Guidance

1. Adult Related Content

1.1. Not Allowed

a) Nudity.

b) Gratuitous/explicit sex scenes. Images of people in positions or activities those are excessively suggestive or sexual.

c) Any adult and/or borderline adult content (images or text), whether directly or indirectly promoted. 

d) Humor, imagery, or text that is not appropriate for non-adults including but not limited to:

 i. Imagery that may be scary or overly graphic. 

ii. Text or imagery that explicitly or implicitly references adult subjects of any matter. 

1.2. Allowed 

a) Bathing suits are accepted, unless they reveal inappropriate body parts.

 2. Defamatory or Unlawful Content

 2.1. Not Allowed 

a) Anything that facilitates or promotes defamatory, libelous, slanderous, or unlawful content is not allowed.

3. Free Offers & Sweepstakes 

3.1. Not Allowed 

a) Ad creatives using the following text: “You have been chosen to win a free” are not allowed. 

3.2. Allowed with restrictions 

a) The word “free”, must contain an indication that terms and conditions apply, such as, for example, one of the following phrases: “See offer for details”, “Limitations apply”, “Click for details”, “Click for more information”, etc. 

b) If available space permits, disclosure of the above triggering phrases (and corresponding terms and conditions) within the banner ad is preferred. If space does not permit, then the landing page must contain a prominent and complete disclosure of all the terms, conditions and obligations. 

c) Any advertising/creative containing free offers that does not conform to the above requirements would be reviewed by LeadSense QC team prior to acceptance. 

d) Creative promoting the entering of a contest or sweepstakes is permitted, when accompanied by appropriate qualifying text, such as, but not limited to, “Enter for a chance to win a free”. 

e) The messaging cannot be contradictory, misleading or deceptive. Footnotes cannot contradict a headline. For example: Creative/content states “Instant winner” and/or “Free,” while disclosures about the actual terms of the promotion are in small type at the bottom of the page. The disclosures clarify that this is not a game of chance and hence no instant winner, so the person is not entitled to anything.

4. Gambling Content

4.1. Not Allowed

a) Content that facilitates or promotes gambling of any kind is not allowed including, without limitation, any online casinos, sports books, bingo or poker.

4.2. Allowed with restrictions

a) Hotel/ Casinos that offer gambling so long as the advertiser is not affiliated with an online gambling website.

5. Hate Speech

5.1. Not Allowed:

a) Any content that facilitates or promotes hate speech is not allowed, whether directed at an individual or a group, and whether based upon the race, sex, creed, national origin, religious affiliation, age, sexual orientation or language of such individual or group.

6. Suffering and Violence

6.1. Not Allowed

a) Any advertising that advocates, glorifies, or promotes rape, torture, cannibalism, suffering or death, self-mutilation, suicide, or graphic or violent images.

7. Illegal Activity

7.1. Not Allowed

a) Any content that facilitates or promotes any illegal activity, including, but not limited to: illegal gambling, illegal adult content and/or pornography, child pornography, bestiality, piracy, Nazi imagery, illegal online pharmacies, illegal drugs, criminal, and terrorist activities is not allowed.

8. Navigation: Destination Sites / Landing Pages

8.1. Not Allowed
The landing page clicked on as the user moves to or from an ad cannot:

a) Be deceiving. The landing page must clearly disclose the company behind the advertisement and not attempt to portray another company by using another company’s branding, logo, design,etc.

b) Launch a pop-up and/or pop-under ad to a user

c) Use ‘fake’ close behavior (i.e. when a user clicks the ‘close’ icon on the page, the page should close down and no other behavior should result)

d) Utilize ‘mouse trapping’ whereby the advertiser does not allow users to use their browser ‘back button’ and traps them on their site and/or present additional/unexpected behavior (for example: another ad or page)

9. Navigation: Functionality

9.1. Not Allowed
Creative submitted by or on behalf of an advertiser may not:

a) Utilize fake html or images that elicit unexpected behaviors. Examples of these include but are not limited to:

b) Ad cannot appear to be part of the UI

i. Utilize ‘fake’ “Close” icons (for example: when you close an ad, it should close it and not trigger ‘unexpected’ behavior such as another ad, page, etc.)

ii. Utilize ‘mouse trapping’ whereby the advertiser does not allow users to use their ‘back button’ and traps them on their site

c) Imitate presupposed knowledge about the functionality of your personal computer

d) Pretend to know details about a user’s computer/system, including what is/is not installed, whether it has discovered viruses, worms, corrupted files, etc. (for example: scare tactics to make users buy/download software etc.)

e) Promote or contain viruses, worms, corrupted files, cracks or other material that is intended to or may damage or render inoperable software, hardware or security measures of any third party.

f) Appear to make the ad page look broken or as if something is not working what is considered to be normal on a web page

g) Have a Pop-Up ad or a Pop-Under ad launched from within an ad or from the landing page whether real or imitated behavior

h) Perform an automatic download of anything to a user’s system or present a download dialog box without first presenting detailed information to the user about the download and then requiring the user to click to download the product.

