Here at Microsoft Advertising adCenter, we value our advertisers and want to get your ads live as quickly as possible. There are some products and services, however, that aren’t allowed on our network.

We want to ensure that we abide by all laws and protect the consumer, so we have Disallowed Content Guidelines. Below is a Q&A list that will help you understand the guidelines on these products.

What are some products that are disallowed?

  • Counterfeit products and replica designer goods
  • Deceptive products and services
  • Disallowed supplements and health products
  • Drugs and related paraphernalia
  • Fireworks and explosives
  • Tobacco and electronic cigarettes
  • Weapons, knives as weapons, firearms, and ammunition

I didn’t see alcohol on this list.

The sale of alcohol is allowed, as long as it complies with all applicable laws and it is not targeted to minors.

Wait, drugs aren’t allowed? What about pharmacies?

We have different guidelines for legal pharmacies. The Disallowed Products and Services guidelines prohibit both illegal drugs as well as any substance that is primarily used for recreational mind alteration.

“Deceptive products and services” seems pretty general. What’s included in this category?

The goal here is to prevent the advertising of specific products whose purpose is to enable users to bypass or deceive a public system, regulation, procedure or individual. This includes services such as essay writing services; providing fake IDs, diplomas, or transcripts; bypassing copyright protection; evading traffic tickets; services intended to evade or bypass security systems; sites that offer to compensate users for filling in surveys or marketing information, clicking on ads or offers, or performing web searches; cable descrambling equipment; and products that facilitate or promote ways to "beat" a drug test.

But I’m not selling these items; I just want to provide information.

Provided that they do not facilitate the use of disallowed products or services sites that are only informational are usually allowed, but they will be assessed on a case by case basis; the sale of the items mentioned above is not. In the event that the product or service itself is illegal, advertising will not be allowed.

You may need to consult with our customer service team to ensure that you are able to load campaigns with potentially disallowed content. While the process may take a little longer than usual, it helps to protect the marketplace and prevent the disallowed content from entering our network.

For more information, check out our editorial guidelines on disallowed products and services.

Still unsure if the products you sell would be allowed? Feel free to comment below.