Google lets a US practice advertise its treatments, with four main limits: prescription drug names as keywords, treatments the policy does not allow, prior approval (certification) for online prescribing and addiction care, and no health ads aimed at lists you built. An ad that follows those rules can still read Eligible (limited). It runs, but with a limit, and the Policy details column in Google Ads names that limit.
Quick answer
Open Campaigns, then Ads, and add the Policy details column. Then act on what it names.
- If it names Health in personalized advertising, remove audiences built from your own data, such as remarketing (past site visitors) and Customer Match (uploaded contacts). Google's own predefined audiences stay allowed.
- If it names a prescription drug term, the word may stay in US ad text and on the page, but not in keywords (the searches you bid on) without certification.
- If it names a speculative or experimental treatment, take PRP and stem cell offers off the ad and its page.
- If the label is wrong, or you have since fixed the landing page, appeal.
Whatever it names, keep patient emails and phone numbers out of Customer Match and out of enhanced conversions. That feature sends contact details, run through a one-way code, with each conversion the ads count.
What does Google's healthcare policy restrict for a US practice?
Google's Healthcare and medicines policy bans some health content and allows some only for approved advertisers in certain locations. Its US section asks for certification from online pharmacies, telemedicine providers, addiction services and health insurers. A practice that treats patients in its office is on that list only if it treats drug or alcohol addiction. Its sub-policies, linked in the table below and checked 2026-10-04, hold the rules that catch practices.
| What you want to advertise | What Google's page says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, Ozempic or Wegovy in an ad or on the page | On Google's prescription drugs list; US campaigns may use these terms in ads and landing pages, within local law, without certification (Restricted drug terms) | Allowed in text |
| The same names as keywords | Keyword-targeting them requires certification | Describe the treatment without a drug name |
| Weight loss medication prescribed after a video visit | Prescription drug services need Google certification; for US telemedicine, the policy's US section also requires LegitScript, a company that certifies healthcare websites | Certify before advertising it |
| hCG for weight loss | Not allowed (Unapproved substances) | Leave it out |
| PRP or stem cell therapy | Examples of cell therapies Google does not allow, except FDA licensed or approved therapies promoted by the license holder, and ads that are only educational | Remove from ads and landing pages |
| Drug and alcohol addiction treatment | Addiction services need Google certification; in the US, LegitScript certification comes first (US section) | Certify first |
| Injections, surgery, chronic conditions, mental health, fertility | A sensitive interest category for personalized ads | No remarketing, Customer Match, lookalikes or audience expansion |
Review covers the landing page as well as the ad (Google, checked 2026-10-04), so a PRP offer on the page an ad links to counts. Instagram and Facebook set their own rules for these drugs and for injectables, which the med spa marketing post covers.
Why do my ads say Eligible (limited), and do they still run?
They still run, but not everywhere. Eligible (limited) is a status Google puts in the Status column after reviewing an ad, for ads that comply with its policies "but are limited in where and when they can show" (Google, checked 2026-10-04). Disapproved, by contrast, stops an ad because its content or destination breaks a policy (Google, checked 2026-10-04).
The healthcare policy adds that for most of its rules, an ad aimed at allowed locations from a properly certified domain is labeled Eligible (limited) and runs there (Google, checked 2026-10-04). Words on your site tied to regulated industries can also bring a limit, even if what you sell complies (Google, checked 2026-10-04).
To see the limit, open Campaigns, then Ads, select the Columns icon, expand Attributes, tick Policy details and apply. The column says why an ad is disapproved, or why an Eligible (limited) ad is limited to a certain audience (Google, checked 2026-10-04). Don't confuse it with the status of a conversion action, which has its own list.
What the label costs in reach depends on the policy it names. None of the pages I read puts a number on it. Under Health in personalized advertising, you lose your own audience lists. At the other end, Google's example of an ad labeled for alcohol information and aimed at the US "would serve as normal to US users" (Google, checked 2026-10-04).
Can I still use remarketing and Customer Match?
Not for health ads. Remarketing, now called your data segments, shows ads to people who visited your site; Customer Match shows them to people whose contact details you uploaded (Google, checked 2026-10-04). Google counts both, along with lookalike segments (people who resemble your lists) and audience expansion, as advertiser-curated audiences. Its personalized advertising policy bars them for ads in a sensitive interest category (checked 2026-10-04). Demand Gen, a campaign type that uses them by default, may be restricted from serving when it promotes those products and services.
Health is one of those categories. Google's Health page lists physical and mental health conditions, treatments for chronic conditions, and invasive procedures "including cosmetic surgery, surgical procedures, or injections" (Google, checked 2026-10-04); prescription medications are a category of their own (Google, checked 2026-10-04). The page does not name dentistry, so in a dental account the Policy details column shows whether Google applied it. Google Ads for dentists covers the rest of the setup. Predefined Google audiences, the groups Google defines itself, stay allowed: in-market and affinity segments, demographics, life events and location targeting.
Google's first fix is to remove those audiences from campaigns, ad groups and asset groups (Google, checked 2026-10-04). Then open Tools, Shared library, Audience manager to see every list (Google, checked 2026-10-04). The Customer Match policy applies the same sensitive-category limits to uploaded lists, so if a patient list sits there, ask who uploaded it and why. In Account settings, see whether Turn on conversion-based customer lists is ticked. If it is, Google builds Customer Match lists from the customer data your conversions send (Google, checked 2026-10-04).
Can I send patient emails to Google through enhanced conversions?
