We take legal requirements and user safety very seriously, so account suspensions are related to actions that could put Google, its partners, or its users at risk. Accounts will be suspended if the advertiser violates AdWords policies or Terms and Conditions in an egregious or repeated manner.

A suspended Adwords account will not run any ads, and advertisers will not be able to create any new content. Any related AdWords accounts will also be suspended, along with any new accounts that the advertiser tries to create in the future. If an account has any Merchant Center accounts linked, they may also be affected for the same suspension reason.

Advertisers can still access a suspended account and associated reports, even though they can’t run ads.

Common reasons for account suspension

While we encourage advertisers to learn about the reason for their account suspension, note that some reasons are so egregious that the account can never be re-enabled. Learn how to fix a suspended account.

Policy violation

Some policies, such as Abusing the ad network and Misrepresentation, are sensitive enough that violations will result in account suspension.

Unpaid balance

If an account has an unpaid balance, it will be temporarily suspended. This kind of suspension can be resolved by making a payment for the amount owed. Learn how to make a payment.

Chargeback

If you instruct your bank or credit card company to reverse a charge that was paid against a legitimate AdWords balance, also known as a chargeback, your account will be suspended. You can resolve the issue by making a payment to cover the unpaid balance.

Promotional code abuse

If an advertiser tries to sell promotional codes or use more than one promotional code on their accounts, the associated account will be suspended. For more information, see the country-specific terms and conditions for promotional codes.

Suspicious payments

If we detect suspicious or fraudulent payment activity on an account, we may restrict how much the account can spend or suspend the account immediately. A common example of suspicious activity is using a stolen credit card to pay for advertising.

Unauthorized access

If we detect that an unauthorized user is trying to access an AdWords account, we’ll suspend the account to protect the account owner from unauthorized charges. If your account is suspended for this reason, report the issue and we’ll help you secure your account so you can start running ads again.

Repeated violations

If an advertiser repeatedly violates the AdWords advertising policies, the account may be suspended.

Prevent a suspension

The best way to prevent an account suspension is to promptly address policy violations and make regular payments to your AdWords account. If you think your ad was incorrectly disapproved, let us know.

Keep your contact information current in your account and opt in to receiving emails for ad disapprovals so you’ll receive notifications about issues with your account.

Finally, make sure that you’re doing everything you can to keep your account secure by monitoring user profiles, checking your systems for malware, and using strong authentication. Learn more about how to keep your account secure