A restriction stops every ad at once, usually with an email that explains very little. The instinct is to hit Request review straight away. Don't, yet. Meta allows a limited number of reviews, and once one is done the decision is final. Ten minutes finding out what's restricted and why makes the review you do request far more likely to succeed.
- Open Business Support Home, then Account status overview, and find which account is restricted: the business portfolio, the ad account, the Page or your own profile.
- A failed payment, an identity check or a missing security step each have their own fix. They don't need a review.
- For policy restrictions, fix or remove the ads and pages that broke the rules first, then request a review.
- Reviews typically take 48 hours. Reinstated ads don't restart on their own.
- Don't open new accounts to get around it. Meta treats that as evading enforcement.
First, find what's restricted
Meta can restrict four different things: your business portfolio, ad account, Page or user account. Each needs a different fix, and an admin on the restricted account has to do it. Open Meta Business Support Home on a computer, choose Account status overview in the left menu, and click the restricted account. The "What you can do" section tells you which path Meta wants you to take.
What each restriction asks for
| Cause | What to do | What Meta asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Failed payment | Fix the card or pay the balance. The account comes back once it's paid | Payment of the amount due |
| Unusual activity | Email, phone, a photo ID or your payment method, in the on-screen steps | Confirmation of your identity |
| Security requirement | Turn on two-factor authentication for every admin | Two-factor authentication or a verification |
| Policy violations | Fix the cause first, then request a review | A review request, if you think it's wrong |
Sources: Meta Business Help Center articles on disabled or restricted accounts, payment failures and requesting a review, read October 2026.
A failed payment is the most common and the easiest. Meta says that when a payment fails, your ads are paused and your ad account is disabled until you pay the amount due. Identity checks are next: Meta may ask for the email address on the account, your phone for a text, a photo of your ID or the payment method, and many accounts are reinstated as soon as that's done. If you're on a business portfolio that's over 90 days old, Meta may also require two-factor authentication and restrict access until it's on.
Before you click Request review
Policy restrictions come from ads Meta decided broke its Advertising Standards. Meta says you can be restricted from advertising for severe or repeated ad violations, so the account's history matters, not just the last ad. Use the time before the review to remove the reasons.
- Read every rejection. Rejected ads list the reason in Business Support Home. Look for a pattern: the same claim, the same image, the same landing page.
- Fix the ads and the pages. Meta reviews the image, video, text, targeting and landing page. An ad that promises one thing and a page that says another is a common cause.
- Don't delete rejected ads. Meta says deleting a rejected ad means you may lose your ability to request another review of it. Editing or deleting doesn't remove the violation either.
- Write down what you changed. If the review form asks, a short, factual note beats an angry one.
Requesting the review, step by step
Open Business Support Home
On a computer, choose Account status overview in the left menu. You need to be an admin on the account to request a review.
Select the restricted account
Pick the asset that's restricted: portfolio, ad account, Page or profile.
Choose Request review
In the "What you can do" section, select Request review and complete the on-screen steps.
Wait for the decision
Meta says the review is typically completed in 48 hours, although it may take longer in some cases. If the restriction stays, the account remains blocked. If it's lifted, the account is reinstated.
Turn your ads back on
Ads that were running before the restriction will not be automatically restarted. Switch them on in Ads Manager, and check budgets and end dates while you're there.
What not to do
- Opening a new ad account or business portfolio to keep advertising. Meta's Advertising Standards say advertisers cannot use inauthentic assets, including business manager accounts, to evade enforcement.
- Requesting a review before you've fixed anything. The number of reviews is limited and the decision is final.
- Asking someone else to run ads for you from their account while yours is restricted. It's the same problem with someone else's name on it.
- Leaving a prepaid balance in an account that stays disabled. Meta says unused prepaid funds may be forfeited after 6 months where the law allows.
Stop it happening again
- Two-factor authentication for every admin. It's required for many portfolios anyway, and it stops the takeovers that trigger security restrictions.
- At least two admins on the ad account, the Page and the portfolio. One lost login shouldn't lock the business out.
- A payment method that won't fail. Plus an account spending limit so a mistake can't run away with the budget.
- The right ad category. Ads about financial products or services, employment, housing, or social issues, elections or politics must be marked as a Special Ad Category.
- Rejections dealt with the same week. Repeated violations are what turn a rejected ad into a restricted account.
If an agency set up your account, check who owns it now: how to switch agency without losing your data shows how. The Facebook ads audit checklist and the weekly health check catch most of the warning signs early. Clean account setup, two-factor authentication and compliant ads are part of our Facebook ads management.
Questions people ask
Why was my Facebook ad account restricted?
The usual reasons are a failed payment, activity Meta thinks could mean someone else is in the account, a missing security step such as two-factor authentication, or ads that broke Meta's Advertising Standards severely or repeatedly. Business Support Home shows which account is restricted and what Meta wants you to do.
How long does a Facebook ad account review take?
Meta says a review of an advertising restriction is typically completed in 48 hours, although it may take longer in some cases. You'll hear the decision by email and in Business Support Home.
How many times can I request a review?
A limited number, and once a review is completed the decision is final. That's why it pays to fix the cause and read the reason before you click Request review.
Can I just open a new ad account?
Not to get around a restriction. Meta's Advertising Standards say advertisers cannot use inauthentic assets, including business manager accounts, to evade enforcement. Resolve the restriction on the account you have.
Will my ads restart once the account is reinstated?
No. Meta says ads running before the restriction won't restart automatically. Turn them back on in Ads Manager, and check budgets and schedules while you're there.
What happens to money I prepaid?
If an ad account is disabled for a policy violation and stays ineligible for reinstatement for 6 months, Meta says any unused prepaid funds may be forfeited where the law allows.
When is it worth getting help?
Before you request a review, if you can't tell which ads or pages caused the problem, and after reinstatement, to rebuild campaigns that won't trip the same rule. We can't overturn Meta's decisions, and we're not the right fit if your product is one Meta doesn't allow to be advertised.
Account restricted and not sure what caused it? Book a strategy call and we'll go through the rejections, ads and landing pages with you before you request a review.
