ad-policy-compliance

Ad Policy Compliance

Pre-checks ad creative, copy, and landing pages against advertising policies for Google Ads, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, TikTok Ads, and Reddit Ads. Covers restricted content categories, trademark rules, industry-specific requirements, Special Ad Categories, and common rejection reasons with fixes.

Capabilities

• Google Ads Policy Scan: Restricted content, editorial, trademark, claims
• Meta Ads Policy Scan: Special Ad Categories, prohibited content, targeting restrictions
• LinkedIn Ads Policy Checklist: Professional standards, B2B compliance
• TikTok Ads Policy Check: Authenticity, community guidelines, restricted products
• Reddit Ads Policy Check: Community standards, transparency rules
• Industry-Specific Rules: Finance, healthcare, alcohol, political, gambling, cannabis
• Pre-Submission Workflow: Automated policy scan before ad creation
• Rejection Fix Playbook: Common rejections and proven solutions

Workflows

1. Pre-Submission Policy Scan

Run this checklist before submitting ANY ad on ANY platform:

UNIVERSAL CHECKS (all platforms):

✅ COPY CHECKS:
  □ No excessive capitalization (≤1 ALL CAPS word per headline)
  □ No excessive punctuation (no "!!!" or "???")
  □ No misleading claims ("guaranteed results", "#1 product")
  □ No before/after images implying unrealistic results
  □ No fake UI elements (fake buttons, fake notifications)
  □ No countdown timers with false urgency
  □ Grammar and spelling correct
  □ CTA matches landing page action

✅ TARGETING CHECKS:
  □ No targeting by race, ethnicity, or religion (any platform)
  □ Age-appropriate targeting for product type
  □ No targeting children (under 13 — COPPA)
  □ Geo-targeting matches product availability
  □ Special Ad Category applied if required (Meta)

✅ LANDING PAGE CHECKS:
  □ Page loads and is functional
  □ Content matches ad claims
  □ Privacy policy accessible
  □ No auto-downloads or malware
  □ No deceptive navigation (fake X buttons, fake content)
  □ Contact information visible (required for some industries)
  □ No pop-up blocks preventing page exit

✅ LEGAL CHECKS:
  □ Required disclaimers present (financial, health, political)
  □ Trademark usage authorized OR generic terms used
  □ "Ad" disclosure on native/influencer content
  □ Terms and conditions linked for offers
  □ Age gates for restricted products (alcohol, gambling)

2. Google Ads Policy Checklist

Editorial policies (most common rejections):

Violation	Example	Fix
Excessive capitalization	"FREE SHIPPING on ALL ORDERS"	"Free Shipping on All Orders"
Excessive punctuation	"Amazing Deal!!!"	"Amazing Deal"
Gimmicky use of symbols	"★★★ Best CRM ★★★"	Remove symbols from ad text
Misleading ad	"Click Here ↓↓↓"	Use descriptive CTA
Non-standard spacing	"F R E E"	"Free"
Phone number in ad text	"Call 1-800-555-1234"	Use call extension instead
Unclear relevance	Ad about shoes → LP about insurance	Match ad to LP content

Restricted content:

RESTRICTED (allowed with limitations):
  □ Alcohol: Allowed in some countries, must target 21+ (US)
  □ Gambling: Requires Google certification, country-specific
  □ Healthcare/pharma: OTC drugs OK, prescription requires cert
  □ Financial services: Must comply with local regulations
  □ Political ads: Requires identity verification, "Paid for by" disclosure
  □ Adult content: Allowed with restrictions (no explicit imagery)
  □ Trademarks: Allowed in ad text if you're authorized reseller/informational

PROHIBITED (never allowed):
  ❌ Counterfeit goods
  ❌ Dangerous products (explosives, recreational drugs)
  ❌ Dishonest behavior (phishing, malware, clickbait)
  ❌ Inappropriate content (hate speech, violence, bullying)
  ❌ Weapons and weapon accessories
  ❌ Tobacco and tobacco products
  ❌ Bail bonds services (US)
  ❌ Surveillance equipment

Trademark policies:

