Business or ad account locked? Identify which of the five objects is down.
A business portfolio, an ad account, a Page, a login and your personal advertising access are five different locks, each with its own notice, queue and evidence.
Short answer: a "business account" is not one object. Identify which of the five is down, clear any outstanding balance first, then request a review in Meta Business Support Home — many guides still call it Account Quality. Stop the spend before you write anything: pause what you can, do not build a replacement portfolio, and do not delete assets. If the account was hacked, assemble the ownership file before the first ticket.
What a locked business account actually is
Meta's business help describes restrictions on four objects: the business portfolio, the ad account, a Page and a personal profile. A portfolio can lose advertising; an ad account's ads and some advertising assets are disabled; a Page cannot advertise; a restricted personal profile cannot advertise, and ad accounts where that person is the only attached user may also be disabled. The fifth lock, the login, is a recovery problem.
One fix does not cover the others. A portfolio-level review cannot clear personal advertising access, and a restored Page does not restore ad delivery.
The triggers are mostly plumbing: failed payments and card changes, a personal-profile restriction cascading into every ad account it touches, and a notice that says 2FA is off while 2FA is visibly on. Policy hits exist too, but in the cases we reviewed they were the loud minority.
Account Quality is the familiar old name; Meta's current articles route you to Meta Business Support Home.
First steps: identify, settle, contain, preserve
The order below is free, and it matters more than the appeal wording. If a step does not match your screen, check the official help page at the bottom.
Name the object before you appeal
Read the notice before dismissing it. Does login work while advertising is blocked? Are every ad account and the Page down at once? Can you not log in at all? Screenshot the notice, the date and the account ID.
Settle the balance, then request the review
Failed or disputed payments are a documented trigger for advertising restrictions. Business owners report an unpaid balance can block the review; Meta's docs list payment failures only as a trigger. Clear it first anyway, then add a backup card and request the review.
Stop the bleed before you write a word
Pause what you can still reach. If the ad account is locked, check whether delivery continues: in the cases we reviewed, ads kept spending while the owner could not update the card. Do not create or buy a replacement portfolio.
The ownership file comes before the first ticket
Use the hacked-account recovery route, then assemble proof before opening a ticket: original email, dated login records, billing receipts, the role list and a one-page timeline separating the attacker's activity from yours.
One clear request, then wait
Meta documents a limited number of advertising reviews and says the decision is final, though asking again will not hurt your standing. Submit once, save the reference, and follow up only with new information. Ads do not restart automatically.
Not sure which of the five is locked? A free diagnosis reads the notice, the account structure and your country against the official route, and names the first evidence items. Start here.
What goes wrong, and what a lock costs
Business loss is metered. In the cases we reviewed, a small shop was still spending around $200 a day while locked out, and an agency client was at around €300 a day. That meter is why containment comes first.
1. Replacing the account
A replacement portfolio does not inherit trust, and in the cases we reviewed it was restricted too. Buying or renting an aged portfolio is account trading, not a fix.
Do instead: change the named trigger or appeal the object you have.2. Asking for content back instead of access
In a business case the reviewer controls access, not the disputed ad. Arguing the creative misses the decision you need reviewed.
Do instead: name the object, notice and date, and ask for review of access.3. Letting the spend run
A lock does not always stop delivery. Reported cases include a boosted post that ran from £15 to £500 while support could not stop it.
Do instead: pause or cap what you can reach and keep the receipts.4. Opening the first ticket empty-handed
For a hacked business, a first ticket without ownership evidence is often the last useful one: the record hardens and reopening is harder than getting it right once.
Do instead: build the ownership file first, then open one case.Which object is locked, and where the review lives
The table is the general map; your notice and account structure decide the row.
| Object | What it looks like | First move | Where | Typical window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal ad access | Login works but you cannot advertise; other admins may still run ads | Request review of the personal restriction | Business Support Home (Account Quality legacy) | No SLA; days to weeks in our cases |
| Ad account | Ads paused or marked disabled; spend stops or loses control | Settle the balance, then request review | Business Support Home → Account status overview | Meta says typically 48 hours |
| Business portfolio | Every ad account and Page under it goes down at once | Request review at portfolio level | Business Support Home | No SLA; days to weeks in our cases |
| Page | Page unpublished; ads may be unaffected | Request the Page review; access is not delivery | Page settings / Business Support Home | Weeks in our cases; no SLA |
| Login | You cannot get in at all; ads may keep running | Stop the spend, then run recovery | Login recovery / facebook.com/hacked | Hours to days if recovery succeeds |
One real deadline: after six months ineligible for reinstatement, a disabled ad account's unused prepaid services may be forfeited where allowed by law, and the account cannot be reinstated.