Not with conversions related to health. Google's customer data policies apply to advertisers using enhanced conversions for web, enhanced conversions for leads, store sales uploads or Google-engaged audiences. They say conversions related to sensitive categories "can't be used for measurement in enhanced conversions or store sales (uploads)". The sensitive categories include "Health or medical information, like purchases of medical services, prescription drugs or medical devices" (checked 2026-10-04). Standard offline conversion imports, which send a click id instead of contact details, are not on that page's list of features.
Enhanced conversions adds hashed customer data, such as an email address run through a one-way code, to a conversion (a booking, call or form the ads counted) so Google can match it to a signed-in account (Google, checked 2026-10-04). Once it is on, Google's tag "may automatically detect" contact details people enter on your site (Google, checked 2026-10-04). So ask your agency which conversion actions have enhanced conversions on, and whether any upload carries patient emails, phone numbers or the reason for the visit.
Measuring which ads bring patients does not need contact details: the way I build it sends Google a click id, a value and a time, and nothing a patient typed.
Do I need LegitScript or another certification?
Only for some services, and for those a third party certifies you before Google does. In the US, Google names LegitScript for online pharmacies (alongside the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy), telemedicine providers that prescribe, and addiction treatment, where not every service is eligible and LegitScript charges a fee, with waivers in some cases (Google, checked 2026-10-04).
Google's application form (checked 2026-10-04) asks which of seven organization types you are, such as prescription drug services provider or health insurance advertiser. Apart from addiction services provider, none describes a practice that treats patients only in its office. Google also warns against applying for a category that doesn't match your business (Google, checked 2026-10-04). LegitScript lists medical spas among businesses that may qualify for its healthcare certification (LegitScript, checked 2026-10-04), so before paying for one, ask Google Ads support which certification your account needs, if any.
What does a fixed ad look like?
Illustrative: the ad, keywords and statuses below are made up for an imaginary med spa, and none comes from a client.
| Part | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | Botox and PRP Stem Cell Facials | Wrinkle Relaxer Injections |
| Description | Regrow collagen with a PRP stem cell facial. | Book a consult with a licensed nurse injector. |
| Keywords | botox near me, prp facial | wrinkle relaxer injections, lip filler near me |
| Landing page | Specials page with PRP and Botox offers | Injectables page with no PRP or stem cell section |
| Audiences | Site visitors list and a client email list | None built from the med spa's own data |
| Status | Disapproved for speculative or experimental treatment; other ads Eligible (limited) for health | Under review |
The after version drops Botox from the keywords, since targeting it needs certification; the word could stay in the headline and stays on the page. Injections are health content under Google's personalized advertising policy, so the ad can stay Eligible (limited) for health after review. A correct label is nothing to appeal. This is wording inside the rules quoted above, not a promise of approval: Google reviews every ad, keyword and landing page, and decides.
How do I fix or appeal a policy decision?
These steps follow Google's page on fixing a disapproved ad or appealing a policy decision (Google, checked 2026-10-04), with other sources linked where used.
- Read the reason. On the Ads page, hover over the status and select Read the policy, or use the Policy details column.
- Fix the ad or the page. Select Edit, change it and Save. Review restarts on its own; Google's healthcare pages say a re-review typically takes 24 to 48 hours (Google, checked 2026-10-04). Leave budgets, bid strategies and ad text alone while it shows Under review, since Google says any change resets the review clock (Google, checked 2026-10-04).
- Appeal a wrong label or a fixed page. Under Tools, Troubleshooting, Policy manager, select Appeal on the ad, then Dispute decision or Made changes to comply with policy. Google's example of a wrong label is an ad tagged for Healthcare and medicines that is not for anything the policy covers.
- Mind the limits. Each ad gets three appeals; after that, Google asks you to contact support. Appeals on the same ads less than 24 hours apart can be marked as duplicates. Since July 21, 2026, decisions older than six months go to Google Ads support instead.
- Don't repeat a failed appeal. After a real fix, Google suggests a small edit to the ad text or final URL (the page the ad opens). That edit makes Google crawl the page again.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Eligible (limited) a problem for my practice's Google Ads?
Not by itself. Google gives that status to ads that follow its policies but can't show everywhere. Its healthcare policy says that under most of its rules, certified ads in allowed locations get it too. Add the Policy details column on the Ads page to see which policy limits the ad. If it names Health in personalized advertising, take remarketing and customer lists out of its campaign and ad groups, because health ads can't use them.
Can a med spa use the word Botox in Google Ads?
In ads and landing pages aimed at the US, yes: Botox is on Google's list of prescription drug terms, and its Restricted drug terms policy lets US campaigns use such terms there, within local law, without certification. Bidding on Botox as a keyword is different. It requires certification, and none of the seven organization types on Google's application form describes a practice that injects in its own office, so ask Google Ads support before planning around the keyword.
Can I show ads to people who already visited my practice's website?
Not if your ads promote health content as Google defines it, which includes injections, surgery, chronic conditions and mental health counseling. Google's personalized advertising policy bars advertiser-curated audiences for those ads: remarketing lists, Customer Match, lookalike segments and audience expansion. Predefined Google audiences, such as in-market and affinity segments, stay allowed.
Should a practice upload its patient list to Google Ads?
Not for ads that promote health services. Google's Customer Match policy applies the same sensitive-category limits as remarketing, so health ads can't be aimed at an uploaded list. Google's customer data policies, which cover enhanced conversions, store sales uploads and Google-engaged audiences, also say conversions related to health or medical information can't be used for measurement in enhanced conversions or store sales uploads. Ask whoever runs the account to show you every customer list in Audience manager.
How many times can I appeal a disapproved Google ad?
Three times per ad; after three unsuccessful appeals Google asks you to contact support before filing again. Appeals for the same ads less than 24 hours apart can be marked as duplicates. Since July 21, 2026, policy decisions older than six months can't be appealed from the account, so contact Google Ads support for those.