Health ads and 18+ targeting: Meta's age gate
By Spear Systems · 1 min read ·
Some health-ad rejections have nothing to do with copy or imagery. Meta requires ads promoting dietary/weight-loss products and services, cosmetic products/procedures/ surgeries, and health supplements to target people 18 or older. An otherwise clean ad with default age targeting can fail on setup alone.
What the gate covers
- Dietary, health, or weight-loss/weight-gain products and services (supplements, pills).
- Cosmetic products, procedures, or surgeries.
- Health supplements generally.
What is exempt
Products and services marketed for general wellbeing — e.g. fitness services — fall outside the age-targeting restriction. The line is product positioning: market a general fitness service and the gate doesn’t apply; market a weight-loss pill and it does. (Positioning guidance: supplement positioning.)
Setup checklist
- Set minimum age 18+ on every ad set in a health campaign — new ad sets default open.
- Re-check after edits and duplications; targeting resets are a classic silent failure.
- Then verify copy (claims guide), imagery (imagery rules), and landing page (checklist).
Overview: health ads hub.
Sources
- Meta Transparency Center, Health and Wellness policy (changelog Jul 22, 2026; accessed 2026-09-24)