LinkedIn Ads Not Delivering? How to Fix It

TL;DR: LinkedIn ads don't deliver due to: audience under 300 members, bid too low, budget exhausted, ad not approved, or account restrictions. Check Campaign Manager status column for specific error. Fix by expanding targeting, increasing bid 20-30%, raising budget, or addressing policy violations. Most issues resolve within 24 hours.

Common Symptoms

Your LinkedIn ads aren't delivering if you see:

Zero impressions after 24+ hours Status shows: "Not delivering," "Paused," "Under review," "Rejected" Budget not spending: Full daily budget unused Warning icons: Red or yellow indicators in Campaign Manager Before troubleshooting: Wait 2-4 hours after launch. New campaigns need time for LinkedIn's algorithm to start delivery.

Quick Diagnostic Checklist

Check these five items first (95% of delivery issues):

• [ ] Audience size: Is it 300+ members? (View in campaign setup)

• [ ] Campaign status: Is it "Active" not "Paused"? (Check campaign list)

• [ ] Budget: Have you spent your daily limit already? (Check spend today)

• [ ] Ad approval: Are ads "Approved" not "In review"? (Check ad status column)

• [ ] Bid: Is bid competitive? (LinkedIn will flag if too low)

If all 5 are correct, proceed to detailed troubleshooting below.

Issue 1: Audience Too Small (Under 300 Members)

What It Looks Like

Status: "Not delivering - Audience too small" Warning: "Your target audience has fewer than 300 members" Impressions: 0

Why This Happens

LinkedIn requires minimum 300 matched audience members for privacy and effectiveness. Smaller audiences won't serve.

Common scenarios:

• Extremely narrow targeting (1 specific company + 1 job title)

• Matched Audience with low match rate

• Geographic targeting too specific (1 small city)

• Multiple restrictive filters (Director+ at 5000+ companies in healthcare only)

How to Fix

Solution 1: Expand geographic targeting

• Add neighboring regions

• Switch from city to country

• Test "United States" vs "California"

Solution 2: Broaden job targeting

• Add related job titles

• Include adjacent seniority levels (Manager + Director instead of Director only)

• Expand from 3 job titles to 10

Solution 3: Increase company size range

• Instead of "5001+ employees," try "1001+ employees"

• Include mid-market if only targeting enterprise

Solution 4: Remove restrictive filters

• Do you need both "Skills" AND "Groups"? Pick one

• Remove "Years of experience" filter

• Eliminate "Degrees" filter unless essential

Solution 5: Use broader Matched Audiences

• Retargeting: Expand from "/pricing" visitors to "any page" visitors

• Contact lists: Combine multiple smaller lists

• Company lists: Add similar companies to increase pool

Verification:

Campaign setup shows "Estimated audience: 15,000 - 25,000 members" (above 300 threshold)

Issue 2: Bid Too Low

What It Looks Like

Status: "Limited delivery - Bid too low" Impressions: Very low (5-10/day instead of 1,000+) Budget: Not spending full amount Message: "Increase your bid to improve delivery"

Why This Happens

LinkedIn's ad auction is competitive. Your bid loses to other advertisers targeting same audience.

Bid ranges by objective:

• Brand Awareness: $2-6 CPM

• Website Visits: $5-12 CPC

• Lead Generation: $8-20 CPC

• Engagement: $0.50-2.00 per engagement

If you bid $3 CPC and competitors bid $10 CPC, you lose auction.

How to Fix

Solution 1: Switch to Maximum Delivery bidding

1. Campaign setup > Bidding

2. Select "Maximum delivery (automated)"

3. LinkedIn optimizes bid automatically

4. Save and relaunch

Pros: Simple, usually works Cons: May pay more per click initially Solution 2: Increase manual bid by 30-50%

• Current bid: $5 CPC → New bid: $7-8 CPC

• Monitor for 48 hours

• Adjust again if still limited

Solution 3: Check LinkedIn's suggested bid range

1. Campaign setup > Bid amount field

2. Look for "Suggested bid range: $8-12"

3. Set bid to middle of range ($10)

Solution 4: Raise budget

Sometimes "bid too low" actually means "budget too small for desired impressions at competitive bids."

Increase daily budget by 50% and keep same bid.

Verification:

Impressions increase to hundreds or thousands within 24 hours after bid increase.

Issue 3: Daily Budget Spent

What It Looks Like

Status: "Paused - Daily budget reached" Impressions: High earlier in day, then stopped Budget: $50/$50 spent (100% of daily budget)

Why This Happens

You set a $50/day budget. Campaign spent it by 2pm. LinkedIn pauses delivery until tomorrow.

Not a problem if you're okay with budget. Is a problem if you want more reach.

