Ad Content Guidelines

Keynes Digital ensures that all advertisers meet a high standard of ad quality and brand safety to protect both advertisers and publishers. This section describes those standards.

• Reseller Program (United States only): Where applicable, standards specific to clients enrolled in the Reseller Program (US only) are noted. For more information on the Reseller Program (US only), contact your account manager.

See the IAB Display Advertising Guidelines and “Coalition for Better Ads” standards for background on ad standards.

Keynes Digital reserves the right to remove any ads deemed intrusive or inappropriate. Ads must:

• Have a visible border of a contrasting color to the majority background color of the creative.
• Comply with ad guidelines and specifications.
• Be declared under the correct creative category.

Consult the following subsections for more information on requirements and restrictions.

Non-Disruptive Ads

Advertising should not disrupt content consumption or intrude into content. The following guidelines identify disruptive ad experiences that must not be used.

• Pop-up ads: These are ads that cover or overlay the content or obstruct users from viewing the content. It Includes all ads that pop up on the user’s screen and cover the content as well as ads that “float in,” “slide in,” or “fly in” to the screen, and obstruct the full view or partial view of the screen’s primary content. This also includes any ads that automatically take the user to an interstitial or overlay ad without user initiation or user action to navigate content.
• Auto-expansion: Ads that expand from their original size to a bigger size without user initiation must not be used. Expansion while scrolling is allowed.
• Hover or rollover expansion: For the purpose of ad expansion, hover must not be considered a substitute for a click. On hover, no ad function that changes the form or size of the ad from its original size—for example, expansion—is allowed.
• Sideways ad expansion that overlays content: No directional or sideways expansion of an ad is allowed. All ads must expand to cover the full screen. If the expanded creative size is not full screen, it must be placed in the center of the screen.
• Auto-play video with audio: Auto-play defines automatic initiation of media by the ad. These ads auto-play audio on desktop and mobile devices. Video play is defined as the execution of specific files (for example, .mp4s) that are used to play video. Audio is allowed to auto-play only under specific conditions.
• Forced countdown: Forced countdowns to dismiss or skip ads (either interstitials or an expanded part of the ad) must not be used. The user should immediately have the option to “Close” or “Dismiss” the ad from the beginning of the ad experience.
• Pages with high ad density: Pages that have ads covering more than 30% of pixels are considered high ad density pages. Pages should have less than 30% ad density. An ad may sometimes have more than 30% of pixels in the user’s viewport, but not more than 30% of pixels on the page. Such ads are allowed under the following guidance:
  • An ad is allowed to occupy more than 30% of the viewport at a time (for example, a 1:1 ad on mobile phone), but the combined ads on the overall page (as the user scrolls down) must not have more than 30% of pixels.
  • If an ad has more than 30% ad density of the viewport where it is to be shown, it must start with partial viewability (no more than 30% of height screen) on screen and gain full viewability as the user scrolls through the page.
• Scroll-over or scrolling overlay: These are ads that appear while scrolling and auto expand to cover the content or screen, ads that do not expand inline but overlay the content, or ads that expand against the user’s scrolling direction.
• Flashing animation: Flashing animation has content with one or more of the following: high contrast colors, very bright colors, or fast-moving images or content.
• Audio: Ads may not contain audio, except for user-initiated rich media ads, pre/post/mid-roll video, and audio channel ads conforming to our audio creative specifications).

Accurate Ads

Ads should not be misleading, inaccurate, or deceitful.

Advertiser claims

Advertiser claims include but are not limited to: competitive claims, superlatives, offers, discounts, and pricing. This policy also covers unverified offers and claims that are either scientifically impossible or otherwise misleading to users.

• All advertising claims must be factually supportable.
• All discounts and offers must be up-to-date and match the content on your website.
• All advertised products, prices, offers, and discounts must be available on your site within two clicks away from your landing page (at most) or through a basic site search.
• Users must be able to perform the ad’s call-to-action (if any) on the site within two clicks of the landing page.
• Any pricing information in ads must comply with local regulations around the inclusion of tax and other applicable charges.
• Ads may not advertise competitive content.

Relevant, Accurate, Clear

• Your ads and keywords must directly relate to the content on the landing page for your ad.
• Your ads cannot simulate email inbox notifications.
• Your ads may not resemble Windows, Unix, or Mac dialog boxes.
• Ads may not contain fake hyperlinks.
• Ads may not include misleading content.
• Brand in platform creative preview must match the brand being served upon impression.

