🌎 Google Ads Policy Violation — Action Required

Fix Your Google Ads
Destination Requirements
Violation

30-Point Compliance Checklist

A Destination Requirements violation means Google found a problem with the page your ad sends people to — your landing page. This could be that it does not load, it does not match your ad, it is missing key information, or it causes a poor user experience. Every item below is something Google checks before approving your ads. Fix them all before submitting your appeal.

✓ 30 checks across 5 categories
✓ Plain-English explanations
✓ Saves your progress
✓ Download your report anytime
Your Fix Progress
0 / 30 Fixed
0% complete Tick each item as you fix it ↓
🔌
Page Accessibility & Loading
Google must be able to reach, open, and fully load your landing page — if it cannot, your ad will be disapproved
0/7
My landing page loads correctly and does not show a 404 error, "page not found" message, or blank white screen
Google's automated system visits your landing page every time it reviews your ad. If the page returns a 404 (not found) or 500 (server error) status code, or simply loads a blank page, the ad is automatically disapproved. Check your URL by opening it in a fresh browser window in incognito mode — if it does not load perfectly, fix the page before anything else.
Critical
My landing page is not behind a login, password, or paywall that blocks Google from seeing the content
If your destination URL requires users to log in before they can see the page content, Google cannot review it. This includes pages behind a members-only gate, a password-protected section of your website, or a paywall. The landing page must be fully visible to anyone visiting the URL without logging in.
Critical
My landing page is not set to "coming soon," "under maintenance," or "under construction" mode
A page displaying a maintenance message — even temporarily — will cause ads pointing to that URL to be disapproved. If you are making changes to your site, either pause your ads while the page is offline, or use a different landing page URL that is fully live and functional while you work on the main one.
Critical
My landing page URL uses HTTPS — not the old insecure HTTP version
Google requires all landing pages to use a secure HTTPS connection. If your URL still starts with "http://" instead of "https://", your ad will be disapproved. Check your SSL certificate is installed and working. If your site loads as http://, contact your web host to enable SSL, which is usually available for free through services like Let's Encrypt.
Critical
My landing page loads within a reasonable time — it does not take more than a few seconds to show content
A slow-loading page does not necessarily cause a policy disapproval on its own, but extremely slow pages (taking 10+ seconds to load) that show nothing until fully loaded can be flagged. More importantly, slow pages significantly harm your Quality Score, which affects ad costs and ranking. Use Google's PageSpeed Insights tool to check your page speed and fix any major issues.
Important
My landing page works properly on mobile devices — it is not broken, zoomed out, or displaying incorrectly on a phone screen
The majority of Google Ad clicks happen on mobile. A page that looks correct on a desktop but is broken, unreadable, or dysfunctional on a phone is considered a poor destination experience. Test your landing page on a real mobile device or use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool to confirm it works properly on small screens.
Critical
My landing page does not trigger any automatic file downloads when someone visits it without clicking anything
A landing page that automatically downloads a PDF, software installer, or any other file the moment someone lands on it is in violation of destination requirements. All downloads must only happen when the user actively clicks a clearly labelled download button. Automatic downloads are treated as potentially harmful behaviour.
Critical
🔗
Ad & Landing Page Relevance
What your ad promises must be exactly what the landing page delivers — any gap is a violation
0/6
The product or service shown in my ad is immediately visible and clearly available on the landing page
If your ad says "Shop Women's Running Shoes" but your landing page shows your full general shoe catalogue without any specific women's running shoe section or heading, that is a mismatch. The exact thing your ad mentions must be prominently visible as soon as someone arrives on the page — they should not have to search for it.
Critical
Any price, discount, or offer mentioned in my ad is clearly visible and accurate on the landing page right now
If your ad says "50% Off This Week" but the landing page shows the full price with no discount applied, that is a destination mismatch and a misrepresentation violation. Every offer in your ad must be reflected on the landing page at the time someone clicks. If a sale has ended, update or pause the ad immediately.
Critical
My display URL domain matches the actual domain of my landing page
The domain shown in your ad (the display URL) must be the same domain as the actual page users land on. If your display URL shows "myshop.com" but clicking the ad takes users to "another-domain.net," this is a destination mismatch. The paths in the display URL can differ from the actual URL path, but the root domain must always match.