How to Fix

Solution 1: Increase daily budget

1. Edit campaign

2. Budget field: $50 → $100

3. Save

Effect: Campaign resumes immediately Solution 2: Switch to lifetime budget

Instead of $50/day:

• Set $1,500 lifetime budget over 30 days

• LinkedIn spreads spend more evenly

• Allows flexibility (spend more on high-performing days)

Solution 3: Analyze if budget is appropriate

• Cost per result: $50 budget ÷ 5 conversions = $10/conversion

• Is $10/conversion acceptable?

• If yes, increase budget to get more conversions

• If no, optimize before increasing budget

Solution 4: Adjust pacing

Campaign Manager > Campaign settings > Budget > Pacing

• Standard (default): Spreads budget evenly throughout day

• Accelerated: Spends budget as fast as possible

Switch to Standard if hitting budget too early.

Verification:

Campaign status changes from "Paused - Budget reached" to "Active - Delivering"

Issue 4: Ad Rejected or Under Review

What It Looks Like

Status: "Not delivering - Ads pending" Ad status: "Under review" or "Rejected" Timeline: Stuck for 24+ hours

Why This Happens

Under review: LinkedIn's automated and human review process (takes 12-48 hours) Rejected: Ad violates LinkedIn ad policies Common rejection reasons:

• Prohibited content (adult content, weapons, drugs)

• Misleading claims ("Lose 50 pounds in 1 week")

• Poor quality image (blurry, pixelated)

• Too much text in image (over 20% of image)

• Broken landing page

• Missing privacy policy on landing page

How to Fix

If status is "Under review": Solution: Wait 48 hours. Most ads approve within 24-48 hours. If taking longer:

• Contact LinkedIn Support (Campaign Manager > Help)

• Ask for expedited review

• Provide campaign ID

If status is "Rejected": Solution 1: Read rejection reason

1. Click ad name

2. Review message: "Ad rejected: Misleading content"

3. Address specific issue

4. Edit ad

5. Resubmit

Solution 2: Fix common policy violations Misleading claims:

• Remove exaggerated stats

• Add disclaimers

• Use "up to" instead of absolutes

Image quality:

• Replace blurry images with high-res (1200x627px minimum)

• Reduce text overlay (keep under 20% of image)

• Remove pixelated logos

Landing page issues:

• Add privacy policy link

• Fix broken links

• Remove auto-playing videos

• Ensure page loads in under 3 seconds

Solution 3: Create new ad

Sometimes easier to create fresh ad than fix rejected one:

1. Copy rejected ad

2. Change headline slightly

3. Upload new image

4. New destination URL

5. Submit

Verification:

Ad status changes to "Approved" within 12-24 hours. Impressions start shortly after.

Issue 5: Campaign or Ad Group Paused

What It Looks Like

Status: "Paused" Impressions: 0 Button shows: "Resume" (not "Pause")

Why This Happens

Someone manually paused it. Common causes:

• You paused to edit settings

• Spending limit reached and LinkedIn auto-paused

• Account manager paused for end of month

• Automatic rules triggered pause

How to Fix

Solution: Click Resume button

1. Campaign Manager > Find campaign

2. Click Resume (or toggle switch to ON)

3. Confirm

If campaign won't resume:

• Check parent campaign group isn't paused (must resume group first)

• Verify account has available budget

• Ensure payment method is valid

Verification:

Status changes to "Active - Delivering" immediately. Impressions start within 1 hour.

Issue 6: Account Restrictions or Billing Issues

What It Looks Like

Status: "Not delivering - Account issue" Message: "Your account has restrictions" or "Payment method failed" All campaigns: Paused

Why This Happens

Payment failure:

• Credit card expired

• Credit card declined

• Insufficient funds

• Billing address mismatch

Account restrictions:

• Policy violations on past campaigns

• Suspicious activity detected

• Account suspended

How to Fix

Solution 1: Fix payment method

1. Campaign Manager > Billing Center

2. Payment Methods

3. Update credit card or add new one

4. Set as default

5. Retry payment

If card keeps declining:

• Call your bank (may flag LinkedIn charges as fraud)

• Try different card

• Use business credit card instead of personal

Solution 2: Resolve account restrictions

1. Campaign Manager > Review notification

2. Read specific violation

3. Appeal if you believe it's incorrect:

- Help menu > Contact Support

- Explain situation

- Provide evidence you comply with policies

Response time: 2-5 business days for appeals Prevention:

• Follow LinkedIn ad policies

• Don't promote prohibited content

• Maintain healthy payment history

Verification:

Banner notification disappears. All campaigns can resume.

Issue 7: Targeting Overlap Causing Limited Delivery

What It Looks Like

Status: "Active" but very low impressions Message: "Your campaigns are competing with each other" Multiple campaigns: Targeting same audience

Why This Happens

You have 3 campaigns all targeting "Marketing Directors at software companies."

LinkedIn's system sees internal competition and limits delivery to avoid over-saturating same people.

How to Fix

Solution 1: Consolidate campaigns

Merge 3 campaigns into 1 with multiple ad variations

Solution 2: Differentiate targeting

• Campaign A: Marketing Directors, Manager seniority

• Campaign B: Marketing Directors, Director seniority

• Campaign C: Marketing Directors, VP seniority

Solution 3: Use campaign prioritization

Pause lower-priority campaigns and run high-priority only.

