The Promotional Offers policy covers two very different things. The first is about the offers you make in your ads — discounts, sale prices, coupon codes, and promotions shown to customers. The second is about Google Ads promotional credits — ad spend credits given to new or existing advertisers. This checklist focuses primarily on the first: promotional content in your ads and how you present offers to your customers.
Most promotional offer violations come from one of three things: (1) advertising a price or discount that is not actually available when the user arrives on your site, (2) a coupon or promo code that does not work, or (3) promotional text that does not match what is on the landing page. These are quick fixes once you know what to look for.
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Some Critical Items Are Still Pending — Report Downloaded Anyway
Identify Your Exact Promotional Violation First
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Find the exact disapproval reason for your promotion-related ad or asset
Go to your Google Ads account → Ads & assets. Check the Status column for the disapproved item. Common promotional violation reasons include: "Unavailable offer," "Price mismatch," "Promotion asset — editorial," "Promotion asset — unavailable offer," "Coupon code error," "Promotion not found on landing page," or "Misleading promotion." For Shopping promotion disapprovals, check Google Merchant Center → Promotions → the speech bubble icon next to the disapproved promotion. The exact reason determines which section to fix first.
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Read Google's Unavailable Offers policy — the most common cause of promotion-related disapprovals
The majority of promotional offer violations fall under Google's "Unavailable offers" policy — not a separate "Promotional offers" policy. Go to support.google.com/adspolicy and search "Unavailable offers." This policy states that any offer, price, discount, or deal shown in your ad must be available, accurate, and easily findable on your landing page at the moment a user clicks. If it is not there or not working, the ad is disapproved.
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Understand that promotional violations can affect three different things: your ad copy, your promotion assets, and your Shopping feed promotions
All three are reviewed separately and can be disapproved independently. Your main ad copy might be fine while your promotion asset (the promotional extension shown under your ad) is disapproved. Your Shopping feed promotions (the "Special Offer" badge on Shopping ads) are reviewed by Merchant Center and can be disapproved even if your Google Ads campaigns are running fine. Check all three locations when investigating a promotion-related issue.
Unavailable Offers — The Core Rule
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Confirm the discount, sale price, or offer shown in your ad is actually available right now on your landing page
Open your ad's landing page in a private browser window right now and verify the offer exists. If your ad says "50% off all shoes" the landing page must show 50% off all shoes — not a different discount, not some shoes at a different discount, not a generic sale page without the specific offer. Google's reviewers do the same check and will disapprove the ad immediately if the offer is missing, expired, or different from what the ad claims.
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Remove or update any ad that references a sale, promotion, or offer that has already expired
Running an ad for a promotion that ended last week — even by just one day — is an automatic disapproval. Check every ad that contains time-limited language: "this weekend only," "sale ends Sunday," "limited time offer," "flash sale," or any specific end date. Either update the ad to reflect the current active offer or pause it if no current offer exists. Set up a reminder or calendar event to update promotional ads before they expire.
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Ensure the advertised offer is easily findable on the landing page — not buried several clicks away
Even if the offer genuinely exists on your website, if a user cannot easily find it from the landing page your ad links to, that counts as an unavailable offer. The offer must be visible or accessible from the landing page without requiring the user to search, navigate through multiple pages, or apply a code they were not told about in the ad. If the offer is on a different page, link the ad directly to that specific page.
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Check that the price shown in your ad matches the actual price on the landing page
If your ad says "From £29.99" the product must actually be available at £29.99 on the landing page right now — not £34.99 with a note that the £29.99 price requires a code, membership, or minimum purchase not mentioned in the ad. Price mismatches between ad copy and landing page are the second most common promotional disapproval after expired offers. Review every ad that includes a specific price or "from" price.
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Pause ads immediately when the promoted product or offer goes out of stock or becomes unavailable
If you run an ad for a specific product at a promotional price and that product sells out, the ad must be paused — running it while the product is out of stock is an unavailable offer violation. Set up automated rules in Google Ads (Rules → Create rule → Pause ad when impression share drops, or use a third-party feed tool to sync stock levels with your ads) so ads for out-of-stock products are automatically paused.
Promotion Assets (Promotional Extensions)
ℹ️Promotion assets are the special promotional boxes that appear below your Search ads showing your discount or offer — separate from your ad headline and description. They are created in Assets → Promotions in your Google Ads account. They have their own set of requirements beyond those that apply to your main ad copy.
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Ensure your promotion asset's offer matches exactly what is available on the destination page it links to
The offer shown in your promotion asset — "20% off orders over £50" for example — must be available at the URL your promotion asset links to. If the asset links to your homepage but the offer is only available from a specific promotional landing page, update the promotion asset's URL to point directly to that page. The same unavailable offer rules that apply to ads apply equally to promotion assets.
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Follow all editorial rules in your promotion asset text — correct spelling, no excessive capitalisation, no repeated punctuation
Promotion assets are subject to the same editorial standards as your ad copy. This means: no words in ALL CAPS for emphasis (except genuine acronyms), no repeated exclamation marks, correct spelling throughout, no phone numbers in the text fields, and no gimmicky symbols. A promotion asset with "MASSIVE SALE!!!! 50% OFF EVERYTHING!!!!" will be disapproved for editorial violations. Write it naturally and professionally: "50% off all items — this week only."
