Ad Policy Map by industry.

Google·Certification required

Healthcare and medicines: Prescription drug services

Google restricts ads for online prescribing, dispensing and sale of prescription drugs, which covers online pharmacies and telemedicine providers. Prescription drug terms in ads, landing pages and keywords are also restricted by location.

What to do: Apply for and receive Google healthcare certification before ads run. In the US, online pharmacies need LegitScript or NABP accreditation and telemedicine providers need LegitScript Healthcare Merchant Certification, plus Google certification. Only approved advertisers may bid on prescription drug terms.

Google·Certification required

Healthcare and medicines: Addiction services

Ads for recovery oriented drug and alcohol addiction services are restricted, including treatment centers, sober living, referral agencies, lead generators and crisis hotlines. Services for behavioral, impulse control or nicotine addiction are out of scope.

What to do: In the US and Canada, get LegitScript addiction treatment certification, then apply for Google healthcare certification. Providers not eligible for LegitScript certification cannot advertise these services on Google.

Google·Certification required

Healthcare and medicines: Health insurance

In the US, ads for health and medical insurance coverage, including Medicare Advantage, Medigap, Medicaid, short term and fixed indemnity plans, are limited to certified advertisers. Ads only for dental, vision or travel health insurance are not restricted.

What to do: Get G2RS health insurance certification, then apply for Google healthcare certification. ACA plan sellers need an additional G2RS certificate to bid on ACA keywords. Government advertisers are exempt from G2RS but still complete Google certification.

Google·Not allowed

Healthcare and medicines: Unapproved substances

Google bans certain products regardless of legality claims, including ephedra, hCG for weight loss, supplements with active pharmaceutical or dangerous ingredients, and products that claim to work like prescription drugs or to treat a disease without government approval. CBD is limited to approved advertisers.

What to do: Do not advertise listed unapproved substances or make prescription equivalent or disease claims. FDA approved pharmaceutical CBD and topical hemp CBD advertisers must apply for CBD Ads Certification (topical CBD needs LegitScript first) and may target only California, Colorado and Puerto Rico.

Google·Not allowed

Healthcare and medicines: Speculative and experimental medical treatment

Promotion of speculative or experimental medical treatments is not allowed. Cell and gene therapies are generally prohibited, except FDA licensed products promoted by the license holder in the US.

What to do: Do not advertise unproven treatments such as unlicensed stem cell or regenerative therapies. Purely educational ads are allowed.

Google·Content rules

Sexual health and wellness

Ads for personal lubricants and prescription drugs for erectile dysfunction and female sexual interest or arousal disorder are allowed only in limited cases on Display and YouTube. Prescription drugs for these conditions may be promoted only in Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

What to do: Target users 18 or older only, avoid sexual pleasure or enhancement framing and sexually suggestive elements, and complete healthcare certification if you are a pharmaceutical manufacturer, online pharmacy or telemedicine provider.

Google·Targeting limits

Personalized advertising: Sensitive interest categories

Ads in sensitive interest categories, including Health, Alcohol, Gambling and Negative financial status, cannot use advertiser curated audiences. Health covers mental health and addiction counseling, sexual health, chronic conditions, disabilities and invasive procedures such as cosmetic surgery and injections. Negative financial status covers debt focused products, bankruptcy and predatory lending.

What to do: Do not use Customer Match, your data segments (remarketing), lookalike segments or custom segments built on sensitive signals for these ads. Predefined Google audiences such as in market and affinity segments are still allowed.

Google·Targeting limits

Personalized advertising: Housing, employment and consumer finance (US and Canada)

To support equitable access to opportunities, ads for housing, employment and consumer finance in the United States and Canada have limited personalization.

What to do: Do not target by gender, age, parental status, marital status or ZIP code. Radius targeting of at least 1 km, city and country targeting are allowed, and in Canada the first 3 characters of a postal code (FSA) are allowed.

Google·Content rules

Financial products and services

Google requires financial ads and destinations to give users the information they need to weigh costs and avoid harmful or deceptive practices.

What to do: Make required disclosures clearly and immediately visible without a click or hover, including the business physical address, all associated fees and any third party accreditation you claim. Follow the specific rules for loans, debt services and other covered products.

