# Ad review checklist

> A free ad review checklist for one ad: message, hook, visuals, copy, claims, specs and landing page, with a pass, fix or block rating and a worked example.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-10-23
- **Category**: Checklists
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-templates/ad-review-checklist

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An ad review checklist is a short list a second person runs on one ad before it goes live. It catches weak hooks, claims you cannot prove, wrong sizes and a landing page that does not match.

Rate each check Pass, Fix or Block. Any Block stops the ad.

It sits between two other lists. The [Meta ads launch checklist](/templates/launch-checklist-for-meta-ads) covers the campaign. The [account audit checklist](/templates/account-audit-checklist-meta-ads) covers the whole account. This one covers a single ad.

## The checklist

**Message**

- [ ] One ad makes one point
- [ ] A stranger can say who it is for within three seconds
- [ ] The offer and price are clear, and right

**Hook and creative**

- [ ] The first line or first three seconds would stop you mid-scroll (see [how to write ad hooks](/guides/how-to-write-ad-hooks))
- [ ] The product is visible early
- [ ] Video has captions, and still works with the sound off
- [ ] Text is readable on a phone, and stays out of the areas covered by buttons

**Specs**

- [ ] Feed version is 4:5. Meta's Ads Guide lists 1440 x 1800 pixels as the recommended size
- [ ] Reels and Stories version is 9:16. The guide lists 1440 x 2560 pixels, with text, logos and key visuals kept clear of the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side
- [ ] Copy is not cut off in the placement preview

Both specs were checked on 2026-10-20.

**Copy and claims**

- [ ] Every claim can be proven. In India, the 2022 misleading advertisement guidelines say claims about facts must be capable of substantiation
- [ ] Pictures do not suggest more than the product does. The same guidelines cover misleading visuals
- [ ] "Free" really means free: no charge for packing or handling, and not priced into the package
- [ ] Deadlines and stock lines are true, because false urgency is named in the 2023 dark patterns guidelines
- [ ] Any disclaimer is in the same language and font as the claim
- [ ] A creator who is paid or gifted is disclosed as such, where the audience would not expect the link

**Category rules**

- [ ] Skincare and beauty: the ad targets people 18 and over, and says nothing that puts down how someone looks. Meta's Health and Wellness policy lists both for cosmetic ads (checked 2026-10-20)

**Landing page and tracking**

- [ ] The page shows the same product and offer as the ad
- [ ] The link has UTM tags
- [ ] The ad has a name that follows your [naming convention](/templates/ad-naming-convention-template)

This is a summary of public rules, not legal advice. The sources are Meta's [Health and Wellness ad standard](https://transparency.meta.com/policies/ad-standards/restricted-goods-services/health-wellness/) and the [CCPA guidelines page](https://ccpa.doca.gov.in/guidelines.php).

## A worked example

Say you review a UGC ad for a INR 549 moisturiser. The creator says it "cures acne" and the video ends with "Sale ends tonight", but the sale runs all month.

| Check | Rating | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hook | Pass | Strong opening on oily skin |
| Claim "cures acne" | Block | Cannot be proven. Remove or re-shoot |
| "Ends tonight" | Block | Not true. Use the real end date |
| Captions | Fix | Last two words are cut off |
| Landing page | Pass | Same price and product |

Two Blocks, one Fix. Do not publish until all three are done.

## Tips

- Review with a different person from the one who made the ad.
- Keep the review to ten minutes. A longer review turns into a rewrite.
- Track what the review catches. If the same Fix returns, fix the brief. Later, compare ads on [hook rate](/glossary/hook-rate).

## FAQ

### Who should review an ad?

A person who did not make it, and who knows the offer and the rules for your category. That can be a teammate, the client or a freelancer.

### Is this the same as Meta's ad review?

No. Meta reviews ads against its own policies after you submit. This list is yours, and it runs before you submit.

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