9.2. Allowed With Restrictions

a) The page/site clicked through to from an ad must adhere to the policies herein on adult content and illegal activity both for advertising and editorial content.

b) The landing page of a Featured Site listing must be a relevant page for that keyword on the client’s site

c) The identification of the company name: Both the ad creative and the landing page of the ad shall contain the name of the company, or some other obvious identifier of the company responsible for the content (prominent and above the fold on the landing page), so that the customer knows which organization either purchased the ad or is being advertised.

d) The banner ad must logically correspond with the landing page. There cannot be an example of a bait and switch resolution. For example: the banner ad is for bathing suits and the resolve is to an adult content page; or the ad states ‘looking for a date’ and the landing page is a web site selling clothing.

e) Any advertising that involves lead generation such as driving users to sign up for online/offline direct marketing/offers must adhere to the following:

f) Creative needs to clearly reflect advertising intent and avoid using generic content to lure users into clicking on an ad

g) In lead generation marketing, each offer on the advertiser’s landing page must:
h) Clearly disclose the provider’s name.

i) Include a separate and conspicuous opt-in specific to each provider offer.

j) Provide an opt-out for promotional communication.

k) Comply with any applicable laws and regulations (i.e. CAN SPAM Act (US only)).
l) On the landing page if a user chooses ‘no’ to any (or all) of the offers presented, the advertiser will not be given a second opportunity to remarket to that user on the landing page.

10.Navigation: Pop-Up & Pop-Under Ads

10.1. Not Allowed
a) Pop-ups and pop-under ads, anywhere on the network or as part of the destination/landing pages of ads on the network, are not allowed.

11.Navigation: Use of Audio

11.1. Not Allowed
a) Non-user initiated audio experiences within ad units such as Over-The-Page (OTPs) or Standard within-the page ad products such as Universal Ad Packages (UAPs) as well as transition ads are not allowed. (user initiated = onclick)
b) All verbal content must be appropriate for all LeadSense audiences. For example, suggestive or sexually oriented audio, audio with profanity, vulgarity, violence etc. is not allowed.

12.Personals / Dating Content
12.1. Not Allowed
a) Images of individuals in positions and/or with looks/actions that are sexually suggestive
b) Sexually suggestive text
c) Suggestive image(s) combined with suggestive text, such as a banner containing an image of a person with a sexually suggestive look or revealing excessive cleavage when also accompanied
with suggestive text.
d) Creative that allows a user to rate an image of a person in a banner.
12.2. Allowed With Restrictions
a) Personals / dating content ads are permitted on all other sites/sections of the network, unless
the creative is deemed as “racy”.

13.Political Content

13.1. Not Allowed
a) Any content by an advertiser that exploits political agendas or uses “hot button” political issues for commercial use (for example: to drive traffic) is not allowed regardless of whether the advertiser has a political agenda or not.

13.2. Allowed With Restrictions
a) All ads, and/or the landing page to which the ad links, must identify the organization which has paid for the advertisement, and shall otherwise comply with applicable law.
b) If the political advertising content relates to a state or local candidate, political organization or initiative, there may be additional state and/or local law requirements.

14.Religious Content

14.1. Not Allowed
a) Religious content promoting politically religious agendas.
b) Please note that there are some ads that may be religious in nature remain sensitive to the general public and should use care in creative development and placement on the network. Examples include: ads related to Jihad (in Islam, struggle to please God) or Abortion clinic ads.

15.Conversion or Tracking Tags

15.1. Not Allowed
a) Tracking tags (this includes Web beacons, conversion tags, tracking tags, 1×1 pixel gifs Action tags, Spotlight Tags, etc.), cannot be used to collect personally identifiable information.

16.Software Downloads: Freeware & Shareware

16.1. Not Allowed
a) Content that facilitates and/or promotes, whether directly or indirectly, the sale or use of software whose purpose is to collect demographic and usage information from a user’s computer without the user’s express consent.

17.Relevance, Clarity, And Accuracy

a) Ad text must be relevant, clear, accurate, and descriptive of the products or services offered.
b) Misleading, inaccurate, and deceitful ads is not allowed.
c) Advertisement should be accurate and truthful.
d) Ads must directly relate to the content on the landing page for your ad. Products or services that are promoted in your ad must be reflected on your landing page.
e) Fraudulent testimonials are not allowed either on the ad or on the landing page
f) All advertising claims must be factually supportable.
g) All discounts and offers in your ad must be up-to-date and must match the content on your website.