Meta Ad Policy Mistakes That Get Ghanaian Businesses Rejected (and How to Write Copy That Still Sells)
Strong claims, health promises and copy about the viewer get ads rejected and accounts restricted. Meta's rules, Ghana's FDA rules, and how to write copy that still sells.
Many of the rejected adverts we see in Ghana are not rejected because the business sells something forbidden. They are rejected because of how the advert is written.
"Lose 10kg in 2 weeks, guaranteed." "Are you tired of being broke?" "This herbal mix cures typhoid." "Price slashed from GH₵ 900 to GH₵ 200 today only" when the price was never GH₵ 900. Each of these sounds like strong marketing to the person who wrote it. To Meta's review system, each one is a policy problem.
One rejected advert is an inconvenience. A pattern of them is how ad accounts, pages and whole business portfolios get restricted. Here are the mistakes we see most, what Meta's rules actually say, and how to write copy that passes review and still sells.
Why does Meta reject adverts that look normal?
Meta reviews every advert against its Advertising Standards, and keeps reviewing it after it goes live. Ads "remain subject to review and re-review at all times", so an advert that was approved last week can still be rejected today.
The review looks at more than the words. It checks the image or video, the targeting, and the page the advert sends people to. Meta's own wording is that if a violation is found at any point, "the ad will be rejected, and the Business Account or its assets may be restricted." Restricted accounts and assets cannot be used to advertise at all.
There is a quieter cost too. Meta says lower-quality ads that don't break any rule "may experience impacted performance." In plain terms, hype-heavy, clickbait-style adverts can be approved and still cost you more for every sale.
Mistake 1: Talking about the viewer instead of the product
This is one of the most common mistakes, and many people don't know the rule exists.
Meta's personal attributes policy says ads must not assert or imply personal attributes. The list includes age, religion, health (physical or mental), financial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, criminal record and even the person's name.
Meta's own examples of copy that breaks the rule include "Are you 18 years old?" and "Depression getting you down? Get help now." The problem is the "you". The advert sounds like it knows something private about the person reading it.
The fix is simple: describe what your product does, not what you assume about the viewer.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| "Are you struggling with debt?" | "Plan your monthly budget in ten minutes with our free template." |
| "Is your skin dark and patchy?" | "Our serum is made to even out skin tone. FDA-registered." |
| "Single and tired of being alone?" | "Meet professionals in Accra at our monthly mixer." |
| "Still broke at 30?" | "A six-week course on saving and investing, taught by practising accountants." |
These rewrites are our own examples, not Meta's. Notice they keep the selling power. They simply move the attention from the reader's problem to your solution.
Mistake 2: Health, weight and beauty claims that go too far
Health and beauty businesses run into rejections often, because Meta's health and wellness policy is specific.
- Weight loss and cosmetic adverts must be targeted to people aged 18 or older. That applies to dietary, health and weight loss products, and to cosmetic products and procedures.
- No close-ups of pinched fat. Meta lists this as something weight loss adverts can't show.
- No attacks on how people look. Ads can't contain "statements of inferiority about physical appearance", which Meta defines as negative terms, descriptions or questions that attack someone's appearance, body parts or hygiene.
- No negative self-perception or "perfect body" messaging to sell diet, weight loss, cosmetic or other health products.
What about before-and-after photos? Meta does allow before-and-after transformation images for general cosmetic products and procedures, when the advert is targeted to adults. For weight loss, our advice is to treat before-and-after pictures as off-limits. They sit right on the line Meta draws around negative self-perception, and an account restriction can cost far more than the extra sales the picture might bring.
If you sell skincare, supplements, herbal products or run a clinic, read our longer guide on advertising health and beauty products in Ghana.
Mistake 3: Promises you can't prove
"Guaranteed results." "Double your money." "Works in 24 hours or your money back" from a seller who has never refunded anyone.
Meta's rules on prohibited commercial practices name three examples directly: deceptive pricing, unauthorised endorsements and guaranteed investment returns.
- Deceptive pricing is the fake "was GH₵ 900, now GH₵ 200" discount, or an advertised price that isn't the price at checkout.
- Unauthorised endorsements means using a celebrity, influencer, pastor or media house's face or name without permission. In Ghana we see this often, sometimes with AI-edited clips. It is a quick way to lose an account.
- Guaranteed investment returns covers "invest GH₵ 1,000 and earn GH₵ 300 weekly" style offers.