Safety and Security

Advertising should be safe for all users. The following are prohibited:

• Phishing: “Phishing” is an attempt to obtain users’ personal information by disguising a website to look like another website.
• Sale of free Items and official services: Sale of items or services that are otherwise available for free is prohibited. We also do not allow the sale of government forms or services that are available for free or for a lower price on the official or government site.
• Malware: Malware, short for “malicious software,” refers to any software specifically designed to harm a computer or the software it is running. Malware can steal sensitive information (like credit card numbers or passwords) or even send fake emails from a user’s email account, often without the user’s knowledge. Malware includes viruses, worms, spyware, and Trojan horses.
• Compromised user safety: Ads cannot make misleading claims (“get rich quick,” for example) and must display relevant disclaimers or other information required by law.
• Spam techniques: Ad spam techniques (exploiting online advertising systems like AdWords for financial gain), affiliate spam techniques (conducting affiliate campaigns on AdWords in violation of the applicable affiliate program rules), and bulk marketing techniques (distributing spam to large audiences) are not allowed.
  In addition, ads must not simulate fake interactivity or initiate downloads.

Restricted Products and Services

Advertising should comply with applicable laws and regulations. The following products and services are restricted:

• Abortion: No ads related to abortion that use violent language or gruesome imagery. Abortion-related services are allowed, depending on the country. Consult with your account manager for details.
• Alcohol:
  • (General policy) With certain geographic restrictions, we accept ads for alcohol branding or information, including the promotion of beer, wine, and spirits. Branding and informational ads include any advertisement that features an alcoholic beverage as the focus of the ad or the website. We accept branding and informational ads to target certain countries only, based on multiple factors including user experience and legal considerations. In many cases, pre-approval may be required from the supply-side platform in order to run ads that contain or depict alcohol, liquor, or spirits.
  • (Reseller Program—United States only—policy) We do not accept ads for alcohol branding or information, including the promotion of beer, wine, and spirits. Branding and informational ads include any advertisement that features an alcoholic beverage as the focus of the ad or the website.
• “Anti” and violence: Keynes Digital does not allow the promotion of “anti” or violent concepts, such as the following:
  • Ad text advocating against an organization, person, or group of people.
  • Ads 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, religion, disability, sex, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
  • Attempts to revise history against the interests of a protected group.
  • The promotion of self-harm and violence against people or animals.
  • Any ads that link to Scientology content must clearly indicate that the website is related to the Church of Scientology. For example, the ads should refer to “Scientology,” “Ron Hubbard,” or “Dianetics.”
• Casinos and gambling:
  • (General policy) Content that falls under one of the listed categories is allowed, in limited circumstances:
    • Online gambling content
    • Gambling-related products
    • Brick-and-mortar casinos
    • Contests, sweepstakes, and raffles
    • Sale of physical scratch cards
    • Online scratch games run by state, national, or Indian nation governments
    • Fantasy sports contests
    • Physical gambling equipment
    • National or state lotteries
    • Contact your representative at Keynes Digital for more information.
  • (Reseller Program—United States only—policy) We do not accept ads for gambling-related content, including but not limited to online gambling content, gambling-related products, brick-and-mortar casinos, contests, sweepstakes, raffles, sale of physical scratch cards, fantasy sports, physical gambling equipment, or national or state lotteries.
• CBD:
  • (General policy) Content promoting products containing cannabidiol (CBD) is permitted, but no health claims for the product can be made.
  • (Reseller Program—United States only—policy) Content promoting products containing cannabidiol (CBD) is not permitted.
• Cryptocurrency: Keynes Digital allows the promotion or advertising of cryptocurrency or cryptocurrency-related products in limited circumstances. Contact your representative at Keynes Digital for more information.
• Endangered species: Keynes Digital does not allow the promotion of products obtained from endangered or threatened species.
• Fake documents: Keynes Digital does not allow the promotion of fake documents such as fake IDs, fake passports, and fake invoices.
• Financial services:
  • (General policy) All advertisers, advertising products, and services related to financial services must do the following:
    • Operate in compliance with state and local regulations (for example, include specific disclosures required by local law).
    • Disclose associated fees.
