Why was my Google Ads account suspended?

If your Google Ads account was suspended, the reason is printed in the red notice at the top of the account, and it will be one of a short list: a billing or payment problem, a serious policy breach such as circumventing systems or unacceptable business practices, repeat breaches of the same policy, suspected unauthorized access, or a link to another account that is already suspended. Your way back is to fix that cause first and then appeal through the Contact Us link in the notice. Google gives you at least six months from the suspension date to appeal, and opening a fresh account in the meantime usually makes things worse.

Owners ask this on r/googleads often, usually after weeks of waiting. One thread title sums up the mood: “Has anyone ever had luck with Google Ads support? They’ve suspended my account and have been sending me the same copy/pasted message for weeks.” This guide walks a trades or local service owner through a Google Ads account suspended notice, with each rule linked to Google’s own help pages.

How do I find out why my Google Ads account was suspended?

Sign in and read the notification banner at the top of the account; it names the policy or billing reason. The account stays visible in read-only mode, so you can still open reports while it is suspended, according to Google’s account suspensions overview.

Write down the exact wording of the reason before you change anything. “Circumventing systems”, “Unacceptable business practices”, “Suspicious payment activity” and “Unpaid balance” each lead to a different fix, and an appeal that answers the wrong one gets nowhere. For billing problems, Google’s billing and payment suspensions page says an admin can deal with a temporary pause by paying or confirming the payment method under Admin > Policy > Account.

Is my account suspended, paused, on hold or just disapproved?

Check which of these four states you are in, because only a suspension is permanent unless an appeal succeeds. People often say “suspended” when Google has only disapproved one ad or paused the account for verification, and those are much quicker to clear.

A third strike on the same policy within 90 days of the second turns a hold into a suspension, so a business already on a strike should treat it as its last warning.

What are the common reasons a service business gets suspended?

For plumbers, electricians, clinics, law firms and other local businesses, the usual causes are billing trouble, a link to an old or shared account, and a website that leaves out or blurs who the business is. Match the reason in your notice to the row below, then work on the fix in the last column.

Sources: billing and payment suspensions, circumventing systems, misrepresentation, protecting your account.

Circumventing systems and unacceptable business practices are on Google’s list of egregious violations, which means suspension “without prior warning” on detection, per the account suspensions page. For most other policies Google sends a warning at least 7 days before it suspends, so look back through your Google Ads notifications and emails for a warning you may have missed.

Why would Google say I’m circumventing systems when I didn’t do anything?

The owner often doesn’t know what triggered it, because the account was tied to something Google had already flagged. Google’s circumventing systems policy lists these as breaches, and each can happen without the owner meaning any harm:

• Creating new accounts after an earlier suspension. A second account opened because the first “stopped working” counts.
• Re-creating ads, domains or content that were already disapproved, for example cloning a disapproved campaign onto a new landing page domain.
• Cloaking, which covers showing Google one page and visitors another. A hacked WordPress site that redirects mobile visitors to spam can trigger this without your knowledge, which is why Google suggests a security check with its Safe Browsing tool.
• Submitting false information in advertiser verification, such as an edited document.

The policy’s own best practices include “Check with your agency” if someone else manages your account, and the account pausing page warns that accounts sharing a payment method with a paused account can be paused too. If a freelancer or agency runs your ads, ask them in writing whether any other account they linked to yours, or any account on the same card, has been suspended.

I’m a locksmith or garage door company. Is that why my ads stopped?

Possibly. In that case your ads are restricted and the account isn’t suspended straight away. Google’s local services policy restricts locksmith and garage door repair ads in the US and locksmith ads in Canada until the business passes advanced verification through Google’s request form. In the Netherlands, plumber and locksmith ads can’t run at all, and locksmith ads can’t run in Spain, Germany, Sweden or Belgium.

Google says breaking this policy won’t cause an immediate suspension without warning; you get at least 7 days’ notice first. If you are a locksmith or garage door company in the US or Canada and your ads went quiet, apply for advanced verification before you look for anything more serious.

Can I just open a new Google Ads account?

No. Google’s overview says new accounts created by a suspended advertiser may also be suspended and recommends reinstating every suspended account before opening another. Creating new accounts to get back in after a suspension is itself listed as circumventing systems, which Google treats as egregious.

The same goes for asking a friend to run ads for your business from their account, or using a different card and email address. Google says it can review “information from multiple sources including your ad, website, accounts, and third-party sources” when it decides who is behind an account.

