# What is an ad account restriction?

> A restricted Meta ad account has lost some or all ability to advertise. Why it happens, what the restriction means and how an admin can request a review.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-04
- **Category**: Meta
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-glossary/ad-account-restricted

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An ad account restriction means Meta has limited your ability to advertise. If you think it is a mistake, an admin can request a review in Meta Business Support Home. Meta says a review typically takes 48 hours, though it can take longer (checked 2026-10-20).

## What a restriction can look like

Meta lists these limits:

- A cap on how much you can spend per day, or a lower payment threshold
- Loss of some payment features
- Loss of some advertising features
- Loss of the ability to advertise at all

It can apply to your business portfolio, ad account, Page or personal profile.

## Why it happens

[Meta](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/975570072950669) says it may restrict when (checked 2026-10-20):

- An advertiser does not follow its Advertising Standards or other policies and terms.
- It suspects the business portfolio or its assets were compromised or hacked.
- It sees unusual payment or account activity, or high rates of failed or disputed payments.

## How to request a review

You must be an admin on the account.

1. Open Business Support Home and choose **Account status overview**.
2. Select the restricted account.
3. In **What you can do**, click **Request review**.
4. Follow the on-screen steps.

If Meta lifts the restriction, ads that were running do not restart on their own. You turn them back on in Ads Manager. The number of reviews is limited, and a finished review is final.

If an ad account is disabled for a policy violation and cannot be reinstated for six months, unused prepaid services may be forfeited where the law allows.

## A worked example

Say your ads stop on Monday morning. Business Support Home shows the account as restricted and asks you to confirm your identity and secure it. You do both, then request a review. Two days later Meta removes the restriction. Your 12 ads stay paused until you switch them on again. Meta counts pausing an ad set as a significant edit, so it may need to [learn again](/glossary/learning-phase) ([Meta](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/942374239243867), checked 2026-10-20).

## How to lower the risk

- Turn on two-factor authentication for every admin.
- Keep a working payment method.
- Read the rejection reason on any disapproved ad and fix it. Keep AI-made creative honest too. See [AI UGC](/glossary/ai-ugc).
- Check [the launch checklist](/templates/launch-checklist-for-meta-ads) before a big launch.
- Keep your [tax and billing details](/glossary/gst-on-facebook-ads) current.

## FAQ

### How long does a review take?

Meta says typically 48 hours, though some take longer.

### Can I ask for another review?

There is a limit on how many reviews you can request. Once a review is done, the decision is final.

### Will my ads restart after the restriction lifts?

No. You switch them back on in Ads Manager.

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