malware, inadmissible content, deceptive content, or redirects, which are detrimental to visitors. Most website proprietors are unaware that their sites contain malware. However, their AdWords account has been suspended.
2. Misrepresentation
If your website displays one version of content to Google and a different version to website visitors, you are engaging in a deceptive practice known as cloaking.
If your content is about sensitive topics, such as social issues, politics, or other matters of public concern, you must explicitly state your identity and affiliation to avoid deceptive practices. Similarly, directing users to a different location after advertising one destination is a violation of policy. Lastly, anything that even remotely resembles a bait-and-switch scheme can be considered deceptive.
Infringement on a trademark: This one is a little difficult. It can indicate that you are employing a trademark or logo that is identical to another. If the product you are selling appears to be an exact copy of another, Google will suspect you of engaging in counterfeiting. Also, if you are an authorized reseller, you must register separately to Google to have your ads displayed.
3. Google Ads detected prohibited conduct
As drugs are highly regulated substances, your account may be suspended if you sell prescription drugs without a prescription or target pharmacies without a license to sell those drugs. Discover a list of countries in which Google permits online pharmacies to operate.
Your advertisements are not in compliance with local regulations. For instance, paternity tests cannot be advertised in the United Kingdom. In this case, it is necessary to investigate where your advertisements can be legally displayed.
Other unacceptable business practices include displaying advertisements to attract users, then deceiving them into divulging medical, financial, or personal information, or misrepresenting your business, products, or services.
4. Your payment is due or there are other invoicing concerns
Unpaid balance: If even a single payment attempt fails, your account will be suspended.
Abuse of the promotional code: If you accidentally used Google Ads promotion codes more than once or sold them to a third party, you have violated the terms of service.
If you had asked your bank to reverse payment, your account will be frozen.
Google may flag your account if it detects suspicious payment activity and believes that your credit card was misappropriated. They also view the use of the same billing information for multiple accounts as questionable.
Egregious transgressions of Google Ads policy
There are two categories of Google Ads policy violations: simple and egregious. The former can restore your suspended account, but not the latter. Google will not risk exposing their users to the same advertiser again if he or she has committed egregious violations considered so dangerous and/or unlawful.
There are individuals who claim they can help you get through this permanent suspension. We lack evidence to this effect, so we will refrain from commenting on the plausibility of overturning a permanent suspension. However, we advise extreme caution.
If you’ve adhered to the content policies and are certain that your ads are spotless, then, in our experience, malware on your website could be the issue. This will be the focus of the following article.
What NOT to do if your Google Ads account is suspended
Before we even begin the process of correction and rehabilitation, this is a public service announcement about what not to do. We recognize that you are anxious and panicked, and if you’re responsible for paid user acquisition, you’re likely under a great deal of pressure as well.
Please believe us when we say that performing any of the following actions will hinder the recovery process. And by impede, we mean that it could be permanently suspended.
These are the most common errors advertisers make when appealing the suspension of their Google Ads account:
- Appealing without even attempting to determine what went awry. In an effort to immediately rectify the circumstance, the initial inclination is to immediately initiate the appeals procedure. It will not be instantaneous if you do that.
- Do not presume you are not in violation of policies.
- Absolutely avoid creating a second account. This will result in a permanent prohibition.
- This will also end poorly for you if you engage in a confrontation with Google. Always be professional in your interactions with them. Keep in mind that it is their platform, and as such they call the orders.
- Do not submit multiple appeals. This implies that you should submit your single appeal only after careful consideration.
- If your Google Ads account has been permanently suspended, you are out of options. Please refrain from doing any of this.
How to resolve Google Ads account suspension?
Let’s discuss the AdWords account suspension solutions and measures necessary to reinstate your account. Overall, the strategy entails being amenable to change what needs to be altered and proceeding cautiously and professionally. We will guide you through the main steps and assist you in resolving the most serious and prevalent problem we’ve encountered: malware on your website.
FIRST STEP: Examine the infraction closely
Even though we’ve provided a list of potential policy violations, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly where things have gone awry. The first step is to examine the email Google sent for hints.
The email notification may contain an indication of which policy was violated, which is a useful place to start. If the communication does not explicitly state what went wrong, they may provide a link to the violated policy. That reduces the number of viable options considerably.
The most frequent email we have encountered is for malicious or deceptive website content, which is also the worst-case scenario. If your WordPress website has been compromised, your Google Ads account suspension is only the top of the iceberg. Your website is currently operational, so you have access to it. On the other hand, if Google Safe Browsing detects malware on your website, you will be placed on a blacklist. Therefore, it is imperative that you address a compromised website immediately.
