How to Verify Facebook Ad Account

Seeing that dreaded "Account Restricted" notification from Facebook can be a stressful moment for any advertiser. This article will guide you through the process of verifying your Facebook Ad Account, demystifying the steps you need to take to get back to running your campaigns smoothly and build a foundation of trust with the platform.

Why Does Facebook Ask You to Verify Your Ad Account?

Before jumping into the step-by-step instructions, it helps to understand why Facebook requires verification. It's not just a box-ticking exercise, it serves a few important purposes for both you and the platform.

• Increasing Trust and Transparency: Facebook wants its platform to be a safe place for users. Verifying your business or identity confirms that you are a legitimate entity, which helps them filter out bad actors, scammers, and those who violate ad policies. This adds a layer of authenticity to your presence.

• Preventing Ad Account Disablement: In many cases, account verification is a proactive step to prevent your ads from being paused or your account from being flagged. Often, new ad accounts or accounts that suddenly increase their spending trigger an automatic review, and having your verification already completed can help you pass these checks without interruption.

• Regaining Account Access: If your ad account has already been restricted, completing business or identity verification is often a mandatory step to prove you're the rightful owner and get your advertising privileges reinstated.

• Unlocking Advanced Features: Certain Facebook products and advertising features, especially those related to political or social issue ads, are only available to verified accounts. Verification gives you access to the full suite of tools.

In short, verification shows Facebook they can trust you, which is fundamental to having a stable and long-term advertising relationship with the platform.

Prepare Your Documents: What You'll Need

The verification process will go much more smoothly if you have all your documents ready before you begin. Facebook's systems are often automated, so the details need to be razor-sharp and perfectly matched. Mismatched names or blurry photos are the most common reasons for rejection.

Gather the appropriate documents based on whether you are verifying a business or a personal identity.

For Business Verification (Through Business Manager)

You'll need one document that officially confirms your business's legal name and physical address or phone number. The information on this document must exactly match the details you enter during the verification process.

Acceptable documents include:

• Business License: A license from your city, state, or county.

• Certificate of Incorporation or Formation: For LLCs, corporations, or other registered entities.

• Business Tax or VAT Registration Certificate: Official tax documents are a great option.

• Utility Bill: A recent bill for utilities like phone, electricity, or water in the business's name.

• Bank Statement: A recent statement showing the business's legal name and address.

Important Tip: Scan or take a high-quality, full-color photo of the document. Ensure it's not cropped, blurry, or expired. All four corners should be visible.

For Personal Identity Verification

If Facebook needs to confirm your personal identity for an ad account you run from your personal profile, you will need a government-issued photo ID. The name on your ID must match the name on your Facebook profile.

Acceptable IDs include:

• Driver's License

• Passport

• National Identity Card

• State ID

Again, make sure your photo is clear, in-color, and shows your full name, date of birth, and photo.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Verify Your Business in Facebook Business Manager

For most businesses, verification happens inside the Facebook Business Manager (now a part of Meta Business Suite). You'll need to be an admin of the Business Manager to start this process. It's also a good idea to have two-factor authentication enabled for your account, as it's often a prerequisite.

1. Go to the Security Center

Start by navigating to your Business Settings. You can usually find this by going to https://business.facebook.com/settings.

In the left-hand menu, look for a section called Security Center. This is where Facebook manages trust and safety features for your business account. If you don't immediately see it, it might be under a broader category like "Business Info."

2. Start the Verification Process

Inside the Security Center, you should see a section for Business Verification. It will either show a status like "Unverified," "In Review," or "Verified." If it's unverified, you should see a blue button that says Start Verification.

Note: If you don't see this button, it may be because Facebook hasn't required your account to be verified yet or you may not be a full admin on the account. In some cases, access to this feature only appears after you've created an app within the developer settings or attempted to run certain types of ads.

3. Enter Your Business Details

Facebook will now ask for your official business information. This is where those documents you prepared come in handy. You'll need to enter:

• Legal Business Name

• Country

• Full Street Address

• Business Phone Number

• Website

This information must match the details on your official documents perfectly. Typos, abbreviations (e.g., using "St." instead of "Street"), or an old address will cause your application to be rejected.

4. Choose Your Verification Method

Next, Facebook will try to confirm the business information you provided. You may be presented with one or more of the following options:

• Email: If you are using a business email address with a custom domain (e.g., yourname@yourcompany.com) that matches your website, you may be able to verify by receiving a code sent to that email.

• Phone Call: An automated system will call the business phone number you provided and give you a verification code to enter.

• Domain Verification: If your website domain is already verified in your Business Manager, this may be used as part of the process.

• Document Upload: This is the most common method. You will be prompted to upload one of the official business documents mentioned earlier.

Select the best option available to you and follow the instructions.

5. Upload Your Documents and Submit

If you choose document upload, you'll be asked to select the document type and attach the file. Make sure your scan or photo is high-quality and readable. Once you upload it, you'll be able to review your information one last time before clicking Submit.

That's it! Your application is now in review. The waiting period can vary from a few business days to a couple of weeks, depending on Facebook's volume of requests.

Common Problems & Troubleshooting Tips

Even if you follow the steps, you can sometimes run into roadblocks. Here are some common issues and how to navigate them.

"My verification was rejected."

This is easily the most common issue. Go back and check these things:

• Mismatched Information: Did you enter your business name and address exactly as they appear on your document? Even small differences can trigger a rejection.

• Document Quality: Was the image blurry, an unsupported file type, or did you crop out part of the document? Retake the photo in a well-lit area or use a scanner and resubmit.

• Wrong Document Type: An invoice or a letterhead isn't an official government document. Make sure you use one of the accepted document types like a business license or tax certificate.

"I can't find the 'Start Verification' button."

If the button is missing from your Security Center, you might be looking in the wrong place or you might not be eligible yet. First, double-check that you are a full administrator of the Business Manager account. If you are, it may be because Facebook doesn't deem verification necessary for your account at this time. Running ads is often the trigger that prompts the verification requirement.

"How long will it take?"

Patience is key. While some verifications are approved automatically in minutes, most take several business days. During busy periods, it can even stretch to a few weeks. You'll receive a notification in your Business Manager and via email once a decision has been made.

Final Thoughts

Verifying your Facebook Ad Account is an essential part of running compliant and stable ad campaigns. While it can feel like a bureaucratic hoop to jump through, gathering your documents and carefully following the steps can make the process relatively painless, strengthening your account's standing with the platform for the long run.

Spending hours on administrative tasks like account verification takes you away from what really matters: analyzing campaign performance and making strategic decisions. Once your accounts are running, the real challenge is pulling together data from Facebook Ads, Google Ads, GA4, and your Shopify store just to see what's working. At https://www.graphed.com/register, we automate the tedious work of data collection and dashboard building. You can simply connect your accounts in a few clicks, and then ask questions in plain English - like "Compare my Facebook Ads ROAS to my Google Ads ROAS for the last month" - and get instant dashboards, saving you a full day of reporting every week.