How to Write a Website Advertising Policy (With a Free Template)

A website advertising policy is a public page that tells advertisers what you accept, what you don't, how ads must look and be labeled, how long approval takes, and what happens if a booking is canceled. Write it in plain language, link it wherever advertisers book, and apply it the same way every time. The template below is a starting point to adapt, not legal advice.

Key takeaways

• A written policy speeds up sales, reduces bad submissions, and makes rejections easy to explain.
• Cover scope, accepted and prohibited categories, restricted categories, creative specs, labeling, approval, cancellations and refunds, and your right to refuse.
• Make your approval timeline fit inside your payment authorization window if you only charge after approval.
• Show the policy before payment. Clear, visible terms help if a payment is ever disputed.
• Ask a lawyer to review it if you accept regulated categories or sell to advertisers in several countries.

Why you need a written policy

Without a policy, every borderline ad becomes a fresh debate, and every rejection feels personal. With one, you can point to a specific line and move on. A policy also tells readers you take ad quality seriously, and it gives advertisers a checklist to follow before they submit.

It helps with payments too. Stripe's dispute prevention guidance recommends describing your refund and cancellation policies clearly and presenting them to customers before purchase, because card issuers look for evidence that the customer saw your terms.

What to include, section by section

1. Scope

State who the policy applies to (all paid placements on your site, newsletter, or both) and who makes the final call.

2. Accepted advertising

Describe what you welcome, which is usually products and services relevant to your readers. A positive list attracts the right advertisers and quietly discourages the wrong ones.

3. Prohibited categories

List what you never accept. Common choices include adult content, gambling, illegal or recreational drugs, weapons, counterfeit goods, hateful or harassing content, malware or deceptive software, and get-rich-quick schemes. Adapt the list to your audience and your values.

4. Restricted categories

Some products are legal but need conditions. Alcohol, supplements, financial products, crypto, dating, and political or issue ads are typical examples. For each, say what's required, such as no health claims, risk warnings, or proof of licensing, or say you decide case by case.

5. Creative specifications

Give exact sizes, accepted file formats, a maximum file size, and rules for text legibility. Ban fake buttons, fake system warnings, and designs that imitate your site. Require that the destination URL uses HTTPS and matches the ad. If your booking tool crops uploads to the slot size, tell advertisers to keep text and logos away from the edges.

6. Labeling and disclosure

Say how ads are labeled ("Advertisement" or "Sponsored") and that ad links use rel="sponsored", which is how Google asks sites to mark advertisements and paid links. This also heads off requests for "dofollow" links.

7. Approval process and timeline

State how quickly you review, what can happen (approve, request changes, reject), and when payment is taken. If the card is only authorized until you approve, your review promise has to fit the authorization window. Stripe notes that an authorization for an online card payment is usually valid for 7 days, so a review target of one or two business days leaves plenty of margin.

8. Cancellations, refunds, and make-goods

Cover four situations: the advertiser cancels before approval, after approval but before the start date, or after the ad goes live, and you remove an ad for a policy breach. Also say what happens if your site has an outage, for example extra days added at the end of the campaign. Our guide to ad booking refunds and cancellations covers the options and the Stripe mechanics.

9. Right to refuse and remove

Reserve the right to refuse any ad and to remove a running ad that breaks the policy, including one whose landing page changes after approval.

10. No performance guarantee

Make clear that you sell placement for a period, not results, and that any impression or click figures are provided as measured.

Advertising policy template

Copy this, replace everything in brackets, and delete what doesn't apply. It's a starting point, not legal advice.

ADVERTISING POLICY FOR [SITE NAME]
Last updated: [date]

1. Scope
This policy applies to all paid advertising on [site name] ([domain]).
[Site name] makes the final decision on every ad.

2. What we accept
We welcome ads for products and services relevant to our readers,
who are mainly [audience description].

3. What we never accept
- Adult or sexually explicit content
- Gambling, betting, or casino services
- Illegal or recreational drugs
- Weapons and ammunition
- Counterfeit or stolen goods
- Hateful, harassing, or discriminatory content
- Malware, deceptive downloads, or phishing
- Get-rich-quick schemes and unrealistic income claims
- [Add your own]

4. Restricted categories (case-by-case review)
[Alcohol / supplements / financial products / crypto]: accepted only
if [conditions, e.g., no health claims, required risk warnings].

