What is restricted content in Meta ads?
Restricted content is Meta's Restricted Goods and Services section, for ads that may negatively affect people's health and safety. Some products in it, such as tobacco and weapons, cannot be promoted at all. Others, including alcohol, dating, online gambling, cryptocurrency and financial products, can run only under conditions: local-law compliance, minimum-age targeting or Meta's prior written permission.
“Restricted” in Meta’s rulebook does not always mean allowed. The Advertising Standards give these products their own section, Restricted Goods and Services, and each policy in it either bans the product from ads or says what you have to do before the ad can run: target an older audience, follow the law where the ad is shown, or ask Meta for permission in advance. Miss a condition and the ad can be rejected.
Which products does Meta restrict?
The Restricted Goods and Services section of the Advertising Standards lists policies for, among others: alcohol; dating; health and wellness; financial and insurance products and services; cryptocurrency products and services; online gambling and games; drugs and pharmaceuticals; drug and alcohol addiction treatment; weapons, ammunition or explosives; tobacco and related products; hazardous goods and materials; and commercial exploitation of crises and controversial events.
Not every policy in the section permits every ad. The tobacco policy says ads must not promote the sale or use of tobacco or nicotine products, with exceptions such as approved nicotine cessation products for people 18 and over. The drugs and pharmaceuticals policy bans illicit or recreational drugs, and allows prescription drug ads only from advertisers authorized by Meta, only in the United States, Canada or New Zealand, and only to people 18 or older. Read the specific policy for your product rather than assuming the section heading means “allowed”.
What conditions do common restricted categories carry?
| Category | Condition in Meta’s policy |
|---|---|
| Alcohol | Follow local laws and industry codes; never target under 18; meet higher minimum ages in listed countries; no ads in listed countries |
| Health and wellness (diet, weight loss, cosmetic procedures) | Target people 18 or older; avoid the claims the policy bans |
| Financial and insurance products (credit cards, loans, insurance) | Target 18 or older; may require business verification and regulatory authorization |
| Online gambling and games | Prior written permission from Meta; never target under 18 |
| Dating | Prior written permission; follow Meta’s dating targeting requirements |
| Cryptocurrency trading platforms and related services | Prior written permission |
| Drug and alcohol addiction treatment (US) | LegitScript certification and prior written permission from Meta |
How do you get permission to run a restricted ad?
Meta’s help article for online gambling shows the route. Authorization is granted to specific ad account IDs, through the Authorizations and verifications tab in Meta Business Suite:
- Open the Authorizations and verifications tab in Meta Business Suite.
- Select View details next to Online gambling and gaming ads, then Request authorization.
- Choose your business type and the territories and gaming types you will advertise, where you must be licensed or lawfully permitted.
- Enter the legal business name, the URLs you will advertise and the ad accounts to authorize.
- Upload your licences or other lawful documentation, acknowledge the addendum, and submit for Meta’s review.
Meta notifies you of the decision by email. For addiction treatment in the US, Meta’s help article sends you to the verification and authorizations tab in Meta Business Suite’s settings, once you hold LegitScript certification.
Is anything in a restricted category exempt?
Yes, in places. Meta lets advertisers run ads for social casino and free-to-play games without prior authorization, as long as they offer nothing of monetary value to win and do not target people under 18. In alcohol, ads for non-alcoholic beverages are allowed, as are news, documentary, educational or public-service ads that reference alcohol. The Health and Wellness policy also exempts some products from its 18-and-over targeting rule, such as fitness services and non-permanent cosmetic products.
FAQ
Does a restricted ad need a special ad category?
Not by default. Special ad categories come from Meta’s discriminatory practices policy and apply to housing, employment, and financial products and services ads in certain locations. A financial product can fall under both a restricted goods policy and a special ad category, so check each one separately.
What happens if I target under 18 with a restricted product?
The ad does not meet the policy’s condition and can be rejected. Meta’s alcohol, online gambling, health and wellness and financial products policies each set 18 as the minimum, and the alcohol policy sets higher ages, up to 25, in some countries and Indian states.
Can I share a gambling authorization across ad accounts?
Yes, within the same business portfolio. Meta lets authorized advertisers ask to extend the authorization to other ad accounts through the Authorizations and verifications tab. The person making the request needs admin or advertiser access on both the authorized ad account and the one being added.
Sources
- Meta Advertising Standards (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About Meta's Alcohol advertising policy (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- How to apply for permission to promote online gambling or games (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About Meta's drug and alcohol addiction treatment advertising policy (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Health and Wellness (Advertising Standards) (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Tobacco and Related Products (Advertising Standards) (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (Advertising Standards) (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About ads for housing, employment or financial products and services (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
Drafted with AI and checked claim by claim against the pages linked under Sources. Found a mistake? Tell us via the corrections policy.