Suspended for Unacceptable business practices?

Google Ads suspended for Unacceptable business practices?

Google treats Unacceptable business practices as an egregious violation, and suspension occurs “upon detection and without prior warning.” The cause may be on your website, such as affiliation claims or unclear business details, or outside it. A free audit preview lists finding headlines with severity. The full report adds the evidence and fix steps.

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Why this suspension is different

Google treats Unacceptable business practices as egregious

Google’s policy page says violations of this policy are “taken very seriously and are considered egregious.” It also says: “This suspension occurs upon detection and without prior warning.”

Some related policies work differently. Under Misleading representation, for example, Google issues a warning at least 7 days before any suspension.

Google may review “information from multiple sources including your ad, website, accounts, and third-party sources.” A website audit can only look at the website part.

What may have triggered it

Six website signals that Google’s policies can flag

Based on Google’s Unacceptable business practices policy and the related policies it can overlap with. Each card names the policy it relates to. Related policies are separate Google policies, enforced differently.

Unclear who runs the business

Google’s guidance is to have updated contact information and a clear explanation of what your company does, like on an “About us” page. Under Misleading representation, Google also lists providing “an inaccurate business name or business name that does not clearly represent the advertised business.” Checking that names and details match across pages is our own cross-check, not a Google rule.

Policies: Unacceptable business practices (best practice: describe your business on your website) · Misleading representation (business name)

Claimed affiliation or impersonated brand

Google says you can’t “Make it seem like you’re affiliated with another brand, organization or government entity when you’re not” or “Impersonate other brands or businesses to get users to give you money or personal information.” Its examples include pretending to be affiliated with a well-known charity so people think they are donating to it, and making people believe a site is the official site of a new real estate development. Google’s best practices are to use your own name, logo, images and colors, and to be clear about your partnerships. Claims of a government link can also fall under the separate Government documents and services policy.

Policy: Unacceptable business practices (false affiliation, brand impersonation). Related but separate: Government documents and services · Trademarks.

Offers that may not be deliverable

Google says you can’t “Offer products or services that you don't have or can't deliver, including not having the right licenses or qualifications.” It gives the example of pretending to be a discount online retail store and then not delivering the items people paid for. It also lists lying about services that could put people’s health or safety at risk, like pretending to provide medical help. Google’s best practice is “Deliver what customers paid for.” A website audit sees what the site says, not what you deliver.

Policy: Unacceptable business practices (offers you can’t deliver, licences, health and safety). Related but separate: Unavailable offers.

Public figures and endorsements

Google doesn’t allow you to “scam people into giving you money or personal information by pretending to be a public figure or making it seem like you have a connection to one when you don't.” Its examples include using a famous singer’s name or image without permission, falsely saying a professional athlete sponsors your product, and using AI-generated videos of popular YouTubers. Google’s best practice is to have documented permission.

Policy: Unacceptable business practices (public figure impersonation). Related but separate: Unreliable claims.

Missing or unclear customer terms

Google lists “Not disclosing all applicable shipping costs” and “Not clearly showing the price and billing interval for subscriptions or memberships” under Dishonest pricing practices. Under Unreliable claims, if you guarantee certain results, “you're required to have a clear and easily accessible refund (money-back) policy.” These are not part of Unacceptable business practices. We include them because unclear terms can make a business harder to trust.

Policies: Dishonest pricing practices · Unreliable claims (both related but separate). Unacceptable business practices (best practice: “Deliver what customers paid for”).

Forms that ask for sensitive data

Under phishing, Google says “you can’t try to get people to give you their personal information like passwords and credit card numbers by pretending to be a trusted or well-known entity.” Its examples include a fake login page and a fake website imitating a well-known money transfer business. Separately, Google’s Data collection and use policy lists collecting card or ID numbers “over an unsecured page that isn't SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protected and without a valid SSL certificate.”

Policy: Unacceptable business practices (phishing). Related but separate: Data collection and use.

Some causes sit outside the website.

Google may review sources beyond your website. A website audit can only see your public website. Account-level causes such as linked accounts or verification aren’t visible from it. Examples are linked or previously linked accounts, related accounts, advertiser verification, a new account or a recent change of ad agency, and third-party sources. Google asks you to make sure all linked, previously linked and related accounts comply with its policies before you appeal.

