{"id":2329,"date":"2024-12-10T16:18:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T16:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/?p=2329"},"modified":"2025-06-30T20:49:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T20:49:04","slug":"metas-new-restrictions-on-health-and-wellness-ads-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/ppc\/metas-new-restrictions-on-health-and-wellness-ads-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Meta\u2019s New Restrictions on Health and Wellness Ads: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>TLDR<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Starting in January 2025, Meta rolled out new restrictions that block health and wellness brands from using events like \u201cPurchase\u201d or \u201cAdd to Cart\u201d for optimization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Brands are now being forced to rely on non-restricted events like \u201cLanding Page Views\u201d or \u201cEngagement\u201d to keep campaigns running.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meta\u2019s rules are vague, and their algorithm has already miscategorized some brands that aren\u2019t directly tied to health and wellness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you lose access to high-intent events, you\u2019ll likely see a dip in performance\u2014especially if your strategy depends on purchase-level tracking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019ll get flagged in Events Manager if you\u2019re impacted. Check your account regularly, pivot your campaigns fast, and request a review if something looks off.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are workarounds\u2014custom-coded events, cleaner URLs, server-side tracking, and native lead forms are all in play. We broke them down step-by-step in this post.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Table Of Contents<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#section-1\">What\u2019s Happening<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#section-2\">How This Affects You<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#section-3\">Meta May Miscategorize Your Account<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#section-4\">Quick Fix Guide for Meta\u2019s Health &amp; Wellness Ad Restrictions<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#section-5\">Switch from Integrations to Custom-Coded Events<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#section-6\">Audit All URLs &amp; Pixel Triggers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#section-7\">Use Video Views to Build Warm Audiences<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#section-8\">Send Server-Side Events Instead of Using the Facebook Pixel<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#section-9\">Try Using Facebook Form Submissions Instead<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#section-10\">Quick Disclaimer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#section-11\">Need Help?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-1\"><strong>What\u2019s Happening?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Meta has shaken things up with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxwelldigital.com\/blog\/sensitive-ad-categories-changes-coming-to-meta-in-2025\">big change<\/a> to how it handles ads for health and wellness brands. Under a broad new definition, businesses in this category are <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jchdotme\/status\/1861875798472540421\">no longer<\/a> able to share key <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/business\/help\/402791146561655\">event data<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/business\/tools\/ads-manager\">Meta<\/a>, so you aren\u2019t able to optimize for events like \u201cPurchase\u201d or \u201cAdd to Cart.\u201d Instead, you\u2019ll have to focus on traffic or engagement campaigns.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfaqVXNXXLEt3EpvJ4u97hZjCjd9aygSvjSprKQj70DuR57SYRhTC-LEu9Omw49nzDYqcQhd9zIrS8-yDdaUCXG8rTkxfIpOrHWEx17a26syCnc3Ib5BTGBTXrPn5refATj6ou1_g?key=xK9WFYgC4SyVnU3y9iCeEXl0\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The details are vague, but in January 2025, Meta has categorized websites and apps based on the products or services they offer. If you\u2019re in the health and wellness industry, your products may now be considered a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/alison.ai\/blog\/meta-ads-new-sensitive-categories-restrictions#:~:text=1.-,Sensitive%20Category%20Restrictions,sharing%20through%20Meta's%20Business%20Tools\">sensitive category<\/a>\u201d, and lose access to key event tracking like \u201cPurchases\u201d &amp; \u201cAdd To Cart\u201d.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, businesses selling health &amp; wellness products need to optimize their campaigns to non-restricted events like \u201cLanding Page Views\u201d or \u201cEngagement\u201d. While Meta says these changes aim to protect user privacy, their broad definitions mean brands not directly tied to these industries might get flagged by mistake as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These changes could impact a range of industries, particularly those connected to health and wellness. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Health and Wellness Brands: Companies selling supplements, fitness programs, or wellness products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pharmaceutical and Medical Services: Telemedicine platforms, pharmacies, or healthcare providers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Legal Firms: Personal injury law firms may fall under broader health-related restrictions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fitness and Lifestyle Apps: Apps focused on workouts, dieting, or mental health.