Why Your Facebook Ads Are Not Delivering & How to Fix It

Imagine setting up what you think is the perfect ad—engaging visuals, compelling copy, and a solid budget—only to find it stuck in limbo with zero reach. Frustrating, right?

The truth is, Facebook’s advertising system is a complex beast. Even experienced marketers run into roadblocks, with ads getting stuck in review, failing to reach the target audience, or simply vanishing into the digital void. 

In fact, a recent study found that the average Facebook ad reaches only 2.2% of a brand’s followers organically—which makes the paid ads essential, but also tricky to optimize.

If your ads aren’t showing up as expected, don’t panic! There are clear reasons behind it, and once you identify the issue, fixing it is easier than you think. Let’s dig in!

Did Facebook disapprove of your ad?

One of the primary reasons your ads might not be delivered is due to disapproval. Facebook has strict advertising policies, and any violation can lead to ad rejection. Some of the common issues include promoting prohibited content, misleading claims, or inappropriate imagery.

Review the notification from Facebook detailing the reason for disapproval. Adjust your ad content to comply with their guidelines and resubmit for approval. If you believe the rejection was a mistake, you can appeal the decision through the Account Quality section in your Facebook Business Manager.

If your ad is still under review here’s what you should know

Every ad goes through a review process before it starts running. Facebook typically approves ads within 24 hours, but sometimes, it can take longer—especially during peak advertising seasons like Black Friday or Christmas.

Wondering what you can do? Below is what we suggest,

• Check your email or Ads Manager for updates on your ad’s status.
• If it’s taking unusually long, contact Facebook Support through the Help Center.
• Plan ahead and submit ads at least 48 hours before your campaign is set to launch.

Audience size is too small

Facebook requires a minimum audience size to effectively deliver ads. If your audience is too small, your ads may not have enough people to display to, which leads to low or no delivery.

Common mistakes that may be shrinking your audience:

• It is one of the most common mistakes that users make. They have overly narrow targeting (e.g., selecting too many filters like age, interests, and behaviors at once).
• Users often stack exclusions that remove too many people from your audience.
• Do you use custom audiences that don’t have enough matched users? This might harm the results, too.

Now, how to fix it? Here are the quick simple fixes.

• First, you need to broaden your audience by relaxing some demographic filters.
• Use lookalike audiences to expand your reach while keeping it relevant.
• Ensure that your custom audience lists have enough data to match users on Facebook.
• It also utilizes the fact that Facebook suggests having an audience size of at least 1,000 active users for optimal delivery.

Low bid or budget- Review if your budget is enough

Setting a bid or budget that's too low can hinder your ad delivery. Facebook's ad system operates on an auction basis, and insufficient bids may result in your ads losing out to competitors.

Facebook ads run on an auction system, where advertisers compete for ad placements. If your bid is too low, your ad might not win any auctions—leading to zero delivery.

How to check if your budget is too low?

Look at the "Auction Overlap" metric in Ads Manager to see if you're losing due to competition.

Compare your Cost-Per-Click (CPC) or Cost-Per-Impression (CPM) with industry benchmarks.

You can fix these issues by simply increasing your daily or lifetime budget. Adjust your bid strategy to the Highest Value or Lowest Cost for better results.

If using manual bidding, experiment with higher bids to remain competitive.

Learning phase- Is your ad still gathering data?

New ads or those with significant edits enter a learning phase where Facebook's system learns how to optimize delivery. During this period, performance might be unstable.

Whenever you launch a new campaign, Facebook enters a learning phase to figure out the best way to deliver your ad. During this phase, ad performance may be unstable, and low delivery is common.

How to avoid an extended learning phase?

Keep ad frequency in check—high-frequency ads (above 3-4) may indicate your audience is too small. Also, avoid overlapping audiences, as it can confuse the algorithm and slow down learning.

Experts recommend letting your ad run for at least 4-7 days without major changes for better performance.

Overlapping audiences- Are your ads competing against each other?

The solution is easy, just rotate your creatives. You may try different images, videos, or ad formats to keep things fresh. And if the same people keep seeing your ad, it’s time to reach a new crowd.

In campaign settings, tweak the ad delivery frequency to avoid overexposure. It is generally recommended to refresh your ad creatives every 2-3 weeks to keep engagement high!

Are you aware that Facebook can automatically shuffle different headlines, images, and descriptions for variety? Use dynamic formats. It works!

Technical issues

Let’s face it—sometimes, tech glitches happen, even on Facebook. If your ads suddenly stop delivering, it might not be your fault. Facebook’s platform has had multiple historical outages, affecting ad delivery across industries.

Common technical glitches that mess up ads

• Stuck in “In Review” mode for days. This could be a backend issue with Facebook’s ad approval system.
• Ad Manager not showing correct data. Sometimes, metrics don’t update properly, which makes it seem like ads aren’t delivering when they actually are.
• Payment issues. If your payment method is declined or your account is flagged, Facebook pauses your ads.
• Pixel tracking errors. If your Facebook Pixel isn’t working correctly, conversion-based ads may not deliver.

How to fix It?

• First of all, check Facebook’s Status Page for any ongoing platform issues.
• Try duplicating your ad set—sometimes, re-launching an identical campaign solves delivery issues.
• Review your billing settings to ensure your payment method is active.
• Reinstall or debug your Facebook Pixel if running conversion-based campaigns.

Note that Facebook has an ad delivery diagnostics tool inside Ads Manager—use it to troubleshoot issues.

Are you up-to-date?

Facebook’s advertising policies aren’t set in stone—they change frequently. A rule that worked last month might now get your ad rejected, or worse, limit its reach without warning.

Facebook regularly updates its advertising policies to comply with new regulations.

Certain industries—like finance, healthcare, and crypto—face stricter ad approval processes.

Even small tweaks in wording or imagery can trigger policy violations.

Here is the list of recent Facebook ad policy changes you should know

• Stricter approval for financial ads. Any investment-related ads now require prior verification.
• Restrictions on weight loss & health claims. Phrases like “Lose 10 lbs in 10 days” could get flagged.
• Political & social issue ads need extra verification. If you are running political campaigns, you must register with Meta.

How to stay compliant?

• Check Facebook’s Business Help Center regularly for the latest policy updates.
• Sign up for Meta’s ad policy updates newsletter to get notifications about changes.
• Join Facebook advertising forums and communities—marketers often share real-time insights on sudden ad policy shifts.
• If your ad keeps getting rejected for unclear reasons, submit it for a manual review inside the Account Quality section.

Final thoughts

You cannot go wrong with Facebook ad delivery if you get your basics right. Today navigating the complexities of Facebook ad delivery is more challenging than ever before, so, understanding the common issues and their solutions can significantly improve your campaign performance. 

You need to regularly monitor your ads, stay informed about policy updates, and be proactive in troubleshooting to ensure your ads reach their intended audience effectively.

FAQs

Source

1. WordStream. Facebook Ad Benchmarks
2. Sprout Social. Best Times to Post on Facebook
3. Google PageSpeed Insights. Website Speed Performance
4. Facebook Business Help Center. Ad Policies & Learning Phase
5. Hootsuite. Facebook Algorithm & Advertising Guide
6. Meta (Facebook) Ads Guide. Ad Placements & Optimization
7. Facebook Business Help Center. Troubleshoot Ad Delivery: Your Campaign Isn't Running
8. Facebook. Troubleshoot ad delivery | Meta Business Help Centre
9. Facebook. My campaign hasn't delivered enough since it started
10. Facebook. Troubleshoot ad delivery: one of my ad sets isn't running