What we check on your site

Each possible signal, mapped to a website check

Based on Google’s Unacceptable business practices policy and the related policies it can overlap with. Each row shows its policy. Related policies are separate Google policies. Checks marked ‘Our additional trust check’ are ours and not a Google policy item. The checks are our own reading of those policies, not Google’s. An audit reviews a sample of your pages, not every URL. Tap a row to see what we check.

Business information

Policies: Unacceptable business practices (best practice: describe your business on your website) · Misleading representation (business name) · Editorial (Unidentified business)

Checked

What it looks like: It isn’t clear who runs the business or how to reach it.

What we check: Business name, legal entity, address, phone and email: present, and consistent across your Contact page, footer, Terms and Privacy pages. Google advises updated contact information and a clear explanation of what your company does, like on an “About us” page. The consistency check is ours, not Google’s.

False affiliation

Policy: Unacceptable business practices (false affiliation). Related but separate: Government documents and services · Misleading representation.

Checked

What it looks like: The site implies a link to a brand, an organization or a government body.

What we check: Third-party logos and brand names; wording such as ‘official’, ‘authorized’ or ‘partner’, and whether the relationship is explained; government-style design or wording; certifications shown on the site. Government-style design on its own is Our additional trust check. Google advises being clear about partnerships and keeping certifications up to date.

Offers that may not be deliverable

Policy: Unacceptable business practices (offers you can’t deliver, licences, health and safety). Related but separate: Unavailable offers · Dishonest pricing practices.

Checked

What it looks like: Products or services that may not be delivered as promised, or regulated services shown without licences.

What we check: Licences or qualifications for regulated services; claims about medical or health services; items that look out of stock or deals that look over but are still shown; unclear delivery terms. Countdown timers and unusually deep discounts are Our additional trust check.

Brand impersonation

Policy: Unacceptable business practices (impersonating brands; best practice: use your own branding). Related but separate: Trademarks.

Checked

What it looks like: The site looks like another company’s site.

What we check: Logos, names, images and colors that copy another brand, and how another brand is referenced. Google’s best practice is to avoid using another brand’s identity in a misleading way. Lookalike domains and copied content are Our additional trust check.

Public figure impersonation

Policy: Unacceptable business practices (public figure impersonation).

Checked

What it looks like: A celebrity or influencer appears to endorse the business.

What we check: Names, photos, videos or voices of public figures, including AI-generated video, and whether the page shows any basis for the connection. Google’s best practice is documented permission. ‘As seen on’ badges are Our additional trust check.

Claims and testimonials

Policy: Unreliable claims (related but separate). Awards, ‘#1’ claims and team photos: Our additional trust check.

Checked

What it looks like: Claims that are hard to confirm.

What we check: Testimonials that mention specific results and whether a disclaimer is visible; guarantees and whether a refund policy is easy to find. Review counts, ratings, awards, #1 claims and team photos without sources are Our additional trust check.

Customer terms

Policies: Dishonest pricing practices · Unreliable claims (both related but separate). Unacceptable business practices (best practice: “Deliver what customers paid for”).

Checked

What it looks like: Terms that are missing, hidden or inconsistent.

What we check: Shipping costs, including returns; price and billing interval for subscriptions; refund policy where results are guaranteed. Cancellation and warranty terms, and whether your terms match the checkout, are Our additional trust check.

Forms that ask for sensitive data

Policy: Unacceptable business practices (phishing). Related but separate: Data collection and use.

Checked

What it looks like: Sensitive data collected unsafely, or pages that imitate another business.

What we check: SSL on pages that collect personal or payment data; pages or login screens that collect passwords or full card details while imitating another business or a trusted entity.

Third-party sources

Policy: Unacceptable business practices (Google may review third-party sources).

Partly checked

What it looks like: Complaints or scam reports about the business.

What we check: Public review and listing sites found during the audit. Google doesn’t publish which third-party sources it uses, so the sites we look at are Our additional trust check. The full report lists what we found.

Account-level causes

Policies: Unacceptable business practices (fixing a suspended account, Google Ads history) · Advertiser verification

Not visible on a website

What it covers: Linked or previously linked accounts, related accounts, advertiser verification, a new account or a recent change of ad agency.

Why it isn’t checked: A website audit can only see your public website. Account-level causes such as linked accounts or verification aren’t visible from it.

Before you appeal

Know what your website shows. Then decide your next step.

The free audit is a preview: it lists finding headlines with severity. The full report adds the evidence, why it matters, fix steps and the appeal-readiness checklist.

