Meta ad rules: think about photos, URLs and filenames alongside words

As well as avoiding certain terms, fundraisers in the EU should think carefully about other elements of ads they place on Meta, so as not to breach the tech company’s rules, says Danish fundraising association ISOBRO.

Meta began restricting ads relating to political, electoral or social issues on its platforms in October 2025, following new EU rules on digital advertising.

An EFA survey of 170 organisations in 12 EU countries in April showed significant concerns that these changes had impacted donations and made it harder for NGOs to communicate around their mission.

ISOBRO suggestions

ISOBRO is the latest EFA member to publish guidance on reacting to the rules.

It suggests that ads should “shift the focus from the causes of a crisis to the aid that can alleviate the situation”, and that ads are more likely to be approved if they “do not place responsibility on a particular actor”.

ISOBRO also makes clear that it’s not just about the words you are using – and that it may be an advantage to let images speak for themselves, and use symbols and visual code which your target audience already associates with your cause. It says:

“For example, if you show a picture of people fleeing, instead of writing ‘Thousands of political refugees live in fear’ you can say ‘Show your support’ and let the picture convey what the message is about.”

You should also be careful to use neutral terminology in the names of images or files you upload, even if those filenames were not going to appear publicly, and in the name you choose for the campaign in Meta Ads Manager.

The same is true of URLs you use in an ad. Meta may also analyse the content on the landing page to which that URL takes users, ISOBRO warns.

The organisation’s advice says:

“If your ad is rejected, you should avoid uploading exactly the same ad again. A piece of advice may be to take down the material, give the files new names and possibly change a little on the cropping or size of the image so that it is registered as a new file. Also review the text and assess whether individual words, formulations or requests can be changed before you try again.”

It would be sensible to create two folders – one of ads that were rejected, and another with ones which were approved, it suggests.

However, ISOBRO also acknowledges that it can be difficult to understand the reason for an ad being rejected, as Meta’s policies “change constantly” while its enforcement “may be inconsistent”.

The ISOBRO document also includes a link to Meta’s page ‘How ads about social issues, elections or politics are reviewed’.