Google Ad Disapproved for Trademark Use: What It Means and How to Fix It
A trademark disapproval usually means a brand owner filed a complaint and Google matched your ad text against it. Bidding on a competitor's keywords is allowed in the EU and US; putting their name in your headline usually is not. Here is where the line sits and how to get the ad running again.
Updated 13 August 2026
The exact disapproval message
Your ad was disapproved for Trademarks. Google restricts the use of trademarked terms in ad text in response to complaints from trademark owners. Trademarks may be used in ad text only by authorised resellers, informational sites, and certain other permitted uses.
Wording varies slightly by ad and account. Policy: Trademarks.
What it actually means
Someone owns the brand name in your ad and has told Google they do not want it appearing in other advertisers' text. Google does not judge whether you are legally entitled to use it - it enforces the complaint and leaves it to you to show you fall inside a permitted use. Keywords are a separate system: you can usually keep bidding on the term even when you cannot write it.
Why your ad was disapproved
These are the uses that most often trigger a trademark disapproval.
Competitor brand name in a headline or description
“Better than [Competitor] - switch today”
The most common trademark trigger
Implied official or authorised status
“The official [Brand] store”
High-risk - can escalate into a misrepresentation flag as well
Trademark in the display URL or path
“example.com/official-brand-parts”
A frequent trigger that survives headline edits
Reseller or affiliate copy without the goods on the page
“Buy [Brand] shoes (landing page sells only unrelated products)”
Commonly flagged when the reseller exception is claimed but not met
Comparison copy naming the trademark
“[Brand] alternative - cheaper and faster”
Often flagged even where the comparison is factually accurate
Before and after rewrites
Rejected
Better than [Competitor] - switch today
Compliant
Switch to faster compliance scanning. See how we compare.
Keeps the competitive angle and moves the named comparison onto your own landing page, where trademark policy does not apply.
Rejected
The official [Brand] parts store
Compliant
Independent supplier of parts compatible with [Brand] products.
Removes the implied authorisation. If you are an authorised reseller, apply through the trademark authorisation process instead of rewording.
Rejected
example.com/official-brand-deals
Compliant
example.com/deals
Clears the trademark from the display path, a spot advertisers routinely forget to check.
How to fix and resubmit
- 1Search every asset - headlines, descriptions, display URL paths, sitelinks, callouts - for the brand name. Trademark checks cover extensions too.
- 2Remove the trademark from ad text and move the comparison to your landing page, which the trademark policy does not restrict.
- 3If you are an authorised reseller or run an informational site that qualifies, request authorisation from the trademark owner and file it with Google rather than editing the copy away.
- 4Keep the trademark as a keyword if the competitor comparison is your strategy - keyword bidding on trademarks is generally permitted in the EU and US.
- 5Save the edited ad to re-enter review, or submit a trademark authorisation request if you hold documented permission.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I bid on a competitor's brand name as a keyword?
In the EU and the US, generally yes. Google's trademark policy restricts trademarked terms in ad text, not in keyword targeting. Some regions apply stricter keyword rules, and EU national trademark and unfair competition law can still create separate legal exposure even where Google permits it.
Why did my competitor's ad use my brand name but mine was blocked?
Trademark enforcement is complaint-driven. If the owner of that brand has not filed a complaint with Google, ads mentioning it are not blocked. Once a complaint exists, enforcement applies to everyone except authorised parties.
How do I get authorisation to use a trademark in ad text?
The trademark owner must authorise you through Google's trademark authorisation process. You cannot self-certify. Resellers and informational sites can also apply under the permitted-use exceptions, and Google reviews whether the landing page genuinely meets them.
Will fixing this remove the strike from my account?
A trademark disapproval stops the ad serving but is not treated like an egregious policy violation. Fix the copy and the ad returns to normal delivery. Repeated attempts to reinsert a restricted trademark are what create account-level risk.
Is a comparison page naming a competitor legal in the EU?
Comparative advertising is lawful under the EU Misleading and Comparative Advertising Directive when the comparison is objective, verifiable, of like-for-like products, and not denigrating. That is the standard your landing page needs to meet, independent of what Google allows in ad text.
Fix the copy before you resubmit
Resubmitting the same wording usually gets the same disapproval. Scan your ad first and ship a version that passes review. No login, no card required.