Google Ads Circumventing Systems Policy

What Is Circumventing Systems?

Circumventing systems refers to any attempt to evade Google's enforcement mechanisms. This policy exists to prevent suspended advertisers from simply creating new accounts or using workarounds to continue advertising.

Google treats this violation as more serious than the original suspension because it demonstrates intentional evasion rather than a mistake.

Actions That Trigger Circumventing Systems

• Creating a new Google Ads account while your existing account is suspended
• Using a different identity (family member, friend, business partner) to create an account
• Using different payment methods to avoid detection
• Using VPNs or different devices to mask your identity
• Creating accounts for the same business under different names
• Advertising the same website from a different account
• Helping others circumvent their suspensions

How Google Links Accounts

Google uses multiple signals to identify when suspended advertisers create new accounts. Using different information doesn't guarantee avoiding detection.

Technical Signals

• Payment methods (credit cards, bank accounts)
• IP addresses and geographic patterns
• Device identifiers and browser fingerprints
• Login patterns and session data

Business Signals

• Website URLs and domain registrations
• Business names and addresses
• Phone numbers and email patterns
• Ad content and landing page similarities

Behavioral Patterns

• Campaign structure and targeting choices
• Bidding strategies and budget patterns
• Ad copy style and creative elements
• Account setup timing relative to suspensions

Why This Violation Is So Serious

When you attempt to circumvent a suspension, you're not just violating another policy—you're demonstrating behavior that Google's systems are specifically designed to prevent.

• The original account becomes much harder (often impossible) to recover
• The new account gets suspended, usually immediately
• All linked accounts may be suspended
• Future account applications may be denied
• Payment methods and domains may be flagged across Google's systems

Many advertisers turn a recoverable suspension into a permanent ban by attempting workarounds.

The Only Path Forward

If your account is suspended, there is only one legitimate path: address the original violation through proper channels. Every other option—new accounts, different identities, workarounds—leads to escalation.

This is difficult to accept, especially when the original suspension feels unfair. But Google's enforcement systems don't distinguish between "unfair suspension + circumvention attempt" and "legitimate violation + circumvention attempt." They see circumvention, and they respond accordingly.

The question isn't whether you can find a workaround. The question is whether the workaround will make recovery impossible.

See our guide on what to do when your account is suspended for more on the initial response.

Frequently Asked Questions

What This Page Does NOT Cover

This guide intentionally does not provide:

• Specific decision frameworks for when to appeal vs. wait
• Exact criteria for determining if a new account is ever viable
• Step-by-step recovery sequences for circumventing violations
• Appeal wording for accounts flagged with this violation

Circumventing systems is Google's highest-risk classification. The margin for error is essentially zero. Generic advice or improvised strategies are particularly dangerous here.

Why Most People Fail at This Stage

When people receive a circumventing systems violation, their first instinct is to find a way around it. A different email. A friend's business. A new domain. They're already thinking about workarounds—which is exactly how they got the violation in the first place.

The pattern is predictable: the original suspension was recoverable, but panic-driven actions triggered the circumventing flag. Now, instead of one problem, there are two—and the second one is much harder to solve.

Recovery from circumventing violations requires a complete shift in approach. Not more action, but different action. Not faster response, but more controlled response. This is exactly where improvisation fails.