Destination requirements

Google prioritizes user experience across all its products, and a key part of this is fostering a safe and trustworthy environment within the Google ad network. The Destination Requirements policy ensures that when users click on an ad and are sent to a landing page, that website is functional, useful, and easy to navigate. This also creates an ads ecosystem that’s supportive to advertisers and the people who interact with their brand through these ads.

In this article

• Destination not working
• Destination mismatch
• Destination not crawlable
• Destination not accessible
• Destination experience
• Insufficient original content
• App or web store policy violation
• Unacceptable URL
• Unrecognized app
• Unverified phone number
• Unacceptable phone number
• Steps to override user agent with Chrome DevTools

Destination not working

Google requires that your ad destination and contents work on common browsers and devices so users are led to a functional ad destination.

The following would lead to disapproval for Destination not working:

 Destinations that don't function properly or have been set up incorrectly.

 Destinations that return an HTTP error code for Google AdsBot web crawlers on common devices globally.

Learn more about the Destination not working policy.

Destination mismatch

Google requires ads to accurately reflect which app or website the user is being directed to when they click on the ad.

The following would lead to disapproval for Destination mismatch:

The domain or domain extension in the display URL doesn’t match the final and mobile URLs where users are taken to

Failing to use a subdomain to clearly identify a site from all other sites hosted on that domain or from the parent domain

Redirects from the final URL that take the user to a different domain

Tracking template or expanded URL that don’t lead to the same content as the final URL

Learn more about the Destination mismatch policy.

Destination not crawlable

Google requires that your ad destination and contents are crawlable by Google AdsBot web crawlers so we can make sure that users are led to an ad destination that reflects the ad they have clicked on.

The following would lead to disapproval for Destination not crawlable:

Destinations that aren’t crawlable by Google Ads

Learn more about the Destination not crawlable policy.

Destination not accessible

Google requires ads to be accessible in the targeted location.

The following would lead to disapproval for Destination not accessible:

Destinations that aren’t accessible in the targeted location

Destination experience

Google requires that ad destinations must be easy to navigate and safe for users clicking on an ad on the Google Ad network.

The following would lead to disapproval for Destination experience:

Destinations or content that are unnecessarily difficult or frustrating to navigate

Links that initiate a direct download from the ad or that lead to an email address or a file

Destinations that contain abusive experiences

Destinations containing ad experiences that do not don’t conform to the Better Ads Standards. For more information about the types of disallowed ad experiences, please visit the Coalition for Better Ads website

Learn more about the Destination experience policy.

Insufficient original content

Google Ads prioritizes providing a positive user experience, so ad destinations must offer unique value to users.

The following would lead to disapproval for Insufficient original content:

Destination content that is designed for the primary purpose of showing ads

Destination content that is replicated from another source without adding value in the form of original content or additional functionality

Destinations that are solely designed to send users elsewhere

Destinations that display a message of the destination not providing any services

Destinations that are incomprehensible or don’t make sense

Learn more about the Insufficient original content policy.

App or web store policy violation

Google requires that your app or web store destinations adhere to Google app or web store policies.

The following would lead to disapproval for App or web store policy violation:

Destinations that violate their app or web store policies

Learn more about the App or web store policy violation policy.

Unacceptable URL

The following would lead to disapproval for Unacceptable URL: 

URLs that do not don’t follow standard syntax

Using an IP address as the display URL

Display URLs that use unacceptable characters

Learn more about the Unacceptable URL policy.

Unrecognized app

The following scenarios would lead to disapproval for Unrecognized app:

Apps that cannot can’t be recognized by Google

Learn more about the Unrecognized app policy.

Unverified phone number

Google requires that the phone numbers in call-only ads, call assets, message assets, and location assets must be in service in the location you’re targeting and relate to the advertised company.

The following would lead to disapproval for Unverified phone number in call-only ads, call assets, and location assets:

Phone numbers that haven’t been verified by Google

Learn more about the Unverified phone number policy.

Unacceptable phone number

Google requires that the phone numbers in call-only ads, call assets, and location assets must be in service in the location you’re targeting and relate to the advertised company.

The following would lead to disapproval for Unacceptable phone number in call-only ads, call assets, and location assets:

Phone numbers that are inaccurate, inactive, irrelevant, or that don't connect to the advertised company

Fax numbers, premium numbers, or vanity numbers

Phone numbers that aren’t local or domestic for the country location you are you’re targeting

Virtual phone number services or personal numbering

Phone numbers that don’t have an active voicemail service

Learn more about the Unacceptable phone number policy.

Override user agent with Chrome DevTools

You can use Chrome DevTools to override your web browser's user agent in order to mimic the Google AdsBot web crawler used to review destination URLs.

Need help?

If you have questions about our policies, contact Google Ads Support.