Facebook Ads is one of the most powerful online marketing tools used by individuals and businesses. However, when creating a Facebook ad, marketers must pay close attention to the language and images they use in their content. In some cases, ads can be rejected or advertising accounts can be banned due to the use of words or terms that violate Facebook’s policies. In this blog post, we’ll outline 17 banned words and topics on Facebook that every marketer should be aware of.

1. Health and Medical Terms

Words related to medical conditions, treatments, and the human body can trigger Facebook’s ad policies. Be mindful of the following terms:

• Disease names: Sinusitis, heart disease, lung disease, cancer, etc.
• Body parts: Liver, heart, lungs, blood, brain, etc.
• Terms for patients: "Patient," "sick person," "disease sufferer."
• Negative adjectives and verbs: Kill, harm, terminate, die, fatal, symptoms, etc.
• Body functions: Vomit, menstruation, urination, defecation.
• Disabilities and diseases: Disabilities, diseases, and health conditions.

Image: Health and Medical Terms

2. Financial and Monetary Terms

Facebook is very strict about ads related to financial matters. Avoid using these words:

• Loans: Loan, loan approval, credit loans, debt.
• Monetary terms: Price, expensive, cheap, income.
• Financial products: Interest rates, taxes, etc.
• Wealth-related terms: "Rich," "poor," "poverty," "richness.

Image: Financial and Monetary TermsImage: Chemical Terms

4. Nationalities, Ethnicity, and Gender Terms

Avoid using terms that could be seen as discriminatory or related to nationality, race, or gender:

• Nationality and ethnicity: "White person," "Black person," "Asian," "Hispanic," etc.
• Gendered terms: Man, woman, gender stereotypes.
• Terms related to migration: Immigrant, refugee, etc.z`

5. Education and Employment Topics

Words related to jobs and education can be problematic if not used carefully:

• Education: "Training," "education," "schooling."
• Employment: "Job opportunities," "hiring," "vacancies."

Image: Education and Employment Topics

6. Surveillance Terms

Be cautious with terms related to surveillance and privacy:

• Surveillance terms: "CCTV," "security cameras," "monitoring," etc.

7. Over-Promising and Guarantees

Avoid making exaggerated promises or claims in your ad copy:

• Guarantees and promises: "Guaranteed," "100%," "certain," "foolproof."

8. Trademark Violations

Using well-known brand names can lead to ad disapproval:

• Trademarked terms: Nike, Adidas, Gucci, Facebook, TikTok, etc.

9. Violence, Harmful Products, and Weapons

Terms related to violence or harmful products can result in a ban:

• Weapons and harmful substances: Guns, explosives, narcotics, etc.
• Violence: "Kill," "maim," "abuse," "murder," "assassination," etc.

10. Weight Loss and Dieting Terms

Facebook bans certain terms related to weight loss and body image:

• Weight-related terms: "Lose weight," "fat burning," "diet," "gain weight."

11. Alcohol and Drug-related Terms

Ads promoting alcohol or drugs are strictly controlled:

• Alcohol-related terms: "Beer," "wine," "alcohol," "intoxicated."
• Drug-related terms: "Drugs," "cocaine," "heroin," etc.

12. Official Documents and Personal Information

Don’t use words that could infringe on personal information privacy:

• Official documents: "ID card," "driver’s license," "passport," etc.
• Sensitive personal information: "Private," "identity," "personal details."

13. Restricted Actions

Certain actions violate Facebook's advertising policies:

• Fraudulent or deceptive actions: Impersonation, lying about identity, spamming, etc.

14. Child Protection and Sexual Content

Terms related to sexual content, abuse, and exploitation are strictly prohibited:

• Sexual exploitation: "Child abuse," "pornography," "sexual harassment."
• Sensitive topics: "Pedophilia," "sexual assault," "incest."

15. Hate Speech and Offensive Language

Any language that promotes hate, discrimination, or violence is banned:

• Hate speech: "Racism," "sexism," "hate speech," "violence," "abuse," etc.
• Offensive language: Insults, slurs, demeaning comments.

16. Intellectual Property Violations

Facebook enforces strict rules on copyright and trademarks:

• Copyright infringement: Using copyrighted content or trademarked names without permission.

17. Natural Disasters

Words related to natural disasters are also flagged, as they can often be used to exploit sensitive situations:

• Disasters: "Hurricane," "flood," "earthquake," "tsunami," etc.