Meta is introducing significant changes to its advertising policies in January 2025, targeting businesses in sensitive categories like health, wellness, finance, and politics. These updates aim to improve user privacy but will bring new challenges for advertisers in these industries. If your business relies on Meta’s ad tools to drive leads and conversions, here’s what you need to know and how to adapt.
What’s changing?
Meta will start categorising websites and apps based on their products and services. Businesses in the health and wellness category will face restrictions on sharing key event data through Meta’s tools. This includes:
- Loss of lower-funnel event tracking, such as “Add to Cart” or “Purchase.”
- Limited use of Conversions API (CAPI) and other server-side tracking.
These restrictions apply even to some businesses loosely related to health and wellness, creating potential for misclassification and unnecessary limitations. Meta’s goal is to reduce the sharing of sensitive user data, but the broad definitions may cause headaches for advertisers.
*Based on the information provided so far, the countries currently impacted by Meta’s changes include:
- United States
- European Union (EU) member states
- United Kingdom (UK)
These regions are mentioned explicitly in connection with the restrictions, particularly due to heightened privacy laws and legal scrutiny around data usage in these areas. However, businesses in other regions should also remain vigilant, as these changes could potentially expand or be applied globally in the future.
Why this matters
For businesses operating in health and wellness, these changes could mean:
- Decreased campaign efficiency: Without access to high-intent events like “Purchase,” campaigns optimised for conversions will suffer and taking longer to learn these conversion types.
- Revised campaign strategies: Advertisers will need to shift focus to upper-funnel objectives like traffic, awareness, or engagement.
- Potential misclassification: Even brands not directly tied to health or wellness could be flagged, resulting in restricted campaigns.
Who will be affected?
The changes target businesses in categories like:
- Health & wellness products (e.g., supplements, fitness programs, wellness trackers).
- Medical services (e.g., telemedicine platforms, healthcare providers).
- Fitness and lifestyle apps.
If your brand aligns with or is adjacent to these industries, you’ll need to monitor your account status closely.
How to Respond
Here’s how you can prepare and adapt:
1. Review your Categorisation
- Check Meta’s Events Manager for your account’s categorisation.
- If misclassified, file an appeal immediately. Appeals can take 3–7 days, and rejected appeals require a 30-day waiting period before resubmission.
2. Shift Campaign Objectives
- Focus on non-restricted events like “Landing Page Views,” “Search,” or “Engagement.”
- Optimise for upper-funnel objectives to build brand awareness and engagement.
3. Update messaging
- Avoid using language tied to medical conditions or patient relationships.
- Replace symptom-focused phrases with general wellness terms. For example:
- Instead of “Treats Inflammation,” use “Supports Joint Health.”
- Instead of “Reduces Fatigue,” use “Boosts Energy Levels.”
4. Avoid Policy Violations
- Do not create custom events mimicking restricted ones; this could lead to penalties.
- Ensure all campaigns comply with Meta’s guidelines.
5. Stay proactive
- Monitor notifications in Ads Manager and Events Manager for updates.
- Inform your team or stakeholders about the changes and their implications.
Your Categorisation will be displayed within the Meta Ads Event Manager area.


Turning (another of Meta’s) challenges into opportunities
While these changes may disrupt traditional ad strategies, they also present opportunities to innovate. By focusing on upper-funnel metrics, creating engaging content, and building strong brand awareness, health and wellness businesses can continue to thrive in this new landscape.
If you’re unsure how these changes will impact your business or need help reworking your ad strategy, Thea Media specialises in helping health and wellness brands adapt and succeed. We are continually navigating the changing world of online marketing, and pride ourselves on supporting our clients with transparent, educational guidance.
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Lauren is the owner and head of digital strategy at Thea Media. With a decade of experience in marketing, Lauren is passionate about sharing her knowledge with business owners and making great digital marketing accessible to businesses of all sizes.