Google·Content rules

Financial products and services: Personal loans

Personal loans (for example payday, auto title, pawn, cash advance, tax and medical loans) are allowed only if they require repayment in full in 61 days or longer. Mortgages, vehicle loans, student loans, business loans and credit cards are not personal loans under this policy.

What to do: Prominently disclose on the landing page the minimum and maximum repayment period, the maximum APR, and a representative example of total cost including all fees. Applies to direct lenders, lead generators and anyone connecting consumers with lenders.

Google·Not allowed

Financial products and services: High APR personal loans (US)

Google does not allow ads for personal loans with an APR of 36 percent or above in the United States.

What to do: Only advertise US personal loans below 36 percent APR, calculated consistently with the Truth in Lending Act, and prominently disclose the APR.

Google·Not allowed

Financial products and services: Credit repair services

Ads for credit repair services are not allowed, whether you offer the service directly, generate leads for it, or connect consumers with third party credit repair providers.

What to do: Do not advertise credit repair. Violations count under the strike system, with suspension on the third strike.

Google·Certification required

Financial products and services: Debt services

Ads for debt settlement and debt management services are allowed only in approved locations, including the United States, and only for accounts approved to advertise debt services. The policy covers direct providers, lead generators and referrers.

What to do: Apply and be approved to advertise debt services before ads run, target only approved locations, and comply with local laws and industry standards.

Google·Verification required

Financial services verification

In listed countries, financial services providers and others promoting financial services must be verified by Google, with licenses and registration numbers, before ads can run. Google has announced it will bring this program to the United States and Canada in early 2027.

What to do: Complete financial services verification for each listed location you target, through an authorized account admin. Watch for Google notices about US and Canada enforcement.

Google·Certification required

Cryptocurrencies and related products

Ads for initial coin offerings, DeFi trading protocols and other prohibited crypto products are not allowed anywhere. Crypto exchanges and software wallets targeting the US are allowed only with certification.

What to do: US exchange and wallet advertisers must be registered with FinCEN as a Money Services Business and as a state money transmitter, or be a federal or state chartered bank, and be certified by Google. Businesses that only accept crypto as payment, crypto tax services and educational content do not need certification.

Google·Verification required

Other restricted businesses: Local services

In the United States, ads for locksmith services and garage door repair services are restricted. In Canada, locksmith ads are restricted.

What to do: Apply for and complete Google advanced verification before ads can run.

Google·Not allowed

Other restricted businesses: Bail bond services

Promotion of bail bond services that act as surety to secure bail for a defendant is not allowed, including bail bond agents, bail financing, bounty hunters and immigration or detention bail services.

What to do: Do not advertise bail bond services on Google Ads.

Google·Certification required

Gambling and games

Gambling ads are allowed only in approved countries, with a landing page showing responsible gambling information, and never targeting minors. In the US, lottery operators must be state run and sports betting, horse racing and online casino advertisers must be state licensed.

What to do: Apply for Google gambling certification, target only states where you are licensed, do not target users under 21 in the US, and include a warning about compulsive gambling with help information.

Google·Content rules

Alcohol

Ads for alcohol sales, brands, mixers and accessories are allowed in listed countries if they follow local law. Ads cannot encourage excessive drinking, imply health benefits, or link alcohol to social, sexual or athletic success.

What to do: Do not target or appeal mainly to people under the legal purchase age, never show minors or pregnant people drinking, and follow the country location rules. Alcohol is also a sensitive interest category, so advertiser curated audiences are not allowed.

Google·Not allowed

Dangerous products or services: Guns, gun parts and other weapons

Ads for guns, essential gun parts and components, firearm assembly instructions, and knives or other products designed to injure an opponent are not allowed. Gun safety items are allowed, and Google says select firearm accessories will be allowed in the United States beginning October 2026.

What to do: Do not advertise firearms or other devices that discharge a projectile at high velocity, parts essential to a gun, or knives designed for combat. Check the Guns, gun parts and related products policy before promoting firearm accessories in the US.

Google·Verification required

Political content: US election ads

US election ads feature a current officeholder or candidate for federal, state or territory office, a political party, or a qualified state or territory ballot measure. Some states add rules, for example California committee notification and no local election ads in Idaho.