Solution 4: Adjust frequency caps

Campaign settings > Frequency

• Increase days between impressions

• Reduces saturation

Verification:

Impressions increase as campaigns no longer compete.

Issue 8: Schedule Settings

What It Looks Like

Status: "Scheduled" or "Ended" Impressions: 0 during certain times

Why This Happens

Start date in future: Campaign scheduled to start tomorrow End date passed: Campaign already finished Dayparting active: Campaign only runs certain hours/days

How to Fix

Solution 1: Adjust start date

1. Edit campaign

2. Schedule section

3. Start date: Change to today

4. Save

Solution 2: Extend or remove end date

1. Edit campaign

2. End date: Remove or push forward

3. Save

Solution 3: Review dayparting

1. Campaign settings > Ad scheduling

2. Check hours selected

3. "Run continuously" or adjust hours

4. Save

Verification:

Status shows "Active - Delivering" during scheduled hours.

Issue 9: Ad Fatigue (Declining Delivery Over Time)

What It Looks Like

Week 1: 10,000 impressions/day Week 2: 8,000 impressions/day Week 3: 3,000 impressions/day Status: Still "Active" but poor performance

Why This Happens

Same people seeing same ad repeatedly. They stop engaging. LinkedIn shows ad less.

Frequency saturation:

• Same user saw your ad 15+ times

• They're ignoring it now

• LinkedIn prioritizes fresh ads

How to Fix

Solution 1: Refresh creative

• New image

• New headline

• New offer

• Keep targeting same

Solution 2: Expand audience

• Add related job titles

• Include adjacent industries

• Broaden geographic range

Solution 3: Adjust frequency cap

Campaign settings > Frequency cap: 2 impressions per 7 days (reduce frequency)

Solution 4: Pause and relaunch

• Pause campaign for 7-14 days

• LinkedIn's algorithm "forgets" ad fatigue

• Resume with fresh audience perspective

Verification:

Impressions return to previous levels within 48 hours.

LinkedIn Delivery Status Meanings

Troubleshooting Workflow

Follow this decision tree:

1. Check status column in Campaign Manager

• Displays exact issue

2. If "Audience too small":

→ Fix targeting (see Issue 1)

3. If "Bid too low":

→ Increase bid or switch to auto (see Issue 2)

4. If "Budget reached":

→ Raise budget (see Issue 3)

5. If "Ads pending" or "Rejected":

→ Review ad approval (see Issue 4)

6. If "Paused":

→ Click Resume (see Issue 5)

7. If "Account issue":

→ Fix billing/restrictions (see Issue 6)

8. If "Active" but no impressions:

→ Check targeting overlap (see Issue 7)

9. If impressions declining over time:

→ Refresh creative (see Issue 9)

Prevention Best Practices

Avoid delivery issues before they happen:

1. Set realistic targeting

• Check audience size estimate (aim for 50,000+)

• Avoid excessive filters

2. Use competitive bids

• Start with LinkedIn's suggested range

• Use Maximum Delivery for simplicity

3. Set adequate budgets

• Minimum $50/day for meaningful results

• Higher for competitive audiences

4. Follow ad policies

• Review LinkedIn ad policies before creating ads

• Use compliant images and copy

5. Test before scaling

• Launch with small budget first

• Verify delivery works

• Scale up gradually

6. Monitor daily

• Check Campaign Manager dashboard

• Set up email alerts for delivery issues

• Address problems within 24 hours

7. Refresh creative monthly

• Prevent ad fatigue

• Keep content fresh

• Maintain strong performance

8. Update payment methods proactively

• Replace cards before expiration

• Add backup payment method

• Monitor spending limits

When to Contact LinkedIn Support

Contact LinkedIn Support if:

• Ad stuck "Under review" for 72+ hours

• Account restriction with no explanation

• Payment fails despite valid card

• Delivery issues persist after trying all fixes

• Technical errors in Campaign Manager

How to contact:

1. Campaign Manager > Help menu

2. Click "Contact Us"

3. Choose issue category

4. Provide campaign ID

5. Describe problem with screenshots

Response time: 1-3 business days for most issues

Glossary

Verification Checklist

After fixing delivery issues:

• [ ] Status changed to "Active - Delivering"

• [ ] Impressions showing within 1-4 hours

• [ ] Budget spending gradually (not hitting limit immediately)

• [ ] Ads approved (no "Under review" status)

• [ ] Audience size is 300+ members

• [ ] Bid competitive (in LinkedIn's suggested range)

• [ ] Payment method valid and charged successfully

• [ ] Campaign not paused at campaign or ad group level

• [ ] Schedule settings allow current day/time

• [ ] No account restrictions or warnings

If issues persist after 48 hours: Contact LinkedIn Support with campaign ID and screenshots.