Facebook Ad Rejected: Health Claims, Before and After Images and How to Fix Them
Quick fix
Facebook ad rejected: health claims, before and after images and similar content break Meta's Health and Wellness rules. Remove pinched-fat close-ups, put-downs about appearance, cure claims for incurable diseases and timed promises without qualifiers. Target people 18 or older. With that targeting, general cosmetic ads may show before and after transformations.
- Set the audience to 18 or older for diet, weight and cosmetic ads.
- Remove pinched-fat close-ups and negative comments about appearance.
- Remove claims to cure incurable diseases.
- Qualify any result-within-a-timeframe promise.
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What this error means
Meta restricts diet, weight and cosmetic ads to adults and bans certain claims outright. It doesn't allow ads that try to make people feel bad about themselves to sell health products. Before-and-after images aren't banned in themselves: general cosmetic ads can use them when they target people 18 or older.
Meta's policy requires dietary, health and weight loss or weight gain ads to be targeted to people at least 18 years or older, and bans certain claims.
Why it happens
1Targeting includes people under 18
Diet, weight and cosmetic ads must be targeted to people 18 or older.
How to tell if this is you: The ad set age range starts below 18.
2Banned imagery
Weight ads cannot show a close-up of pinched fat, and no ad may attack someone's appearance.
How to tell if this is you: The creative zooms in on a body part or uses negative words about how people look.
3Banned claims
Claims to cure incurable diseases, results from wearables alone, and timed outcome promises without qualifiers are not allowed.
How to tell if this is you: The copy says "cure", "lose X in Y days" or credits a wearable alone.
How to fix it
Fix targeting
For: Targeting includes people under 18
- Set the minimum age in the ad set to 18 or older.
Fix the creative and copy
For: Banned imagery, Banned claims
- Replace pinched-fat close-ups and any negative statements about appearance.
- Remove cure claims for the listed incurable diseases. Claims about managing symptoms are allowed.
- Add qualifiers to any promised result within a set timeframe.
- Edit the ad. It is resubmitted automatically.
How to appeal or request a review
Request another review only if you believe the ad was incorrectly rejected. If the rejection is overturned it does not count as an ad violation.
- Go to Business Support Home.
- Select the account or catalog with the rejected ads.
- Select the ads, ad sets or campaigns you believe were incorrectly rejected.
- Click
Request reviewand selectSubmit.
What not to do
- Don't delete the rejected ad first: you may lose the ability to request another review.
- A second rejection is final for that ad. You will not be able to request another review of it.
How long it takes
Meta aims to review and give a decision on a review request within 48 hours.
How to stop it happening again
- Default diet, weight and cosmetic campaigns to 18 or older.
- Sell the benefit, not insecurity: Meta prohibits content that generates negative self-perception.
From my desk
The image and headline go first, because before and after comparisons and implied body results are what usually get flagged. I remove the comparison, drop any promise about outcomes, and talk about the product or service instead. Then I check the landing page is not making the same claims.
Muhammed Abdul Kalam
When to get help
- You've edited the ad and requested a review and it is still rejected, and you can't see what triggers it.
- Several ads in the account are being rejected and you are worried about an advertising restriction.
- The product or service sits in a regulated category and you are not sure what Meta allows.
Stuck on this? Send me the details.Tell me what the platform shows and what you've tried so far.
Send me the detailsFAQs
Are before-and-after photos allowed in Facebook ads?
For general cosmetic products, procedures or surgeries, yes, when the ad targets people 18 or older. Weight loss ads still cannot show close-ups of pinched fat.
Can I say my product helps with diabetes?
You can't claim to cure, heal or eliminate diabetes or the other listed incurable diseases. Claims about treating or managing symptoms aren't covered by that ban.
Can I show how long results take?
Dietary weight loss or gain ads targeting 18+ can clearly indicate the time taken to see results, but promises of specific outcomes in a set timeframe need disclaimers or qualifiers.
Do gyms need 18+ targeting?
No. The age rules don't apply to general wellbeing products such as fitness services, equipment and health clubs.
Why was my wearable fitness product rejected?
Weight loss or gain ads can't claim a wearable product alone will deliver the results.