Editorial Disapprovals: What They Are and Tips on How to Avoid Them in Microsoft adCenter (Part I)

Editorial disapprovals are red flags in an advertiser's account indicating there is something in the content or structure of an ad that isn't in compliance with adCenter's Editorial Guidelines.  Because they're one of the most common reasons an adCenter advertiser calls in to our customer support team for assistance, I thought a series of posts detailing what they are and how to fix them might be in order. 

If you've ever logged into your adCenter account and found disapprovals in need of attention, or if you've run into editorial-related errors during an upload, this post should help you troubleshoot and fix some of the most common issues; all information is taken directly from adCenter's Help section, a great resource for getting fast answers to all your adCenter-related questions.

Word Count and Character Limitations

• Minimum word count. A combined total of at least 6 words is required in your title and descriptive text.
• Character limitations. If your ad title, ad text, or destination URL exceeds certain character limitations, you will receive an error message.
  • Ad title: 25 character limit, including spaces.
  • Ad text: 70 character limit, including spaces.
  • Display URL: 35 character limit. (The display URL is the last line of your ad.)
  • Destination URL: 1,022 character limit. (The destination URL is not displayed in your ad, but it is used as the landing page for the ad.)

Adult content

Advertising that contains associations with adult keywords is not allowed. Advertising and associated landing pages that contain sexually explicit content are not allowed. Such content includes, but is not limited to: Partial or complete nudity Suggestive positions or activities Advertising for websites that feature predominantly adult content is not allowed. Adult content that is displayed on otherwise non-adult sites must be clearly segregated from the non-adult content.

Calls to action

Do not use a nonspecific call to action ("click here," for example). You can use specific calls to action ("buy direct," for example).

Defamatory, libelous, slanderous content

Advertising that contains defamatory, libelous, or slanderous content is not allowed.

Hate speech

Advertising that facilitates or promotes hate speech, whether directed at an individual or a group, is not allowed.

Illegal activity

Advertising, promoting, or facilitating illegal activity is not allowed.

Illegal contests, pyramid schemes, and chain letters

Investment opportunities and pyramid schemes (multilevel marketing, or MLM) are generally allowed, provided that they adhere to adCenter Editorial Guidelines and any applicable local/national laws. In the U.K. and French markets, the Microsoft adCenter Editorial team reserves the right to disallow advertising that promotes investment opportunities or pyramid schemes. Advertising that promotes illegal contests, ponzi schemes, or chain letters is not allowed.

Political content

Advertising that exploits sensitive political issues for commercial gain is not allowed. However, political advocacy is generally allowed.

Profanity

Profanity is not allowed in an ad or keyword, nor is it allowed on the landing page of an advertiser's website.

Religious content

Advertising that uses texts or rituals of a religion to ridicule or shock its followers is not allowed.

Unsubstantiated claim

Advertising that includes unproven claims or endorsements is not allowed.

Violence content

Advertising that advocates, glorifies, or promotes rape, torture, cannibalism, suffering, or death, or that displays graphic or violent images is not allowed.

Alcohol

Advertising that promotes hard alcohol is not allowed. Advertising that promotes beer or wine is allowed, as long as the associated landing pages do not sell hard alcohol.

Cable descramblers

Advertising that promotes devices for descrambling cable or satellite signals is not allowed.

Deceptive products and services

Advertising that promotes products and services that are designed to facilitate deception is not allowed. Such disallowed products and services include those that promote: Cheating on spouses. Fake documentation or identification. For example, essay-writing services that encourage or enable individuals to represent someone else’s work as their own; or falsified records, such as college diplomas or birth certificates. Circumventing drug tests. The promotion of products that encourage or enable the beating of drug tests is not allowed.

Fireworks

Advertising that promotes fireworks, explosives, hazardous material, or any pyrotechnic devices is not allowed.

Illegal drugs and related paraphernalia

Advertising that promotes illegal drugs or related paraphernalia is not allowed.

Pharmaceuticals

Advertisements for pharmacies and medical or pharmaceutical products are restricted based on applicable laws. In the United States, Microsoft adCenter requires online pharmaceutical advertisers and advertisers who use pharmaceutical-related keywords and ads to have up-to-date PharmacyChecker (A trusted industry standard in online pharmacy verification. The PharmacyChecker Verification Program was established in 2003 to help consumers find qualified online pharmacies.) verification. This safeguard helps to ensure that such advertisers are qualified pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, or sellers. To include pharmaceutical terms in ads or as keywords, advertisers will need to go to the PharmacyChecker website to secure this verification. Over-the-counter drugs (drugs that do not require a prescription) are permitted. Herbal supplements and vitamins are permitted. Drug manufacturers do not require PharmacyChecker certification as long as they do not sell their pharmaceuticals to the public online. Companies providing information or services relating to pharmaceuticals (such as books on drugs, or pharmaceutical information) do not require PharmacyChecker certification as long as they do not sell pharmaceuticals to the public online. Only pharmacies based in the United States and Canada can target the U.S. market. The promotion of federally restricted or prohibited supplements is not allowed. Different guidelines or restrictions might apply to websites in countries or regions other than the United States.

Site accreditation missing

Advertising that promotes unaccredited universities is not allowed.

Software

Advertising that promotes software that takes actions not expressly consented to by the user (dialers, for example) is not allowed.

Spam

Advertising that promotes bulk marketing products is not allowed if the intended use is unsolicited spam.

Tobacco

Advertising that promotes tobacco is not allowed.

Traffic tickets

Advertising that promotes devices, services, or methods to avoid traffic tickets is not allowed.

Weapons

Advertising that promotes firearms or weapons of any kind is not allowed.

Webcams and surveillance equipment

Advertising that promotes the sale or use of webcams or surveillance equipment for illegitimate use is not allowed.

• No exclamation points in ad titles.
• No repeated or unnecessary use of punctuation, symbols, or characters.
• No capitalization of entire words unless they are normally written that way.
• No repetition of words.
• Use correct grammar.
• Use numbers, letters, and symbols in a way that reflects normal speech.

The above is a sampling of some of the more common editorial disapproval reasons, stay tuned to the adCenter blog for upcoming posts detailing additional editorial disapproval issues and what you can do to fix them. 

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