WHEN TRADEMARKS ARE ALLOWED IN GOOGLE ADS:
  1. You are an authorized reseller of the trademarked product
  2. You are providing informational content about the product
  3. You are comparing your product to the trademarked product

HOW TO USE:
  - You CAN bid on competitor brand keywords (always)
  - You CAN mention competitors in ad text IF:
    a) You're comparing products accurately
    b) You link to a comparison/informational page
    c) You don't imply affiliation
  - You CANNOT use trademark in display URL
  - You CANNOT use competitor logos in display ads

IF YOUR AD IS REJECTED FOR TRADEMARK:
  1. Request authorization from trademark owner
  2. OR submit a trademark authorization form to Google
  3. OR remove the trademark from ad text (keep bidding on keyword)
  4. Appeals: ads.google.com/nav/selectaccount → Tools → Trademark

Google Ads claim restrictions:

CLAIMS THAT TRIGGER REVIEW:
  "Best [product]" → Requires third-party verification
  "Guaranteed results" → Must have refund/guarantee policy on LP
  "#1 [product/service]" → Requires verifiable ranking source
  "FDA approved" → Must actually be FDA approved
  "As seen on [media]" → Must have been featured
  "Doctor recommended" → Requires verifiable medical endorsement
  "[X]% success rate" → Must cite source and methodology

SAFE ALTERNATIVES:
  "Best" → "Top-rated" or "Award-winning" (with award cited)
  "Guaranteed" → "Risk-free trial" or "Money-back guarantee"
  "#1" → "Leading" or "Trusted by [X,000]+"
  "Instant results" → "See results in as little as [timeframe]"

3. Meta Ads Policy Checklist

Special Ad Categories (MANDATORY for these topics):

HOUSING:
  Applies to: Real estate listings, mortgages, home insurance, apartments
  Restrictions:
    ❌ Cannot target by ZIP code (must use 15-mile radius minimum)
    ❌ Cannot target by age, gender, or parental status
    ❌ Cannot use lookalike audiences
    ❌ Cannot exclude interests related to protected classes
  
EMPLOYMENT:
  Applies to: Job listings, hiring, employment opportunities
  Restrictions: Same as Housing
  
CREDIT:
  Applies to: Credit cards, loans, mortgages/financing, BNPL and other credit products
  Restrictions: Same as Housing

SOCIAL ISSUES / ELECTIONS / POLITICS:
  Applies to: Political candidates, ballot measures, social advocacy
  Requirements:
    ✅ Must have "Paid for by" disclaimer
    ✅ Must verify identity and location
    ✅ Must be authorized to run political ads
    ✅ Ads stored in Meta Ad Library for 7 years
    ✅ Must disclose qualifying photorealistic/video/audio AI-generated or digitally altered content
    ⚠️ Ads about social issues, elections or politics are not allowed to run in the EU;
       rules and designated-country authorization requirements vary by region

Prohibited content (Meta-specific):

❌ PROHIBITED:
  - Tobacco products or paraphernalia
  - Unsafe supplements (weight loss, body building — many banned)
  - Weapons, ammunition, or explosives
  - Adult products or services
  - Multi-level marketing (income claims)
  - Payday loans or predatory financial products
  - Penny auctions
  - Counterfeit documents
  - Spyware or malware
  - Discriminatory practices

⚠️ RESTRICTED (requires approval):
  - Alcohol (21+ targeting in US, varies by country)
  - Dating services (must not promote casual encounters)
  - Online gambling (license required, geo-restricted)
  - Cryptocurrency and related products/services (prior written permission; product and country restrictions)
  - Prescription drugs (must target only authorized countries)
  - Financial products (disclosures/licensing as required by product and market)

Meta-specific creative rules:

TEXT IN IMAGES:
  - No longer a hard 20% text rule (removed 2021)
  - BUT: Less text = more delivery (algorithm preference)
  - Recommendation: Keep text minimal in ad images

BEFORE/AFTER IMAGES:
  ❌ Cannot imply unrealistic results
  ❌ Cannot use before/after for weight loss
  ✅ CAN use for home renovation, cleaning products (non-body)
  
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:
  ❌ Cannot assert or imply personal attributes
  ❌ "Are you overweight?" → REJECTED
  ❌ "Struggling with debt?" → REJECTED
  ✅ "Many people manage their weight with..." → APPROVED
  ✅ "Tools to help manage finances" → APPROVED
  
  Rule: Don't use "you" + negative attribute.
  Use third-person or positive framing instead.

