Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram remain two of the most powerful advertising channels in the world. With billions of active users, businesses rely heavily on these platforms to promote their products, services, and brands. However, one major challenge advertisers often face is a Facebook Ads permanent restriction or an Instagram permanent ads restriction.
When this happens, businesses lose the ability to advertise, run campaigns, and sometimes even access their ad accounts. In fact, many advertisers report receiving notifications such as “personal account permanently restricted from advertising” or “Facebook advertising access restricted.”
If this has happened to you, don’t panic. While a permanent restriction is serious, there are clear strategies and step-by-step solutions to help you fix, manage, and prevent future restrictions. This article serves as your comprehensive guide on how to fix and manage Facebook and Instagram permanent ads restrictions.
We will explore:
– Why Facebook and Instagram permanently restrict ad accounts.
– A step-by-step guide to fix permanent ad restriction.
– What to do after Facebook ads permanent restriction.
– How to appeal a Meta ads permanent restriction.
– Strategies to prevent future bans.
– A detailed checklist for fixing permanent ad account issues.
Why Do Facebook and Instagram Permanently Restrict Ad Accounts?
Before jumping into solutions, it’s important to understand why Meta enforces permanent bans. Knowing the causes helps you avoid mistakes that could lead to restrictions.
Here are the most common reasons:
1. Violation of Meta’s Advertising Policies
Facebook has strict advertising policies. Ads promoting misleading claims, prohibited content (like tobacco, weapons, or unsafe supplements), or deceptive practices often trigger restrictions.
2. Repeated Disapprovals
Running multiple ads that get disapproved over time raises a red flag. Meta assumes you are ignoring compliance rules, which can lead to a permanent ban.
3. Suspicious Activity
Unusual logins, using fake personal details, or multiple accounts from the same device may cause Facebook to suspect fraud.
4. Payment Issues
Declined payments, chargebacks, or suspicious billing activities often result in restrictions.
5. High User Complaints
If many users hide or report your ads, Meta may permanently disable your advertising access.
6. Policy Violations at the Business Portfolio Level
Sometimes it’s not the ad itself but the business portfolio that gets permanently restricted, blocking all associated assets.
What to Do After Facebook Ads Permanent Restriction
When you receive a notice that your personal account is permanently restricted from advertising, it may feel like the end of your marketing efforts. However, there are still several approaches you can take to regain access or continue advertising.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to fix permanent ad restriction:
1. Confirm the Restriction
Go to your Account Quality dashboard in Business Manager. Verify whether the restriction is temporary or permanent.
2. Appeal the Decision
If you believe the restriction was a mistake, submit an appeal. You can request a review from within the Account Quality dashboard.
3. Contact Meta Support
If the automated appeal fails, contacting Meta support for a permanent ad ban is the next step. Be polite, provide details, and include asset IDs of affected accounts.
4. Explore Workarounds
If appeals fail, there are practical ways to continue advertising, which we will explain under The Way Forward After Permanent Restriction below.
5. Plan for Prevention
Regardless of the outcome, it’s critical to review your advertising strategy and adopt best practices to avoid repeat restrictions.
The Way Forward After Permanent Restriction
How to Fix & Manage Permanent Ads Restriction
After you confirm and verify that the Facebook Personal Ad account is Permanently restricted – in this case what it means is that you obviously won’t be able to advertise on Meta and you won’t be able to create new business portfolio and ad accounts as this is where the main trouble is.
So what next?
The client has the option to either open a new Facebook Account, use a close friend or family members account for advertising on Facebook or rely on agencies for ads – in some cases the best option is to use a friend’s or family member’s Facebook account for advertising and then do Gwrite’s professional configuration.
Case 1: In a case where the client can’t easily start afresh (like opening a new Instagram business account and new Facebook page on their proposed new Facebook account) and if the Facebook page and Instagram Account is not connected to any business portfolio or if the business portfolio it’s connected to or it’s under is not permanently restricted, the preferred Facebook and Instagram page(s) could be transferred to another Facebook Account business portfolio for business continuation and advertising.
Case 2: If the Facebook and Instagram page is connected to a permanently restricted Meta business portfolio, you won’t be able to move any to another Meta business portfolio, the best option here apart from starting afresh is to assign Facebook page access through personal profile invite and you can see how it’s done by watching this video: https://youtu.be/XNggcYfMySs
Note that in a case where the Instagram professional account is connected to the Facebook page you should be able to run ads on both the Facebook page and Instagram account using the new Facebook profile which you’re giving access to these assets.
