Ads transparency

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User confidence in Google’s products and services is essential. We want users to be empowered to make informed decisions about the ads they see online.

Trust in advertisers on our platforms helps us deliver a smart and useful web experience for everyone. This means providing transparency about who our advertisers are, where they are located and information about their ad campaigns. In some countries, we may also be legally required to make certain information about ad campaigns publicly available to users of Google services.

Where information is disclosed

Ads Transparency Center

For ads served on Google platforms, including Google Search and YouTube, Google makes available to all users a searchable repository of advertisers and the ads they have served over a certain time period via the Ads Transparency Center. Users will be able to search for an advertiser, view information about the advertiser and the ads run by that advertiser during that period. This will enable users to learn more about an advertiser and report an ad if they believe it violates our policies.

Users can search for an advertiser via the Ads Transparency Center by advertiser name or website name, with the option to filter their search results by serving region and date, for example.

Find out more by visiting the Ads Transparency Center here.

Political & Election ads

Additional transparency information is available for political ads in the Ads Transparency Center for certain regions where Google's Political content policies apply.

Ads disclosures

Additionally, Google provides timely information about an advertiser via the ad and its disclosures.

Through “My Ad Center”, users are already able to see information on why particular ads are being shown on Google Search, YouTube, and Discover. Users will be able to see the name and location of verification for the advertiser behind a selected ad, which is information that was provided by the advertiser during Google’s advertiser verification program.

How disclosures look on different ad formats

Search ads

On search ads, users are able to access advertiser verification information through the 3-dot icon on desktop, or the info icon on mobile.

Display ads

Display ads reach the vast majority of Internet users. In most cases, users are able to view additional information about an ad they see by clicking on “Why this Ad?”, accessed through the AdChoices icon AdChoices icon. You can also find it by clicking the X or the icon+ X.

YouTube

On YouTube, the “My Ad Center” disclosure can be viewed by clicking on the info icon or the 3-dot icon .

Political & Election ads

Additional disclosures are included in election ads run by verified election advertisers in regions where election ads verification is required. Learn more about Google's Political content policies.

What information is disclosed

Information about the advertiser

Google will display information about advertisers’ Google Ads or Display & Video 360 account in ads disclosures and the Ads Transparency Center. This includes advertisers who are verified through our advertiser verification program, advertisers who are verified under the Election ads verification program, and advertisers who have not yet undergone or completed the advertiser verification program.

Completion of the verification program requires an advertiser to complete a series of steps that includes providing basic information about their business and identity, submitting official documentation that shows their legal name, trademark name where applicable, address, and/or submitting supporting documents related to their business operations. Learn more about advertiser verification.

For advertisers who are verified, Google will display the advertiser's legal name, or trademark name and location as provided by the advertiser via the verification program. Verified advertisers will be labeled with a “verified” badge in the Ads Transparency Center and ads disclosures.

For advertisers who have not undergone verification, Google will display the advertiser’s payments profile name and location as provided by the advertiser and these advertisers will be labeled with an “unverified” badge.

Information about the ad campaigns

In the Ads Transparency Center and in ad disclosures, Google will show advertiser information such as the name, location, and the ads they have served over a certain time period for all advertisers serving ads on Google platforms (including Google Search and YouTube). This also includes advertisers who are verified under the Election ads verification program and advertisers who have not yet been verified by the advertiser verification program.

In order to comply with applicable laws, Google may also be required to disclose certain additional information about its advertisers and ad campaigns to users of its services, depending on the country.

View additional information disclosed by location

For ads served in certain countries or regions, Google will make the following additional information available in the Ads Transparency Center.

  • Targeting information
  • Total number of recipients for each ad
  • Subject matter label of the ad (at times Google-generated)

Google provides API access to data about ads served in the EEA in the Ads Transparency Center. Access to and usage of the data in the Ads Transparency Center is subject to the Ads Transparency Center terms of service.

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