Why is my Facebook ad stuck in review?

Symptoms: what you’re probably seeing

• The ad has shown “In review” for more than 24 hours
• Your scheduled campaign start passed while the ad sat in review
• You edited an active ad and it went back into review
• Some ads in the ad set are approved while others are still pending

The likely causes, ranked

1. 1. You’re still inside the normal review window

   Audit area: structure

   Most ads are reviewed within 24 hours, and review covers the ad’s text, media, targeting, and the landing page — with high-volume periods like shopping seasons running slower. The status moves from “In review” to “Scheduled” or “Active” on its own, so wait out the first 24 hours. Duplicate or wait? After 24-48 hours, duplicating the ad unchanged often re-queues it faster than editing the stuck one — but never repeatedly duplicate an ad that was rejected, since identical re-submissions accumulate against account standing.

   How to check it yourself in Ads Manager

   Ads tab → Delivery column per ad. Note when you submitted; under 24 hours, the correct move is to wait.

2. 2. Something in the ad triggered a closer look

   Audit area: creative

   Sensitive or restricted topics — health, finance, social issues — plus aggressive claims, flagged keywords, and ad-to-landing-page mismatches can route an ad to a longer, sometimes human, review.

   How to check it yourself in Ads Manager

   Re-read the ad and the landing page against Meta’s Advertising Standards categories; if your product touches a restricted category, longer review is expected.

3. 3. Your account is new or has recent violations

   Audit area: structure

   Accounts with little history or recent rejections get more scrutiny, so the same ad clears faster in an established account than a brand-new one. Your account’s standing is visible in Account Quality.

   How to check it yourself in Ads Manager

   Open Account Quality (business.facebook.com/accountquality) and check the account’s standing and recent rejection history.

4. 4. Edits keep restarting the review

   Audit area: structure

   Every meaningful edit re-queues the ad, and editing an ad that is already in review restarts the wait. Batch your changes before submitting instead of trickling them in.

   How to check it yourself in Ads Manager

   The ad’s edit history shows each re-submission timestamp — match them against how long the ad has “been” in review.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Facebook ad review take?

Most ads are reviewed within 24 hours. It takes longer for new accounts, restricted categories, and busy periods — and there is no way to pay or ask for priority review.

Why is my ad stuck in review?

Usually one of three things: a longer manual review was triggered, the account is new or has recent violations, or edits keep re-queueing it. After 48 hours, duplicating the ad is the standard self-serve nudge.

More resources

• What a Facebook ads agency costs

  Paying an agency to fix this? See what agencies charge.

• AI Facebook ads management

  Or let an AI agent draft, launch, and monitor instead.