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Update occasion-specific promotion assets before their 6-month staleness limit — they are automatically paused if untouched
Google automatically pauses promotion assets that are linked to a specific occasion (e.g., "Back-to-School," "Valentine's Day," "Black Friday") if they have not been modified in 6 months. If your occasion-specific promotions are no longer running, delete them. If they are still active, open and re-save them to reset the 6-month counter. Additionally, occasion-specific promotion assets must be created or edited within 6 months of their start date to be eligible to serve.
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Ensure your promotion asset content is relevant to the same advertiser and same product as the ad it is attached to
All fields in a promotion asset must represent the same advertiser and be relevant to the product or service being advertised in the attached ad. You cannot attach a promotion asset for Brand A's products to an ad that promotes Brand B's services. You also cannot use a promotion asset for "20% off shoes" on an ad campaign that promotes handbags. The promotion and the ad must be for the same product or service.
Coupon Codes & Discount Requirements
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Test every coupon code or promo code mentioned in your ads — it must work and apply the exact discount stated
If your ad or promotion asset mentions a coupon code or discount code — "Use code SAVE20 for 20% off" — Google's reviewers will test that code on your website. If the code returns an error, applies a different discount, only works for certain products not mentioned in the ad, or has expired, the promotion will be disapproved. Before your ad goes live and after any website changes, test your coupon code yourself from the ad's landing page in a private browser.
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If you advertise free or discounted shipping with a code, ensure the shipping is only free after the code is applied — not already free by default
A common rejection reason in Merchant Center promotions: you advertise "Free shipping with code FREESHIP" but free shipping is already the default for all orders on your site, so the code provides no additional benefit. Google disapproves promotions where the benefit is already available without the code. If you offer free shipping via a code, ensure that standard shipping applies without the code and free shipping applies only after the code is entered.
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Do not advertise a code in your ad if no code is needed — and do not require a code on the landing page if none was mentioned in the ad
Both directions of this mismatch are problems. If your ad says "20% off — no code needed" but the landing page requires a code to get the discount, that is a violation. Equally, if your ad mentions a specific code but the landing page gives the discount automatically without requiring anyone to enter a code, that is also a mismatch. The ad and the landing page must tell the same story about whether a code is required.
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Ensure the discount value meets minimum thresholds for Merchant Center Shopping promotions
For Shopping ad promotions submitted through Google Merchant Center, the discount must meet minimum value thresholds. In the US and UK, the minimum is $5 USD / £5 GBP or 5% off. Similar minimum thresholds apply in Canada ($5 CAD), Australia ($5 AUD), and most EU countries (€5 EUR). A promotion offering "5p off" or "1% off" will be rejected as insufficient benefit to the consumer. Check your local currency threshold before submitting.
Shopping Promotions in Google Merchant Center
ℹ️Shopping promotions are managed in Google Merchant Center under the Promotions section — not in Google Ads. When approved, they show a "Special offer" badge on your Shopping ads. They are reviewed separately and require a separate resubmission if disapproved.
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Ensure the promotion's long title accurately describes the discount and matches the product applicability setting
Your promotion's long title (e.g., "10% off all women's shoes") must match the Product Applicability setting you chose. If the title says "storewide" but Product Applicability is set to "specific_products," it will be disapproved. If the title says "10% off women's shoes" but Product Applicability is set to "all_products," it will be disapproved. The title and the applicability setting must tell the same story — Google checks both to confirm they match.
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Verify the promotion's discount is additional — not a discount already reflected in your product listing price
Google disapproves promotions where the discounted price is already the price shown in the Shopping ad listing — because the user gets no additional benefit from the "promotion." For example, if your product is already listed at the sale price in your feed, you cannot also submit a promotion showing the same price reduction. The promotion badge must represent a genuinely additional saving the customer receives at checkout that they would not get from the listed price alone.
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Check that at least one eligible, in-stock product exists in the locale your promotion targets
A Shopping promotion will be disapproved if the products it covers are all out of stock, or if it is set to a locale (country and currency) where none of your products are listed. Go to Merchant Center → Promotions, check the locale setting, and cross-reference with your product feed to confirm in-stock products exist in that locale. If all products covered by the promotion are currently out of stock, pause the promotion until stock is replenished.
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After fixing a Merchant Center promotion disapproval, use "Request a retest" — not just edit and resubmit without requesting a retest
After fixing the issue in your Shopping promotion, you must actively request a retest. Go to Merchant Center → Promotions → find the disapproved promotion → click the speech bubble icon in the Status column → select "Request a retest." Simply editing the promotion without clicking Request a retest will not trigger Google's review. The retest process involves Google testing your coupon code and verifying the offer is available as described.
