Restricted products and services

Due to the war in Ukraine, we will pause ads containing content that exploits, dismisses, or condones the war.

As part of our recent suspension of ads in Russia, we will also pause ads on Google properties and networks globally for advertisers based in Russia.

Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, we will be temporarily pausing Google ads from serving to users located in Russia.

Effective immediately, due to an ongoing sensitive event (the war in Ukraine), we are pausing ads from and for Russian Federation state-funded media.

We want to support a healthy digital advertising ecosystem — one that is trustworthy, transparent, and works for users, advertisers and publishers. 

Products that are designated as non-family safe by Google Ads will not be able to serve on Display & Video 360. In addition, certain categories listed below may not be eligible to serve through Display & Video 360, or may serve only under very specific conditions.
 

You may be required to complete a verification program or apply for a certificate to serve ads.

Creative Approval

• Creatives must follow Google Ads policies to serve on Display & Video 360. 
• Ads that include sensitive content may be manually reviewed before they can serve. Manual review typically takes 24 hours.

Policy center

Navigate to Advertiser settings Policy center to view the status of your certificates to run ads for restricted products and services.

Advertiser Verification

To increase transparency for users, we may require you to verify your legal name through advertiser verification. Your Display & Video 360 partner admin will be notified in their account and you will be given 30 days to initiate the verification and another 30 days to complete verification (if you are selected for the advertiser verification program). Failure to complete or meet the verification requirements within the specified time period will result in your account being paused. Even if you are not selected for the program, your partner admin may proactively initiate the advertiser verification process for you. There are no deadlines and no adverse consequences to you for failing to meet the verification requirements if the verification process was proactively initiated by your admin. Check the Advertiser verification policy for information on criteria and requirements.

Any ads run by those verified will contain a disclosure using the information provided during the verification program. Learn more about Advertiser transparency and disclosures.

Alcohol

All creatives must comply with Google Ads Alcohol policy and only advertise alcoholic beverages in countries where it is allowed. Ensure your creatives meet the requirements outlined in our Irresponsible alcohol advertising policy.

Election advertising

All creatives must comply with Political Content policy, including country restrictions, and all local regulations.

To serve political content in certain countries on Display & Video 360 you must complete verification. 

Apply for verification

Gambling

All creatives must comply with Google Ads Gambling and games policy and all local regulations and industry standards.
Gambling-related content can only serve in certain countries on Display & Video 360. Check Gambling country restrictions for all restrictions that apply to the country your ad campaign is targeting.

To run gambling-related content on open exchanges, YouTube, and deals on Display & Video 360, you must certify the domain of the advertiser for each country you target before your ads can serve. Ensure your ads only target approved countries, have a landing page that displays information about responsible gambling, and never target minors.

Apply for certification 

You can apply for certification by filling out the forms below (available in English only):

• If you are a licensed operator and/or aggregator, select the online application form for the country where you're applying.
• If you operate in a country where we allow state-run entities, use this form to apply.
• If you are a social casino games operator, use this form to apply.

For all applications:

• Please be sure to include the Display & Video 360 advertiser and partner ID for the account that will serve gambling content.
• Submit a separate application for every country you target.
• To cut down on any unnecessary delays, be sure to fill out all of the requested information.
• If you are an agency applying on behalf of an advertiser, please send documentation detailing your relationship with the advertiser or license holder. 
• If you’re serving YouTube ads, please request certification for both your website and the YouTube URL for your linked YouTube channel (youtube.com/channel). You can request both domains in the same certification application.
• If you’re advertising apps, please request certification for both your website and the app store URL for any app you’re linking to (itunes.apple.com/appname or play.google.com/appname or facebook.com/appname). You can request all of the domains in the same certification application.

Restricted financial products and services

All creatives must comply with Google Ads Financial products and services policy and all local regulations and industry standards.

Content related to complex speculative products, cryptocurrency exchanges and debt services can only serve in certain countries. Check the approved countries list for each topic for all restrictions that apply to the country your ad campaign is targeting.

Certification is required if you intend to serve the following content on open exchanges, YouTube and deals:

• Complex speculative products
• Content related to cryptocurrency exchanges
• Content related to debt services

Ensure that you only target the country your ads are certified for and never target minors.

Apply for certification

Apply for certification for restricted financial products here and debt services here (available in English only).

• Please be sure to include the Display & Video 360 advertiser and partner ID for the account that will serve complex speculative financial products content.
• To cut down on any unnecessary delays, be sure to fill out all of the requested information.
• If you’re serving YouTube ads, please request certification for both your website and the YouTube URL for your linked YouTube channel (youtube.com/channel). You can request both domains in the same certification application.
• If you’re advertising apps, please request certification for both your website and the app store URL for any app you’re linking to (itunes.apple.com/appname or play.google.com/appname or facebook.com/appname). You can request all of the domains in the same certification application.

Restricted Healthcare and medicines

All creatives must comply with Google Ads Healthcare and medicine policy. 

Some healthcare-related content can only be advertised if the advertiser is certified with Google and targets only approved countries on Display & Video 360. Review How does this policy differ from country to country?, for all restrictions that apply to the country your ad campaign is targeting.
Certification is required if you intend to serve the following content on open exchanges, YouTube and deals:

• Pharmaceutical related content, such as online pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and others looking to use prescription drug terms within the creative or landing page.
• Drug and alcohol addiction services in the United States. Note: not all drug and alcohol addiction services are eligible for certification. Those not eligible cannot serve on Display & Video 360.

Apply for certification

To apply for certification out our online application form (available in English only).

• If you are applying as an addiction services provider, Legitscript will certify you (Learn more and apply for LegitScript Certification) Once complete, you must certify the domain of your advertiser with Display & Video before your ads can serve.
• Please be sure to include the Display & Video 360 advertiser and partner ID for the account that will serve pharmaceutical content.
• To cut down on any unnecessary delays, be sure to fill out all of the requested information.
• If you are an agency applying on behalf of an advertiser, please send documentation detailing your relationship with the advertiser or license holder. You can use the template included in the application form.
• If you’re serving YouTube ads, please request certification for both your website and the YouTube URL for your linked YouTube channel (youtube.com/channel). You can request both domains in the same certification application.
• If you’re advertising apps, please request certification for both your website and the app store URL for any app you’re linking to (itunes.apple.com/appname or play.google.com/appname or facebook.com/appname). You can request all of the domains in the same certification application.

Recreational Drugs

All creatives must comply with Google Ads Dangerous Products and Services policy. 

Recreational drug content such as CBD can only be advertised if the advertiser is certified with Google and targets only approved jurisdictions on Display & Video 360. Review the policy for all restrictions that apply to the jurisdiction your ad campaign is targeting.

Certification is required if you intend to serve the following content on open exchanges and deals:

• Topical CBD
• FDA-approved CBD pharmaceuticals

Apply for certification

To apply for certification please complete our online application form (available in English only).

• If you are applying as a recreational CBD advertiser, Legitscript will certify you (Learn more and apply for LegitScript Certification). FDA-approved CBD pharmaceuticals do not require Legit Script certification. Recreational CBD and FDA-approved CBD pharmaceuticals must certify the domain of their advertisers with Display & Video before their ads can serve.
• Please be sure to include the Display & Video 360 advertiser and partner ID for the account that will serve pharmaceutical content.
• To cut down on any unnecessary delays, be sure to fill out all of the requested information.