FACEBOOK BRAND REFERENCES:
  ✅ "Follow us on Facebook" (lowercase 'facebook' in running text is OK)
  ❌ "Join our FACEBOOK group" (cannot emphasize)
  ❌ Modified Facebook logos or trademark
  ✅ Official Facebook brand assets (from brand.facebook.com)

4. LinkedIn Ads Policy Checklist

Professional standards:

REQUIRED:
  ✅ Professional tone (no clickbait, no sensationalism)
  ✅ Accurate job titles and company claims
  ✅ Clear identification of advertiser
  ✅ Appropriate for professional audience
  ✅ Truthful company/product descriptions

PROHIBITED:
  ❌ Profanity or vulgar language
  ❌ Sexually suggestive content
  ❌ Misleading credentials or qualifications
  ❌ Fake urgency ("Only 3 spots left!" without truth)
  ❌ "Get rich quick" schemes or unrealistic income claims
  ❌ Deceptive subscription practices
  ❌ Gambling or betting services
  ❌ Weapons and military equipment

LinkedIn-specific restrictions:

LEAD GEN FORMS:
  ✅ Must include privacy policy URL
  ✅ Must clearly state what user is signing up for
  ✅ Must not pre-check consent boxes
  ❌ Cannot request SSN, government ID, or financial account numbers
  ❌ Cannot request health or medical information
  ⚠️ Custom questions must comply with data collection policies

SPONSORED INMAIL / MESSAGE ADS:
  ✅ Must clearly identify sender
  ✅ Subject line must match content
  ✅ Must comply with LinkedIn message-ad format requirements and applicable consent/privacy laws
  ⚠️ Frequency caps and product availability change; verify in Campaign Manager/live docs

5. TikTok Ads Policy Checklist

Authenticity requirements:

REQUIRED:
  ✅ Ads must be clearly identifiable as advertising
  ✅ Must not mimic TikTok UI elements (fake like buttons, etc.)
  ✅ Landing page must be functional and match ad claims
  ✅ Product availability must match targeted regions
  ✅ Accurate pricing (no hidden fees)

CREATIVE RULES:
  ✅ Sound is expected (unlike other platforms) — include audio
  ✅ Vertical format preferred (9:16)
  ✅ Native-feeling content performs best (less polished = better)
  ❌ No fake engagement metrics ("liked by X people")
  ❌ No fake system notifications
  ❌ No countdowns without real deadlines

TikTok-specific restrictions:

PROHIBITED:
  ❌ Weight loss surgery/procedures and harmful body-image or high-risk weight-management claims;
     other weight-management products are market-specific and often restricted/prohibited
  ❌ Tobacco, e-cigarettes, and vaping products
  ❌ Weapons and weapon accessories
  ❌ Political ads (global ban — TikTok doesn't allow political advertising)
  ❌ ICOs, token sales, payday loans, P2P lending, get-rich-quick and MLM/pyramid schemes
  ❌ Payday loans
  ❌ Adult content or dating for minors

RESTRICTED:
  ⚠️ Alcohol: Allowed in select markets with age targeting (21+/18+)
  ⚠️ Gambling: Licensed operators in approved markets only
  ⚠️ Financial services: Market-specific licensing/disclosures; generally 18+; some require TikTok Sales approval
  ⚠️ Crypto exchanges/custodial wallets/NFTs: Only in approved markets with required licenses,
     TikTok permission/application, and 18+ targeting; never frame NFTs as investments/guaranteed returns
  ⚠️ Health supplements/OTC/medical devices: Must not make medical claims or prohibited before/after comparisons
  ⚠️ Beauty/skincare: No unrealistic transformation claims

AI-generated and branded/commercial disclosure:

