Ad requirements for YouTube

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While all ads must comply with our advertising policies, this article outlines the additional requirements your ad assets must meet in order for your campaigns to serve on YouTube.

Prohibited categories

Exaggerated or inaccurate claims

 Assets that contain exaggerated or false claims for a product or a service or to mislead users

• False claims related to money or overnight success (for example, ads that tell people how to get rich in a short time frame)

Examples:

Victims To Be Paid Millions For Using Baby Powder. Check If You Qualify Now. Time is Limited!	Online Language Tutoring Easiest Way To Master 45+ Languages Overnight - Schedule time with one of our tutors today!	Luxury Watch The finest luxury watch available for only $5. Bands in leather, metal, plastic, cloth, nylon mesh & rubber.

   

• False or exaggerated claims around curing diseases

Example:

Less grey hairs Reduce your grey hairs with just some potato peels!

Offensive language

 Assets that use inappropriate or offensive language

• Assets containing obscene or offensive language, which may offend users
• Derogatory language that incites hatred against, promotes discrimination of, or disparages an individual or group that is associated with systemic discrimination

Example:

One more thing for men to rule Join the men vs. women challenge. Sign up for this exclusive deal

Negative events and imagery

 Violent and criminal content that references graphic violence, weapons, illegal activity, and does not have a clear source to media

  Assets that include mentally-distressing, disturbing, repulsive, or gross content; or scary content related to injuries, death, and decay

Examples:

• Dangerous actions that could potentially result in bodily harm or encourages imitation of the action, such as dangerous challenges
• Dramatized or animated content that is excessively gory or realistic
• Funerals that show people weeping, mourning, or screaming

• Videos designed to scare you intentionally or that contain footage of distressing accidents or natural disasters (enforcement applies to simulated or real content)

 Allowed with limitations

• If an ad features content containing professional media --such as movies, TV shows, news channels, and video games-- the above guidelines will be evaluated according to a more lenient standard. Any ads containing professional media should clearly source the media so the viewer understands what they’re watching.

Improper content

Assets that focus on specific body parts or health conditions

Examples:

• Medical or dental surgery procedures that show blood, guts, gore, bodily fluids, or tooth decay
• Emphasizing body parts (for example, zooming in on belly fat)

• Showing bodily symptoms (for example, fluids or rashes)

Assets with nudity, or that include racy or sexually suggestive topics

Examples:

• Adult content promotions where the majority of the ad is focused on nudity or sexual topics
• Ads that promote dating using sexually-explicit imagery or language

 

Allowed with limitations

Examples:

• Ads for weight loss, hair loss, skin conditions, and other health conditions are allowed as long as the imagery isn’t disturbing

• Promotion of products like swimwear or spa treatments are permitted as long as the content is not overtly sexualized

YouTube masthead content requirements

YouTube masthead ads are the ads that YouTube users see at the top of the YouTube homepage. This type of ad is the most prominent Google advertising placement available to advertisers. To ensure that we provide a high-quality consumer ad experience, YouTube masthead ads must comply with all Google Ads policies and YouTube ad requirements. We will review each YouTube masthead ad asset for compliance with the YouTube masthead ad content requirements listed below, which apply in addition to the Google Ads policies and YouTube ad requirements. The YouTube masthead ad content requirements may be more restrictive than the ad requirements for other platforms and surfaces, meaning disapproved YouTube masthead ad assets may continue to run on Google’s other owned and operated properties.

Prohibited categories

  Elections and political content

• Assets related to elections or politics

Gambling

• Assets that depict or reference gambling-related content, including offline gambling, online gambling, online non-casino games, and social casino games.

Exception: Assets related to Sports Betting, provided they meet the requirements set out in the Gambling and games policy.