Every TikTok ad is reviewed before it runs. Most are approved without fuss, but rejections are common enough to disrupt launches, and repeated violations can restrict or suspend an ad account. Understanding TikTok's advertising policies saves time, protects your account and keeps campaigns on schedule.
This guide explains how ad review works, which categories are restricted, the usual reasons ads get rejected and what to do when they do. TikTok's policies change and differ by market, so always confirm details in TikTok's official advertising policies for the regions you target.
How Ad Review Works
When you submit an ad, TikTok reviews it using a combination of automated systems and human reviewers. Review covers the video, audio, on-screen text, ad text, display name, profile image, landing page and the product or service itself. Most reviews complete within a day, often faster, though new accounts and sensitive categories can take longer.
Ads can also be reviewed again after they start running, for example if users report them or policies change. An approved ad is not permanently safe.
Prohibited Products and Services
Some things cannot be advertised on TikTok at all. Lists vary by market, but commonly prohibited categories include:
- Illegal products and services, and illegal drugs.
- Tobacco, e-cigarettes and vaping products.
- Weapons, ammunition and explosives.
- Adult content and sexual services.
- Counterfeit goods and products that infringe intellectual property.
- Certain financial products, such as some high-risk or speculative offerings, depending on market.
- Political and issue advertising, which TikTok generally does not allow.
- Products that make dangerous health claims or are unsafe.
Restricted Categories
Other categories are allowed only with restrictions, such as age targeting, market limits, pre-approval or licences. Commonly restricted areas include:
- Alcohol, where permitted by local law, with age and market restrictions.
- Financial services, such as loans, credit and investments, often with licensing and disclosure requirements.
- Health and pharmaceutical products, supplements and weight management, with limits on claims and targeting.
- Gambling and lotteries, where permitted, usually with pre-approval.
- Dating services.
- Cosmetic procedures.
- Education and employment, with rules against misleading promises.
If your business is in a restricted category, check requirements before producing creative. For TikTok Shop sellers, our guide to prohibited and restricted products covers the shop-specific rules.
Category Notes for Common Industries
Beauty and skincare
Avoid medical claims such as curing conditions, be careful with before and after imagery and make sure results shown are realistic and typical.
Supplements and wellness
Avoid disease claims, weight loss promises with timeframes and targeting minors. Check market-specific restrictions. Our TikTok Shop guide to selling supplements safely covers claims in more detail.
Finance and investing
Expect licensing checks, required disclosures and restrictions on promising returns. Some products are prohibited outright in certain markets.
Apps and games
Show real gameplay and features. Misleading gameplay that does not reflect the app is a frequent rejection reason.
E-commerce
Keep prices, discounts and shipping claims consistent between ad and landing page, and make sure the website includes clear contact details, return policies and terms.
Building a Compliance Process
For brands running many ads, a lightweight process prevents most problems:
- Keep a list of approved claims and the evidence behind each.
- Keep a list of banned words and claims for your category.
- Review every script against both lists before filming, not just after editing.
- Have one person check every ad and landing page before submission.
- Track rejections and their reasons in a shared log so the whole team learns from them.
This takes a few minutes per ad and saves days of delays.
Staying Up to Date
TikTok updates its advertising policies regularly, sometimes with little notice, and rules differ between markets. Assign someone to check the policy pages for your markets every quarter, and before any major campaign in a restricted category. When a policy changes, review active ads against the new rules rather than waiting for them to be flagged.
Ads Run by Creators and Partners
When creators, affiliates or agencies run ads that promote your product, the content still reflects on your brand. Share your approved claims and banned words with them, and ask to review ads before they launch. Problems caused by partners can still lead to complaints, rejections and reputational damage for you.
Include these requirements in partner agreements, so expectations are clear before any content is made. It is far easier to agree rules at the start than to ask partners to remove live ads later.
Common Reasons for Rejection
Misleading or exaggerated claims
"Lose 10 kg in a week", "guaranteed results" or "cures acne overnight" are classic rejection triggers. Claims must be accurate and substantiated.
Before and after imagery
Often restricted for weight loss, health and some cosmetic categories, because it can promote unrealistic expectations or negative body image.