Critical
My landing page does not redirect users to a completely different website or domain after they click my ad
If the URL in your ad goes to page A, but page A immediately redirects to page B on a completely different domain, this is a redirect violation. Google allows redirects within the same domain or between closely related entities, but redirecting to an unrelated third-party domain after the user clicks your ad is against destination requirements.
Critical
My landing page does not show different content to Google's review bots versus what real users see (cloaking)
Cloaking means detecting that a visitor is Google's automated reviewer and showing them a clean, policy-compliant page, while showing real users something different — often more aggressive sales content or restricted offers. This is one of the most serious violations and results in permanent account bans. Never use cloaking techniques of any kind.
Critical
The language of my landing page matches the language used in my ad
If your ad is in English but your landing page is in a different language — or vice versa — this creates a confusing experience that Google considers a destination requirement failure. The language of the ad and the landing page must match. If you target multiple languages, use separate landing pages and ad groups for each language.
Important
📄
Required Page Content
Google requires certain information to be present on every landing page — missing any of these causes disapprovals
0/6
My landing page clearly identifies what business is behind the page — including a business name and at least one way to contact them
Google requires that every landing page clearly shows who is responsible for the page. This means your business name must be visible (not just in the logo) and there must be at least one contact method — a phone number, email address, or contact form. Anonymous pages with no identifiable business behind them will be disapproved.
Critical
My landing page has a Privacy Policy that is clearly accessible — usually linked in the footer
If your landing page collects any personal information from users — including email addresses, phone numbers, or payment details — a Privacy Policy must be present and clearly accessible. A landing page with a lead capture form but no visible Privacy Policy link will be disapproved. Place the Privacy Policy link in the footer of every page.
Critical
If my landing page sells products or services, it has Terms and Conditions or Terms of Service that users can access
E-commerce pages and service businesses are expected to provide clear terms of service. This does not need to be a lengthy legal document, but there should be a page that explains the rules of doing business with you — including your return policy, cancellation terms, and any applicable guarantees. Link to it from the footer of your landing page.
Important
If my page collects payment information, it clearly displays the total price — including any fees, taxes, or shipping — before asking for card details
Any checkout or payment page must show the complete cost before asking the user to enter their payment details. Hiding fees until after payment information has been entered (drip pricing) violates destination requirements. The final, complete price must be shown clearly on the same page as the payment form.
Critical
If my landing page offers a subscription or recurring billing, this is clearly stated before the user signs up — not buried in small print
Subscription billing must be disclosed prominently — not just in the fine print at the bottom. The billing frequency, amount, and any free trial terms must be stated in a clear, readable way on the same page where the user signs up. If someone could reasonably complete a sign-up without realising it is a subscription, your page does not meet destination requirements.
Critical
My landing page clearly explains what the user will get or what will happen after they submit a form, click a button, or make a purchase
A page with a form that gives no indication of what happens when you click "Submit" is considered an incomplete or confusing destination. Users must be able to understand: what they are getting, when they will get it, and what happens next. Add a brief confirmation statement near any call-to-action button (e.g., "We will contact you within 24 hours").
Important
👤
User Experience & Navigation
Landing pages must give visitors a proper, respectful experience — not trap, confuse, or frustrate them
0/6
My landing page has a working back button — it does not trap users or prevent them from leaving using browser navigation
Some landing pages use JavaScript to intercept the browser's back button and either show a pop-up, redirect the user back to the same page, or open multiple windows when the user tries to leave. This is called a "back-button trap" and is explicitly prohibited by Google's destination requirements. Your page must allow users to navigate away freely using standard browser controls.
Critical
My landing page does not open multiple new browser windows or tabs without the user asking it to
Opening unsolicited pop-up windows or new browser tabs when someone arrives on your page or tries to leave is considered disruptive and deceptive behaviour. Each window or tab that opens should be a direct result of the user clicking something. Unsolicited window-opening is a violation of destination requirements.
