Google AdWords policies Update 2014

This is a preview of the upcoming Policy Center

According to google policies here will not go into effect until around September and are subject to change. To see the policies in effect until then, visit the current Policy Center.







Google Ad-words policies cover four broad areas:

•  Prohibited content: Content you're not allowed to promote on the Google Network
•  Prohibited practices: Things you can't do if you want to advertise with us
•  Restricted content: Content you can advertise, but with limitations
•  Editorial and technical: Quality standards for your ads and website 

Prohibited Content

Counterfeit Goods

Google does not allow the promotion of counterfeit goods. Counterfeit goods contain a trademark or logo that is identical to (or substantially indistinguishable from) the trademark of another. These goods mimic the brand features of the product in an attempt to pass themselves off as a genuine product of the brand owner.

Dangerous Products or Services

Google adwords want to help keep people safe both online and offline, so google adwords 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

Products or Services that Enable Dishonest Behavior

Google adwords  value honesty and fairness, so google adwords  don't allow the promotion of products or services that are designed to enable dishonest behavior. Examples of products or services that enable dishonest behavior: Hidden or "secret" surveillance devices; hacking software or instructions; services designed to artificially inflate ad or website traffic; fake documents; academic cheating services

Offensive or Inappropriate Content

Google adwords value diversity and respect for others, and google adwords  strive to avoid offending users with ads or websites that are inappropriate for Google adwords ad network. For this reason, google adwords  don't allow the promotion of any of the following:

• hatred; violence; harassment; racism; sexual, religious, or political intolerance, or organizations with such views
• content that's likely to shock or disgust
• content that's exploitative or appears to unfairly capitalize at the expense of others

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

Abuse of the Ad Network

Google adwords want ads to be useful, varied, relevant and safe for users when serving them across the Google Network. As a result, google adwords don't allow any of the following:

• malicious ads, sites, or apps
• ads promoting sites that offer little unique value to users and are focused primarily on traffic generation
• businesses that attempt to gain an unfair advantage in the ad auction
• businesses that attempt to bypass Google adwords review processes

All of Google adwords policies are crafted to protect a high quality user experience, and we've built enforcement systems and processes to prevent ads that fall below these standards from serving. Google adwords  take any attempts to trick or circumvent Google adwords ad review processes very seriously, so play fair.
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 Google adwords policy review systems

Irresponsible Data Collection & Use

Google adwords want users to trust that information about them will be respected and handled with appropriate care. As such, Google adwords advertising partners should not misuse this information, nor collect it for unclear purposes or without appropriate security measures. Examples of user information that should be handled with care: full name; email address; mailing address; phone number; national identity, pension, social security, tax ID, health care, or driver's license 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; religionExamples of irresponsible data collection & use: obtaining credit card information over a non-secure server, promotions that claim to know a user's sexual orientation or financial status

Misrepresentation of Self, Product, or Service

Google adwords don't want users to feel misled by ads that they deliver, and that means being upfront, honest, and providing them with the information that they need to make informed decisions. For this reason, google adwords don't allow the following:

• promotions that prompt users to initiate a purchase, download, or other commitment without first providing all relevant information and obtaining the user's explicit consent
• promotions that represent you, your products, or your services in a way that is not accurate, realistic, and truthful

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 pretenses; "phishing" or falsely purporting to be a reputable company in order to get users to part with valuable personal or financial information

Restricted Content

The policies below cover content that is sometimes legally or culturally sensitive. Online advertising can be a powerful way to reach customers, but in sensitive areas, google adwords also work hard to avoid showing these ads when and where they might be inappropriate.
For that reason, google adwords 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 Center.

Adult-Oriented Content

Google restricts the promotion of the following types of adult-oriented content:

• offline adult entertainment
• adult merchandise
• dating services
• international bride services
• sexually suggestive content
• images containing exposed skin and nudity

When promoting adult content, you may not do any of the following:

• violate applicable laws or regulations for any location that your campaign targets
• target minors
• promote sexually explicit content
• promote content with underage or non-consensual sexual themes
• promote escort services or other services that may be interpreted as providing sexual acts in exchange for compensation

Examples of restricted adult content: strip clubs, erotic cinemas, sex toys, adult magazines, sexual enhancement products, matchmaking sites, models in sexualized poses

