Manual Review
Human review of ads by platform policy specialists, triggered by automated flags, appeals, or random sampling.
What Manual Review means
Manual review is the process where human reviewers at ad platforms evaluate ads for policy compliance. While most initial ad reviews are automated, manual review is triggered by automated system uncertainty, advertiser appeals, user reports, random quality sampling, or specific ad categories that require human judgment. Manual reviews are generally more accurate than automated systems and can consider context and nuance that algorithms miss. However, manual reviews also introduce subjectivity — different reviewers may interpret the same policy differently. The DSA requires platforms to employ qualified reviewers and provide transparent appeal processes. For advertisers, understanding that manual review exists helps inform appeal strategies — if an ad was incorrectly rejected by an automated system, requesting manual review often resolves the issue.
Related terms
Appeal
The formal process of requesting a platform to reconsider an ad disapproval, account restriction, or policy enforcement decision.
Ad Rejection
The act of a platform declining to run an ad because it violates advertising policies or guidelines.
Content Moderation
The process by which platforms review and enforce rules on user-generated and advertising content.
Policy Violation
Any breach of a platform's advertising policies, ranging from minor formatting issues to serious prohibited content violations.