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Guide · Google publisher policies

Google publisher policies, with examples of what is allowed

Anyone who monetizes with AdSense, Ad Manager or AdMob must follow Google's Publisher Policies. A violation can restrict or disable ads on a page, an entire site or the account. This guide explains each group of rules with practical examples and shows how to request a review after fixing.

Audit my site nowRead the guide
  • ✓Based on the AdSense and Ad Manager Help Centers
  • ✓Practical allowed and not-allowed examples
  • ✓Reads the site without changing anything
4policy groups: content, behavior, privacy and requirements
3products covered: AdSense, Ad Manager and AdMob
2only labels allowed for ads in AdSense: Advertisements and Sponsored Links
25%maximum discount value on a physical product offered as a prize in rewarded ads

How it works

Three layers of rules about the same site

Google's Publisher Policies apply to anyone who monetizes content with Google's ad code, and can be consulted in the AdSense, Ad Manager and AdMob Help Centers. They are split into four groups: content policies, behavior policies, privacy policies, and requirements and other standards.

The second layer is Google's Publisher Restrictions. They do not prohibit the content, but they reduce demand: on topics such as alcohol, weapons or gambling, fewer advertisers can bid, and revenue usually drops.

The third layer, in the case of AdSense, is the Program Policies, which cover invalid clicks, traffic sources, ad placement and site behavior. Anyone who does not comply can have ads blocked and the account suspended or terminated.

The rules apply page by page. A single article outside the policies can trigger an action on that page only, but a repeated problem can reach the whole site or the account.

Checklist

What you need to meet

These are the points from Google's policies that apply to any site with Google ads, in any country.

  1. Have a complete privacy policy

    Google requires a privacy policy that explains the collection, sharing and use of data. It must say that third parties may place and read cookies in visitors' browsers.

    Example

    Third parties, including Google, may place and read cookies in your browser to show ads.

  2. Comply with the EU consent policy

    The publisher policies require compliance with the EU User Consent Policy. For personalized ads in the EEA, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, this means using a Google-certified CMP.

  3. Never click your own ads

    Clicking your own ads is prohibited for any reason. It is also not allowed to ask other people to click or view the ads.

  4. Label ads the allowed way

    Google ads can only have the label Advertisement or Sponsored Links. Titles such as resources or useful links are prohibited.

    Example

    Above the ad block, write only Advertisement.

  5. Mark content for children

    Sites or sections covered by COPPA must be marked for child-directed treatment. Do not use interest-based advertising, such as remarketing, for users known to be under 13.

    googletag.pubads().setPrivacySettings({
  childDirectedTreatment: true
});

  6. Do not send data that identifies the person

    The site cannot pass Google information that personally identifies the visitor. It also cannot create, change or delete cookies on Google domains.

    Example

    Check that readers' emails or names do not appear in the URLs of pages with ads.

  7. Ask for express consent for precise location

    Anyone who collects the visitor's precise location must get express consent before collecting, processing or sharing that data. Personalized ads also cannot be chosen based on sensitive information.

In practice

Right and wrong

Official tools

Certified CMPs and official links

Google requires a certified CMP only for personalized ads in the EEA, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and in US states it offers its own messages.

Prohibited content

What cannot receive Google ads

The content policies apply to the text, images, videos, comments and even the links the site offers.

Unreliable and harmful claims

Content with demonstrably false claims that can undermine trust or participation in democratic processes, among other sensitive topics.

Misrepresentation

Hiding or lying about who is behind the site, pretending to be another brand, using third-party logos without the right to or luring the visitor with false promises.

Dishonest behavior

Content that helps people deceive others, such as fake diplomas, forged documents or tools to circumvent systems.

Sexually explicit content

Sexually explicit text, image, audio, video or game. Adult themes also cannot appear in family-oriented content.

Dangerous or derogatory content

Promoting hate, harassment, threats, blackmail or violence against people and groups.