Landing page problems
Broken links, slow pages, pages that do not match the ad, missing contact details or privacy policies, and pages that redirect unexpectedly all cause rejections.
Low-quality or unclear ads
Blurry video, poor audio, missing sound, unreadable text or ads that do not make clear what is being promoted.
Language mismatch
Ad text, audio or landing pages in a language that does not match the targeted market.
Prices and offers
Prices or discounts in the ad that do not match the landing page.
Intellectual property
Using music, characters, logos or footage without rights. Use cleared music, such as TikTok's Commercial Music Library. Our guide to music and sounds covers this.
Sensational or shocking content
Graphic, violent or fear-based content, and clickbait such as fake system notifications or buttons.
Personal attributes
Copy that implies knowledge of the viewer's personal characteristics, such as health conditions or financial situation, in a way that singles them out.
Fixing and Appealing Rejections
- Read the rejection reason in Ads Manager carefully. It usually points to the specific policy.
- Fix the specific issue in the video, text or landing page.
- Resubmit the edited ad, or create a new one.
- Appeal if you believe the rejection was a mistake. Explain clearly why the ad complies, referencing the relevant policy.
Repeatedly resubmitting the same violating ad unchanged is risky. It adds to your account's violation history.
Protecting Your Ad Account
Ad accounts accumulate a history. Frequent violations, especially serious ones, can lead to restrictions or suspension. To protect your account:
- Review ads against policies before submitting, especially in restricted categories.
- Keep landing pages fast, accurate and consistent with ads.
- Do not attempt to bypass review, for example by showing reviewers different pages from users. This is treated as a serious violation.
- Pay invoices on time and keep billing details accurate.
- Use a brand-owned Business Center with proper verification. See our guide to Business Center setup.
- Limit who can create and submit ads, and brief agencies on your policies.
If an account is suspended, follow the appeal process in Ads Manager or through your TikTok account representative, and provide clear evidence of compliance.
Creator Content and Disclosure
When you run creator content as ads, the ad must still comply with advertising policies, and creators' organic posts must follow disclosure rules. Our influencer series explains disclosure rules.
AI-Generated Content
TikTok requires disclosure of realistic AI-generated content and prohibits misleading uses, such as fake endorsements or impersonation of real people. If you use AI avatars, voice cloning or generated imagery in ads, follow TikTok's labelling rules. Our guide to creative tools covers TikTok's own AI tools.
Pre-Submission Checklist
- Is the product or service allowed in every targeted market?
- Are age and location restrictions applied where required?
- Are all claims accurate and backed by evidence?
- Does the landing page load quickly, work on mobile and match the ad?
- Do prices and offers match the landing page?
- Is all music, footage and imagery licensed?
- Is the language consistent with the target market?
- Is any AI-generated content labelled appropriately?
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does TikTok ad review take?
Most ads are reviewed within a day, often much faster. New accounts, restricted categories and busy periods can take longer, so submit ads ahead of launch dates.
Why was my TikTok ad rejected?
Common reasons include misleading claims, landing page problems, mismatched prices, unlicensed music, low-quality video, language mismatches and restricted products. The rejection notice in Ads Manager indicates the policy involved.
Can I appeal a rejected TikTok ad?
Yes. If you believe the rejection was a mistake, you can appeal through Ads Manager, explaining why the ad complies. If the ad does violate policy, fix and resubmit it instead.
Can TikTok suspend my ad account?
Yes, for serious or repeated violations, attempts to bypass review, payment problems or suspicious activity. Follow the appeal process and fix underlying issues if this happens.
Can I advertise supplements on TikTok?
Often yes, but with restrictions on claims, targeting and imagery that vary by market. Avoid medical claims and unrealistic results, and check TikTok's current policies for your markets.
Do TikTok policies differ by country?
Yes. Many categories are allowed in some markets and restricted or prohibited in others. Always check the policies for every market you target.
Can my landing page cause an ad rejection?
Yes. Broken, slow or misleading landing pages, mismatched prices and missing policies or contact details are common rejection reasons.
Are before and after images allowed in TikTok ads?
They are restricted in some categories, especially weight loss and certain health and cosmetic products. Check the rules for your category before using them.