Case 3: Don’t forget that there are cases where by the Facebook page itself could be permanently restricted as well as the Instagram professional account itself. In this case the client must start afresh and open a new Facebook page and Instagram professional account in other to continue advertising.
Case 4: In a scenario where by the Instagram account is binded to a permanently restricted Meta business portfolio and if the Instagram account is not connected to any Facebook page or has been disconnected from an active Facebook page – it won’t be able to be transferred hence, terminating the chance of a new business advertising account to be used or replace for running of ads on the IG page. The only way for this type of Instagram account to be able to advertise is if it’s connected to an unrestricted account centre particularly a Facebook profile that the personal ad account is not permanently restricted but remember this recommendation is not highlighted as one of our best practices for advertising as the Facebook Personal Ad account risk being restricted or permanently restricted which would affect the entire Facebook profile even if it has over 200 business portfolio ad accounts.
To see where you can connect an Instagram account to a Facebook account centre watch this video: https://youtu.be/q2cw2wIlLII
All these steps and cases highlight what to do when a Facebook and Instagram user experiences permanent advertising restriction on Meta particularly when the business owner or creator is looking for ways to avoid starting from scratch
Bonus Case 5: There’s a small chance of being able to partly reconnect or connect an Instagram account that’s not connected to any Facebook page but connected to a permanently restricted Meta business portfolio. But in this case you may not be able to boost the Instagram existing posts for ads but you can select your ad placement to only show on Instagram after the connection is established with the Facebook page then the Facebook existing post could be used for ads or you create a new ad during the ad setup and this works after the Facebook page access even on a permanently restricted business portfolio has been shared with another Facebook Profile so another business ad account can be used to run ads.
Note that this connection of the Instagram account can be done on Meta Business Suite or Ads Manager during the Messaging Engagement objective ad campaign set up as you will see the option to connect an Instagram account to the Facebook page as this provides the option to use Instagram direct as one of the messaging options during the ads setup.
Bonus Case 6: If you still have all the time and can really be patient and you’re really sure you don’t deserve permanent restriction across Meta family of apps you can contact Meta support team at business support home or fill out their feedback form at https://web.facebook.com/help/contact/268228883256323?_rdc=1&_rdr then be as descriptive as possible providing detailed information and the asset ID’s and names that where affected then submit to Meta support team.
You can also watch this video: https://youtu.be/afRnSbDIpHI
To get expert consultancy, feel free to place a booking at https://www.gwritenm.com/metaadsfix or contact us on WhatsApp
Checklist for Fixing Permanent Ad Account Issues
Here’s a practical checklist to guide you step by step:
– Confirm if the restriction is permanent or temporary.
– Review Meta’s advertising policies for compliance.
– Appeal the restriction via Account Quality.
– Contact Meta support with detailed information.
– Explore transferring assets to another business portfolio if possible.
– Assign Facebook Page access to another trusted profile.
– Connect Instagram accounts carefully to unrestricted profiles.
– Consider starting fresh with new accounts if all else fails.
How to Prevent Facebook Ads Permanent Restriction
While knowing how to get a permanently restricted ad account back is valuable, prevention is always better. Here are some proactive measures to avoid Meta ads permanent restriction in the future:
1. Follow Advertising Policies Strictly
Always double-check your ads against Meta’s rules.
2. Warm Up New Accounts
Don’t create a new account and start running high-budget ads immediately. Start small.
3. Avoid Repeated Disapprovals
If an ad is disapproved, don’t resubmit it without fixing the issue.
4. Maintain Transparent Payment Methods
Use valid billing details and avoid risky payment practices.
5. Minimize User Complaints
Create ads that add value and avoid clickbait tactics.
6. Regularly Monitor Account Quality
Stay proactive by monitoring warnings and violations.
Conclusion
A permanent ad restriction on Facebook and Instagram may feel devastating, but it is not always the end of your advertising journey. By following the step-by-step guide to fix permanent ad restriction, appealing effectively, and exploring the solutions outlined in the Way Forward After Permanent Restriction section, you can still continue advertising and growing your business.
Equally important, always work toward prevention. Learn from past restrictions and adopt strategies to avoid Meta ads permanent restriction in the future.
With patience, persistence, and expert guidance, you can navigate restrictions and get back to running impactful ads on Facebook and Instagram.