Illegal content and intellectual property abuse

Illegal content, piracy, copies of movies, books or games, and links to download protected material without authorization.

Content in practice

Everyday examples on news, finance and job sites

The cases that generate the most warnings on monetized Brazilian sites.

Allowed

  • A news story about a scam that explains how to protect yourself
  • A health article with sources and no promise of a cure
  • Real job listings, with the company and an application link
  • An election report with verified information
  • An About page with name, contact and the person responsible for the site
  • A movie review with short excerpts and your own opinion

Not allowed

  • A title that promises a government benefit that does not exist to attract clicks
  • A page that poses as a bank or public agency with an official logo
  • A tutorial for forging a medical certificate or receipt
  • A home remedy that promises to cure a serious disease
  • A gallery with nudity on a recipe site
  • Links to download pirated movies or series

Restrictions

Allowed topics, but with fewer advertisers

If content receives an inventory restriction, fewer ad sources can bid on it. It is not a violation, but revenue tends to be lower.

Sexual and shocking content

Partial nudity, suggestive content, violent images or obscene language.

Weapons and explosives

Firearms, parts, accessories, other weapons and related instructions.

Tobacco, alcohol and drugs

Tobacco and e-cigarettes, sale or irresponsible use of alcohol and recreational drugs.

Gambling and medicines

Online real-money betting, sale of prescription drugs and unapproved supplements.

Ad placement

Where the ad can and cannot go

The placement policies exist to prevent accidental clicks and ads that get in the way of reading. This is where most sites with Ad Inserter and manual blocks go wrong.

Allowed

  • An ad between paragraphs, separated from the text and the buttons
  • An Advertising or Advertisements label above the block
  • A small sticky ad at the bottom of the mobile screen, not covering the content
  • A rewarded ad that only opens after the visitor agrees to watch
  • An ad beside the main content, with space around it
  • A page with more content than ads

Not allowed

  • An ad stuck to the menu, to navigation buttons or to the Next page button
  • An ad right below a heading like Download here or Resources
  • Text asking people to click the ads or to support the site by clicking
  • Ads inside pop-ups or pop-unders that the visitor did not open
  • An image placed to look like part of the ad
  • A page that reloads on its own to generate new impressions

Inventory value

Pages that cannot have ads even without prohibited content

The behavior policies ask for the ad to be on screens with the publisher's own content that has value for the visitor.

Screens without content

Pages under construction, alert, navigation, thank-you or error pages, with little or no publisher content.

Replicated content

Text, videos or images copied from other sites without commentary, curation or added value.

More ads than content

Screens with more ads or paid content than publisher content.

Out-of-context ads

Ads on pages that run in the background or off-screen, without making clear which content they belong to.

Ads that get in the way

Interference, abusive experiences and Better Ads

The interfering ads policy prohibits Google ads overlapping or next to navigation items, ads that cover the content or push it off the screen, and ads on dead-end screens, where the visitor can only continue by clicking the ad.

Google ads also cannot be on pages that violate the Coalition for Better Ads' Better Ads Standards. Classic examples: a pop-up that covers the content, a video that starts on its own with sound, a large sticky ad and, on mobile, ad density above 30% of the main content height.

Abusive experiences, such as automatic redirects, fake close buttons or misleading messages, also lead to the loss of ads.

For rewarded ads, the rule is the visitor's consent. They can only appear after the person clearly chooses to watch the ad in exchange for a reward, which must be explained and delivered. Money cannot be a reward, and discounts on physical products cannot exceed 25% of the value. The rewarded interstitial has an intro screen with a visible option to decline.

What happens in a violation

The statuses that appear in the Policy center

The AdSense and Ad Manager Policy center shows each problem and its effect on ads.

Serving disabled

All ads are blocked on the site or page for a policy violation. It is the most serious action.

Restricted ad serving

Not all advertisers can bid on the inventory. Demand drops, but ads continue.

Ad serving at risk

Nothing has changed yet, but there is a warning with a date. If you do not fix it by then, the action begins.