What to do: Complete US Election Ads verification before running election ads in the US, and follow state specific rules and campaign laws.

Google·Content rules

Other restricted businesses: Solicitation of funds

Soliciting funds or donations is allowed only on behalf of a politician, political party or tax exempt charity.

What to do: Show the charity number or tax exemption number on the ad destination.

Google·Certification required

Government documents and official services

Only certified governments and authorized providers may run ads promoting direct acquisition of government documents and services such as visas or passports. Private providers may be restricted or disapproved.

What to do: Non government providers of in scope services must disclose they are not government affiliated, disclose any fee above the official price with a link to the official site, complete advertiser identity verification and apply for Government Documents and Services certification. Purely editorial or consultancy services can request a policy exclusion.

Google·Content rules

Trademarks

If a trademark owner complains, Google may restrict use of that trademark in ad text, for example ads from a direct competitor or confusing use. Google does not restrict trademarks used as keywords.

What to do: Keep competitor or third party trademarks out of ad text unless you resell, sell parts for, or give information about that brand, or use the word in its ordinary meaning.

Google·Content rules

Misrepresentation

Ads and destinations cannot hide or misrepresent business, product or service information, imply support from a brand or government entity you do not have, use dishonest pricing, unreliable claims or unavailable offers.

What to do: Only advertise services you are licensed and able to deliver, show accurate pricing and claims, and never impersonate another business. Unacceptable business practices are egregious and lead to suspension without warning.

Meta·Targeting limits

Special Ad Category: Housing

An ad that promotes or directly links to a housing opportunity or related service, such as sale, rental or temporary housing listings, homeowners, renters or mortgage insurance, mortgage loans, home equity or appraisal services, and real estate services. Hotels, resorts, retreats and general homeownership tips are not included.

What to do: Declare the Housing Special Ad Category if you are a US advertiser or reach the US, Canada or certain parts of Europe. Age is fixed at 18 through 65+, all genders, no ZIP codes, a 15 mile minimum radius, no location or detailed targeting exclusions, no lookalike or saved audiences.

Meta·Targeting limits

Special Ad Category: Employment

An ad that promotes or directly links to an employment opportunity, such as full or part time jobs, internships, apprenticeships, professional certification programs, job fairs, job boards, and company perks shown alongside openings. General career advice or company ads without openings are not included.

What to do: Declare the Employment Special Ad Category if you are a US advertiser or reach the US, Canada or certain parts of Europe, and accept the same audience limits as housing: ages 18 through 65+, all genders, no ZIP codes, 15 mile minimum radius, no exclusions, no lookalike or saved audiences.

Meta·Targeting limits

Special Ad Category: Financial products and services

Since January 21, 2025, US advertisers and anyone showing financial products and services ads to US audiences must use this category. It covers credit cards, loans, debt consolidation and relief, banking, investment services, retirement funds, insurance, consumer payment services and 0% APR or buy now pay later installments, plus brand ads for these. Gift cards, store rewards, B2B only financial products and tax and accounting services are not included.

What to do: Declare the Financial products and services Special Ad Category. Age is fixed at 18 through 65+, all genders, no ZIP codes, 15 mile minimum radius, no location or detailed targeting exclusions, no lookalike or saved audiences. Ads may be rejected if the category is not chosen.

Meta·Verification required

Ads about social issues, elections or politics

Covers ads by or about candidates, political figures, parties or PACs, ads about any election, referendum or ballot initiative including get out the vote, and ads about social issues. US social issues are civil and social rights, crime, economy, education, environmental politics, guns, health, immigration, political values and governance, and security and foreign policy.

What to do: Complete Meta authorization (confirm identity and location), select the Special Ad Category, and run every ad with a verified Paid for by disclaimer. Ads are stored in the public Ad Library for seven years. These ads are not allowed in the European Union.

Meta·Content rules

Health and wellness

Ads for weight loss or weight gain products, dietary supplements and cosmetic procedures are allowed for adults. Ads cannot make negative statements about appearance, show close ups of pinching fat for weight loss, claim to cure incurable conditions, or use clickbait health claims.

