Weight & build
Unacceptable visual effects
- Published limit
- 5 frames per second, animated GIF
What Google's rule says
Google's stated rule is that the ad uses an animated GIF with a frame rate higher than 5 frames per second. The reason name is broad; the published condition behind it is that single test, and the Ad Manager API has no CreativePolicyViolation value for it, so it appears only as a reason string in the interface.
What actually causes it
- A GIF exported straight from video or from an animation tool at its default frame rate.
- Smooth motion built at 12, 15 or 24 fps because that is what looked right in the design tool.
- A GIF re-encoded by an asset pipeline that raised the frame rate to reduce banding.
- A strobing or flashing effect used deliberately for attention.
How to fix it
Re-export the GIF at 5 fps or below, or move the creative to HTML5, where motion is not governed by this rule. Re-timing the existing frames is usually better than dropping frames, which turns smooth motion into a stutter.
The part that is not obvious
The rule is mechanical, not aesthetic, and the name hides that completely. It names one file format and one number: a GIF at 6 fps fails however gentle the motion is, and an HTML5 creative flashing far harder is not caught by this check at all. That asymmetry is worth knowing before you argue the case, because there is no subjective judgement to appeal — the only question is what frame rate is in the file.
Related reasons
Reason name, threshold verified against Troubleshoot creatives rejected by Display & Video 360 or Google Ad Manager on 30 July 2026. The causes and fix above are practitioner guidance, not Google policy text.