Limited ad serving

Google limits the number of ads on the whole account, usually while it assesses traffic.

Confirmed Click

Some ads generate unintended clicks, and Google starts asking for a second confirmation click.

Restricted personalization

Limited ads in the EEA, United Kingdom and Switzerland because of a consent or TCF problem.

How to request a review

From the warning to the ad coming back

  1. Read the problem in the Policy centerCheck whether it is a policy violation, which must be fixed, a regulatory matter or an advertiser preference, which reduce revenue but do not require a fix.
  2. Fix all the pages, not just the one citedThe example Google points to is usually one among several. Review the whole site for the same pattern.
  3. Choose the reason for the reviewClick Fix next to the site and Start review process. State whether you fixed the violations, removed the ad code or believe there is no violation.
  4. Submit and follow upDuring the analysis, the status is In review. For page problems, you can select several and request a batch review.
  5. Do not push without fixingThe review button is inactive for a while if the site has failed several times. There is also a limit on page review requests every 30 days.

Common errors

What drops ads most on Brazilian sites

Most are not bad faith. They are layout and content choices that seem harmless.

Clickbait title

Promising amounts, benefits or jobs that the article does not deliver is deceiving the visitor under false pretenses.

Ad stuck to buttons

Blocks touching Keep reading, Next page or download buttons generate accidental clicks.

Copied or mass-generated content

Pages rewritten from other sites with nothing new fall under replicated or low-value content.

Too many ads on mobile

Several blocks in a row and a large sticky one leave more ad than text on the screen.

Privacy policy without the ads

A generic text that does not mention third-party cookies, Google and partners breaks the privacy policy.

Requesting review too early

Reviewing without fixing the whole site results in a failure and blocks new requests for a while.

In ConsentMode

What the audit checks in Google's policies

  • Opens the pages on mobile and desktop and measures the distance between ads, menus and buttons, with a screenshot of each case.
  • Counts the blocks per screen and compares the ad area with the content area.
  • Looks for signs of risky content, such as misleading titles, use of official brands and pages without their own content.
  • Checks ad labels, pop-ups, sticky ads and whether the rewarded ad only opens after acceptance.
  • Reads the privacy policy and points out whether third-party cookies, Google and partners are missing.
Run an auditSee everything that is checked

Frequently asked questions about Google's policies

What is the difference between a violation and a restriction?

A policy violation requires a fix and can block ads. A restriction only reduces the number of advertisers that can bid, as with content about alcohol or betting. You can keep restricted content, knowing that revenue tends to be lower.

Does a violation on one page bring down the whole site?

Not always. Many actions are only on the page. But repeated or serious problems can lead to actions on the site and the account, so it is worth fixing the pattern on every page.

Can I ask visitors to click the ads?

No. Asking for clicks, offering a reward for clicking or disguising ads as content is prohibited. The rewarded ad is the exception, as long as the visitor chooses to watch the ad and the reward follows the rules.

How long does the review take?

Google does not give a fixed timeframe. While the analysis is happening, the status shows as In review. If you remove the ad code instead of fixing, the problem leaves the Policy center in 7 to 10 days.

Do Google's privacy rules apply outside Europe?

Yes. In any country, the site's privacy policy must say that third parties may store and read cookies or use web beacons and IP addresses to serve ads. Name, email or phone cannot go to Google in URLs or ad requests. And sites or sections directed at children under 13, covered by the US COPPA law, must be flagged for child-directed treatment, with no interest-based advertising. It is the certified CMP requirement that applies only to the EEA, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Do the same rules apply to Ad Manager and AdMob?

Yes. Google's Publisher Policies and Publisher Restrictions apply to all three products. AdSense also has the Program Policies, and Ad Manager has specific rules for formats such as rewarded ads.

Does ConsentMode guarantee approval?

No. The audit shows what Google tends to point out, with screenshots and a fix plan. The final decision is always Google's.

Library

Official sources

This guide was written from these official pages. Read them directly at the source:

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