Content Policy
Each day, millions of people use email to: communicate, get their news, and connect with the people, brands, and institutions whose content they subscribe to. LiveIntent works with publishers and brands to maximize the revenue generated on every email open while striving to simultaneously improve the reader’s experience. LiveIntent also works with advertisers to discover new media channels for reaching incremental audiences and powering profitable growth. In doing this, we recognize our responsibility to serve content to our customers and their customers that is truthful, accurate, and does not promote hate, violence, harassment, or any other dangerous or violent activity. Any specific examples cited below are meant to illustrate the points of the policy and do not represent an exhaustive list of all potential content in violation of the content policy.
As customers of LiveIntent, we expect that you will adhere to these policies and guidelines. Ultimately, LiveIntent may allow, cancel, disallow, or block an Advertiser or Publisher at any time for any reason in its sole discretion. This content policy shall be applicable to any and all ad inventory and content surrounding such ad inventory, including, but not limited to, ads served via direct sold and/or the LiveIntent Exchange.
Please reach out to compliance@liveintent.com if you have any questions.
Prohibited and Sensitive Content
Prohibited Content Categories
Prohibited Content Categories: LiveIntent does not allow creatives or inventory containing the following types of content or subject matter, regardless of claims of legality on the LiveIntent Platform. Notwithstanding the foregoing, customers of LiveIntent must comply with any and all applicable laws related to their advertisements, email newsletters, or other content.
Adult or Sexual Content
Sexually suggestive text, images, or situations
Nudity, including visible genitalia or female breasts
Prostitution (direct solicitation or implied)
Celebrities, Influential Figures, and Endorsements without Consent or Authorization
Misappropriation of an individual’s name, image, or likeness
False endorsement
Tobacco and Related Products
Tobacco, including chewing tobacco
Cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos
Tobacco alternatives that contain no tobacco, including electronic cigarettes (even if promoted as a quit smoking aid)
Tobacco products, including pipes, rolling papers, vaporizers
Dangerous Products or Services
Ads promoting the sale of firearms or firearm components, fighting knives, stun guns, etc.
Explosive materials or fireworks, including instructions for making explosives or other harmful products
Examples: Content promoting weapons and/or instructions on how to use them
Recreational drugs (chemical or herbal) or equipment to facilitate drug use
Marijuana & Related Products
The branding and sale of marijuana products
Creatives advertising information related to marijuana
Examples: Content promoting the use of THC products, content that includes medical claims, and/or states that products will change or alter the user in any way
Healthcare and Medicine
Illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia content
Herbal or dietary supplements that contain active or potentially hazardous ingredients
Products that imply or claim to match the effectiveness of approved or prescription drugs
Examples: Content that includes medical claims, content that implies the product/service can cure, heal, or remedy someone, content that promotes non-FDA approved products
Weight loss creatives, including those with unsubstantiated or unreasonable weight loss claims
Politics
Political insensitivity
Examples: Content that disparages and/or promotes a person or group of people for their beliefs or stance on issues, content that is designed to single someone out or cause harassment, including inflammatory content using the likeness of a political or public figure
Sensationalism
Ads that make unsubstantiated claims with hyperbolic language or imagery are aimed at inducing users to click them by appealing to their curiosity.