5. Creative requirements
- Sizes: [e.g., 300x250, 728x90] pixels
- Formats: [JPG, PNG, WebP]; maximum file size [e.g., 150 KB]
- Text must be readable at actual size on mobile
- No fake buttons, fake warnings, or imitation of our site design
- Keep text and logos away from the edges of the image
- Landing page must use HTTPS and match the ad's offer and branding

6. Labeling
All ads are labeled "[Advertisement/Sponsored]" and link with
rel="sponsored". We do not sell followed links.

7. Approval
We review ads within [1-2] business days. We may approve, request
changes, or decline. [Your card is authorized at booking and charged
only when we approve. If we decline, the hold is released.]

8. Cancellations and refunds
- Before approval: cancel any time at no charge.
- After approval, before the start date: [full refund / refund minus
  X% / credit toward a future booking].
- After the ad goes live: [no refund for days already run; unused
  days refunded / no refunds].
- If we remove an ad for breaking this policy: [refund policy].
- If our site is unavailable for more than [X hours], we add
  [equivalent days] to the end of your campaign.

9. Right to refuse
We may refuse any ad or remove a running ad that breaks this policy,
including if the landing page changes after approval.

10. Results
We sell ad placement for a set period, not results. Impression and
click figures are provided as measured.

11. Contact
Questions about this policy: [email address]

Common mistakes to avoid

• Copying a large ad network's policy word for word. Those documents are written for huge numbers of advertisers across many countries. Yours should be short enough that a small advertiser actually reads it.
• Vague rules. "No inappropriate content" tells an advertiser nothing. Name the categories, and give an example when a rule might be misread.
• Promises you can't keep. Don't commit to a one-hour review if you check email twice a day, and don't promise impressions or clicks you can't control.
• Hiding the refund terms. If cancellations and refunds only come up after a problem, every conversation starts as an argument. Put them in the policy and show them before payment.
• Ignoring mid-campaign changes. Say that the version in force when the booking was made applies, and that you can remove an ad whose landing page changes after approval.

Applying the policy consistently

A policy only works if you follow it. A few habits help:

• Review against a checklist. Our ad creative approval checklist maps to the sections above.
• Write down gray-area decisions. When you make a call on a borderline category, add it to the policy so the next decision is quick.
• Date every change. Update the "Last updated" line and keep old versions, so you know which terms applied to which booking.
• Link it everywhere advertisers look, including your advertise page, your media kit, and your rejection emails.

Put the policy where advertisers book

Advertisers should see your rules before they pay, so link the policy from your advertise-with-us page and mention it on any page that leads to booking.

If you sell through Spreadiom, the approval section of your policy maps directly to a per-slot setting. When approval is required, the advertiser's card is only authorized at checkout, it's charged when you approve, and the hold is released if you reject. Bookings that aren't reviewed in time are canceled automatically before the authorization expires. Uploaded creatives are also screened automatically for adult, gambling, and drug content before a booking can be paid, which supports the "never accept" section of your policy.

FAQ

Do small websites need an advertising policy?

Yes, and arguably small sites benefit most. A one-page policy saves you from negotiating every borderline ad by email, gives advertisers clear specs so their first submission is usable, and lets you decline politely by pointing to a rule. It also shows readers that ads on your site are screened. Start with the template above and expand it as new situations come up.

What should a website advertising policy include?

At minimum: the scope, what you accept, what you never accept, restricted categories with conditions, creative specifications, how ads are labeled, the approval process and timeline, cancellation and refund terms, your right to refuse or remove ads, and a contact address. Add a "last updated" date so you and your advertisers know which version of the terms applied to each booking.

Is a website advertising policy legally binding?

It can form part of the agreement when advertisers see it and agree to it before they book, but how enforceable it is depends on how it's presented and on local law. Show the full policy before payment, keep dated copies of every version, and have a lawyer review it if you accept regulated categories or work with advertisers in several countries. This article isn't legal advice.

Should my advertising policy cover refunds?

Yes. Refunds and cancellations cause more friction than almost any other part of selling ads. Spell out what happens if the advertiser cancels before approval, before the start date, or after the ad goes live, and what happens if you remove an ad for breaking your rules. Clear refund terms shown before purchase also help you if a cardholder later disputes the payment.