Click through the policies below for policy definitions, examples and troubleshooting steps.
We use a combination of Google AI and human evaluation to ensure that ads comply with these policies. Our enforcement technologies use Google AI, modelled on human reviewers’ decisions, to help protect our users and keep our ad platforms safe. More complex, nuanced or severe cases are often reviewed and evaluated by our specially trained experts.
We take action on content that violates our policies. This may include disapproving violating ads so that they don’t serve, as well as suspending accounts for repeat or egregious violations. We take repeat violations of our policies seriously and continue to expand a strike system for repeat offenders.
We will provide you with information on our decision for any policy violation enforcement actions that we take. If one of your ads is disapproved, you can fix that ad or appeal the decision (or here for DV360 ads). You can also appeal an account suspension decision (or here for DV360 appeals). For these links to work, you’ll need to be signed into your Google Ads account.
Google Ads prohibits the sale or promotion for sale of counterfeit goods. Counterfeit goods contain a trademark or logo that is identical to or substantially indistinguishable from the trademark of another. They mimic the brand features of the product in an attempt to pass themselves off as a genuine product of the brand owner. This policy applies to the content of your ad and your website or app.
We want to help keep people safe both online and offline, so we don't allow the promotion of some products or services that cause damage, harm or injury.
Examples of dangerous content: Recreational drugs (chemical or herbal); psychoactive substances; equipment to facilitate drug use; weapons, ammunition, explosive materials and fireworks; instructions for making explosives or other harmful products; tobacco products
We value honesty and fairness, so we don't allow the promotion of products or services that are designed to enable dishonest behaviour.
Examples of products or services that enable dishonest behaviour: Hacking software or instructions; services designed to artificially inflate ad or website traffic; fake documents; academic cheating services
We value diversity and respect for others, and we strive to avoid offending users, so we don’t allow ads or destinations that display shocking content or promote hatred, intolerance, discrimination or violence.
Examples of inappropriate or offensive content: bullying or intimidation of an individual or group, racial discrimination, hate group paraphernalia, graphic crime scene or accident images, cruelty to animals, murder, self-harm, extortion or blackmail, sale or trade of endangered species, ads using profane language
Prohibited practices
We want ads across the Google Network to be useful, varied, relevant and safe for users. We don’t allow advertisers to run ads, content or destinations that attempt to trick or circumvent our ad review processes.
Examples of abuse of the ad network: promoting content that contains malware; 'cloaking' or using other techniques to hide the true destination that users are directed to; 'arbitrage' or promoting destinations for the sole or primary purpose of showing ads; promoting 'bridge' or 'gateway' destinations that are solely designed to send users elsewhere; advertising with the sole or primary intent of gaining public social network endorsements from the user; 'gaming' or manipulating settings in an attempt to circumvent our policy review systems
We want users to trust that information about them will be respected and handled with appropriate care. As such, our advertising partners shouldn't misuse this information, nor collect it for unclear purposes or without appropriate disclosures or security measures.
Note that additional policies apply when using personalised advertising, which includes remarketing and custom audiences. If you use personalised advertising targeting features, make sure that you review the personalised ads data collection and use policies.
Examples of user information that should be handled with care: full name; email address; postal address; phone number; national identity, pension, national insurance, tax ID, healthcare or driver's licence number; birth date or mother's maiden name in addition to any of the above information; financial status; political affiliation; sexual orientation; race or ethnicity; religion
Examples of irresponsible data collection and use: obtaining credit card information over a non-secure server, promotions that claim to know a user's sexual orientation or financial status, violations of our policies that apply to interest-based advertising and remarketing
We want users to trust the ads on our platform, so we strive to ensure ads are clear and honest, and provide the information that users need to make informed decisions. We don’t allow ads or destinations that deceive users by excluding relevant product information or providing misleading information about products, services or businesses.
Examples of misrepresentation: omitting or obscuring billing details such as how, what and when users will be charged; omitting or obscuring charges associated with financial services such as interest rates, fees and penalties; failing to display tax or licence numbers, contact information or physical address where relevant; making offers that aren't actually available; making misleading or unrealistic claims regarding weight loss or financial gain; collecting donations under false pretences; 'phishing' or falsely purporting to be a reputable company in order to get users to part with valuable personal or financial information
Restricted content and features
The policies below cover content that's sometimes legally or culturally sensitive. Online advertising can be a powerful way to reach customers, but in sensitive areas, we also work hard to avoid showing these ads when and where they might be inappropriate.
For that reason, we allow the promotion of the content below, but on a limited basis. These promotions may not show to every user in every location, and advertisers may need to meet additional requirements before their ads are eligible to run. Note that not all ad products, features or networks are able to support this restricted content. Further details can be found in the Policy Centre.