Google AdWords
I’ve recently noticed a frustrating AdWords trend.
It seems like every new ad I create takes longer and longer to actually begin running.
Depending on the client, and which AdWords GUI format they’re using, the new ads assume the label of ‘under review’ or ‘Active’, but in either case the ads exist in a state of limbo, unable to accrue impressions or clicks.
Now I understand that there are millions of new AdWords ads submitted everyday, and each one must be reviewed and approved before running, so I don’t expect immediate action. It used to be, however, that new ads would be up & running within a day or two max, after being initially submitted. Lately I’ve had ads that were still waiting to be reviewed a week after I first created and posted them.
I’ve called Google support several times about this issue and it might just be me, but with each new call the reps seem to be getting more and more aggravated about my bringing this issue to their attention.
The most recent Google support person I spoke with told me that it can take up to “48 business hours” for new ads to be reviewed and approved.
48 business hours? What does that mean? Is that six 8-hour business days? It wasn’t until after I got off the phone with the Google rep that I thought about precisely what she had said, so I’m left to wonder.
In any event, there is no doubt that I’ve seen a consistent trend recently of new ads requiring more and more time before they begin running.
My only guess is that with the recent layoffs at Google, numbering in either the hundreds or thousands depending on who you believe, there are fewer Googlers reviewing ads which has lead to the greatly increased approval times.
Regardless of the reason, it’s getting very frustrating.
Has anyone else experienced similar frustrations?
Two days have passed my ads are not still under heading “Review Pending”. I searched the reason for it and got you all people response. This is really a big matter of concern. I also got something interesting at google forum commented by Tom Hale ” I have lost some temporary faith in the AdWords trouble shooting tools and the availability of human trouble shooting from inside Google. The former seem to be technical issues arising out of some new “things” being instituted by Google. The latter seems to be related to Google’s changing outlook towards service and low volume advertisers. Which is of course a very subjective opinion on my part.” Check out at this link http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/AdWords/thread?tid=2be9f16333be936b&hl=en
Two days have passed my ads are not still under heading \"Review Pending\". I searched the reason for it and got you all people response. This is really a big matter of concern. I also got something interesting at google forum commented by Tom Hale \" I have lost some temporary faith in the AdWords trouble shooting tools and the availability of human trouble shooting from inside Google. The former seem to be technical issues arising out of some new \"things\" being instituted by Google. The latter seems to be related to Google\’s changing outlook towards service and low volume advertisers. Which is of course a very subjective opinion on my part.\" Check out at this link http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/AdWords/thread?tid=2be9f16333be936b&hl=en
I submitted 10 ads 20 days ago, only 3 of them were changed to Active status. The rest ads have been stuck in the Under Review state. I’m going to change the budget to $100/day. Let’s see what happen
Looks to me like Google don’t want our money, so I have started testing alternative networks, be good to hear what other networks people get good results on.
Thank you very much for this discussion. I have been going through all of the same problems, and was taking it personally. Given Google’s scale and scope, and track record of success, the ongoing dysfunction of their customer service is astounding. It’s actually nice to know that there’s a nail in one of their tires. I loved the comment about Google being /Under Review/. Lightened up my day. Sun’s out, I’m going outside. Was buy Google, now bye Google.
I agree with the earlier posts–this is very frustrating.
I’m curious if people have experienced the same delay after pausing or requesting their ads stop running? Hopefully not because this end of the waiting game, I can handle, but if this also happens while trying to stop my ad, then this will be my first and last ad.
My ad is under review from last 2 weeks
My ads have been stuck in “pending review” for over 2 weeks now. This is ridiculous. Apparently, Google doesn’t want or need my money.
@Loudon: Unfortunately, I think we’re a small nail in a very big tire.
Looks like I’m in the same boat as everybody else here, and while it hasn’t been as long as some other people, I have no reasonable expectation that these ads will run before their cutoff date (20 days from now).
@Jimmy: Did it work when you raised the budget to $100 p/day or are you still waiting?
I created a Google AdWords campaign for an advertising client. After a week, I emailed Google to ask why it was not running, and was told it was under review. Each week I inquired. After three weeks, I created a second campaign as a separate account. A week later the first account was denied. I was not told the reason other than it violated the terms. This campaign was just a normal campaign to a lawyer’s website. I have a campaign for another lawyer that has been running for a year with no problems. This is so strange. I am still waiting on the second account.
You are correct Michael, Google is taking more time to approve Adword ads. Its more than 3 business days and my Ads is still under review. Frustrating!!!!!!
I have had the same issue – if there was a list available of words that will incur greater scrutiny (like maybe free or bonus or something like that) then maybe we could all save some time and effort for all concerned.
I had a campaign that got through review after 2 days and I realised I had to change the tracking code in the hyperlink, when I changed the 2 digits in the url my ad went back under review and then they slapped the campaign after it had been running fine. Another campaign just happened to get reviewed right when my server had 20 minutes of downtime (the first in months) so it got canned by Google.