STEP 2: Evaluate what needs to be modified
After scanning your website, you have taken the first step toward resolving the most problematic issue. Next, compare the information in your Google Ads account with the information on your website. Check the shipping costs, the about us page, the terms and conditions, and any other pages with identification or pricing information. This information should be identical to what is contained in your Google Ads account.
Has it been modified on the website but not in the Ads account recently? This is an honest error, but it may be the reason for the suspension. Google considers these inconsistencies to be a misrepresentation.
STEP 3: Remediate all policy infractions
Once you have information about what needs to be altered, you proceed to make the necessary adjustments. We have included guidelines on how to resolve content-related issues below, but we must first address the malware issues.
As previously stated, malware is the most severe and alarming policy violation, and it is not even your responsibility. You have limited control over hacks, but you can take measures to prevent them. This is the only policy violation that can be remedied with a single click.
1. Eliminate malware from your site.
Installing MalCare and utilizing its auto-clean feature is the simplest, quickest, and most effective method for removing malware from a website. If you scanned your website with MalCare in the previous stage, you only need to upgrade and clean. Within minutes, your site will be rid of malware.
After cleaning your website, you must clear your WordPress and browser caches. Caches are used to retain older versions of a website so that visitors can access it more quickly. Therefore, the malware may still be present in cached versions. Thus, it is preferable to eliminate them entirely.
If malware pages have been on your website for more than a few days, Google has undoubtedly indexed them. You can verify this by using Google’s site search operator and examining the results. The optimal solution is to regenerate the sitemap and submit it to Google again.
2. Correct the content errors
We cannot advise you on how to correct misrepresentation or address editorial and technical requirements for the most part. We can provide direction in the correct direction.
Google Ads policies are susceptible to interpretation; therefore, you should read them thoroughly. If you need assistance comprehending them, consult an expert. Try asking in forums and groups, particularly those with enterprises similar to your own. There is a high likelihood that someone has encountered the same situation before.
You can also post questions on Reddit groups such as AdWords and PPC, as well as Facebook groups such as Google Ads, Google Adwords (PPC), and Google Ads Expert. You can also search Quora. If all else fails, Twitter the Google Search Liaison. These organizations are teeming with engaged and active members. You will eventually discover an answer.
3. Resolving payment problems
If you have unpaid fees for an advertisement, you must settle them. No one enjoys not getting paid. Not even Google. Check with your bank to ensure that no suspicious transactions have been made using your account. Check to see if your previous payment method is no longer valid. If it already exists, add a new method.
Once you have resolved the issues, you must inform Google that your account can be reactivated.
How to submit a successful Google Ads suspension appeal?
You have remedied the policy violations, so the final step in the recovery process is to request a Google review. This is a link to the evaluation form. However, before you complete it, please consider the remainder of this section carefully.
This situation can be understandably nerve-wracking. Many of the Ads account users we’ve assisted relied heavily on these advertisements to generate income for their enterprises. Therefore, we have compiled a few guidelines to assist you in sending the most effective review request feasible.
Tips for composing a successful review request
- It is important to observe that there may be more than one reason for the suspension of your Google AdWords account. Each reason must be addressed separately.
- Be extremely cautious with the information you provide. Your errors will be perceived as false information. Consider the form a one-time opportunity to recover your Ads account.
There is a ‘Summary of the Issue’ option at the conclusion of the form. In this section, you must not only describe the issue but also the actions you took to resolve it. - It is possible to attach a file to the form. This is a great opportunity to provide additional pertinent information. For example, if your website contained malware and you removed it, you should send Google a report of the cleansed files.
Additional procedures if you remediated a hacked website.
In addition to the review request, there are a few additional steps you must take to ensure the success of your request.
Your website was compromised in the past, but a malware has since been removed. However, the cached versions of the documents still contain the malware. These cached pages continue to be delivered to users, including Google. Google and all site visitors will be served the updated version of your website once you clear the cache. As part of the post-cleanup protocol, we require that all caches be cleared.
Submit the new sitemap as well. If your website contained spam pages, there is a good possibility that Google has already indexed them. To rectify this information, a new sitemap can be generated. The sitemap aids Google in understanding which pages and files are essential to your website, and it also contains critical metadata about each page.
You can upload the new sitemap to the robots.txt file, or you can submit it to Google using Google Search Console.
Request a reindexing: Google indexes your site at regular intervals. Consequently, it is possible that Google has not reindexed your site since you removed the malware and still considers it to contain malware. You can request that Google reindex your site via the Search Console. In essence, you are requesting that Google recrawl your website so that it does not crawl a prior version.
