UGC ads get rejected when the video, caption, account, or landing page breaks the platform’s ad policies, most often around misleading claims, personal-attribute language, restricted products, and missing disclosures.
Even if your UGC feels “authentic,” platforms review it like any other ad: what you say, what you show, what you imply, and where you send people. The fastest way to get flagged is to let a creator talk like a friend giving advice (“You have acne,” “If you’re depressed,” “Lose 10 pounds this week”) or to show dramatic “results” without the right context. In Orlando we see this a lot with med spas, dental offers, weight loss clinics, personal injury law ads, and anything that touches health, finances, or “guaranteed outcomes.”
| Rule area that triggers rejection | Common UGC mistakes | Fix that usually passes review |
|---|---|---|
| Misleading or absolute claims | “Guaranteed results,” “cure,” “no side effects,” “works instantly,” “#1 on TikTok,” unrealistic timelines, fake scarcity, bait-and-switch pricing | Use realistic language, avoid absolutes, add clear terms on-screen and on the landing page, and keep offer details consistent everywhere |
| Before-and-after and exaggerated visuals | Hard before/after transformations (weight, skin, cosmetic, hair), “wrinkles vanished” edits, filters that change outcomes | Swap to process-based proof (routine, ingredients, steps, what to expect), show product in use, and keep visuals honest and unedited |
| Personal attributes and “you” language | Calling out a viewer’s health condition, finances, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, or body image (“Are you diabetic?” “Tired of being broke?”) | Rewrite to third-person or general language (“People dealing with…,” “If this sounds familiar…”) and focus on the problem, not the person |
| Restricted or prohibited categories | Nicotine/tobacco, recreational drugs, weapons, adult content, certain supplements, questionable “miracle” products, and regulated services without proper setup | Confirm the category is allowed for ads on that platform, use any required verification, and remove borderline claims from both ad and landing page |
| Adult, shocking, or unsafe content | Nudity, sexual content, gore, graphic medical imagery, self-harm references, aggressive harassment, shock hooks | Keep visuals PG-13, avoid graphic imagery, and use clean language and captions |
| Copyright and IP problems | Trending music not licensed for ads, TV clips, creator reused content without rights, competitor logos, trademark misuse | Use platform-cleared commercial music, original footage, and get written usage rights from creators and anyone featured |
| Deceptive UX and clickbait tactics | Fake “play” buttons, fake close buttons, “you won” popups, blurred “reveals,” misleading overlays | Use real CTAs, normal captions, and clean edits that match what happens after the click |
| Landing page and tracking issues | Broken links, redirect chains, “destination mismatch,” too many popups, slow mobile pages, claims on-page that are stronger than the ad | Send to a fast, mobile-first page that matches the ad promise, keep checkout/forms working, and reduce friction |
| Missing sponsorship disclosures | No #ad or “paid partnership” context when it’s a sponsored endorsement, or disclosures buried where people miss them | Use clear, easy-to-spot disclosures in the caption and, when needed, on-screen; see our UGC FTC disclosure guidance |
| Misuse of AI or synthetic edits | AI-generated faces/voice, heavy AI edits, or synthetic “testimonials” without clear labeling where required | Label AI-modified content when the platform expects it and avoid using AI to simulate real endorsements |
If you want fewer rejections, treat compliance like part of the creative brief. We typically write “safe” UGC scripts that still feel natural: no absolutes, no personal-attribute callouts, no medical or legal promises, and no “overnight” transformation storylines. If you’re in a regulated space (dentistry, medical, legal, financial), we also align the ad copy with what’s on the page so reviewers see one consistent story.
When you’re building or reviewing creatives, our UGC production service includes compliance checks at the script and edit stage, because fixing a rejection after launch usually costs more than getting it right upfront.
If you’re running paid distribution, pairing compliant UGC with solid account structure matters too, and our PPC management team can help tighten the whole path from hook to landing page. For extra guardrails, our FAQ on claims to avoid in UGC videos is a good checklist before you submit anything for review.
