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There are multiple factors that determine access to advanced ad formats and features on Google Ads. Certain advertising formats and features are not available to all advertisers until you have met the specific requirements, or have been certified to use them.
Certification may include providing documentation, such as supporting licences and identification documentation to confirm that you are authorised to have access to the product features, or that you have demonstrated a sustained history of policy compliance for some time. All ad formats and features are also subject to the standard Google Ads policies.
The following ad formats are restricted unless your account meets the relevant requirements.
HTML5 ads
Requirements for using HTML5 ads
You should be able to gain access to HTML5 ads in your Google Ads account once your account has met the following requirements:
- Account has been open for more than 90 days.
- Account has more than £9,000 GBP total lifetime spend.
- Account has a good history of policy compliance.
Bear in mind, that meeting the requirements above doesn’t always guarantee access to HTML5 ads.
If HTML5 ads are unavailable in your account, you can apply for access by filling out the Apply for HTML5 access form. Before you submit your application, make sure that your account meets the eligibility criteria listed below. You'll receive an email notification with a status update within seven working days of your application submission.
- Account has a good history of policy compliance.
- Account has a good payment history.
- Account has more than £1,000 GBP total lifetime spend.
To maintain continued access to HTML5 ads, make sure that you don't violate our policies and sustain a good history of policy compliance.
In the meantime, you can use other options like uploaded AMPHTML ads or responsive display ads.
Make sure that you follow the correct display ads specifications.
Click trackers
Requirements for using click trackers
Advertisers are only allowed to use click trackers certified by Google. Ads from advertisers using non-certified click trackers in the tracking template feature may be disapproved. Please view the list of certified click trackers here.
Alternatively, advertisers who do not wish to use click trackers can use other tracking options, such as setting up an impression pixel on a landing page.
Setting up your click tracker in the tracking template
You will need to add the next hop URL to the redirect parameter (highlighted in bold) in the tracking template field as shown in the example below:
https://your.tracker.com/?creative={creative}&device={device}&gclid={gclid}&redirect={your.landing.page.url}
The specific format of the parameter(s) may be different for different click tracker providers, so please work with your click tracker provider to ensure that the right format is used.
You may nest one or more click trackers within your primary click tracker. To remain compliant with this policy, each click tracker nested and the primary click tracker has to be certified and the next hop parameter must be clearly defined.
Learn more about setting up your tracking template.
Troubleshooter: Click trackers
General troubleshooting steps for click trackers
- To see why ads are disapproved, check the status of Ads, even if the click tracker is configured elsewhere, such as on a campaign level.
- A click tracker is always added in the tracking template field (in URL options)
- If you need to check the click tracker to see if it’s on the certified list you can find it at account level, campaign level, ad group level, ad level or keyword level.
- Ads will be re-reviewed once their tracking template has changed and saved. If your account has more than 100 000 affected ads, resubmit the most critical ones for review to expedite the process.
Click tracker – Unsupported
To fix this issue, select one of the following:
- Remove the click tracker from Google Ads and consider using a landing page tracking pixel instead.
- Change to a certified click tracker – list of certified trackers here for our customers to use.
- Ask your click tracker service provider to submit themselves for certification.
- When changes to Ads are made and saved, the Ads will be re-reviewed. If your click tracker service provider has become certified since your ads were most recently submitted, resubmit them.
Click tracker – Specific parameter needed
Your click tracker requires further configuration to comply with Google’s click tracker requirements. There are two ways to fix this issue:
- Consult your click tracker’s documentation for more information on how to use it with Google Ads, which may require enabling an option.
- Edit your URL to comply, using feedback in the disapproval:
- Missing parameter: For example, if your tracking URL is https://tracker.example.com/track?sid=12345 and the disapproval states that the missing parameter is '&redirection_url={lpurl}', edit your tracking template to contain 'https://tracker.example.com/track?sid=12345&redirection_url={lpurl}'
- Remove parameter: If your tracking URL is 'https://tracker.example.com/track?sid=12345&redirection_url={lpurl}&transparent=false' and the disapproval states that the parameter to be removed is 'transparent', edit your tracking template to contain 'https://tracker.example.com/track?sid=12345&redirection_url={lpurl}'.
This can look like 'redirection_url=' or 'redirection_url=...&transparent=true', depending on the third-party service and what parameters they chose to certify with Google.
Tracking URL: https://tracker.com/?redirection_url=https://example.org/
Reminder: Ads not using the correct parameter(s) will be disapproved.
Click tracker – Incorrect path
Your click tracker may support tracking different events (impressions, clicks) or support multiple types of clicks. This disapproval represents that the click tracker is being used to track the wrong event type. Consult your click tracker’s documentation for further information.
Reminder: Please contact your click tracker provider to confirm which paths have been certified as transparent by Google. If URL conventions have changed, please have them open a request to certify more paths and deprecate old ones.
Click tracker – Destination mismatch
Disapprovals may appear because:
- The destination declared in the click tracker and final URL field do not match.
- For example, if the final URL is 'https://example.org/' and the click tracker URL is 'https://click.tracker.com/?redir=https://web.dev/', and the disapproval reason is 'https://web.dev/', the Ad would be disapproved because users are sent somewhere other than the final URL. Edit your final URL or tracking template to make them match your intended destination.
- The advertiser’s redirection target includes an uncertified click tracker.
- For example, if the final URL is 'https://example.org/' and the click tracker URL is 'https://click.tracker1.com/?redir=https://different-clicktracker.com/?url=https://example.org/' and the disapproval reason is 'https://different-clicktracker.com/?url=https://example.org/', the Ad would be disapproved because different-clicktracker.com is not certified.
- All click trackers used must be certified,and this requirement applies to every click tracker between the tracking template and the final URL.
After changes are made, the advertiser can use SSA to resubmit ads for review.
Reminder: Always ensure that your tracking template is configured to accurately reflect the declared destination on your tracker. Advertisers can nest another click tracker within their tracking template so long as both click trackers are certified through the application form.
Click tracker – Unparseable tracking template
How to fix: Remove any special characters that may be obstructing the URL declared on your tracker. Additionally, check to make sure that a web page is declared as opposed to an IP address or a deep link.
Reminder: IP Addresses (12.34.45.56) and Deeplinks (tel://) are not supported.
Click tracker certification
If you are a click tracker service provider who meets the requirements highlighted in the guidelines for the certification programme, you may apply for certification. When certified, advertisers will be allowed to run ads using the certified click tracker.
Click here for a list of certified click tracker service providers.