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2 Fixes YouTube Promotion Disapproved

Banned as clickbait or allowed on YouTube promotions: before and after

If you’ve ever pressed the straightforward “Promote” button in YouTube Studio, you know how easy it is—until your campaign faces disapproval. Suddenly, you’re stuck in a frustrating limbo: you can’t manage the promotion through Google Ads, and YouTube Studio doesn’t provide an option for appeals.

After spending yet another 90 minutes on the line with Google Ads tech support (contact number at the end of this article), following up from five prior emails, this situation can be incredibly disheartening.

Let’s delve into why this issue occurs and explore the two methods you can use to push for approval.

The Invisible Promotion: Understanding Your ‘Ghost Campaign’

The primary concern lies in Google’s fragmented advertising system. YouTube Studio’s simplified promotions generate what you might refer to as “ghost campaigns,” which are unavoidably concealed from the main Google Ads interface (ads.google.com).

  • You will NOT see it on your Google Ads campaign overview
  • You WILL see charges in your Google Ads Billing section

This attempt to simplify things is excellent for novice creators but makes troubleshooting a nightmare, especially when the automated system flags your ad.

The Clickbait Conundrum: The “Before & After” Dilemma

Banned as clickbait or allowed on YouTube promotions: before and after

In my case, the Google Ads support team informed me that their algorithm rejected the ad due to the inclusion of the terms BEFORE and AFTER in the thumbnail (for THIS video on changing drains). When I pointed out that YouTube had approved the video, they explained, “…Google Ads’s rules are more stringent than the usual YouTube guidelines.” The algorithm aggressively flags:

“Before-and-after image pairings that illustrate drastic physical transformations”

The system fails to differentiate between a legitimate home repair video and a potentially misleading health-related ad. It merely sees the side-by-side images, raises a flag, and bans the promotion. To add to your frustration, the Studio interface only provides a vague notification without clarifying the issue.

You are then faced with two distinct options:

Option 1: The Guesswork Approach (Trial and Error)

This option is the least disruptive but relies heavily on trial and error.

  1. Revise Your Thumbnail: Access the video in YouTube Studio and eliminate the side-by-side comparison. Instead, opt for a single, clear image showcasing the finished result.
    • This may not be ideal, but it’s a potential step to get YouTube promotions approved.
  2. Examine Your Text: Scrutinise your ad’s headline and description for sensational language, such as “SHOCKING” or “MIRACLE.”
  3. Be Patient: Allow the system time to re-evaluate the promotion.

Option 2: Contact Google Ads Support (The Direct Appeal)

If you require your original ad to run as intended, contacting the one team capable of manually overriding the automated rejection is crucial.

  1. Call Support: The main contact number for Google Ads is 1 866-246-6453 for the US/Canada.
  2. Be Clear: Inform the representative that you created a YouTube Studio Promotion (as opposed to a Google Ads Campaign) that has been disapproved and that there’s no appeal button available.
  3. Request a Manual Review: Provide the YouTube URL and explain courteously that the thumbnail accurately depicts the content and is not misleading, then ask them to initiate a manual review since you cannot do so.

The support team has the resources to identify the hidden campaign and facilitate a manual review. This approach is the most reliable and quickest way to get your promotion running without altering your original content. Don’t hesitate to make that call; it will save you considerable time.

Conclusion

This exasperating situation often leaves creators, including those of us working behind the scenes, feeling bewildered and sometimes frustrated. It’s perplexing that YouTube does not offer an appeal option and equally puzzling that Google Ads lacks a filter to display YouTube Promotions.

In summary, you can modify your thumbnail and wait for the automated re-evaluation (which may take anywhere from 2 hours to 2 weeks), or you can reach out to Google Ads to advocate for a human review of your thumbnail.

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