What is Facebook’s Nonexistent-Functionality Policy & How Does it Affect Me?

11/11/2022

Advertising on Facebook can be a challenge and the nonexistent-functionality policy is one of the biggest ones. But don’t worry, we’re here to share our knowledge of the jungle! Keep reading to find out what this nonexistent-functionality policy is all about, how to counter it, and how to improve Facebook ad performance.

Image: jv-dr.com

What Is the Facebook Nonexistent-Functionality Policy?

The Facebook nonexistent-functionality policy is essentially a policy that states advertisers are not allowed to run ads containing buttons or checkboxes that aren’t actually clickable. The nonexistent-functionality policy Facebook has instated makes perfect sense – the platform just doesn’t want its users to experience any discomfort. And if the user is trying to click on a Play button which isn’t really a button, they might get frustrated.

So, naturally, the platform will either ban the ad or even disable your account. Sometimes, the Facebook nonexistent-functionality policy is violated just by pure accident. Sometimes, advertisers place a video on the landing page and use the thumbnail image but forget to remove the Play button from the static thumbnail. But sometimes, in very specific cases, you may want to use an unclickable button. So, how do you separate these cases? How can you know when to risk it?

Examples of Facebook’s Nonexistent-Functionality Policy

Before we dive into countering the nonexistent-functionality policy or when it’s worth risking it, let’s look at some examples of Facebook’s nonexistent-functionality policy. This will help you get a clearer picture of all the potential cases that might fall under the umbrella of the Facebook nonexistent-functionality policy.

Play Button

Image: jv-dr.com

Look at the image above. If your ad looks like that and it’s not a playable video – you have violated the Facebook nonexistent-functionality policy. You can use the video in your ad or you can use the thumbnail as a promotional image. But you can’t use the thumbnail with the fake Play button that, instead of playing the video, takes the user to your landing page.

Closing Button

Image: jv-dr.com

Here’s another example of Facebook’s nonexistent-functionality policy being violated. If your ad contains the X icon which is supposed to close the ad but it doesn’t actually do anything or may even take the user to your landing page. This naturally will frustrate the user. The platform also reads it as a way of tricking the user and can ban your ad.

Fake Polls/Questions

Image: jv-dr.com

In this image, we see an example of a fake questionnaire or poll that will lead the user to the landing page. This is also an example of Facebook’s nonexistent-functionality policy being violated. It’s another attempt to lead the user to your website without letting them know about it and Meta reads it as a reason to ban your ad. These are some major cases of the Facebook nonexistent-functionality policy being violated. There can be some other cases, but now you get the idea and can apply it to your own ads.

How to Deal with Facebook’s Nonexistent-Functionality Policy

There are actually a couple of different ways of dealing with the Facebook nonexistent-functionality policy. One way is taking that risk. Maybe your video is too long or the quality goes down on the post. Maybe you’ve been thinking about how you can improve Facebook ad performance and secure those clicks. Whatever the concern, you need to use an unclickable button. And there actually are ways of bypassing the Facebook nonexistent-functionality policy with much lower risks of getting banned!

Try using a transparent button instead of a solid one – Meta’s algorithm doesn’t always detect it! You can also try incorporating the thumbnail with the Play button on a device like a laptop or a smartphone. This one is the better option as it also gives you an explanation in case the ad does get noticed – you can claim to not have known that the policy would apply in this case. Naturally, this is the harder way of dealing with the nonexistent-functionality policy – you are still taking a risk and you may face consequences.

Image: jvdr.com

The other way of dealing with it is simply avoiding any and all violations. You will need to be careful and analyze the ad for potential violations that could have slipped your notice, as you would with all other policies. And if this sounds like a time-consuming and challenging task – it is. Meta ad policies have become more and more exhausting over the years. And when questions like “how to improve Facebook ad performance?” are at the forefront of your mind – you can’t lose advertising time by getting blocked! That’s why you can always relegate it to meta ad agency and focus on other aspects of your business.