The safe rule: if you couldn't show proof to a customer who complained, don't put it in an advert. Give the real price, the real discount, the real guarantee and the real result.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| "Guaranteed to make you GH₵ 5,000 a month" | "Learn the exact steps our students use to find their first customers." |
| "As used by [celebrity name]" | Use a real customer review, with their permission. |
| "90% off today only!!!" | "Free delivery in Accra this week." (If true.) |
Mistake 4: An advert that doesn't match the page
Meta's relevance rule is short: "The products and services promoted in an ad must match those promoted on the landing page."
We see this break in three ways. The advert shows one product and the link goes to a homepage with fifty. The advert promises a free guide and the page asks for payment. Or the link is broken, slow or buried under pop-ups.
Send each advert to a page about exactly what the advert promised. That is also simply better marketing: see landing page mistakes and landing page vs website.
Mistake 5: Hype that reads like clickbait
ALL CAPS, rows of exclamation marks, fire emojis, "you won't BELIEVE this", headlines that hide what is being sold. Even when this doesn't get you rejected, it falls into the "lower quality" bucket that Meta says may lose performance.
Strong copy is specific, not loud. "Leather sandals, handmade in Kumasi, delivered across Ghana in 48 hours" tends to do better than "🔥🔥 THE BEST SANDALS YOU WILL EVER WEAR!!! 🔥🔥" on both review and results. Our ad copywriting formulas and hooks that stop the scroll show how to be bold without hype.
Mistake 6: Forgetting Ghana's own rules
Meta's approval is not the only approval some businesses need.
Under section 114 of Ghana's Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), you can't advertise a drug, herbal product, cosmetic, medical device or household chemical as a treatment or cure unless the Food and Drugs Authority has approved the advertisement. The FDA's advertising guidelines also cover alcoholic beverages, energy drinks, sweet beverages, food supplements, medicines, medical devices, cosmetics and household chemicals. Advertising tobacco and infant formula is banned outright.
In other words, an advert can pass Meta review and still break Ghanaian law. If you sell any of these products, get the FDA side sorted before you spend on adverts.
How do I write compliant copy that still sells?
Compliant copy is not weak copy. It is copy that sells the product instead of attacking the reader. Five habits keep you safe:
- Lead with the product and its benefit. What it is, what it does, who it's for.
- Make specific claims you can prove. "FDA-registered", "delivered in 48 hours", "500 reviews" (if you have them) beat "the best" or "guaranteed".
- Use real proof. Real customer reviews, used with permission, and real numbers from your business.
- Match the page to the promise. One advert, one offer, one page.
- Check the category rules first. Health, finance, alcohol, dating, employment and housing all carry extra rules. Read Meta's page for your category before you write a word.
What happens if my advert is rejected?
You can edit the advert and resubmit it, or request a review if you believe the decision was wrong. Don't simply duplicate the rejected advert and try again: repeated violations are exactly the pattern that leads to restrictions. If your account is already restricted, read Facebook ad account restricted? How to avoid it and what to do.
Common questions
Can I use the word "you" in Facebook adverts at all?
Yes. "You'll love how soft this fabric feels" is fine. The problem is "you" combined with a personal attribute, such as health, money, age, religion or appearance, in a way that implies you know something about the reader.
Are before-and-after photos banned on Facebook?
Not completely. Meta allows before-and-after transformations for general cosmetic products and procedures when the advert targets adults. For weight loss adverts, we advise against them altogether.
Do I need FDA approval to advertise on social media in Ghana?
If you are advertising a regulated product, such as a drug, herbal product, cosmetic, medical device, food supplement or alcoholic drink, the FDA's rules apply to your adverts wherever they run. Check the FDA's guidelines for your product before you launch.
Why was my advert approved, then rejected later?
Meta keeps reviewing adverts after they go live, including when people report them. An approved advert can be rejected at any time if the review finds a problem.
Can an agency guarantee my adverts won't be rejected?
No one can guarantee that. What an experienced team can do is write within the rules from the start, set up your accounts properly and catch problems before they become restrictions.
Get your adverts checked before Meta checks them
Many of the mistakes above can be fixed in an afternoon by someone who knows the rules. If your adverts keep getting rejected, or you are spending without knowing what's working, start with an ad audit. If you'd rather hand the whole thing over, see how we run Facebook and Instagram adverts, and read the most common Facebook ad mistakes we fix for new clients.