What Does "Approved (Limited) — Trademarks in Ad Text" Actually Mean?
When you see "Approved (Limited) — Trademarks in Ad Text" in your Google Ads status column, your ad is not disapproved. It passed policy review. The problem is more specific: your ad copy — the headline or description — contains a trademarked term, and Google is restricting delivery as a result.
The "limited" part means your ad won't show in every auction it otherwise qualifies for. Google will suppress it in situations where the trademark owner's policies restrict use, which typically means lower impression share and higher CPCs than a fully unrestricted ad would get.
This is different from "Approved (Limited) — Sensitive content" or other limited statuses. The cause here is specifically the trademark in your text.
Why Does Google Restrict Ads with Trademarks in the Text?
Google lets trademark owners submit complaints through the Trademark Complaint process. When a trademark owner files a complaint and it's approved, Google restricts ads containing that term in the ad text — even if you're a reseller, affiliate, or authorized partner.
The restriction applies to ad copy only. You can still bid on trademarked keywords. The limitation is about what appears in the visible ad text, not what triggers the ad.
How to Fix "Approved (Limited) — Trademarks in Ad Text"
There are two real paths:
Option 1: Remove the trademark from your ad text
The simplest fix. Edit the headline or description that contains the trademarked term and replace it with a generic equivalent. Once the ad no longer contains the restricted trademark in the copy, the limitation lifts.
Example: If you're running ads for a dental practice and you have "Invisalign" in your headline, replace it with "clear aligners" or "clear braces" and the status should clear on next review.
Option 2: Get authorized by the trademark owner
If you're a legitimate reseller, partner, or authorized dealer, the trademark owner can authorize your use of the term in ad text. They do this by submitting an authorization request directly to Google.
Once Google processes the authorization for your account and domain, you can use the trademark in your ad text without triggering the restriction. This process is handled on the trademark owner's side — you can't initiate it yourself through the Google Ads interface.
Does "Approved (Limited) — Trademarks in Ad Text" Hurt Your Quality Score?
Not directly. Quality Score is tied to expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience — not your ad status. But because the limited status reduces where your ad can show, your impression share takes a hit, and depending on the auction dynamics, your effective CPC can rise.
The practical impact varies by how aggressively the trademark owner restricted the term. Some trademarks see only minor delivery reduction. Others see significant suppression across most of their relevant queries.
What's the Difference Between "Approved (Limited)" Statuses?
Google uses "Approved (Limited)" for several different restriction reasons. The most common:
- Trademarks in Ad Text — your copy contains a restricted trademark
- Sensitive content — your ad or landing page touches a sensitive vertical (alcohol, healthcare, gambling, etc.)
- Non-family safe — content that isn't appropriate for all audiences
- Ad may serve to a limited audience — targeting or content restricts delivery by age, geography, or device
Each one has a different fix. "Trademarks in Ad Text" is the most actionable — either remove the term or get authorized.