  ✅ Use TikTok's commercial/branded content disclosure toggles for paid partnerships or promotional Spark Ads
  ✅ Label realistic AI-generated or significantly altered media where TikTok requires it
  ❌ Do not use AI-generated likenesses of real people for political or commercial endorsements
  ⚠️ TikTok Ads and TikTok Branded Content policies are separate; check both for creator/Spark campaigns

6. Reddit Ads Policy Checklist

Restricted/prohibited categories:

PROHIBITED / HIGH-RISK:
  ❌ Tobacco, weapons, counterfeit goods, recreational drugs, adult sexual content, malware/scams
  ❌ Payday/predatory lending, single securities/tokens/coins, ICOs/IDOs/token sales,
     liquidity pools, mixers/tumblers, trading bots, unlicensed bank-like services

RESTRICTED:
  ⚠️ Alcohol: Must comply with local law and age-gating (21+ in US); no excessive consumption
  ⚠️ Gambling/gaming: Licensed, legal markets only; direct Reddit Sales management may be required
  ⚠️ Financial/crypto: Requires vetting; many products require direct Reddit Sales management and documentation
  ⚠️ Healthcare: Claims must be substantiated; comply with Reddit healthcare policy and local law

Political ads (Reddit):

US:
  ✅ Permitted only for US federal-level political ads with Reddit certification and Sales representative management
  ✅ Candidate/official representative must participate in a Reddit AMA before placement
  ✅ Must include clear "paid for by" disclosure and link/comment to the AMA
  ❌ Cannot target by ZIP code or gender
  ❌ Attack ads and misleading deepfakes/manipulated content are prohibited
  ✅ Synthetic content that is otherwise allowed must include a clear disclosure (e.g., "AI-generated content")

EU:
  ⚠️ Requires direct Reddit Sales management and acknowledgement that ads are not designed to influence
     election/referendum outcomes, voting behavior, or legislative/regulatory processes

7. Industry-Specific Rules

Financial Services

ALL PLATFORMS:
  ✅ Include APR, fees, and terms in landing page
  ✅ "Terms and conditions apply" disclaimer
  ✅ Licensed/registered financial institution disclosure
  ✅ Risk warnings for investment products
  ✅ "Past performance is not indicative of future results"
  
  ❌ No guaranteed returns claims
  ❌ No income claims without proof
  ❌ No targeting minors
  
GOOGLE ADS SPECIFIC:
  - Must comply with local financial regulations
  - Requires Google advertiser or product certification/approval for some financial products and markets
  - US personal loans: APR 36%+ not allowed; loan ads must include required cost/term disclosures
  - Crypto: Certain products may be allowed with or without certification in limited circumstances;
    exchanges, wallets and coin trusts generally require Google certification and local compliance
  - Credit repair ads are not allowed; debt services are allowed only in eligible locations with approval
  
META SPECIFIC:
  - Falls under CREDIT Special Ad Category (if credit-related)
  - Cannot target by ZIP code, age, or gender for credit products
  - Must include disclaimers in ad or landing page
  - Crypto: Requires Meta prior written permission; eligibility depends on product, country,
    authorization documentation and current Meta crypto policy

Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals

ALL PLATFORMS:
  ✅ Must not make unsubstantiated health claims
  ✅ Must comply with HIPAA (US) / GDPR (EU) for data collection
  ✅ OTC products: Generally allowed with disclaimer
  ✅ Telehealth: Allowed with proper licensing disclosure
  
  ❌ Prescription drug promotion is platform-, country-, advertiser-authorization-, and audience-specific;
     do not assume DTC prescription ads are allowed without live policy/legal verification
  ❌ No miracle cure claims
  ❌ No before/after weight loss imagery
  ❌ No patient testimonials implying guaranteed outcomes
  
GOOGLE ADS SPECIFIC:
  - Prescription drugs: Only certified pharmacies (LegitScript cert)
  - Addiction treatment: Requires LegitScript certification
  - Clinical trials: Requires Google approval
  - COVID-related: Enhanced review, fact-checking required
  
META SPECIFIC:
  - Cannot target by health condition ("diabetes" interest OK for awareness,
    but not for selling diabetes products)
  - Supplements: Must not make drug claims
  - Mental health: Allowed but no personal attribute assertions
  