The route ladder, in the order it usually pays off
- Pay the balance, then re-request the review. The cheapest step, and sometimes the whole fix.
- Fix the named trigger. If the notice names 2FA, a card, a domain or an ad, change it and attach before-and-after proof.
- Clean the roles if the account was taken over: remove unknown admins, add a trusted admin, remove your own profile last.
- Escalate through a representative on a second portfolio with live spend. In cases we reviewed, this moved a personal restriction as a related issue.
- Meta Verified for Business: documented as enhanced support for account issues, with 24/7 support that may not be available to all subscribers and no restoration promise. A queue ticket, not a decision.
- A demand letter to Meta's legal contact: in cases we reviewed, acknowledged and little more.
- Small claims, or serving the platform. Legal pressure bites on service, not emails: in cases we reviewed, the response came days after service.
We do not file for you, do not log in, and do not promise restoration.
What this page can't tell you
This page names categories. It cannot tell you which object your case is without the notice, which channel is open to you, which three evidence items matter first, or which dates apply to your structure and country. That gap is where cases lose weeks: an appeal in the wrong queue is not read, and a portfolio request cannot review a personal restriction.
For multi-asset or hacked business cases, that diagnosis is scoped individually rather than sold as a fixed public tier.
Where this page stops and your case begins
This page gives you the general route. Your notice, account type, country and the steps you already tried decide the channel, the evidence and the deadlines. That is the part a general guide cannot do for you — and it is the part that decides whether the appeal is read or lost in the wrong queue.
- Free diagnosisRestriction type, the official channel that applies, and the first three evidence items for your case. Before you pay anything.
- Starter — $9The first appeal text and the first channel, for people who want to send it themselves.
- Self-Help — $29The full channel map (first appeal + escalation), evidence checklist, deadline calendar and two follow-up texts.
- Guided — $49Self-Help plus a human review of your case, a personalised appeal and one round of edits.
One-off, one case. Delivered by email in 1 business day (Guided: up to 3). 7-day refund if the pack is not delivered or started. We never ask for your password or account access, and we make no promise about the outcome. Paid services are 18+.
Frequently asked questions
What does business account locked actually mean?
It is almost never one object. Meta documents restrictions on the portfolio, the ad account, a Page and a personal profile, while login is a recovery problem. Each has its own notice, review surface and consequence.
Where do I appeal an ad or business restriction?
In Meta Business Support Home, under Account status overview: select the restricted account, open What you can do and choose Request review. You must be an admin. Account Quality is the old name for this surface, and the same help pages offer a Meta AI business assistant for round-the-clock support.
Should I create a new business portfolio or ad account?
It is safer not to. A replacement does not inherit trust, and in the cases we reviewed new accounts were restricted too. Buying or renting an aged portfolio is account trading, not a fix.
Does an unpaid balance block the appeal?
Meta documents failed or disputed payments as a trigger, not a rule that debt locks the appeal. Business owners report an unpaid balance can block the review. Clear it first anyway: it removes a known trigger and costs nothing.
Is Meta Verified for Business a way to get the account back?
No. Meta documents enhanced support for account issues, says 24/7 support may not be available to all subscribers, and never promises restoration. Treat it as a queue ticket, not a decision.
What if the business account was hacked?
Use the hacked-account recovery route first, then open one ticket with an ownership file: original email, dated login records, billing receipts, the role list and a one-page timeline. In the cases we reviewed, the first human contact decided the case.
Which of the five is down?
Describe the notice, what still works and what stopped. The free diagnosis names the object, the review channel and the first evidence items — no password, no account access.
Self-help only. We never ask for your password, and we make no promise about the outcome. Paid services are 18+.
Official sources used on this page
- Meta Business Help — About advertising restrictions
- Meta Business Help — About Meta Business Support Home
- Meta Business Help — Troubleshoot a disabled or restricted account
- Meta Business Help — Request a review for a restricted advertising account
- Meta Business Help — Meta Verified benefits for businesses
- Facebook — Recover your account if you were hacked
Official Meta help pages only. Timelines are estimates, not deadlines.