What to do: Target people 18 or older for weight loss products, supplements and cosmetic procedures. Before and after images of cosmetic procedures are allowed. Prescription weight loss products also fall under the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals policy.

Meta·Content rules

Health and wellness: Adult products and reproductive health

Ads for sexual and reproductive health, such as erectile dysfunction treatment, menopause, contraception, fertility and IVF, must focus on medical benefits, not pleasure. Sex toys, adult sexual services and genital surgery focused on pleasure are prohibited.

What to do: Target people 18 or older and keep messaging medical. Prescription reproductive drugs also need Drugs and Pharmaceuticals authorization.

Meta·Content rules

Privacy violations and personal attributes

Ads must not assert or imply personal attributes, such as race or ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, physical or mental health, vulnerable financial status, voting status, trade union membership, criminal record or name.

What to do: Write copy that describes your offer, not the viewer. For example, "Are you bankrupt? Check out our services" is not allowed. Ads also cannot ask for or share private information.

Meta·Certification required

Drugs and pharmaceuticals

Prescription drug ads are allowed only for authorized advertisers targeting the United States, Canada or New Zealand. Online pharmacies and telehealth providers must hold active LegitScript certification, though ads that only promote telehealth services generally need no written authorization. CBD (0.3% THC or less) may be promoted only in the US with authorization, and THC products are prohibited.

What to do: Get LegitScript certification and Meta authorization, complete onboarding, include a disclaimer to consult a licensed health professional or get a valid prescription, and target 18 or older. OTC drug ads must not target under 18. CBD ads need LegitScript, Meta written authorization, 18+ targeting and no health claims.

Meta·Certification required

Drug and alcohol addiction treatment

Ads for clinical addiction treatment, addiction hotlines, mutual support groups and online recovery services targeting the United States are restricted.

What to do: Get LegitScript certification and apply to Meta for permission to advertise, and show your activities are properly licensed.

Meta·Targeting limits

Alcohol

Ads that promote alcohol, venues where alcohol sales are the main business, alcohol brands or recipes must follow local law and age rules, and are prohibited in some countries.

What to do: Never target people under 18. Use 21+ in the United States and 19+ in Canada, and follow country specific minimums such as 20+ in Japan and 25+ in Sweden.

Meta·Targeting limits

Financial and insurance products and services

Ads for credit cards, loans or insurance are allowed with age and disclosure rules. Payday loans, paycheck advances, bail bonds, loans repaid in 90 days or less, binary options, CFD trading, ICOs and penny auctions are prohibited.

What to do: Target people 18 or older, include legally required disclosures, verify your business identity and show regulator licensing where required. Do not ask for personal or financial information directly in the ad. US investment ads cannot suggest contact through direct messaging.

Meta·Certification required

Online gambling and games

Online gambling and gaming ads run only after the ad account is authorized. Brick and mortar casinos, state lotteries run by the advertiser and free to play games do not need authorization.

What to do: Request authorization in Meta Business Suite with proof of licensing for each jurisdiction, and do not target people under 18 or depict minors.

Meta·Certification required

Dating ads

Ads for dating services are allowed only with prior written permission. Creative cannot reference financial transactions, promote affairs, imply connections with fictitious people, or use sexually suggestive emphasis.

What to do: Apply for permission through the Meta application form and target only people 18 or older.

Meta·Not allowed

Weapons, ammunition or explosives

Ads must not promote the sale or use of firearms, firearm parts, ammunition, paintball and BB guns, pepper spray, non culinary knives, tasers or explosives including fireworks. Safety courses, training and licensing content are allowed.

What to do: Do not advertise these products. Allowed accessories such as holsters, cases, safes, locks, slings and hunting or competition gear must target adults 18 or older.

Meta·Certification required

Cryptocurrency products and services

Ads for crypto exchanges and trading platforms, crypto lending and borrowing, wallets that buy, sell, swap or stake, and mining software need written permission. Crypto tax services, education, news, storage only wallets and mining hardware do not.

What to do: Submit a recognized regulatory license or registration (for example FinCEN MSB registration or a New York BitLicense in the US) through Authorizations and Verifications in Meta Business Suite and get approval before ads run.