If Google Ads disapproves an ad with "Destination not working" or "Destination mismatch", the cause is almost always the destination page itself. Unlike the creative, it is checked not only by a reviewer but by a robot, AdsBot, which opens the site the way a search engine sees it. Below is how the rules work and what to do about them.
Every statement comes from Google Ads Help and was checked on 13 October 2026. Links are at the end. For Meta there is a separate breakdown: Meta landing page requirements.
How Google checks the destination
The policy is called Destination requirements. It is split into several parts, and each one is a separate reason for disapproval.
Destination not working
Google requires the destination and its contents to work "on common browsers and devices". Grounds for disapproval:
- the destination doesn't function properly or was set up incorrectly;
- the server returns an HTTP error code to the AdsBot crawler on common devices around the world.
What to check:
- the page opens on mobile and desktop;
- no 4xx or 5xx responses on the home page or the final URL from the ad;
- the site doesn't block the robot: a firewall, bot protection or an IP restriction must not serve AdsBot an error;
- the HTTPS certificate is valid.
Destination not crawlable
The destination must be reachable by AdsBot. If the site is closed to crawlers (for example in robots.txt, behind bot protection or behind a login), Google can't evaluate it.
Destination not accessible
Ads must be accessible in the location you target. If the site blocks visitors from the country where the ad runs (a geo-block, a regional firewall), that is grounds for disapproval.
What to check: open the site through a VPN or proxy from the target GEO.
Destination mismatch
An ad must accurately reflect where the user is sent. Reasons for disapproval include:
- the domain or domain extension in the display URL doesn't match the final and mobile URLs;
- no subdomain is used to tell the site apart from others on the same domain;
- a redirect from the final URL to a different domain;
- a tracking template or expanded URL that leads to different content than the final URL.
What to check: the display URL and final URL are on the same domain; the tracking template doesn't land on a third-party page; there are no redirects to another domain. If you use a tracker, it must lead to the same site a person sees.
Destination experience
The destination should be easy to use and safe. Google disapproves:
- sites that are "unnecessarily difficult or frustrating to navigate";
- links that start a direct download or lead to an email address or a file;
- sites with abusive experiences;
- ad experiences that don't conform to the Better Ads Standards.
Insufficient original content
The destination has to give users value. Google disapproves:
- content made primarily to show ads;
- content copied from another source with no original material or added functionality;
- pages that only send users somewhere else;
- pages that state they provide no services;
- content that is incomprehensible or makes no sense.
What else can stop your ads
Google doesn't only look at technical issues. Two neighbouring policies often cause suspensions:
- Misrepresentation. It's prohibited to omit material information about yourself, give an inaccurate business name, hide the full cost, or make inaccurate claims. The name must "clearly represent" the advertised business.
- Circumventing systems. Any practice that circumvents the review systems is among the most serious violations: the account is suspended without prior warning, and you can't advertise with Google Ads again. So the site AdsBot sees and the site people see must be the same site.
For comparison, violating the destination policy alone doesn't lead to an immediate account suspension. By Google's rules, a warning is issued at least seven days before a suspension. That is no reason to ignore disapprovals: frequent repeats damage the account's history.
What to do after a disapproval
- Read the reason in the ad's status. It points to the section of the policy.
- Open the site as a robot and as a user: from a phone, from the target country, at the final URL from the ad.
- Check the whole chain: ad → tracker → redirect → final page. The final domain must match the display URL.
- Fix the cause, not the wording of the ad.
- Request a re-review and wait for the answer.
Google Ads destination checklist
- The page opens without errors on mobile and desktop
- AdsBot gets no error: no IP blocking, no bot protection in the way,
robots.txtdoesn't close the site - The site is reachable from the country where the ad runs
- The ad's domain matches the real one, with no redirect to another domain
- The tracking template leads to the same content
- A description of the business and services, not a placeholder
- An accurate business name and consistent contacts
- No promises of an unrealistic result
- No forced downloads, abusive experiences or intrusive pop-ups
The full general list is in the pre-launch white page checklist, and the ten most common rejection reasons are in why a white page gets rejected.
What WhiteCraft covers, and what it doesn't
WhiteCraft sites are static HTML+CSS with relative links: they open on any hosting and need no server side. Every site is multi-page and includes a business description, contacts in the country's format, a privacy policy, terms, a cookie policy and a cookie banner; robots.txt is always created, and a sitemap and canonical are added when you give a domain. Before download, the health score shows missing pages and language or contact mismatches. More on the features page.
What we don't do: we don't host the site or set up the domain, HTTPS, bot protection and trackers. Those are yours, and they are exactly what most often causes "Destination not working". Nobody can guarantee approval: Google decides.
Sources (checked 13.10.2026)
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