Fix error messages with Uploaded ads

When uploading creatives in Google Ads, you may receive an error message. In most situations, the problem can be fixed by altering your file and re-saving. You can then try to upload your file again.

Check your ads using the Google Ads HTML5 validator.

This article will help you respond to specific error messages that you may receive while trying to upload creatives. For more detailed requirements, check our Image Policy page.

Note: When you upload a new custom dynamic ad, make sure it has the appropriate type (dynamic) and business type. The business type of the creative should match the campaign, you can find more information about your feed at the Campaign Settings page. Custom dynamic ads can only be created in Google Web Designer.

Additionally, make sure that your ad is designed to show one product or more, but not a specific, fixed number of products (2 or 3, for example), because Google will only be able to guarantee that one or more products will be shown for dynamic remarketing.

Note: This article doesn’t apply to HTML5 ads for App campaigns.

HTML5 ads

The ad contains an unsupported file type. To fix the issue, remove any unsupported file types

The file size for your ad is too big. Upload an ad 600 KB or smaller KB in size

The ad you uploaded includes a file path or file name with characters other than letters, numbers, periods (.), hyphens (-), and underscore (_)

The ad you uploaded contains HTML5 code that doesn't meet Google Ads policies

Your HTML5 ad is missing a primary .HTML file. Make sure there's an .HTML file with an Ad Size tag in your HTML5 ad, and try again. An Ad Size tag should look like <meta name=”ad.size” content=”width=300,height=250”>.

Your HTML5 ad is trying to reference an asset that we can't find in your .ZIP file

HTML5 ad contains multiple exits

Your HTML5 ad is trying to reference an asset not found in your .ZIP file. Make sure your .ZIP file only references internal assets

The .ZIP file can't be processed because the file itself or one of the files inside it was corrupted

Your HTML5 ad is modifying clickability, which is not supported

Your HTML5 ad couldn't be uploaded. Your account doesn't support HTML5 ads

The uploaded ZIP file isn't supported. Please upload ads that aren't linked to a feed

Creatives is missing text

Preview doesn't click through

You're encountering a status error for Invalid Fourth Party Call

AMPHTML Ads

The HTML document was rejected by the canonical AMP validator

Critical internal errors occurred during ad bundle validation

The custom AMP element is not supported in Google Ads

A custom AMP element is not supported in Google Ads

The bundle contains a media asset with a reserved asset path

The bundle contains incompatible vertical information

Parsing errors found in amp-custom style block

The attribute contains an invalid value

The attribute contains a forbidden value

A configuration item is missing

A configuration item contains an invalid value

A configuration item is not supported in Google Ads

The AMP document contains multiple occurrences of an element/value that should appear only once

A custom exit in AMPHTML ad bundle is not supported

Ads contain multiple HTML files

A CSS rule contains a forbidden property value

Google Web Designer HTML5

Note: To build AMPHTML banner ads in Google Web Designer, the initial step is presented in the New File dialog, where you can click AMPHTML banner to begin creating the ad. For AMPHTML ads, Google Web Designer has restrictions on certain functionality. Learn more about AMPHTML ads.

You must upload a published file. You must publish your file in Google Web Designer before you can upload it to Google Ads

This ad was created with the environment "Generic" instead of "Google Ads." To continue, convert the file to an "Google Ads" environment in Google Web Designer

The ad you uploaded contains HTML5 code that violates Google Ads policies. Remove any references to the tags listed above before you upload your ads

Your HTML5 ad is trying to reference an asset not found in your .ZIP file. Make sure your .ZIP file only references internal assets

If you want to learn more about the issue described in this article, check out this SMEs recommended training.

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Alert message	Your HTML file is not a valid AMPHTML ads document. Please check it with the AMP validator first.
Solution	Make sure the AMPHTML ads pass the validation using this publicly available AMP validator.
Best practice	Use the AMP validator before uploading your HTML documents.

Alert message	Internal error occurred. If the error still persists, reach out to the support team with the testing bundle. We will look into the issue at the earliest.
Solution	N/A

Alert message	Unsupported AMP custom element `<$name>` is imported.
Solution	Remove the unsupported AMP elements as well as their javascript imports from the HTML. For example: `<amp-audio width=”400” height=”300” src=”audios/myaudio.mp3”></amp-audio>` from the `<body>` section, and also `<script async custom-element=”amp-audio” src=”https://cdn.ampproject.org/v0/amp-audio-0.1.js”></script>` from the `<head>` section.
Best practice	Only use supported AMP elements.

Alert message	Forbidden asset path: `$assetPath.`
Solution	Rename the directory.
Best practice	Avoid using reserved directory names for asset paths, such as “_a4a.”

Alert message	CSS parsing error: ”`... .foo:nth-child(1n) { color: red } …`”.
Solution	Fix the errors in the attached CSS snippet. Most of the time these errors are related to CSS pseudo selectors, which are not supported in the current Google Ads experience. Please remove them from the amp-custom style block.

Fix error messages with Uploaded ads

HTML5 ads

Your HTML5 ad couldn't be uploaded. Your account doesn't support HTML5 ads

Requirements for using HTML5 ads

The uploaded ZIP file isn't supported. Please upload ads that aren't linked to a feed

Creatives is missing text

Preview doesn't click through

You're encountering a status error for Invalid Fourth Party Call

AMPHTML Ads

The bundle contains incompatible vertical information

Google Web Designer HTML5

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Alert message	The attribute “`$attrName`” in tag “`$tagName`” contains invalid value “`$value`”.
Solution	This usually means that the attribute value is malformed. For example, the “`on`” attribute may contain a malformed event action. Check the current AMPHTML specifications to determine the correct value format.

Alert message	Missing “`$value`” for “`$item`” in tag “`$tagName`” configuration.
Solution	AMP elements like `<amp-ad-exit>` and `<amp-animation>` require a JSON configuration. Please refer to the corresponding AMP element specifications for the valid configuration format.

Alert message	Invalid “`$value`” for “`$item`” in tag “`$tagName`” configuration.
Solution	AMP elements like `<amp-ad-exit>` and `<amp-animation>` require a JSON configuration. Please refer to the corresponding AMP element specifications for the valid configuration format.

Alert message	“`$item`” is not supported in tag “`$tagName`” configuration.
Solution	The configuration item isn't supported in Google Ads. Remove it from the configuration.

Alert message	Found multiple occurrences of “`$item`”.
Solution	Remove those extra elements from the document and keep only the one instance.

Alert message	Your AMPHTML ad has modified clickability, “`$exit`”, which is not supported.
Solution	Remove the `<amp-ad-exit>` configuration and javascript import from the HTML. Remove the event actions that invoke exit-api.exit (for example, `<button on=”tap:exit-api.exit(target=’product1’)”>`)

Alert message	The ad contains multiple entry points. Make sure there is only one .HTML file with an ad size tag in your HTML5 ad, and try again.
Solution	Make sure there is only one HTML file to show ad content in the .zip file, and remove the extra HTML files.

Alert message	The CSS property value “`$cssPropertyName:$cssPropertyValue`” is not allowed for selector “`$cssSelector`.”
Solution	Remove the CSS property value indicated in the message from the amp-custom style block.