They should be required to be more specific and more transparent about reviews and refusals – not just a broad reference to their T&C otherwise how are you meant to learn – it’s like playing that game called Mastermind where you have to pick the colour and order of 6 pegs on a board!!
Hi, I hope you can help me understand Google Ads and why an ad ends up under Review at all, what are the exact list of criteria.
How do I email Google? I haven’t been able to discern an email address but keep being sent back to the Help Page, so frustrating.
I read the blogs above. Did Jimmy uppy the ante on his ad to $100/day help?
After 2 weeks my ad is still in “review” . I am trying to discern any nuances that may be holding up the approval process. I noticed in a blog that maybe it is because I have links to my colleagues sites that are in similar “healing” businesses.
Thanks so much for helping me . I read alot of documentation looking for answers to the “under review” hiccup. I may have missed it though, there was ALOT of info to absorb
I got a number from a Google Local Advertising rep to call someone about the “Under Review” problem. As soon as I mentioned that I was calling about an “under review” ad, the google rep got very defensive. She said that she could not pull up my website and that was why my ads weren’t running. So I went over the web address again, then she told me to stop yelling at her – and I was very composed, but determined to find out why she couldn’t pull up my website – then she told me to go to the help page, and of course I’d been there many times and told her that, so I asked to speak to someone else that I could communicate with better, and she hung up on me. I swear I never raised my voice to her even slightly, much less starting yelling.
I called back and got a different rep, and after listening to the recording saying that they were happy to answer any questions about adwords, I asked her if she wouldn’t mind answering some questions I had, and she said that it depended on the question. When I told her the problem she said she could not help me and to go to the help forum, she only set up new accounts. You know, it’s too bad that Google turned into this – it seemed so great at first – I’m at the point where I feel like it’s too time consuming to do anything on Google, not to mention the frustration of talking to people that act like you’re a nuisance for wanting your ads to run.
This has been informative. Now I see that my issue – having 250×250 image ads in ‘under review’ status for a week – is not unique. Sucks to be at the “whatever that saying is” of a virtual monopoly. Maybe BING is easier to deal with for faster results. … or other ad networks. I’ll be going to research that now.
It’s amazing how many people have posted comments like these, yet nothing changes at Google’s end. Thanks to all who’ve shared their experiences and frustrations. Please continue to do so – when it gets big enough we can send the thread to Google.
I am going through the same frustration with a “under review”, it was that way for 3 weeks, then I finally went in and changed it again because I thought maybe it would trigger someone to look at it again. But no.
I hear people say that they called Google and emailed Google. Does anyone have their number? Email addresses?
Let me know.
thanks
I got the same problem as everyone else: opened an Adwords account, created a campaign and found myself in “under review” land for the last couple of days.
Like many, I originally didn’t realize that it was the account that was under review and not the ads. I only found out about that after contacting Google (which was quite a feat). I am not sure why I am being investigated, so this feels a bit like having the secret police go after me.
The one piece of information I wanted to share with everyone is that I had set my campaign to $100/day from the beginning. This, so it seems, did neither help avoid the review process, nor speed it up.
I have created an adWords account too and am ‘under review’ already for a week.
I have ad and its also stuck under review i don’t know where did i went wrong, and i don’t know how to contact them, any one there to help me?
I have had this problem too, another problem I have had is ads that are showing ‘Eligble’ not ‘Approved’ so the phrases are saying ‘Yes’ they are showing but with the ‘pending review’ banner, but strange thing is the phrases are incurring clicks and impressions, I search and my ads are nowhere to be seen!! Even using the Preview Tool I can’t see the ads, and I get the message ‘Yes’ your ads are showing for xxx. Very frustrating anyone else had this problem? Or am I missing something here.
I also have the “under review” problem for my image ads. I have tried all the same things mentioned here like changing the daily limit and removing and re-adding the ad with no luck. The most disappointing thing is that it has been well over two years and this problem still exists!
I am however able to get text ads running instantly so it seems Google heavily favours these ads. Sadly this makes sense because the requirement for image ads to be reviewed makes them less profitable. It just seems very greedy.
Until recently I was a huge G fan and would frequently say so in conversation, both online and offline, but with recent changes to their search algorithm and this continuing AdWords problem I only have negative things to say. All good things come to an end I guess.
Not had that problem at all until recently and it is a major issue for me now because many of the deals i want to advertise are very short term so the ads need to be up and running immediately – a few days later is no use whatsoever.
As a long term google fan I will also add that the recent changes to the search pages have, for me anyway, really slowed the whole thing down and although I have a fairly new and fast computer it really struggles to keep up – eg bringing up stupid results because the predictive text has jumped to something i’d only partly typed because of a hang time lapse in typing it in – what are you doing google???
if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!