Display & Video 360 users must comply with this Google Ads policy. Visit the Display & Video 360 help center for additional restrictions.
We're dedicated to following advertising regulations for healthcare and medicine, so we expect that ads and destinations follow appropriate laws and industry standards. Some healthcare-related content can’t be advertised at all, while others can only be advertised if the advertiser is certified with Google and targets only approved locations.
Learn more about the Healthcare and medicines policy.Restricted drug terms
Google restricts the use of prescription drug terms in ads, landing pages, and keywords. Depending on location, you may be able to use these terms for the purpose of promoting prescription drugs.
For examples of content monitored under this policy, refer to this non-exhaustive list of prescription drugs and active ingredients.
Campaigns targeting Canada, New Zealand, or United States
You may use prescription drug terms for promotional purposes, in accordance with local laws and regulations. This includes content promoting the branding, use, sale, and distribution of prescription drugs.
While you don’t need to be certified in order to use prescription drug terms in ads and landing pages, you must be certified in order to keyword-target these terms. Certification is also required for certain business types, like online pharmacies, telemedicine providers, and pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Campaigns targeting locations except Canada, New Zealand, and United States
You may not use prescription drug terms in ads or landing pages. Non-promotional use of prescription drug terms, such as in regulatory warnings, legal notices, public health and safety campaigns, and academic publications, is permitted.
Certain businesses, such as online pharmacies and telemedicine providers, may target prescription drug terms with certification.
Restricted animal drug terms
For campaigns targeting Canada or the United States, Google restricts the use of prescription animal drug terms when the drugs are intended for animal use and are not prone to human abuse or other misuse. Animal prescription drugs that are prone to human abuse or other misuse are subject to the Restricted Drug Terms policy. While you don't need to be certified in order to serve ads with prescription drug terms, you must be certified in order to keyword target animal prescription drug terms in Canada and the United States.
Before applying, identify the specific type of healthcare certification required based on the services or products you advertise (for example, online pharmacy, telemedicine, health insurance, prescription drug manufacturer). For some certifications (for example, LegitScript, NABP for online pharmacies, G2 for health insurance), you may need to obtain third-party accreditation first.
1. Adhere to all location-specific requirements. If your campaign targets a location that isn't listed, then Google Ads doesn't allow the promotion of those products in that location. Make sure that your website is fully functional, globally accessible, and meets all policy requirements for your target region and the specific certification type. If your application is denied, carefully review the denial reason. It may be due to your website not meeting these criteria or containing terms (like prescription drug terms) which you are not certified. If so, make necessary changes and reapply, or reply to the rejection email with explanations if you believe it's an error.
2. For Health Insurance in the United States: Health insurance advertisers in the United States are required to be certified with G2RS before applying for Google Ads certification. Apply for G2RS Health Insurance Providers Certification first.
Advertisers registered with the US government to promote and sell Affordable Care Act-compliant health plans must obtain an additional certificate (applied for in the same Google Ads application) to promote and bid on ACA health insurance-related keywords.
3. Fill out the Google Ads online application form. Make sure applications are made at the child account level, not the MCC (Manager Account) level.
- Be sure to include your Google Ads customer ID (found at the top of your account pages) and the certified domain.
- Provide all requested information and any required documentation to avoid delays.
- If you are an agency applying on behalf of an advertiser, send documentation detailing your relationship with the advertiser or license holder.
Options to fix
If this policy is affecting your ad, review your options to fix below.
Apply for certification
If your ad was disapproved due to a missing Google certification and you meet the requirements, apply for certification. If you want to advertise in more than one location, submit a separate application for each location or group of locations.
Edit your ads to comply with this policy
Make sure that you’re only targeting locations that allow promotion of in-scope products and services and that you’re certified to advertise in all the locations you’re targeting. You can also choose a new landing page for your ad that complies with this policy.
- Go to Ads within the Campaigns
menu.
- Hover over the ad or asset and select Edit.
- Edit the ad or asset so that it complies with the policy.
- Select Save.
Your ad will be automatically reviewed again. Check the ad’s status in the “Ads & assets” page for updates.
Learn more about how to Fix an ad with policy violations.
Appeal policy decision
If you've fixed your destination or believe that we've made an error, appeal the policy decision directly from your Google Ads account to request for a review. After we confirm that the destination is compliant, we can approve your ads. If you aren't able to fix these violations or choose not to, remove your ad to help prevent your account from becoming suspended in the future for repeated policy violations.