Includes ads such as fake celebrity arrests or deaths, unrealistic health or beauty results, or fraudulent business schemes that are harmful
Violence and Discriminatory Practices
Content and associated websites advocating against a protected group. A protected group is distinguished by one of the following: race or ethnic origin, color, national origin or ancestry, religion or creed, citizenship, genetic information, disability, sex, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity
Examples: Content that disputes the validity of existence or right to exist of a protected group, or promotes hate groups
Content that fosters hate, harassment, discrimination or violence against an organization, person, or group of people, including protected groups
Examples: Content that implies a protected group is inferior to others, content promoting action against a group, content dismissing a marginalized group’s efforts for equality as promoting an “agenda” or similar
Attempts to revise history against the interests of a protected group
Examples: Content that claims historical events did not happen, denies a protected group has suffered or experienced discrimination, or misrepresents the actions of hate groups
The promotion of self-harm and violence against people or animals
Examples: Content promoting disordered eating techniques, self-mutilation, suicide, terrorism, or animal cruelty
General
Sale of Animal and Wildlife Products
Payday or cash offers
Hacking software or instructions
Academic cheating services, including the distribution of pre-written term papers or student essays
Abortion related advertisements or messaging
Funeral or cremation services
Any other content that is illegal, promotes illegal activity, or infringes on the legal rights of others
Sensitive Content Categories
Sensitive Content Categories: Advertisements within this criteria may be allowed to run on the LiveIntent Platform with pre-approval by LiveIntent’s compliance department and/or LiveIntent supply partners. This includes any creatives that fall into the following categories.
Alcohol
Includes online sale of alcoholic beverages
Brand or informational advertising for alcoholic beverages
Astrology & Esoteric
Includes zodiac, horoscopes, love spells, potions, and psychic-related ads
CBD & Related products
Includes the branding and sale of CBD products
Celebrity Endorsements, Gossip & Tabloids
Ads that include celebrities or politicians who promote their own products or businesses, If the endorsements are *not* legitimate, these ads will be blocked from serving across the LiveIntent exchange.
Ads that feature celebrity gossip that is not explicitly clickbait or fake news.
Clickbait
Ads that make unsubstantiated claims using hyperbolic language or imagery aimed to induce users to click them by appealing to their curiosity
Examples include ads with exaggerated claims about easy and revolutionary solutions to everyday problems, often overstating their effectiveness to attract clicks.
Contests, Competitions, and Sweepstakes
Includes contests, competitions, prize draws, or sweepstakes that attempt to capture consumer attention with opportunities to win money or prizes.
Cosmetic Procedures & Body Modification
Includes lifts, suctions, lasers, hair removal and restoration, tattoos, and body modification
Cryptocurrency
Includes the buying and selling of cryptocurrency
Includes platforms or information related to cryptocurrency
Dating
Includes dating services and online dating communities
Chat sites and apps for meeting new people in general
Downloadable Utilities
Includes software for download which is designed to enhance the functionality of an operating system or device, whether desktop or mobile.
Examples: anti-virus software, file converters, driver updaters, system cleaners, download managers, disk defragmenters, codecs, browser toolbars, ringtones, screensavers, wallpapers, and so on
Family & Relationships
Includes services for bereavement, divorce, eldercare, marriage & civil unions
Health & Beauty Claims
Includes ads that may claim the effectiveness of medication without science-based research
Also includes ads that may claim to promote diet, weight loss, or other health-related products; doesn’t include healthy eating or general fitness ads
Insurance Products
Includes offering insurance products such as mortgage insurance, life insurance, medical insurance, travel insurance, and personal liability insurance.
Legal Casino Games & Gambling
Includes online gambling, sports betting, and location-based gambling where this is an opportunity to win money/prizes.
Also includes simulated gambling games (including poker, slots, bingo, lotteries, sports betting, betting on races, as well as other card games and casino games) where there is no opportunity to win anything of value (such as money or prizes).
Listicle
Ads that highlight an article or content format that presents information in the form of a list. The most common form of listicle is a short list of 10-20 items that are based on a specific theme.
Loan Products
Includes offers like consumer lending, home equity, loans, credit card cash advances, mortgages and debt consolidation
Misleading Financial Claims
Ads that offer to share lucrative business secrets with consumers, or significant money and merchandise for little or nothing in return.
Includes work-from-home offers, online surveys, and other proposals for consumers to “get rich quick.”
Native-like
Includes ads that look like native, or generate a native “content” style creative, in an effort to get more users to click. Native-like ads do not utilize LiveIntent’s Native Ad Blueprint technology and are served like a standard display creative.