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If your business operates in or near these categories, it\u2019s important to stay informed and review your account status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-2\"><strong>How This Affects You<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a business in health-adjacent industries\u2014like fitness, supplements, or even personal injury law\u2014this could have a big impact on how you run your campaigns. Losing access to high-intent events like \u201cPurchase\u201d means you will see a dip in ad performance, especially if your campaigns rely on those for targeting or measurement. You may even need to start from scratch, with entirely new campaigns with new objectives to drive your business forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s worth noting that Meta is not pausing your active campaigns because of these restrictions. However, you will receive notifications via email, Ads Manager, and Events Manager detailing which ad sets and events are impacted. These updates will help you stay on top of what\u2019s changing so you can adjust accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-3\"><strong>Meta May Miscategorize Your Account<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Meta\u2019s categorization process isn\u2019t perfect, and their algorithm could misclassify your account, leading to unnecessary restrictions. This means your campaigns might be flagged for limitations, even if your business doesn\u2019t truly fall under the sensitive categories they\u2019re targeting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdLh8udMzJyxG4Dwj_8hY9SEslwO_qAc-GxQci5DFqebKdW1O_TyRWLdyatdXb8eH6Au_0LvC4fQt8zD_cI87b9QeEZqx1Fl-tULRJMI_roPOvJ1gSkVz3ykPl87ZAHsCZa6xpA?key=xK9WFYgC4SyVnU3y9iCeEXl0\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxwelldigital.com\/blog\/sensitive-ad-categories-changes-coming-to-meta-in-2025\">Foxwell Digital<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since Meta\u2019s system relies heavily on automation, errors can happen\u2014especially for businesses in industries that are loosely related to health and wellness. It\u2019s crucial to regularly check your Events Manager to see if you\u2019ve been flagged by mistake. If you spot an issue, act quickly to request a review and prevent unnecessary disruptions to your campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-4\"><strong>Quick Fix Guide for Meta\u2019s Health &amp; Wellness Ad Restrictions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These new Meta rules are a pain, but there <em>are<\/em> some ways to work around them. If you\u2019re running into issues getting your ads approved, here are a few ideas to test:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2582906_dpblogmetahealthinfographic1200x628_042225-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2582906_dpblogmetahealthinfographic1200x628_042225-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2582906_dpblogmetahealthinfographic1200x628_042225-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2582906_dpblogmetahealthinfographic1200x628_042225-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/2582906_dpblogmetahealthinfographic1200x628_042225.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-5\"><strong>Switch from integrations to custom-coded events:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Skip the default platform integrations and set up conversion events manually outside of Facebook\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/business\/help\/2041148702652965?id=818859032317965\">Conversions API<\/a> (CAPI). Call it something safe like &#8220;View Content&#8221; or another upper-funnel action Meta still allows. It&#8217;s not guaranteed, but could give you more control over what\u2019s being tracked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to do it:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>In your site\u2019s source code, add manual event triggers using the fbq() function (e.g., fbq(&#8216;track&#8217;, &#8216;ViewContent&#8217;);)<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid using ecommerce-specific labels like &#8220;Purchase&#8221; or &#8220;AddToCart&#8221; in your event names if you&#8217;re trying to fly under the radar<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use a developer or tag manager like <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/tagmanager\/answer\/6102821?hl=en\">GTM<\/a> to manage where and when these events fire<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test the events in Facebook&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leadsie.com\/blog\/how-to-use-facebook-events-manager-step-by-step-walkthrough#:~:text=Facebook%20Events%20Manager%20(also%20known,both%20on%20and%20off%20Facebook.\">Event Manager<\/a> to make sure they&#8217;re firing correctly<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXem-3jCGEGbD-bkDfMGkAMwxHmdrA6lSpjO3vLnhtgxz2YNZi01YQUHrfmg3TxWxhw3BLOkDQV0fn-rjagb-nyvejqaCyaaKdu0KDZ-986FQvnnBhqhxrloKIGEJoWroI1zjzYe6A?key=xK9WFYgC4SyVnU3y9iCeEXl0\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-6\"><strong>Audit All URLs &amp; Pixel Triggers:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Look closely at your site URLs and how your pixel events are firing. If a product page URL says something like purchase=orthopedic_shoe, try changing it to purchase=shoe. It sounds small, but that kind of language cleanup could help you pass Meta\u2019s review process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXf3sJtaSoNmG1BDG4Us4ccq03JaglrI28YuDotpXAZfOssdNQSKkKB0lulc1BsYRi1zZ0QcRculzOxY3RbuX0_2TOGoS8exynzE8SL26jho2fffXs_1ziB8U-KLidQmGg2j49rvfA?key=xK9WFYgC4SyVnU3y9iCeEXl0\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to do it:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Crawl your website or use Google Analytics to pull a list of your site URLs.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Search for any URLs with words like \u201corthopedic,\u201d \u201cmedical,\u201d or anything that might raise a red flag.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Update product slug naming in your <a href=\"https:\/\/kinsta.com\/knowledgebase\/content-management-system\/\">CMS<\/a> (like Shopify or WordPress) to be more generic.