Block ads or take other actions
This article is for Google Ad Manager users only. Ad Manager is a publisher ad management platform. If you don't have an Ad Manager account, we recommend you:
- Read how to block certain ads
- Visit My Ad Center to control the information that Google uses to show you ads.
As a Google Ad Manager publisher, you can access the Ad review center to review Ad Exchange ads that have served on your inventory.
In your review, you can block unwanted ads, and take other actions, such as marking acceptable ads as reviewed. Ads marked as reviewed are removed from your review queue.
You can change the status of ads later, such as by allowing an ad you blocked.
Ad blocking should be used sparingly. Allowing all ads creates the most competitive atmosphere in the ad auction, with the largest number of ads possible competing for an impression.
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Get started with review: Apply filters and sorting
To get started with your review, you can apply filters and sorting. "Product" and "Status" filters are always applied. By default, the status filter is set to "Unreviewed," so you can begin reviewing new ads.
- Sign in to Google Ad Manager.
- Click Brand safety, then Ad review center.
- To select a product filter, next to
, click Product, and select an option, such as "Display."
- To select a status filter, next to
- Unreviewed: These are new ads that have received impressions on your site within the last 30 days. They continue to serve with this status. For your initial review, use this filter.
- Allowed: These are ads that you have already looked at and marked as "Reviewed." By marking them as reviewed, you are confirming they are acceptable, and they will no longer appear in your unreviewed queue.
- Blocked: These creatives were reviewed and blocked.
- (Optional): To apply sorting, under "Sort by," click
and select an option. Note that sorting options may vary based on the status filter you apply.
- Most impressions: Ads are ranked according to the number of impressions they've received. Using this option means that the ads you review first are the ads that have appeared most often.
- Prioritized for review: Ads are prioritized based on potentially sensitive content or because we predict they might have a high number of impressions in the future. Using this option means you review the most important ads first.
- Highest click-through rate: Ads are ranked according to the number of clicks that they've received. Using this option means you review the ads with the highest click-through rate first.
- Highest revenue: Ads are ranked according to the revenue they've received. Using this option means that the ads you review first are the ads that have the highest revenue.
Note: The highest revenue option is not available for Multiple Customer Management (MCM) publishers.
- Last edited: Ads are ranked by the time of the last user action. You'll review the most recently edited ads first.
Tip: To learn about other ways you can find ads, such as via text search or image upload, visit Find ads in the Ad review center.
- Review the results.
- To zoom in on an ad, hover over the ad image.
- To view details about the ad, such as the creative ID, ad type, and more, click the ad image.
Next, select an action you want to take for the ads, such as marking ads as reviewed or blocking them.
Take action on ads you're reviewing
As you review ads, you can choose from the following actions. You may notice some variations based on the status filter you apply.
Note that when you have the status filter set to “Unreviewed,” marking ads as reviewed allows them to continue serving on your inventory and removes them from your review queue. Alternatively, you can "block" or "block and report" ads.
You can make changes later, such as allowing an ad you previously blocked.
Mark ads as reviewed
To allow an ad to continue showing on your pages, you can mark it as reviewed. The ad's reviewed status changes to "Reviewed," so you won't need to review it again.
To mark one ad as reviewed, on the ad, click 
, then Mark as reviewed.
To mark more than one ad as reviewed:
- Choose an option:
- To mark multiple ads as reviewed, in the top-left corner of the ads, check the box to select them.
- To mark all ads on the page as reviewed, next to "Select all," check the box.
- Click Mark as reviewed.
Example workflow: Marking ads as reviewed
You access the Ad review center to review ads. By default, the Status filter is set to show “Unreviewed ads.” You review the ads, and decide to allow them to continue serving, so you check the "Select all" box, and click Mark as reviewed. The ads continue serving and are removed from your review queue. You continue your review with the next set of ads.
Tip: To find ads you previously marked as reviewed, apply the "Allowed" status filter.
Block ads
To prevent an ad from appearing on your pages again, you can block it. When you block an ad, its status changes to "Blocked."
Updates that you make to ads should take effect on your pages within a few hours. To understand the impact of blocking an individual ad, on the card for the ad, you can review the number of impressions.
Notes:
- Ads are blocked by creative ID. When you block an ad, all variations of the ad that have the same creative ID are also blocked.
- To save you time searching for other identical ads to block, the Ad review center automatically tries to block visually similar ads whenever you block an ad.
Block ads
To block one ad, on the ad, click .
To block more than one ad:
- Choose an option:
- To block multiple ads, in the top-left corner of the ads, check the box to select them.
- To block all ads showing on the page, next to "Select all," check the box.