Pharmaceuticals & Medication
Includes ads for prescription drugs, supplements, or medications that are backed by science-based research.
Political Campaigns & Elections
Includes ads for political campaigns, elections, candidates, or voter awareness.
Political Content & Products
Includes ads addressing controversial social issues, ads referencing well-known politicians, and ads touching on events widely perceived to be political in nature, such as protests, terrorist attacks, wars, and conflicts.
Religious Content
Includes religious ads and ads advocating for or against religious views
Does not include astrology or non-denominational spirituality
Sexual Health & Wellness
Includes ads for products and services for sexual function
Also includes ads with information related to STDs and medications.
Significant Skin Exposure
Ad images where any part of the adult human body from the sternum to the mid-thigh is not clothed (partial nudity) or the body is clothed in underwear, lingerie, swimsuits or revealing clothes or non-clothing items such as a towel or bed sheet
This category also includes situational content that is deemed ‘sexual’ in nature
Advertiser Policy
LiveIntent requires ads to be truthful, accurate, and up-to-date at the time they’re first shown to users. For more information, please see the bullets below:
Branding and mention of the sponsor of the advertisement must be clear and visible (Note: political ads must have a “paid for by” statement to be considered)
All advertising claims must be factually supported
Examples: We cannot accept offers recommended by an unnamed “top expert” or similar, content offering “hacks,” “secrets,” information “experts don’t want you to know,” etc.
Users must be able to perform the ad’s call to action – if any – on the site, within 2 clicks of the landing page
The information and language on the linked landing page must relate directly to the offer and be consistent with the language used on the creative(s)
All advertised products, prices, offers, and discounts must be available on your site, at most two clicks away from your landing page, or through a basic search on your site
All discounts and offers in your ad must be up-to-date and must match the content on your website
Any pricing information in ads must comply with local regulations concerning the inclusion of tax and other applicable charges
Pop-up windows are prohibited
Displaying a confirmation dialog to leave a page or an advertiser site is prohibited
Redirecting to another site/domain regardless of the affiliation to the advertiser’s site without a clear indication is prohibited
Creatives that are advertising sweepstakes and contests must be legally compliant and contain all relevant details, including rules and disclosures
Example: All applicable rules and disclosures must be present in ad creative, including only on the landing page is not sufficient
Advertising claims related to medical performance or results that are unsubstantiated
Any other practices that may degrade or otherwise negatively impact the consumer experience are prohibited
Campaigns and creative may be canceled under any of the following design conditions:
Poor quality of images or text
No brand and/or vague messaging
Resembles Windows, Unix, Mac, or any device or OS dialog boxes.
Ads can’t simulate email inbox notifications
Simulate fake interactivity
Example: Content that implies varied outcomes based on where the creative image is clicked, such as an option on the creative to “choose your income range”
Poor grammar or spelling
Profanity or other inappropriate language
Banner creative clashes with the site or landing page
Before and after photos are generally prohibited, particularly as they relate to restricted categories, including weight loss and health products
Advertiser site is not consistent with the offer
Copyrighted/trademarked material may not be used without the consent of the copyright or trademark holder unless otherwise permitted
LiveIntent may cancel, disallow, or block an Advertiser at any time for any reason, even if the Advertiser or Partner received prior approval for the Advertiser, campaign, or creative.
LiveIntent may notify the advertiser, but is not under any obligation to do so
LiveIntent may offer an advertiser an opportunity to correct the issue, but is under no obligation to do so
Advertiser is responsible for all media fees incurred
LiveIntent may change this policy at any time
Any requests for campaign launches and creative or landing page changes received after 3 pm EST will not be executed until the next business day.
Categorization
If an Advertiser or Partner categorizes the Advertiser, Campaign, or Creative, they must do so accurately using the IAB’s Taxonomy and Tier 1 categories at a minimum. Additionally, if an Advertisement contains or mentions a politician, it must be classified as political.