Critical
My landing page does not display interstitial pop-ups or full-screen overlays that completely block the main content immediately on arrival
Showing a large pop-up or modal overlay that covers the entire page as soon as someone arrives — before they can see any of the page content — is considered a poor destination experience. Entry pop-ups that prevent users from accessing the page content are a violation. Cookie consent banners are generally acceptable as they have a visible way to dismiss them.
Critical
My landing page does not use misleading navigation elements — like fake "close" buttons that actually navigate somewhere else
Using an "X" button or a "No thanks" link that does not close a pop-up but instead redirects the user to a different page, subscribes them to something, or performs an action they did not intend is a deceptive UI pattern. Every navigation element on your page must do exactly what it appears to do.
Critical
All links and buttons on my landing page work correctly — there are no broken links, dead buttons, or elements that appear clickable but do nothing
Broken links and non-functional buttons on a landing page signal to Google that the page is low quality or abandoned. Test every link, button, and form element on your landing page. Any element that does not work as expected needs to be fixed or removed before your ad can be approved.
Important
My landing page does not play audio or video automatically at high volume without the user clicking play
Auto-playing media — especially with sound — is considered an intrusive and disruptive experience. Videos that automatically play with sound when a user arrives on the page are a destination experience violation. If you use video on your landing page, make sure it is set to not autoplay, or if it does autoplay, ensure it is muted by default with a visible volume control.
Important
📋
Your Appeal & Final Checks
Before submitting your appeal, confirm every one of these — a single missed issue will get your appeal rejected
0/5
I have tested my landing page in a private/incognito browser window to confirm it loads exactly as a first-time visitor would see it
Your regular browser may have cached a version of your page, show you a logged-in version, or display content differently from what a new visitor sees. Always test your landing page in a fresh incognito window. If possible, also test it on a different device and on a mobile connection — this is exactly how Google's review system will approach it.
Critical
I have checked that the exact final destination URL in my ad — including any tracking parameters — still works correctly and loads the right page
Many advertisers add UTM tracking parameters to their URLs (e.g., "?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc"). These parameters must not break the page. Copy your complete final URL — with all tracking parameters included — and paste it into an incognito browser to confirm the page loads correctly with those parameters present.
Critical
I have audited every ad in every campaign to make sure no other ads point to landing pages that have the same issues
Google reviews your entire account when processing a destination requirements appeal. If you fix the specific landing page that was flagged but other ads in your account also point to non-compliant pages, your appeal will be rejected. Check every active ad's destination URL and confirm all landing pages meet the same standards.
Critical
My appeal specifically describes which destination requirement was violated, what the page looked like before, and exactly what I changed to fix it
A strong appeal for a destination requirements violation includes: (1) the specific URL that was flagged, (2) exactly what was wrong with it (e.g., "the page required users to log in before viewing content"), (3) what you changed (e.g., "I have made the landing page publicly accessible without login"), and (4) confirmation that all other landing pages in the account have been reviewed. Generic appeals are rejected.
Critical
I have waited at least a few hours after making all changes before submitting my appeal — to allow Google's systems to re-crawl my updated page
Google's systems may have a cached version of your old, non-compliant page. After making all your fixes, wait a minimum of a few hours (ideally 24 hours) before submitting your appeal. This gives Google's crawlers time to re-index your updated page. Submitting immediately after making changes risks Google reviewing the old cached version and rejecting the appeal.
Important
⚠️
These Critical items are still unresolved — they appear as "Fix Needed" in your downloaded report
🌐 Destination Policy Specialist

Still getting ads disapproved after fixing these issues?

Destination Requirements violations can be tricky — sometimes the issue is a technical problem on your website, and sometimes it is a mismatch between your ad and your page that is not immediately obvious. I review your full account and landing pages and identify exactly what Google is objecting to.

Book Your Spot with Umair →
Built by Muhammad Umair — Performance Marketing Specialist
Based on Google Ads Destination Requirements policy guidelines.
×

Let's Grow Together

Enter your details to discuss high-performance marketing strategies.

✓

Message Sent!

Expect a response from my consultancy within 24 hours.