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critical Reason Code 261 - E-cigarettes prohibited

E-cigarettes and Vape Products Prohibited

What this means

Microsoft does not allow advertising for electronic cigarettes, including cartridges, pods, and liquid nicotine solutions. The policy applies even when products are marketed as cessation aids.

Why this happens

Vape hardware, e-juice, disposable vapes, refill pods, and nicotine salts all violate this policy. Even non-nicotine "zero" e-juice from a vape brand triggers it because the brand is associated with the device. Microsoft enforces consistently regardless of regional legality.

How to fix it

  1. Remove all vape, e-cig, and e-liquid SKUs from the feed
  2. If catalog is primarily vape, do not advertise on Microsoft Shopping
  3. Move CBD vapes specifically to a separate compliant channel
  4. No appeals are typically successful; policy is absolute

Common pitfalls