- (Optional) To also report the ad, in the "Block ads" window, check the box.
Learn more about blocking and reporting an ad. - Click Block and then Confirm.
Block all ads from a Google Ads account
Tip: The block account option applies to creatives served from Google Ads only. For real-time bidding (RTB) creatives, go to "Ad network", and click Block 
. You can then add the buyer block in "Protections."
Important: Blocking ads from a Google Ads account applies to all transactions with the advertiser. Transactions blocked include DV360 Programmatic Guaranteed deals, Preferred Deals, and Private Auction deals. This may have a negative impact on your revenue.
To block all ads from a Google Ads account:
- Click an ad to open the "Ad details" view.
- Under "Metadata," scroll down to "Advertiser."
- Hover over the ad account name, and then click
- Click Copy advertiser and view protections.
- Create a block for the advertiser in your protections.
All ads from this Google Ads account will now always be blocked. This applies to all targeting types.
Block and report ads
If you think an ad violates Google policies, you can block and report the ad. We may not review all of the ads that you report, but we will incorporate your feedback into our review process.
Block and report one ad
- On the ad, click
- Click Confirm.
Block and report more than one ad
- Choose an option:
- To block and report multiple ads, in the top-left corner of the ads, check the box to select them.
- To block and report all ads showing on the page, next to "Select all," check the box.
- Click Block and report.
- In the "Block ads" window, click Confirm.
View policies
You might want to report an ad if it violates one or more of these policies:
- Trademarks
- Counterfeit goods
- Healthcare and medicine
- Illegal drugs
- Tobacco
- Illegal goods/services
- Misleading advertiser claims
- Nudity in an image ad
- Sexual content involving minors
- Weapons
- Phishing
In addition, view these ad policies in our advertising guidelines:
Allow ads
Ads marked as allowed can serve on your inventory. Since ads that show in the Ad review center are typically allowed by default, marking ads as allowed is often used to change the status of an ad you previously blocked.
For example, if you block an ad, and then later decide to allow it, you can mark it as allowed.
- (Optional) To locate an ad you previously blocked, set the status filter to "Blocked."
- Choose an option:
- To mark one ad as allowed, on the ad, click
.
- To mark multiple ads as allowed, in the top-left corner of the ads, check the box to select them, then click Allow.
- To mark all ads showing on the page as allowed, next to "Select all," check the box, then click Allow.
- To mark one ad as allowed, on the ad, click
Tip: To locate ads you marked as allowed, apply the "Allowed" status filter.
Undo actions
You can undo some actions you take. For example, immediately after blocking an ad, at the bottom of the page, you can click an Undo pop-up to keep its "Unreviewed" status.
Updates to ads or Google Ads accounts that you have acted on may take up to a day to take effect on your pages.
Here are a few examples of actions you can undo.
Undo a block (allow ads)
- To locate an ad you previously blocked, set the status filter to "Blocked."
- Choose an option:
- To allow an ad you blocked, on the ad, click
- To allow multiple ads you blocked, in the top-left corner of the ads, check the box to select them, then click Allow.
- To mark all ads showing on the page as allowed, next to "Select all," check the box, then click Allow.
- To allow an ad you blocked, on the ad, click
Mark an ad as unreviewed
Note that to mark a blocked ad as unreviewed, you first change its status to "Allowed."
- To locate an ad you previously blocked, set the status filter to "Blocked."
- Select the ad and then click Allow.
- Apply the "Allowed" status filter.
- Choose an option:
- To mark one ad as unreviewed, on the ad, click
- To mark multiple ads as unreviewed, in the top-left corner of the ads, check the box to select them.
- To mark all ads on the page as unreviewed, next to "Select all," check the box.
- To mark one ad as unreviewed, on the ad, click
- Click Mark as not reviewed.
FAQ
Why do blocked ads still appear in the Ad review center?
When you block an ad by advertiser URL or by ad category, you may still find that ad awaiting review in the Ad review center. This is because in the Ad review center we show all ads that have received at least a small number of impressions in the last 30 days.
As such, an ad blocked by URL or category is not immediately removed from the Ad review center, as it still has old impressions from the last 30 days. Instead, the ad moves down the list of ads for review (which are ranked by the number of impressions they’ve received) until it no longer receives enough impressions to meet the minimum threshold and drops off the list.
Why are blocked ads still showing on my pages?
There may be a delay of up to 24 hours between the time you block any ad and the time that ad is no longer eligible to run on your site. This is true whether the ad has been previously approved or only implicitly allowed.
Note also that when you block an ad by advertiser URL or by ad category, you may still find that ad awaiting review in the Ad review center.