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Written By Courtney Fritts
Meta is introducing new restrictions for certain categories of websites and apps using Meta Business Tools to ensure compliance with their terms beginning in early 2025. These changes aim to better manage data sharing and enforce categorization of data sources. Impacted advertisers started to receive notifications starting November 20, 2024, about their data source categorization and any restrictions.
What you need to know:
Meta will categorize data sources (websites/apps) based on topics such as health, wellness, financial services (although some one at Meta told someone else who told us this wasn’t affected but who knows just yet), and politics
Advertisers whose websites/apps fall into restricted categories may face partial or full limitations in data sharing
This includes that CAPI will not work for these categorized brands after the move. From Meta: "This means that all events from your website or app will not be shared with Meta, or will be subsequently removed when received (if it’s sent server-side, for e.g., CAPI), through any of our Business Tools. Please note that this change may impact your campaign performance. The impact you may observe to your campaigns will depend primarily on if and how you are currently using standard events."
Advertisers will be informed via email, Ads Manager, and Events Manager about impacted ad sets and events
If you are classified as this category, you'll see it in your Events Manager under pixels, and then manage data source category. If you are under health and wellness it will appear there
If you are truly in this category, you will not be able to run lower funnel conversion events starting in January
This means any conversion events at all, and any objectives anything lower funnel than video views
If you are wrongly flagged as one of these categories, you need to appeal immediately. Appeal takes about 3-7 days. Once appeal is rejected you can’t resend a new one for 30 days
If you’ve been categorized you will receive a notice on why in early December 2024. At that point, you can make changes to verbiage and website that can lift restrictions via the appeal process
If you want to be kept up to date on incredibly nerdy and niche topics about digital marketing, with a special focus on Meta ads, you need to join our email list or our membership, The Foxwell Founders.
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Action Items for Expert Ad Buyers
1.Determine whether this will affect your brand
Health & wellness categories is defined as: “associated with medical conditions, specific health statuses, or provider/patient relationships (for example, a patient portal or wellness tracker for depression)”
Per a Meta rep, most health supplement brands will not be affected, unless it is a prescription or for a specific disease, etc.
If you are a health & wellness-adjacent brand/product, be on the lookout to be flagged and be ready to appeal
Financial services categories are defined as: Provides financial tools, consultation and/or services, consumer credit reports
Politics is defined as: Is associated with members of a specific political party, political position or contains topics related to a political issue
Other categories affected include: Unsuitable content (Contains topics related to unsuitable content, including content that violates our Community and Advertising Standards (examples include hate speech, violence and illegal activities)), and any ads having to do with race, religion, sexuality, gender identity, nationality, trade unions, or personal hardship
Per Meta, this list is not exhaustive and may evolve over time
2. Review Categorization in Events Manager:
Ensure clients’ data sources are correctly categorized
If miscategorized, request a review through Events Manager immediately
3. Adjust Campaign Strategies:
Shift focus to upper-funnel events (e.g., awareness, engagement, traffic) for audience targeting and optimization
One Foxwell Founder member suggests brand awareness for these brands
Explore alternative standard events to replace restricted ones (e.g., Landing Page Views, ViewContent, Donate, App Install, Search).
4. Optimize for Non-Restricted Events:
Focus on leveraging non-restricted standard events for better campaign performance.
5. Avoid Misuse of Custom Events:
Do not create custom events that mimic restricted events to bypass restrictions.
6. Communicate Changes to Clients:
Educate clients on the impact of these changes and how their campaigns may need adjustment.
Help them understand restrictions and the rationale for any new strategies.
7. Monitor Notifications:
Keep an eye on Ads Manager and Events Manager for updates on ad sets, events, and categorization status.
8. Prepare for Potential Campaign Declines:
Proactively strategize to minimize impact, especially for campaigns reliant on restricted events.
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WHY is this happening?
Meta has faced legal issues with false or misleading claims in advertising, so is trying to improve transparency and reduce false advertising. The rollout of the categorization timing matched with the the large rise in class action suits against CPG brands this past year. “It would appear that Meta is attempting to shield themselves from brands leveraging their platform and making too bold of claims about what their product can do,” says Founders Member Max Langlois. See this post on X from Max Langlois for more information.
What the Founders Membership is saying:
“Sounds like if you are in one of the restricted categories, you can't optimize for purchase anymore. That's shooting yourself (Meta) in the foot, while also killing others.”
“Seems like the reason they are doing this is because Meta keeps getting sued for breaking wire tapping and HIPPA laws”
“You are able to check in Events Manager what is classified as health and wellness condition, under Settings, then Manage Data Source Categories”
This change poses a significant threat to affected categories and brands who have been operating under the premise of direct-response and conversion-based advertising on Meta. We will continue to update this blog as more information is released and as the ban goes into effect and we begin to see the real results and ramifications of this change.
For further details or support, consult Meta’s resources or contact their support team:
Courtney Fritts
