Comply with Google Play’s Families Policy using Ad Manager

Note: This information only applies to ad traffic for Android apps in Google Play.

If your app targets children as an audience and you show ads in your app, you need to ensure your app complies with Google Play’s Families policy. We offer the following tools for publishers to show ads that are compliant with Google Play’s Families policy. 

Ad Manager publishers are required to adhere to the Ad Manager program policies. Additionally, advertisements must comply with applicable laws and regulations (including any relevant self-regulatory or industry guidelines).

Apps designed specifically for children

If you select only child age groups in the Target Audience and Content section of the Google Play Console, Ad Manager will automatically begin serving Families policy-compliant ads for all ad requests coming from the app.

Ads that are deemed child- and family-friendly are a subset of the broader ads pool. If your app was not previously targeting only child age groups, you might notice fewer filled impressions after you update your target audience.

Apps for everyone, including children and families

If you select child and older age groups in the Target Audience and Content section of the Google Play Console, including children and families, you’ll need to include code that calls the tagForChildDirectedTreatment() method for ad requests served to children and also specify the maximum ad content rating. 

Learn about additional ways to stay compliant with Google Play’s Families policy. 

Code sample for implementation in apps for everyone, including children and families

Use the following code sample to set "max_ad_content_rating" and invoke tagForChildDirectedTreatment() to send child-directed ad requests in a mixed-audience:

Bundle extras = new Bundle(); extras.putString("max_ad_content_rating", "G"); PublisherAdRequest request = new PublisherAdRequest.Builder() .addNetworkExtrasBundle(AdMobAdapter.class, extras) .tagForChildDirectedTreatment(true) .build();

The key-value pair with the "max_ad_content_rating" setting is added to a bundle, and that bundle is added to the request. Additionally, the tagForChildDirectedTreatment() method is invoked with the value true. The request object can then be used to load an ad that is compliant with the Families policies.

Ad Manager is not responsible for WebView content. It is solely the developers’ responsibility to ensure ads on WebView follow Google Play policy.

Comply with Google Play’s Families Policies using Ad Manager mediation 

Android apps classified as Families  must use a Google Play Families Self-certified Ads SDK or mediation platform when serving ads to children or users of unknown age. To ensure your compliance with Play, Ad Manager will automatically block any ad sources that haven’t been self-certified by Google Play from serving ads in apps that are designed specifically for children, or in apps for everyone with tagForChildDirectedTreatment(true). 

In most cases, you’ll be alerted in your Ad Manager account if the ad source you are using is not a self-certified ads source and you selected only child age groups in the Target Audience and Content section of the Google Play Console. Ad serving will continue from self-certified ad sources.

Custom events that target apps classified as Families need to use Families self-certified ad sources. To stay compliant with Google Play policy, you must ensure that your custom events only use Families self-certified ad sources.

Some publishers may be interested in using Ad Manager mediation for apps that target children as an audience. 

If you want to use Ad Manager to mediate when it becomes available, you must configure your mediation groups to only use Families Self-certified Ads SDKs. 

Given that the advertising relationship in Ad Manager mediation is between the developer and the third-party ad network, and Ad Manager simply serves as a platform, it is the developer's responsibility to ensure that the third-party ad network serves ads that are compliant with the Families policies.

Apps designed specifically for children

Apps that select only child age groups in the Target Audience and Content section of the Google Play Console, must only use Google Play Families Self-certified Ads SDKs to fill ad requests.

For your app to receive Families policy-compliant ads from third-party ad networks, you will need to call tagForChildDirectedTreatment(true) and set max_ad_content_rating to G for every ad request. Also, the third-party ad networks you select must serve Families policy-compliant ads.

The Google Mobile Ads SDK will forward ad requests to third-party ad networks to serve Families policy-compliant ads. It is the developer's responsibility to ensure that the third-party ad networks serve ads that are compliant with the Families policies.

Apps for everyone, including children and families

Apps that select child and older age groups in the Target Audience and Content section of the Google Play Console, including children and families, must use a Google Play Families Self-certified Ads SDK to fill ad requests when serving ads to children or users of unknown age.

For ad requests that are served to children or users of unknown age, in order to receive Google Play’s Families policy-compliant ads from third-party ad networks, you will need to call tagForChildDirectedTreatment(true) and set max_ad_content_rating to G for every ad request.

The Google Mobile Ads SDK will forward ad requests to third-party ad networks to serve Families policy-compliant ads. It is the developer's responsibility to ensure that the third-party ad networks serve ads that are compliant with the Families policies.

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Learn more about the Families program at Google Developers.