After submitting a request for review, you must remember to be patient. Sending a barrage of requests or submitting support queries will only exacerbate your situation. Google manually reviews each request, so be patient while they process yours. It will benefit you greatly.
How can future account suspensions be avoided?
It is essential to monitor your ads and prevent account suspensions. If your account is suspended too frequently, you will eventually be permanently banned.
Malware is the leading cause of suspensions by Google. To prevent intrusions on your website, you must install a security plugin with a firewall. The threat landscape is constantly changing, making it extremely difficult to manually keep up with malware. A WP security plugin will help keep your website free of deceptive content and spam, so you won’t have to repeat this process.
Google suspends accounts infrequently for reasons other than malware or prohibited behavior. If you observe ads being rejected, you must take proactive measures to correct them. Typically, there is a breadcrumb trace to follow. Despite the fact that you have not been careless, it is simple to overlook these details during a hectic workday.
What to do if your request for a review is denied?
In reality, it is possible that your request will be denied. It is Google’s platform, and they have discretion over what they permit on it.
We sincerely hope it will not come to this. This article contains all the information we have to assure the success of your review request. If you have followed these steps and your request has still been denied, you have one more option: contact the Google Ads team.
A word of caution: you must rectify the policy violations prior to submitting the review request, so avoid contacting them first. It is always preferable to follow the process rather than choose the catastrophic option at the outset. What if the Google Ads team rejects your application? There is no way to return from there.
Why do Google Ads accounts get suspended?
Google is devoted to providing its users with the best potential experience. This policy exists in numerous variants, but for the purposes of this article, we will examine the Google Ads-specific version.
They want to ensure that Google Ads only serves legitimate and non-offensive advertisements to users.
Sadly, not everyone automatically adheres to these principles. For this reason, Google has established advertising policies.
Conclusion
The suspension of your Google Ads account is a frustrating and often worrisome experience, given that it likely directly affects your revenue. As a summary of the article’s key points, here are the steps you must take to stay ahead:
- Be extremely cautious when creating advertisements. Ensure you are not in violation of any of the policies. Google modifies its policies, so you must remain up-to-date. Visit Google’s change logs on a regular basis.
- When in doubt, inquire. There are numerous Google Ads communities where you can get your questions answered.
- If your ads or websites are rejected, solve the problem and avoid making the same error again.
- We trust that this article helps you through the suspension of your Google Ads account. Please contact us if you have any queries or feedback. We are always eager to assist!
FAQs
My competitors are engaging in the same activity as I am, and their advertisements remain active. Why?
There are two possible explanations for this: either Google has not yet detected the policy violations, but will eventually, or your advertisements violate multiple policies. Perhaps you believe that you and your competitors are performing identical actions, but this is not necessarily the case.
In the event of a Google ads suspension, it is always best to disregard what other advertisers are doing. Google will not reward you for pointing out that other advertisers have also violated the policy, nor will they relieve your suspension as a result. The optimal course of action is to prioritize restoring account access.
Will the suspension of my Google Adwords account harm my organic rankings?
No, the suspension of your Google Adwords account has nothing to do with your organic search rankings. Thus, you will observe a decline in traffic that was generated by advertisements, but not organic traffic.
However, there is one circumstance in which account suspension is only the beginning of the problems. If you have malware on your website, you will soon face a multitude of issues, if you haven’t already. The suspension of your Google Ads account will be the least of your concerns.
What does suspension of a Google Ads account entail?
A Google Ads account suspension indicates that Google has momentarily disabled your ads. They have discovered that you have violated some of their policies, and they want you to rectify the situation before they can reinstate your account.
Why did Google Ads deactivate my account?
Your Google Adwords account has been suspended due to violations of Google’s policies. Overdue payments, malware on your website or app, and unauthorized access to your Ads account are typical reasons for Google Ads suspensions. There are numerous additional reasons, and it is possible that your account was suspended for multiple policy violations.
Google Ads detected malware on my website, but I do not see it.
Because hackers are cautious, Google Ads detected malicious software on your website, but you cannot find any traces of it. They wish to continue using your website’s resources indefinitely. Therefore, they guarantee the website’s normal appearance. If you implement a reliable security plugin, you can eliminate the malware and safeguard your website against future intrusions.
My Google Adwords account was suspended; how do I reactivate it?
To reactivate a suspended Google Adwords account, you must first determine the reason for the suspension and then correct it. In the final stage, you must inform Google of the actions you’ve taken.
How do I request that Google reinstate my account?
To request that Google reinstate your account, you must submit a review request form. The review request should include information about the policy violations, how they were resolved, and, for additional credit, how you intend to prevent a recurrence.