Finding headlines with severityFree preview
Evidence for each findingFull report
Why each finding mattersFull report
Fix steps for each findingFull report
Appeal-readiness checklist: brand agreements, written proof of affiliation, and verification documents if Google asksFull report

Google’s four appeal tips: Follow the best practices. Explain your situation. Share proof. Complete verification if asked.

Illustrative example, not from a real report

SeverityFree preview

High

IssueFree preview

The site shows a partner badge for a well-known brand with no explanation of the relationship.

EvidenceFull report

example-shop.com/about: footer badge ‘Official partner of ExampleBrand’; no partner page or disclaimer found

Why it mattersFull report

Google doesn’t allow making it seem like you’re affiliated with another brand when you’re not. Google’s best practices are to be clear about partnerships.

How to fixFull report

Remove the badge, or describe the partnership on your site and add a disclaimer if you are not an official or authorized partner.

How it works

From website to findings in four steps

Submit your website.

Tell us the domain, site type and any other brands you sell or mention.

We map the site.

Pages, brand mentions, forms, policies and technical resources are inventoried.

Evidence is cross-checked.

Specialized AI agents cross-check the evidence.

You get the report.

The report link arrives by email within 24 hours.

FAQ

Questions suspended advertisers ask first

Can you get my account reinstated?

No. Only Google decides, and WebsiteComplianceAI is independent of Google. We don’t contact Google or submit appeals for you. The audit shows what on your website may be relevant, so your next steps are based on evidence. An audit can’t guarantee approval, reinstatement or any platform decision.

Do you need access to my Google Ads account?

No. The audit runs on your public website only. Please never send us passwords or login codes.

What if the cause isn’t on my website?

A website audit can only see your public website. Account-level causes such as linked accounts or verification aren’t visible from it. Google says it may review information from multiple sources including your ad, website, accounts and third-party sources. Google also asks you to make sure that all linked, previously linked and related accounts comply with its policies before you appeal.

Should I appeal right away?

That’s your decision. Google says accounts are only reinstated in compelling circumstances, such as in the case of a mistake, and that you should be thorough, accurate and honest. It also says it may not process too many appeals for the same suspension, and that submitting one appeal at a time ensures a timely response and review. Google gives four appeal tips: follow the best practices, explain your situation, show evidence, and complete verification if asked.

Do I need to complete verification before I appeal?

Possibly. Google says certain selected advertisers must complete advertiser verification successfully to appeal their account suspension, and that if Google isn’t able to verify their identity after 3 attempts, they won’t be allowed to appeal. Verification is a process with Google, and we don’t take part in it.

I’m an official partner or reseller of a brand. Is that a problem?

Not by itself. Google’s best practices say that if you are an official or authorized partner, you can ask the other brand to mention you on its website and make the relationship clear on your website and in your ads. If you reference another brand without being an official or authorized partner, Google says to consider a disclaimer on your website and in your ads. Google’s appeal tips for partners include describing the partnership and sharing information that shows the connection.

Can I use a public figure or a well-known name in my ads?

Only with permission. Google’s best practice is to have documented permission: get consent from the relevant public figures and be able to show you have it before using their name, image, video or voice. Google doesn’t allow “pretending to be a public figure or making it seem like you have a connection to one when you don't.”

Is this the same as Misleading representation?

No. They are separate Google policies. For Misleading representation, Google says violations “won’t lead to immediate account suspension without prior warning” and that a warning is issued at least 7 days before any suspension. For Unacceptable business practices, Google says suspension occurs upon detection and without prior warning.

What does the free audit include?

The free audit is a preview. It lists finding headlines with severity. Evidence, why each finding matters, fix steps and the appeal-readiness checklist are in the full report. An audit reviews a sample of your pages, the free audit may be limited in pages and checks, and no audit can promise to find every issue.

Is this legal advice?

No. The audit is a technical review of your public website. It isn’t legal, regulatory or other professional advice.

Check your website before you appeal.

Submit your website and get a free audit preview with finding headlines and severity. The report link goes to your email within 24 hours. No payment details, no ad account logins.

Audit my website for free

WebsiteComplianceAI.com is an independent website auditing service. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Google or any other advertising or merchant platform. Google Ads is a trademark of Google LLC, used only to identify the platform. An audit cannot guarantee approval, reinstatement, or any platform decision. It is not legal advice.