Skip to content
ClaimBob
Check an ad
Video ads can be checked too – up to 3 minutes, or 5 minutes on Growth and above. See how
Guides

What the ASA does when a supplement ad breaks the rules

Last updated:

Short answer. If the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upholds a complaint, the ad must not appear again in that form, and the ruling is published on the ASA's website with the advertiser's name. The ASA cannot fine advertisers itself. If an advertiser does not comply, the ASA and its sister body CAP can name them as non-compliant, have their search and social ads removed, ask media owners to refuse their ads and, as a last resort, refer them to Trading Standards.

What happens, step by step

  1. A complaint or the ASA's own monitoring. Anyone can complain, and the ASA also looks for problem ads itself.
  2. Investigation. The advertiser is asked to respond and send its evidence, for example the register entry and the product's composition behind each health claim.
  3. Ruling. If the complaint is upheld, the ruling is published with the advertiser's name and the ad must be changed or withdrawn.
  4. Follow-up from CAP's Compliance team. They first offer advice. Sanctions only come when an advertiser won't or can't comply.

Sanctions if an advertiser does not comply

Sanction What it means for an online supplement brand
Non-compliant advertisers list Your name and the problem are listed on the ASA website, set up to show in search results, until you comply
Paid search The ASA asks search engines to remove your ads, and can run its own search ads naming you as non-compliant
Social media The ASA works with the platforms to remove non-compliant content
Ad Alerts CAP asks media owners to refuse your ads
Trading privileges CAP members can withdraw benefits such as bulk mail discounts
Referral to Trading Standards A legal backstop for persistent breaches, rarely needed

Separately, the ad platforms enforce their own policies. Meta, TikTok and Google can reject a supplement ad, or restrict the account, without any ASA case.

How to stay out of it

Check every claim against the GB nutrition and health claims register before launch, and keep the evidence. How to check a supplement ad against UK rules

Sources

Not legal advice. Last updated: 1 November 2026.