Inappropriate content

Below are some examples of what to avoid in your ads. Learn about what happens if you violate our policies.

Dangerous or derogatory content

The following is not allowed:

Content that incites hatred against, promotes discrimination of, or disparages an individual or group on the basis of their race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, nationality, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or any other characteristic that is associated with systemic discrimination or marginalization

Examples (non-exhaustive): Content promoting hate groups or hate group paraphernalia; content that encourages others to believe that a person or group is inhuman, inferior, or worthy of being hated

Content that harasses, intimidates, or bullies an individual or group of individuals

Examples (non-exhaustive): Content that singles out someone for abuse or harassment; content that suggests a tragic event did not happen, or that victims or their families are actors, or complicit in a cover-up of the event

Content that threatens or advocates for physical or mental harm on oneself or others

Examples (non-exhaustive): Content advocating suicide, anorexia, or other self-harm; promoting or advocating for harmful health or medical claims or practices; threatening someone with real-life harm or calling for the attack of another person; promoting, glorifying, or condoning violence against others; content made by or in support of terrorist groups, or transnational drug trafficking organizations, or content that promotes terrorist acts, including recruitment, or that celebrates attacks by transnational drug trafficking or terrorist organizations.

Content that seeks to exploit others

Examples (non-exhaustive): Extortion, blackmail, soliciting or promoting dowries

Content that relates to a current, major health crisis and contradicts authoritative scientific consensus

Shocking content

The following is not allowed:

Promotions containing violent language, gruesome or disgusting imagery, or graphic images or accounts of physical trauma

Examples (non-exhaustive): Crime scene or accident photos, execution videos

Promotions containing gratuitous portrayals of bodily fluids or waste

Examples (non-exhaustive): Blood, guts, gore, sexual fluids, human or animal waste

Promotions containing obscene or profane language

Examples (non-exhaustive): Swear or curse words, slurs relating to race or sexuality, variations and misspellings of profane language

Note: If the official name of your product, website, or app includes profane language, request a review and provide details of the name. 

Promotions that are likely to shock or scare

Examples (non-exhaustive): Promotions that suggest you may be in danger, be infected with a disease, or be the victim of a conspiracy

Sensitive events

The following is not allowed:

Ads that potentially profit from or exploit a sensitive event with significant social, cultural, or political impact, such as civil emergencies, natural disasters, public health emergencies, terrorism and related activities, conflict, or mass acts of violence

Examples (non-exhaustive): Appearing to profit from a tragic event with no discernible benefit to users; price gouging or artificially inflating prices that prohibits/restricts access to vital supplies; sale of products or services  which may be insufficient for the demand during a sensitive event; using keywords related to a sensitive event to attempt to drive additional traffic

Ads that claim victims of a sensitive event were responsible for their own tragedy or similar instances of victim blaming; ads that claim victims of a sensitive event are not deserving of remedy or support

Examples (non-exhaustive): Ads which claim victims from certain countries were responsible or deserving of a global public health crisis

Animal cruelty

The following is not allowed:

Content that promotes cruelty or gratuitous violence towards animals

Example (non-exhaustive): Promoting animal cruelty for entertainment purposes, such as cock or dog fighting

Content that may be interpreted as trading in, or selling products derived from, threatened or extinct species

Examples (non-exhaustive): Sale of tigers, shark fins, elephant ivory, tiger skins, rhino horn, dolphin oil

Ads that directly facilitate or advertise access to hacked material related to political entities within scope of Google's election ads policies. This applies to all protected material that was obtained through the unauthorized intrusion or access of a computer, computer network, or personal electronic device, even if distributed by a third party.

Examples (non-exhaustive): Advertising access to hacked content (“See all of the leaked emails right now!”, “The President’s text messages were hacked! Access them now!”); linking to hacked content (“View our database of hacked documents from the President's campaign.”, “Foreign agents hacked into his computer, take a look at the real documents.”)