Troubleshooting
Error when uploading ads
When an ad fails in the Meta Ads Editor, the message says why. See how to read the error, fix it and resend only what failed.
Quick answer
In the Meta Ads Editor upload panel, each failed ad shows the Meta message in plain language. Fix the cause (Page permission, account payment, media, Instagram) and use Retry on the failed ad. The ones that went live stay live.
Before you start
- Almost every error comes from Meta: Ads Editor translates the message and says what to do.
- An ad rejected after upload is something else: it is Meta policy. Adjust the creative or the text and upload again.
Step by step
The path for any upload error.
- 1
Read the error message
In the upload panel, each failed ad shows the message and, when there is one, the Meta code. The Help Center has an answer for each code: search for it.
- 2
Fix the cause
Advertiser permission: ask the Page owner to give your profile the Advertiser role. Pending payment: settle it on Meta. Media: check format and size. Instagram: link the profile to the Page and the ad account.
- 3
Resend only what failed
Click Retry on the failed ad. The ones already uploaded are not duplicated.
- 4
Still failing? Send it to support
Open Support in the menu and attach a screenshot with the error message and what you were trying to do. Do not send passwords or payment details.
Temporary Meta limit
If the message talks about a request limit, wait a few minutes before trying again. Retrying right away only extends the block.
How to tell it worked
- The ad turns to done in the upload panel and shows up in the manager.
Most common errors
| Message | Cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Advertiser permission on the Page | Your profile is not an advertiser on the ad set Page | Ask the Page owner for the Advertiser role and reprocess |
| Account with pending payment | Meta blocked the account over an open charge | Pay the invoice on Meta and try again |
| Account without Instagram access | The Instagram profile is not linked to the ad account | Link Instagram to the Page and the account in Business Manager |
| Video stuck in processing | Meta has not finished processing the file | Wait a few minutes and reprocess, or upload a smaller MP4 |
Frequently asked questions
My ad was disapproved. What should I do?
When an ad is disapproved:
- The disapproval comes from Meta's policies, not from Ads Editor.
- Check the reason Meta gave for the ad (creative, text, or destination).
- In Meta Ads Editor (new creative) or Meta Ads (ad text), make the changes required by the policy and upload the ad again.
- If you think the disapproval is a false positive, request a review from Meta through its review process.
Ads Editor publishes and manages your ads, but final approval always rests with Meta.
Error: Advertiser permission on a Page
This error comes from Meta and means your Facebook user doesn't have the Advertiser role (or higher) on the Page linked to the ad set. Ask the Business Manager admin for the Page to add you: at business.facebook.com, go to Business Settings, Pages, select the Page, click Add People, and grant your email the Advertiser role or higher. After that, click the Reprocess button on the ads that failed. If the error mentions permission for the action and the account has a pending payment, the system shows a message pointing to the billing problem. In that case, settle the ad account's payment in Meta before trying again.
Error: Meta rate limit reached
Meta has temporarily blocked new requests because the API usage limit was reached. Meta resets this limit on its own.
Wait a few minutes and try again. Avoid repeating the same action several times in a row. If this happens several times in the same day, contact support and include the account and the approximate times.
Error: Failed to upload media to Meta
Uploading the image or video to Meta failed because of network instability, a corrupted file, or rejection by Meta itself.
Reprocess the ad. If the error continues, upload the original file again. If it still fails, contact support and include the account, the file name, and the file size.
Error: Video stuck processing at Meta
Meta received the video but didn't finish processing it in the expected time.
Wait a few minutes and reprocess the ad. If the error continues, confirm that the video uses a common format and opens normally on your device, then upload the file again. If it still fails, contact support and include the account and the video name.
Error: Ad account has no access to Instagram (subcode 1815199)
Meta rejected the ad because the ad account doesn't have access to the Instagram account used as the identity. Ads Editor already retries automatically without Instagram and with the Page's own identity (PBIA), but in some cases the user's token doesn't have the instagram_basic permission, or the user doesn't have the Advertiser role on the Page.
How to fix it:
- In the side menu, open the Connect Meta page and click the green Reconnect/Refresh button to update permissions. Make sure Instagram appears on the consent screen.
- In Meta's Business Manager, check that the ad account has access to the Instagram asset and that you have the Advertiser role on the Page.
- Reprocess the ad. If it still fails after reconnecting, contact support and include the account, Page, and Instagram IDs.
Error: Action blocked due to account with pending payment (subcode 1487194)
Meta returned a permissions error, which in this context almost always means the ad account has a pending payment or a billing restriction. Ads Editor checks the account's health and replaces the message with the real cause.
When the account has a pending payment, the Meta Ads page also shows Pending payment on Meta at the top (in place of Connected), along with a banner saying whether the ads have already stopped or are still running for now.
How to fix it:
- In Meta Ads Manager, open Billing and payments and check the payment method and pending invoices.
- Settle the payment.
- Try again in Ads Editor.
If the payment is up to date and the error continues, the cause is usually the ad's Page or Instagram account: no connected profile manages the Page, or the selected Instagram account belongs to a different Page. Check the permissions. If the error continues, contact support and attach a screenshot of the message.
Send evidence of an error to support
Open Support from the Ads Editor menu and use the attachment button next to the message field.
- Images: upload up to 5 PNG or JPG files or paste a screenshot with Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on Mac).
- Audio: record a message of up to 2 minutes.
- Video: send it through the support WhatsApp, because the in-app chat accepts images and audio.
Include the full screen, the error message and what you were trying to do. Do not send passwords, tokens or payment details.