Your image, {image_url} couldn't be downloaded. Please ensure the image is accessible via the internet and is not blocked by a robots.txt
In short
Meta tried to fetch the image from the link it was given and could not, so the ad or creative was not created.
By Mathieu Malige, founder of Apogee
· Checked on 8 October 2026
Exact message
| Field | English | French |
|---|---|---|
| Message | Your image, {image_url} couldn't be downloaded. Please ensure the image is accessible via the internet and is not blocked by a robots.txt | Votre image, {image_url} n’a pas pu être téléchargée. Veuillez vous assurer que l’image est accessible via Internet et qu’elle n’est pas bloquée par des robots .txt |
| Documented variant, title (Marketing API error reference, code 100, subcode 3858258) | Image wasn’t downloaded. | L’image n’a pas été téléchargée. |
| Documented variant, message (same reference) | Your image, <IMAGE_URL>, couldn’t be downloaded. Please ensure the image is accessible via the internet and is not blocked by a robots.txt. | Votre image, <IMAGE_URL>, n’a pas pu être téléchargée. Veuillez vous assurer que l’image est accessible via Internet et qu’elle n’est pas bloquée par un fichier robots.txt. |
Where it shows up: in the response of Meta's Marketing API when an ad, ad set or creative is created, for example by a tool that launches ads for you.
Why it happens
- The image link is not reachable from the internet. Meta’s error reference documents a near-identical message (title “Image wasn’t downloaded.”, error 100, subcode 3858258) and gives the cause: the image may not be accessible online, for example because the link has expired, has been deleted or needs a login.
- robots.txt blocks Meta’s crawler. The same reference says the image may be blocked by a robots.txt file and points to Meta’s web crawlers documentation; those crawlers follow robots.txt rules.
- The image was sent as a link. The message quotes the image URL: Meta had to fetch it itself, which happens with tools and API calls that send a link instead of the file.
How to fix it
- Open the image link from the error in a private browser window. If it does not load without logging in, the link is the problem.
- In Ads Manager, create the ad again and upload the image file itself instead of using a link.
- If you must use a link (API or tool): host the image on a public URL that does not expire, and check that robots.txt does not block Meta’s crawler. Meta says robots.txt changes can take up to 24 hours to be picked up by its crawlers.
- Retry the creation.
How to avoid it next time
- Upload images as files rather than as temporary links.
- If your tool uses links, make sure they stay valid for the whole launch, including retries.
- Do not put images behind a login or a robots.txt rule that blocks Meta’s crawler.
Frequently asked questions
Is my image too big or in the wrong format?
Not according to this message. It says the image could not be downloaded, not that it was rejected.
Will retrying fix it?
Only if the link is reachable by the time you retry. If the link has expired or is blocked, the same error comes back; upload the file instead.
Does this error have a code?
Meta's reference lists a near-identical message under error 100, subcode 3858258. The text in this page's heading was seen without its code, so we do not attach one to it.
Related errors
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