TIKTOK SPECIFIC:
  - Weight-management, aesthetic treatment, healthcare and pharmaceutical rules are highly market-specific
  - No medical claims for supplements/beauty products unless the market policy allows and licensing is approved
  - Prescription medication/pharmacies generally require market-specific permission/certification or are prohibited

Alcohol

US RULES:
  ✅ Must target 21+ (LDA — Legal Drinking Age)
  ✅ Must not target pregnant women
  ✅ Must not show excessive consumption
  ✅ Must not associate drinking with driving
  ✅ Must include "Drink Responsibly" or similar
  
PLATFORM STATUS:
  Google Ads: ✅ Allowed with restrictions (21+ targeting, no promotion of excessive drinking)
  Meta: ✅ Allowed with age-gating (varies by country)
  LinkedIn: ⚠️ Restricted; available only in certain countries and generally requires working with LinkedIn Ad Sales
  TikTok: ⚠️ Market-specific; often prohibited for branded content and restricted/approval-gated for paid ads
  Reddit: ✅ Allowed with age-gating
  
INTERNATIONAL:
  France: No alcohol advertising allowed (Loi Évin)
  Norway/Sweden/Finland: Heavily restricted
  UK: Allowed with ASA guidelines (no appeal to under-18s)
  India: Prohibited on all platforms
  Middle East: Prohibited (most countries)

Political Advertising

GOOGLE ADS:
  ✅ Election ads require region-specific verification where Google requires it
  ✅ "Paid for by" disclosure required for verified election advertisers
  ✅ Stored in Google Ads Transparency Center where transparency reporting applies
  ✅ Must comply with local election laws
  ✅ Synthetic/digitally altered election content must be disclosed in campaign settings;
     some formats also need prominent in-ad disclosure
  ⚠️ Targeting restrictions and regional prohibitions vary; verify live policy for the target country

META:
  ✅ Requires "Paid for by" disclaimer
  ✅ Must verify identity and location
  ✅ Stored in Meta Ad Library for 7 years
  ✅ Special Ad Category: Social Issues / Elections / Politics
  ✅ Must disclose qualifying AI-generated/digitally altered realistic media
  ❌ Not allowed to run in the EU; elsewhere targeting/authorization rules vary by country

LINKEDIN:
  ❌ Political advertising not accepted

TIKTOK:
  ❌ Political advertising globally banned (since 2019)

REDDIT:
  ⚠️ US federal-level political ads only, with Reddit certification, direct Sales management,
     candidate/representative AMA prerequisite, "paid for by" disclosure, and public transparency
  ❌ No ZIP-code or gender targeting; attack ads and misleading deepfakes are prohibited
  ✅ Synthetic political ad content that is otherwise allowed must be clearly disclosed

X (TWITTER):
  ❌ Political advertising banned (since 2019, reversed 2023)
  ⚠️ Allowed again with restrictions — requires certification

8. Common Rejection Reasons and Fixes

Rejection	Platform	Cause	Fix
"Misleading content"	Google	Exaggerated claims, clickbait	Remove superlatives, add qualifiers
"Circumventing systems"	Google	Redirects, cloaking	Use direct URLs, no redirect chains
"Unacceptable business model"	Google	MLM, get-rich-quick	Restructure LP to remove income claims
"Personal attributes"	Meta	"Are you struggling with..."	Use "Many people find..." (third person)
"Non-functional LP"	All	404, slow load, broken forms	Fix page, test all links
"Text in image"	Meta	Too much text overlay	Reduce text, use less intrusive supers
"Special Ad Category"	Meta	Housing/credit/employment content without SAC	Apply appropriate category
"Trademark violation"	Google	Using competitor brand in ad text	Remove trademark or get authorization
"Restricted content"	All	Alcohol, gambling without age gate	Add age targeting, required disclaimers
"Destination mismatch"	Google	Ad about X, LP about Y	Align LP content with ad copy
"Malware/unwanted software"	Google	Sketchy LP, auto-downloads	Remove any downloads, fix SSL
"Low quality"	LinkedIn	Clickbait, unprofessional	Professional tone, clear value prop