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Double-check that your Facebook pixel is firing on the correct updated URLs and not breaking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-7\"><strong>Use Video Views to Build Warm Audiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Run video ads and retarget folks who watch 50% or more with a simple link click ad. It\u2019s not perfect, but if someone watches a full video on orthopedic shoes, there\u2019s a solid chance they\u2019re interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXfBbxT2EQSq-AarUxsAXV6Ybtd_B7Xn65KtIF4Vz68i54PXMf9ORZ0kfey96vk5xesmHRwwCiARGrRnK1koHmOMfzPQ02mtL5iNTp03pds4SA2l3vQd-OShRi3yfqZ6YSTPO8NqDA?key=xK9WFYgC4SyVnU3y9iCeEXl0\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to do it:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Launch a video campaign in Meta Ads Manager using an Awareness or Engagement objective.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/business\/help\/2051461368219124\">ThruPlay<\/a>&#8221; as your optimization event for better audience quality.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After running for a few days, create a custom audience of users who viewed 50% or more of the video.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a retargeting campaign targeting that warm audience with a link click ad pushing them to a landing page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-8\"><strong>Send Server-Side Events Instead of Using the Facebook Pixel:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This one\u2019s tricky. You\u2019d lose a chunk of tracking data, but you\u2019d also avoid sending restricted info through the pixel. Server events give you more flexibility in what\u2019s being sent to Meta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to do it:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Set up Facebook\u2019s Conversions API manually using server-side scripts or through a backend framework like Node.js, PHP, or Python.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make sure to pass less sensitive event names and parameters \u2014 avoid anything medical-sounding.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use event IDs to de-duplicate between server and browser events if both are running.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test server-side events using Meta\u2019s Event Testing Tool to verify they&#8217;re received.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-9\"><strong>Try Using Facebook Form Submissions Instead:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can likely still collect lead info directly on Facebook with their native form tool. Frame it like a special offer or a first-time discount. Then follow up via email to close the sale. Not ideal, but it gets you past the ad approval stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXdI-3Fx0XI5KXUxf2usazEM9b4Fa9xo5AgLL3Xn4WTKyd5PkvZAfpCo6cxMfMqmkcB0E2_O2OYJaOLh7pndoKRqEgnxMy399vSUary8IE_XyB2k57GPv324zStmwEYUHyt8JQ-AbA?key=xK9WFYgC4SyVnU3y9iCeEXl0\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to do it:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>In Meta Ads Manager, create a Lead Ad campaign.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use Instant Forms and design them with minimal friction \u2014 only ask for what\u2019s necessary.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offer an incentive like \u201cGet 10% Off Your First Pair\u201d in exchange for an email.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Connect your CRM or email platform (via Zapier or a direct integration) to follow up with personalized offers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-10\">\u26a0\ufe0f Quick disclaimer:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These tactics may help you work around current Meta ad restrictions for health-related products, but at the end of the day, Facebook wants you to play by the rules. There\u2019s always a chance the platform could crack down and block these methods later. Use with caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"section-11\"><strong>Need Help?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This update could cause headaches for businesses, but there\u2019s still time to adapt. If you\u2019re unsure how these changes might impact your campaigns\u2014or need help reworking your strategy\u2014we\u2019ve got you covered. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalposition.com\/book-your-call\">Contact us today<\/a> to chat about how to keep your campaigns on track despite these new restrictions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TLDR Table Of Contents What\u2019s Happening? Meta has shaken things up with a big change to how it handles ads for health and wellness brands. Under a broad new definition, businesses in this category are no longer able to share key event data with Meta, so you aren\u2019t able to optimize for events like \u201cPurchase\u201d&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":2330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,2,4],"tags":[],"thumbnail_src":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/1722005827404-300x225.jpg","thumbnail_medium_src":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/1722005827404-768x576.jpg","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/1722005827404.jpg","author_avatar_src":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture1.png","author_name":"Kaylee Price","category_labels":["News","PPC","Social"],"tag_labels":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2329"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2329"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2839,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2329\/revisions\/2839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.digitalposition.com\/resources\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}