Price Accuracy & Transparency
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Fix all price mismatches between your ad copy and landing page — the price must be identical
Any price stated in your ad must match the price on the landing page at the moment of the click. This includes: the headline price, the "from" price, any "was/now" price comparison, and any price shown in promotion assets. If your landing page uses dynamic pricing that can change (e.g., based on location, stock level, or membership status), ensure your ad reflects the price the majority of users will actually see — not a best-case price only available to a subset of visitors.
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Do not use misleading was/now price comparisons — the original "was" price must have been a genuine prior selling price
A "was £100, now £49" claim requires the item to have genuinely sold at £100 for a meaningful period before being reduced. Inflating the original price to make a discount look bigger than it is — also known as false reference pricing — violates both Google's promotional offers policy and consumer protection law in most countries. Your "was" price must reflect a real price at which the product was genuinely offered and sold, not a price it was briefly listed at without ever selling.
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Disclose all conditions attached to a promotional price before the user reaches checkout
If a promotional price requires a minimum spend, a specific membership, the use of a specific payment method, or a particular quantity, these conditions must be clearly stated before checkout — not revealed only at the payment page. For example, "£29.99 for new customers only" must appear on or near the price on the landing page. Hidden conditions that materially change who can access the offer are a misrepresentation violation on top of the promotional offers violation.
Writing Compliant Promotional Ad Copy
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Remove vague promotional language that does not describe a specific, real offer
Generic promotional phrases like "Amazing deals," "Unbeatable prices," "Huge savings," "Best offers," or "Incredible discounts" with no specific discount amount, sale price, or offer details are flagged as unclear or misleading promotional content. Google expects promotional language to be specific and truthful. Replace "Huge savings on shoes" with "Up to 40% off selected footwear" — a real, verifiable claim that matches what is on your site.
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Avoid false urgency — "Only 2 left," "Offer ends today," and "Limited time" must be genuinely accurate
Urgency language — countdown timers that reset, stock scarcity claims that are not real, or "today only" offers that run every day — are promotional misrepresentations. If you use urgency language, it must be accurate. If your offer genuinely expires at midnight tonight, "today only" is fine. If the same "today only" offer has been running for three months, it is a violation. False urgency also risks violating consumer protection regulations in many countries independently of Google's rules.
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Ensure promotional ad copy follows all standard editorial rules — correct capitalisation, punctuation, and spelling
All of Google's editorial standards apply to promotional ad copy — capitalisation, punctuation, and spelling rules still apply when writing about a sale or offer. "MASSIVE SALE 50% OFF!!!" violates editorial standards on capitalisation and punctuation regardless of the fact that the offer might be real. Write your promotional copy professionally: "Save up to 50% — sale ends Sunday" is both compliant and compelling.
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Do not use trademark names of other brands in your promotional ad copy without authorisation
Promotional ad copy that uses another brand's trademarked name — "Cheaper than Amazon," "Better deals than ASOS," "Match any price from Nike" — may trigger both the Promotional Offers policy and the Trademarks policy. Even legitimate comparative advertising must comply with trademark law in your jurisdiction and with Google's policies. If you are an authorised reseller of a brand, you may be permitted to use their name — but only with proper authorisation on file with Google.
Fixing Disapprovals & Requesting a Review
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Fix the actual offer or ad content before requesting a review — do not request a review while the problem still exists
Whether you are fixing a disapproved ad, a promotion asset, or a Shopping promotion, the fix must happen before the review is requested. For ads: edit the ad copy or landing page, then click "Request review." For promotion assets: edit the asset in Assets → Promotions, save it, then the review is triggered automatically. For Shopping promotions: edit the promotion in Merchant Center, then click "Request a retest" from the Promotions dashboard. Google's reviewer will check your live website — the fix must be in place.
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For ad-level disapprovals, edit the ad and use "Request review" in Ads & assets
In your Google Ads account, go to Ads & assets. Find the disapproved ad. Make the necessary edits to the ad copy (e.g., remove the expired offer, correct the price, update the promotional text). Then click the three-dot menu next to the ad and select "Request review." Promotional ad disapprovals are reviewed manually and typically take 1–3 business days. Do not submit multiple review requests for the same ad while one is in progress.
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For promotion asset disapprovals, edit the asset in Assets → Promotions — saving triggers an automatic re-review
To fix a disapproved promotion asset, go to Assets → Promotions in your Google Ads account. Click on the disapproved promotion asset, make the necessary changes (fix the editorial issue, update the destination URL, correct the offer details), and save. Saving a modified promotion asset automatically triggers a re-review — you do not need to separately click "Request review." The asset will show "Under review" status while being processed.
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Set up a process to review and update all promotional ads and assets before offers expire
The most preventable promotional violation is running an ad for an expired offer. Create a simple calendar-based system: whenever you create a promotional ad or asset with a time limit, set a calendar reminder for one day before the offer expires. This gives you time to pause or update the ad before Google flags it. If you use a CRM or marketing calendar, log every promotional ad alongside its offer end date and assign someone responsible for pausing it on time.
Need expert help fixing your promotional offer violations?
Muhammad Umair specialises in Google Ads policy violations, account compliance, and performance management. Get specific, account-level guidance — not generic advice you could find anywhere.