Alcoholic Beverages

Google restricts the promotion of alcoholic beverages and drinks that resemble alcoholic beverages. When promoting alcoholic beverages, you may not do any of the following:

• violate applicable laws and industry standards for any location that your campaign targets
• target individuals below the legal drinking age
• imply that drinking alcohol can improve social, sexual, professional, intellectual, or athletic standing
• imply that drinking alcohol provides health or therapeutic benefits
• portray excessive drinking in a positive light or feature binge or competition drinking
• show alcohol being consumed in conjunction with the operation of a vehicle of any kind, the operation of machinery, or the performance of any task requiring alertness or dexterity

Examples of restricted alcoholic beverages: beer, wine, sake, spirits or hard alcohol, Champagne, fortified wine, non-alcoholic beer, non-alcoholic wine, and non-alcoholic distilled spirits

Copyrighted Content

Google restricts the promotion of copyrighted content. If you would like to promote copyrighted content and believe that you're legally authorized to do so, you can send your copyright documentation to google adwords team. to be certified to advertise. Visit Google adwords page on removing content from Google to learn how google adwords handle copyright-related issues or to submit a copyright-related complaint.

Gambling-Related Content

Google restricts the promotion of the following gambling-related content:

• offline and online gambling
• online gambling-related information
• online games played for money or prizes
• online casino-based games, regardless of whether money is exchanged

When promoting gambling-related content, you need to do the following:

1. Comply with applicable laws and industry standards for any location that your campaign targets.
2. Meet local licensing requirements for all gambling-related products and services that you're promoting.
3. Clearly display information on your website about responsible gambling.
4. Ensure that you don't target minors.

Additionally, you must receive pre-authorization from Google before promoting any online gambling-related content.
Examples of restricted gambling-related content: physical casinos; sites where users can bet on poker, bingo, roulette, or sports events; national or private lotteries; sports odds aggregator sites; sites offering bonus codes or promotional offers for gambling sites; online educational materials for casino-based games; sites offering "poker-for-fun" games; non-casino-based cash game sites

Healthcare-Related Content

Google restricts the promotion of healthcare-related content such as the following:

• over-the-counter medication
• prescription medication and information about prescription medication
• online and offline pharmacies
• pregnancy and fertility-related products and services
• medical services and procedures
• medical devices and tests
• clinical trial recruitment
• sexual enhancement treatments

The restrictions that apply to this content will vary depending on the product or service that you're promoting and the countries that you're targeting.
Depending on the content that you're promoting and the countries where your ads appear, you may need to apply for pre-authorization with Google before advertising healthcare-related content.

Political Content

When promoting political content, you need to comply with the following:

• applicable laws and industry standards for any location that your campaign targets
• any applicable election "silence periods"
• Google's country-specific requirements

Examples of political content: promotion of political parties or candidates, political issue advocacy

Trademarks

There are multiple factors that determine when trademarks can be used in AdWords text ads. Along with the factors described in Google adwords Policy Center, these policies apply only to trademarked terms where the owner submitted a valid complaint to Google and requested that the terms be restricted in Google text ads.

Editorial & Technical Requirements

Google adwords want to deliver ads that are engaging for users without being annoying or difficult to interact with, so we've developed editorial requirements to help keep your ads appealing to users. We've also specified technical requirements to help users and advertisers get the most out of the variety of ad formats Google adwords offer.

Editorial & Professional Requirements

In order to provide a quality user experience, Google requires that all promotions meet high professional and editorial standards. Google adwords  only allow promotions that are clear, professional in appearance, and that lead users to content that is relevant, useful, and easy to interact with. Examples of promotions that don't meet these editorial and professional requirements:

• a display URL that does not accurately reflect the URL of the landing page, such as "google.com" taking users to "gmail.com"
• overly generic ads that contain vague phrases such as "Buy products here"
• gimmicky use of words, numbers, letters, punctuation, or symbols such as FREE, f-r-e-e, and F₹€€!!
• sites that are under construction, parked domains, or are just not working
• sites that have disabled the browser's back button
• sites that are not viewable in commonly used browsers

Technical Requirements

In order to help you provide a quality user experience and deliver attractive, professional looking ads, Google has developed technical specifications for Google adwords ad units. Google adwords only allow promotions that comply with these technical specifications, so please review the technical requirements for all ad formats that you're using. Examples of technical requirements: character limits for the ad headline or body, image size requirements, file size limits, video length limits, aspect ratios