Google Ads Demand Gen campaigns hit by review delays

Some advertisers say ad reviews are taking more than seven days — far beyond normal timelines.

What’s happening. Matthew Skelton, a senior PPC specialist, has flagged a pattern many advertisers are now recognizing: Demand Gen campaigns stuck in “in review” status for days at a time. The delays are showing up across multiple accounts and industries, with no obvious policy violations or warnings to explain the holdup.

Notably, the issue doesn’t appear to be affecting other campaign types. Search and Performance Max campaigns are still moving through review as expected, pointing to a problem specific to Demand Gen.

Why we care. For advertisers using Demand Gen to test creatives and drive upper-funnel performance, speed is part of the strategy. Long review times slow down iteration, delay launches, and make it harder to respond to seasonal or time-sensitive opportunities.

A week-long delay can throw off pacing and reduce the effectiveness of campaigns that depend on rapid optimization.

The response. Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison, has acknowledged the issue, confirming that some Demand Gen image ads are taking longer than expected to complete review. According to Marvin, Google’s teams are actively working on a fix, though no timeline has been shared.

Bottom line. If your Demand Gen ads are stuck in review, it’s likely not just you — and for now, it’s a known issue on Google’s side rather than something advertisers can directly fix.

First seen. This update was spotted by Matthew Skelton who shared his experience on LinkedIn.