User-generated content overview

What is user-generated content?

For your app or site, user-generated content is content that users contribute towards any app or site, visible to at least a subset of other users of your app or site. User-generated content can include text, comments, images, video, profiles, usernames, votes, likes, hearts or other media, for example. Ads are not considered user-generated content, unless they contain embedded social media.

What’s my responsibility with user-generated content?

As a publisher, you are responsible for ensuring that all user-generated content on your site or app complies with all applicable Programme policies. Practically, this means that to participate in AdSense and/or AdMob you need to ensure that, on pages where your ad code appears, all content, including user-generated content, complies with all applicable Programme policies.

What makes user-generated content different from the rest of my content?

Unlike the rest of your content, which is likely created directly under your guidance and supervision, user-generated content is submitted by users who operate independently of your site or app. Unfortunately, not everyone on the Internet is polite and well-mannered. Because users can post anything, you, as a publisher, need to be prepared to ensure that what they do post complies with all applicable Programme policies.

Learn more about user-generated content and best practices for managing it

• Common challenges with user-generated content and how to overcome them
• Good strategies for managing user-generated content
• A guide to user-generated content infographic
• User-generated content troubleshooter
• How to use Google 'site:' search operator to find problematic user-generated content
• Content filtering