How do I appeal a Google Ads suspension?

Fix the cause everywhere first, then appeal once from the Contact Us link in the suspension notice. Google reinstates accounts “only in compelling circumstances”, such as a mistake on its side, so the appeal has to show what you checked and changed. These steps follow Google’s suspension overview and billing appeal notes:

1. Copy the exact reason from the notice.
2. Fix the cause on your site, your billing and every linked account. Google says all linked and related accounts must comply before you appeal, and each suspended account needs its own appeal.
3. Complete advertiser verification if Google asks. Some advertisers have to pass it before they can appeal, and after 3 failed identity attempts they can’t appeal at all. Billing suspensions may also need payment method verification within 30 days.
4. Click Contact Us in the notice and fill in the appeal form that opens on the right of the screen.
5. Send one appeal and wait. The account shows “Appeal pending” until Google emails the outcome. Sending repeat appeals for the same suspension can leave them unprocessed and can lead to a 7-day hold on some appeals.
6. If the appeal is rejected, fix anything you missed and appeal again through the same form.

Here is an example of the kind of appeal we would write. The business and details are made up for illustration:

Example: “Our account for Smith Plumbing (Austin, TX) was suspended for Circumventing systems. We have found the cause. In 2024 a former contractor opened a second Google Ads account for us using the same card, and that account was suspended for ads that copied a disapproved campaign. We did not know it existed. We have closed our access to it, removed the copied ads, and confirmed that our only active domain is smithplumbing.example, which shows our business name, licence number, address and phone number on every page. A malware scan of the site found no redirects. We have also completed advertiser verification with our business registration. We ask you to review both accounts.”

That example works because it names the reason, admits what happened, lists the specific changes and gives Google something to check. A short note saying “we didn’t do anything wrong” gives the reviewer nothing to verify.

How long does a Google Ads appeal take?

Google doesn’t publish a fixed time for suspension appeals; you get an email when the review is done. For paused accounts, Google says most appeals take 5 to 7 business days, and advertiser verification reviews can take up to 5 business days, or up to 30 days in rare cases, per its verification timelines. The verification deadline itself can’t be extended, so start as soon as you get the request.

While you wait, keep calls coming from the channels you already have: your Google Business Profile, repeat customers and referrals. If ads are a big part of your lead flow, it is also worth checking whether your ads have stopped showing for a smaller reason once the account is back.

How do I stop it happening again?

Most of the causes above come down to who owns and controls the account. Run through this checklist once a quarter:

• You are an admin on your own Google Ads account and pay with your own business card.
• You know every person and agency with access, and you remove anyone who no longer works on it. Google’s account security page recommends regular access reviews and 2-Step Verification.
• You run one account per business and never start a second one to get around a disapproval.
• Your site shows your real business name, address or service area, phone number and any licence your trade requires.
• You read every policy email from Google Ads, because non-egregious suspensions come with at least 7 days’ warning.
• When you hire help, you ask how they handle policy warnings. Our guide to checking whether your Google Ads agency is doing a good job covers the access questions to ask.

If you’d like a specialist to run the account once it is back, see our Google Ads management service.

FAQ

Is a Google Ads suspension permanent?

Yes, unless an appeal succeeds. Google treats a suspension as permanent until the account is reinstated, and you have at least six months from the suspension date to appeal.

Does Google warn you before suspending a Google Ads account?

For most policies, yes: Google sends a notice at least 7 days before a suspension. Egregious violations such as circumventing systems and unacceptable business practices lead to suspension on detection with no warning.

Can I still see my data while my account is suspended?

Yes. A suspended account becomes read-only, so you can still view campaigns and reports, but no ads run in any location.

Should I pay someone who promises to get my account reinstated?

Be careful. Google reinstates accounts only in compelling circumstances, so nobody can promise a result, and an appeal built on false information breaks the circumventing systems policy. A good adviser will help you find the real cause and write an honest appeal.

Sources: 1. Google Ads account suspensions overview (Google Ads Help). 2. Account suspensions (Advertising Policies Help). 3. Billing and payment suspensions (Advertising Policies Help). 4. Circumventing systems (Advertising Policies Help). 5. Misrepresentation (Advertising Policies Help). 6. Strike system (Advertising Policies Help). 7. Local services (Advertising Policies Help). 8. About Google Ads account pausing (Advertising Policies Help). 9. Timelines for advertiser verification (Advertising Policies Help). 10. Protect your Google Ads account (Google Ads Help).