As part of our commitment to provide the highest quality online experience, Microsoft may not accept ads that contain or relate to certain content, products, or services. These include, but are not limited to, the content, products, and services covered in the guidelines listed below. We reserve the right to reject or remove any ad, at our sole discretion and at any time.
Advertising for the following content, products, and services is either disallowed or subject to specific participation guidelines.
Microsoft reserves the right to refuse advertising for certain content, products and services if the legality or regulatory status of the item is unclear.
Advertising is not allowed if the ads, keywords, or sites contain racial or religious epithets, advocate doing physical harm to people or their property, advocate against any individual, business (and/or its products) or group, or contain claims that appear unquestionably false.
Advertising that facilitates or promotes hate speech is not allowed, whether directed at an individual or a group. This includes any content intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against a group of people based on their race, gender, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or other differentiating factors.
Advertising is not allowed for products or offerings that promote file sharing of copyrighted content, or where the primary intent is to provide software or platforms that enable file sharing of copyrighted content.
Advertising is not allowed that exploits sensitive political issues for commercial gain, including:
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Advertising that promotes extreme political or extreme religious agendas or any known associations with hate, criminal, or terrorist activities.
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Advertising that uses texts or rituals of religion to ridicule or shock.
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Advertising that exploits political agendas or uses “hot button” political issues or names of prominent politicians for commercial use—to drive traffic, for example—is not allowed regardless of whether the advertiser has a political agenda.
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Incendiary language on political issues. Ads or landing pages cannot include ridicule, derision, hate, or otherwise inappropriate language.
Political advocacy is generally permitted. However, advertising must comply with all other editorial guidelines.
Advertising for the following is not allowed:
- Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, or other legally questionable business opportunities, particularly if:
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Returns on investment rely solely on adding participants to the scheme.
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The user must pay a subscription fee or buy a specific product to join, and the value proposition of doing so is undefined.
- Chain letters or offerings that imply that non-participation might result in loss or bad fortune.
Sensitive Advertising
Microsoft reserves the right to remove or limit advertising permanently or for a period time in response to a sensitive tragedy, disaster, death, or high profile news event.
Particularly if advertising:
- May appear to exploit events for commercial gain.
- Might be considered inappropriate given events.
- May affect user safety (for example post a product recall).
Software and downloads
Advertising is not allowed that installs, copies, or automatically downloads programs that, without the search user’s express prior consent:
- Perform activities that are hidden to the user.
- Install programs on the user’s computer.
- Alter, harm, or disable any software installed on the user’s computer.
- Scare the user into believing something is wrong with their computer that needs fixing.
- Record action performed on the user’s computer—keystroke logging, for example.
- Dial a phone number, or connect remotely to another computer or system—execute “dialer” software, for example.
- Is designed to circumvent spam filters.
Advertising is not allowed for sites that solicit money from search users or perform fundraising activities unless they are a registered charity, or recognized organization.
Advertising is not allowed that advocates, glorifies, or promotes rape, torture, human cannibalism, human suffering or death, or graphic or violent images, such as images showing blood or dismemberment.
Advertising is not allowed for user-generated content if the Microsoft has reason to believe that such content might not be sufficiently regulated or moderated.
Advertising is not allowed for sites that offer access to Usenet newsgroups.
Advertising for the online sale of hard alcohol, beer or wine is not allowed if it:
- Does not comply with applicable local, federal and state laws as well as all applicable regulatory requirements for the advertising of alcohol to the public.
- Is aimed at minors.
Advertising is not allowed for counterfeit, fake, or bootleg products, or for replicas or imitations of designer products.
Trademark or designer product brand names cannot be modified with “counterfeit,” “fake,” "replica," "copy of," "inspired by," “bootleg,” or any synonym thereof.
Advertising is not allowed for products and services whose purpose is to enable search users to bypass or deceive a public system, regulation, procedure or individual. This type of advertising includes:
- Essay-writing services and prewritten essays.
- Fake IDs: identification that is designed to disguise the accurate age, name, or other characteristics of the holder.
- Fake diplomas and education transcripts: advertisements from institutions that provide fake education transcripts or diplomas or that promote web-based, unaccredited colleges that offer degrees.
- Bypassing copyright protection: products or services that circumvent copyright protection or products that have disabled copyright protection.
- Evading traffic tickets: any device or service that is designed to evade speed enforcement laws, including, but not limited to laser jammers, license plate sprays and license plate covers.
- Hacking & cracking: sites that provide information or services to evade or bypass security systems of any kind or illegally access or tamper with software, servers, or websites.
- Paid to click: 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: advertising that promotes devices for descrambling cable or satellite signals.
- Beating drug tests: products that facilitate or promote ways to "beat" a drug test.
Advertising is not allowed for the following products:
- Ephedra, ephedrine products, and Ephedra-based or Ma Huang supplements.
- Herbal supplements that mimic the effect of illegal substances.
- Non-FDA-approved HIV home test kits.
- Any supplement where there is reason to believe that the product could present significant health risks to a user.
Advertising is not allowed for the following:
- Advertising that facilitates the distribution, use, or cultivation of illegal substances, substances of questionable legality, or substances whose primary purpose seems to be recreational mind alteration.
- Advertising that facilitates the distribution of drug paraphernalia, which is defined as any legitimate equipment, product, or material that is modified for making, using, or concealing recreational drugs.
Advertising that facilitates the online sale of fireworks, explosives, hazardous material, or pyrotechnic devices is not allowed.
Advertising is not allowed for cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, other tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes, including the cartridges and liquid nicotine solutions that are used in such devices. Advertising is allowed for products that are clearly intended for smoking cessation purposes.
Advertising is not allowed that promotes firearms or weapons of any kind. Such content includes:
- Knives that are positioned as weapons or whose primary use is violence, including switchblade knives, disguised knives, buckle knives, lipstick case knives, air gauge knives, knuckle knives, and writing pen knives.
- Guns capable of firing a projectile by using an explosive charge; for example, rifles, shotguns, handguns, semi-automatic or automatic guns, potentially functional replicas or antiques, and blank guns.
- Ammunition; for example, bullets and cartridges.
- Integral parts, including magazines, stocks, trigger assemblies, hammers, pulls, firing pins, barrels, silencers, and converters.
- Ordnance (military weaponry, ammunition, and related parts), even if the item is unserviceable or has been "demilitarized.”
- Grenades, including metal military practice grenades, rifle grenades, dummy grenades, grenade launcher attachments, and mines.
- Brass, plastic, or metal knuckles.
- Leaded canes, staffs, crutches, or sticks.
- Zip guns, sand clubs, saps, or blackjacks.