9. Trademark Usage Rules by Platform

Rule	Google	Meta	LinkedIn	TikTok	Reddit
Bid on competitor keywords	✅ Always	✅ Always	✅ Always	✅ Always	✅ Always
Use trademark in headline	⚠️ Need auth	✅ Comparison OK	⚠️ Need auth	⚠️ Need auth	✅ If accurate
Use trademark in description	⚠️ Need auth	✅ Comparison OK	⚠️ Need auth	⚠️ Need auth	✅ If accurate
Use trademark in display URL	❌ Never	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Use competitor logo in creative	❌ Never	❌ Never	❌ Never	❌ Never	❌ Never
Comparison claims	✅ If truthful	✅ If truthful	✅ If truthful	✅ If truthful	✅ If truthful

Reference Data

Appeal Process by Platform

Platform	Appeal Method	Response Time	Success Rate
Google Ads	Policy Manager → Request Review	1-3 business days	30-50%
Meta	Ad rejected → Request Review button	1-5 business days	20-40%
LinkedIn	Campaign Manager → Contact Support	3-5 business days	40-60%
TikTok	Ad rejected → Appeal button	1-3 business days	25-45%
Reddit	Email [email protected]	3-7 business days	30-50%

Pre-Launch Compliance Checklist Template

# Ad Compliance Pre-Launch Checklist

**Campaign:** [Name]
**Platform:** [Google / Meta / LinkedIn / TikTok / Reddit]
**Industry:** [Standard / Financial / Healthcare / Alcohol / Political]
**Date:** [Date]
**Reviewer:** [Name]

## Universal Checks
- [ ] No misleading claims or exaggerated promises
- [ ] No excessive caps or punctuation
- [ ] CTA matches landing page action
- [ ] Landing page functional (tested on mobile + desktop)
- [ ] Privacy policy accessible on landing page
- [ ] No prohibited content (weapons, drugs, tobacco, hate)
- [ ] No fake UI elements or deceptive design

## Platform-Specific Checks
- [ ] Special Ad Category applied if needed (Meta)
- [ ] No personal attribute assertions (Meta)
- [ ] Professional tone (LinkedIn)
- [ ] Political ad disclosures if applicable
- [ ] Trademark usage authorized
- [ ] Age targeting set for restricted products

## Industry-Specific Checks
- [ ] Required disclaimers present
- [ ] Licensing/certification displayed
- [ ] Risk warnings included (financial)
- [ ] "Drink Responsibly" included (alcohol)

## Result
- [ ] ✅ APPROVED for submission
- [ ] ❌ BLOCKED — issues found (list below)

**Issues found:**
1. [Issue description + fix required]
2. [Issue description + fix required]

Examples

Example: Financial Services Ad Policy Review

# Policy Review: Acme Loans Google Ads Campaign

## Ad Copy Under Review
Headline 1: "Get a Personal Loan in Minutes"
Headline 2: "Rates from 4.99% APR"
Headline 3: "No Hidden Fees — Apply Now"
Description: "Borrow $5K-$50K with competitive rates. 
             Quick approval, funds in 24 hours."

## Findings

### ✅ PASS
- APR mentioned in headline (4.99%)
- No guaranteed approval language
- No income claims
- Professional tone

### ⚠️ WARNINGS
1. "Rates from 4.99% APR" — Landing page must show:
   - APR range (4.99% - X.XX%)
   - Representative example with total repayment
   - Terms and conditions link
   
2. "Funds in 24 hours" — Must be accurate:
   - If conditional, add "subject to approval" to LP
   - Cannot guarantee timing in ad without qualification

### ❌ REQUIRED FIXES
1. Landing page missing "Representative APR Example" 
   (required by Google for loan advertising)
   Fix: Add example: "$10,000 loan at 7.99% APR, 
   36 monthly payments of $313.11, total repayment $11,271.96"

2. Google Ads financial services verification not completed
   Fix: Complete advertiser identity verification at
   ads.google.com/nav/selectaccount → Verification

## Verdict: CONDITIONAL PASS
Fix landing page disclaimer + complete verification before launch.