Ad review
Ad review is the check Meta runs on every new ad, and on edits to a running one, before it can deliver. It compares the ad's images, video, text, targeting and destination with Meta's Advertising Standards, mostly with automated systems. Meta says most ads are reviewed within 24 hours, sets no upper limit, and can review an approved ad again at any time.
How long does Meta's ad review take?
Meta's About ads in review says: "Most ads are reviewed within 24 hours, although in some cases it may take longer." The Transparency Center's Advertising Standards say the same in other words, and neither gives a figure per format, per account age or per season. Meta also says how the work is done:
Our ad review system relies primarily on automated technology to apply our Advertising Standards to the millions of ads that are run across Meta technologies.
What does Meta's review check?
Meta says the review "may include the review of specific components of an ad", including images, video or text, targeting information, the ad destination, special ad categories and advertiser permissions. One line is worth knowing before you treat an approval as final:
An ad may not be reviewed against all policies before delivering impressions, although all ads are subject to re-review at any time.
Which edits send an ad back to review?
From the same page: "If you make edits to a previously scheduled or running ad or ad set, a new review process will be initiated." The edits that trigger it, next to the ones that restart the learning phase, which is a different list:
| Edit | New review? | Can restart learning? |
|---|---|---|
| Targeting | Yes | Yes |
| Creative (images, text, links or videos) | Yes | Yes |
| Optimization | Yes | Yes |
| Billing event | Yes | Not on Meta's list |
| Bid amount, budget | No | Depends on the size of the change |
| Ad set schedule | No | Not on Meta's list |
Meta's wording for the second group: "Changes to your ad's bid amount, budget or ad set schedule will not trigger review."
Can an approved ad be reviewed again?
Yes. The Transparency Center: "Ads remain subject to review and re-review at all times." Meta's page on ads approved, then rejected lists reasons, including "if people hide, block, report or otherwise provide negative feedback about an ad", and adds: "you won't be notified unless it's found to violate our Advertising Standards."
If an ad is rejected, Meta's troubleshooting page aims to decide a re-review "within 48 hours", relying "more heavily on teams of human reviewers". You get one request per ad, and "If you delete the ad, you may lose your ability to request another review".
What it means for your ads
- Submit a day early. Twenty-four hours is the typical case, not a ceiling. An ad set to start right away "starts running once it's been reviewed", so the wait comes out of launch day unless you schedule ahead.
- Batch your edits to live ads. A creative or targeting change starts a new review and can restart learning too.
- Fix the flagged part, not the whole ad. Meta's advice is to "review the policy-violating components" and update them; which part to change depends on the policy.
Common mistakes
- Reading Preparing as still in review. Meta's status table says Preparing means "The ad successfully passed review".
- Deleting a rejected ad you think was wrong. Appeal first; deleting can forfeit it.
Sources
- About ads in review — Meta Business Help Center: "Most ads are reviewed within 24 hours", automated review, what review may include, and which edits do and don't trigger it (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- Introduction to the Advertising Standards — Meta Transparency Center: "Ads remain subject to review and re-review at all times" (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- Why some ads are approved, then rejected — Meta Business Help Center: reasons for re-review and "you won't be notified" (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- About scheduling ads — Meta Business Help Center: "it starts running once it's been reviewed" (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- View campaign, ad set or ad delivery status in Meta Ads Manager — Meta Business Help Center: the Preparing status (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- Significant edits and learning phase — Meta Business Help Center: the edits that restart learning (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- How to troubleshoot a rejected ad — Meta Business Help Center: the 48-hour re-review, one request per ad, deleting forfeits it, "review the policy-violating components" (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-09-20)
Meta's help pages are client-rendered and show no date; they were read in a real browser for the review-time post and the rejection post, on the dates listed. Meta revises them without notice, so check the source before acting on any of it.
Terrads makes your next batch of creatives, sized for each placement, so it can go into review a day before launch instead of on the day.