Google Ads Disapproved: “Destination Not Working” — How to Fix It

If your ad is disapproved with the message Destination not working, it means Google’s systems detected a problem accessing the URL you provided. Below are common reasons and solutions.

⚠️ Common Causes

• HTTP errors: Your landing page returns a 4xx or 5xx response code when accessed by Google’s AdsBot crawler.
• DNS, firewall, or hosting issues: Google can’t reach your site due to DNS lookup failures or server blocking (e.g. Cloudflare, WAF, country restrictions).
• Blocked by robots.txt or bot protection: Your site may block AdsBot user agents or restrict bots in robots.txt.
• Tracking/template redirects: Tracking templates may alter the final URL improperly or trigger errors when Google clicks with GCLID/WBRAID parameters.
• Crawling blocked or timeout: Pages behind login, authentication, or that timeout can cause disapproval.

🔍 How to Diagnose the Issue

1. Hover over the disapproval icon in Google Ads to view details (e.g. HTTP 404, DNS error).
2. Test your final URL—including with tracking parameters (&gclid=, &wbraid=)—in Chrome DevTools using the AdsBot‑Google user agent.
3. Check your robots.txt and any firewall settings to ensure Google Bots (AdsBot‑Google, AdsBot‑Google‑Mobile) are allowed to crawl the landing page.
4. Try temporarily removing tracking templates or switching to a simple, known-working URL.
5. Review if hosting configurations (e.g. Cloudflare, host IP restrictions) are preventing access. Some users report ads disapproving after Cloudflare setup changes.:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

💡 How to Fix It

• Ensure the Final URL returns a HTTP 200 OK status without any errors when crawled by AdsBot.
• Allow Google Ads crawlers in your robots.txt and firewall rules; do not block their user agents.:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
• Verify tracking templates properly redirect and support parameters like &gclid/&wbraid; make sure the combined Expanded URL is valid.:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
• Confirm the landing page is not behind login, geoblock, or restrictive IP rules.
• Test alternative URLs: copy the ad but point it to a simpler working page. Sometimes editing and re-saving triggers a clean review.:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

📤 After Fixing: Appeal the Decision

Once issues are resolved, return to your Google Ads account and submit an appeal or click “Request Review” on the ad. If the destination is now accessible, Google should approve the ad.:contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

👍 Summary Table

By identifying and resolving accessibility or configuration issues, you can get your ads approved and running again. Let me know if you’d like help testing a URL or verifying crawler access!