Google Ads account suspended: what to do

In short

When an account is suspended, Google stops all its ads and the account becomes read-only. Creating new accounts to keep running the same ads is not allowed — it violates the circumventing systems policy, which leads to immediate suspension and no right to advertise again. The right path is to find the cause, fix it and appeal from the notification in the account. You have at least six months to appeal.

What happens when an account is suspended

When Google suspends an account for a policy violation:

all ads in the account stop running;
the account becomes read-only: you can view reports, make payments, update security settings, request refunds, cancel the account and appeal;
related accounts — for example, ones with the same payment method — may be suspended too;
new accounts the advertiser tries to create may also be suspended.

A suspension is considered permanent until an appeal is approved. Every advertiser has at least six months from the suspension date to appeal.

How Google enforces: warnings and strikes

Google’s rules distinguish regular and egregious violations.

Regular violations. First you get a warning. Repeat violations of the same policy earn strikes — up to three per policy — and the penalty grows with each one. Google sends a notice at least 7 days before a suspension.
Egregious violations. Violations that are unlawful or cause significant harm to users. For these the account is suspended immediately and without warning.

Common reasons

Circumventing systems. For example, trying to come back to Google Ads with new accounts after a suspension, running similar ads on new websites or giving false information during verification.
Repeat violations of one policy — through the strike system.
Billing problems. Unpaid balances, suspicious payments, disputing legitimate charges through your bank, misuse of promo codes.
Advertiser verification. If Google requested verification and it wasn’t completed in time, the account may be paused.
Unauthorized activity — outsiders gaining access to the account.

What not to do

Don’t create new accounts to keep running the same ads. Google’s circumventing systems policy names this a violation directly: after a suspension you may not try to use Google Ads again through new accounts. Such violations are considered egregious, they lead to immediate suspension, and the advertiser is no longer allowed to advertise on Google Ads. Google recommends reinstating suspended accounts first and only then creating new ones.

The same applies to agency accounts: if the ads break the rules, a new account from an agency is also circumvention. An honest provider will refuse in that case.

Step-by-step

Read the notification in the account and the email from Google: it names the policy.
Find the cause on your website and in your ads: what exactly doesn’t comply with the policies.
Check related accounts. Google advises making sure all related accounts comply with its policies before you appeal.
Fix the website, ads and settings.
Submit an appeal through the “Contact us” link in the notification. Explain what was wrong and what you fixed, and attach examples.
Complete advertiser verification if Google requests it. More in our article on advertiser verification.
Wait for a response. One appeal at a time, and a separate one for each account. If it’s rejected, you can appeal again the same way.

If the suspension is about billing

Billing suspensions work differently. Sometimes it’s not a suspension but a pause: confirming your payment method or making a payment is enough. Don’t dispute legitimate Google charges through your bank — that alone can lead to a suspension. How to avoid card declines is covered in “Bank declines Google Ads payments”.

How to reduce the risk in advance

Check your website against Google’s policies for your niche before launch.
For gambling, get a license and Google certification; for financial services, complete verification in the countries where it’s required. Details in our article on regulated niches.
Don’t give unnecessary people access to the account, and turn on two-step verification.
Keep payments stable: no declines and no chargebacks.

Before launching with Gads, you can check your website for free against Google data, Gads data and the laws of your country and niche. It’s not a Google ruling and not a guarantee, but a list of fixes before launch saves weeks.

Sources

Questions

How much time do I have to appeal?

According to Google’s help center, every advertiser has at least six months from the suspension date. Without a successful appeal the suspension is considered permanent.

Can I submit several appeals at once?

Google asks you to submit one appeal at a time and a separate one for each suspended account. If it sees signs of misuse, it can pause processing of appeals for 7 days.

Is an account replacement at Gads a way around a suspension?

No. We first check the cause of the restriction and apply the platform’s procedures. A replacement is not meant for continuing ads that break Google’s rules — in that case Gads may refuse it.

Does Google warn before suspending an account?

For regular violations, yes: the notice comes at least 7 days before the suspension. For egregious violations, such as circumventing systems, the account is suspended immediately and without warning.

Gads.agency editorial teamArticles are written by the Gads platform team, based on Google’s Help Center and our experience with clients.

Google Ads account restricted: what to do