    • Include links to third-party accreditation/endorsements where affiliation is implied, particularly when it serves to improve the reputation of the site. Examples include (but are not limited to) verification of government affiliation and third-party ratings.
    • Provide legitimate physical contact information for the business being promoted.
  • (Reseller Program—United States only—policy) All advertisers, advertising products, and services related to financial services or providing any financial services offers must do the following:
    • Operate in compliance with state and local regulations (for example, include specific disclosures required by local law).
    • Disclose associated fees.
    • Include links to third-party accreditation/endorsements where affiliation is implied, particularly when it serves to improve the reputation of the site. Examples include (but are not limited to) verification of government affiliation and third-party ratings.
    • Provide legitimate physical contact information for the business being promoted.
• Firearm safety and education: Keynes Digital allows firearm safety and firearm education campaigns, but no gun or weapon imagery is allowed in the creatives.
• Fireworks: Keynes Digital does not allow the promotion of fireworks and pyrotechnic devices.
• Health conditions (Reseller Program—United States only—policy): Keynes Digital does not allow campaigns that involve the use of any health-related information or the marketing of any health-related products or patient services including (but not limited to) the advertising of any pharmaceutical products, OTC medications, and specialty medical services.
• Illegal drugs: Keynes Digital does not allow the promotion of illegal drugs, legal or synthetic highs, herbal drugs, chemicals and compounds with psychoactive effects, drug paraphernalia, or aids to pass drug tests (this includes marijuana).
• Illegal hacking: Keynes Digital does not allow ads or websites that promote hacking by providing instructions or equipment to illegally access or tamper with software, servers, cell phones, or websites.
• Illegal products and services: Keynes Digital does not allow the advertising of illegal products and services.
• Payday loans (Reseller Program—United States only—policy): Keynes Digital does not allow the advertising of payday loans or services.
• Political advertising:
  • (United States only—policy) Keynes Digital does not allow political advertising under the Reseller Program (US only). Political advertising is defined as an advertisement for a political candidate, ballot measure, or other election issue.
• Sexually-explicit content: Keynes Digital does not allow ads that promote graphic depictions of sexual acts, promote content with underage or non-consensual sexual themes (including child sexual abuse content), or promote services that may be interpreted as providing sexual acts in exchange for compensation.
• Solicitation of funds: Keynes Digital does not allow the solicitation of funds (donations) unless they are for tax-exempt organizations.
• Tobacco products: tbd
• Traffic devices: Keynes Digital does not allow the promotion of products that are designed to interfere with the enforcement of traffic laws. While radar detectors are allowed in most countries, radar jammers and other law evading products aren’t allowed.
• Underage:
  • (General policy) Keynes Digital doesn’t allow the promotion of underage-themed sexual content, including child sexual abuse imagery and non-consensual or illegal sexual content. We do not allow this content, even if it meets applicable legal restrictions around this kind of content.
  • (Reseller Program—United States only—policy) Keynes Digital doesn’t allow the promotion of underage-themed sexual content, including child sexual abuse imagery and non-consensual or illegal sexual content.
• Trademark, copyright, counterfeit: All advertising, as well as the products and services being advertised, must clearly comply with all applicable laws and regulations related to trademark, copyright, and counterfeit goods.
• Weapons: Keynes Digital does not allow the promotion of weapons or devices designed to cause serious harm or injury to humans or for the purpose of hunting animals. The promotion of weapons includes guns, gun parts or hardware, ammunition, bombs, knives, throwing stars, and brass knuckles.

Banned Characteristics

Creatives and landing pages featuring the following content may not run on Keynes Digital:

• Unbranded ads.
• Pornographic or highly suggestive content or images, nudity or suggestive content or images.
• Promoting adult products, including sex toys and sexual enhancers.
• Promoting adult-themed dating, escort services, “mail-order brides,” or similar services.
• Promoting online gambling.
• Sales of weapons or ammunition.
• Peer-to-peer file sharing, torrents, or anything that facilitates or promotes copyright infringement.
• Incite, threaten, advocate, or call for acts of violence against any individual or group.
• Extreme violence or incitement of hatred of any race, religion, creed, class, or ethnic group or of any individual or group.
• Hate content, including sites that advocate the superiority of a specific race or ethnic group.
• Promotion of illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia (including marijuana).
• Promotion of black-hat hacking, cracking, or warez.
• Any other content that is illegal, promotes illicit or harmful activity, or infringes on the rights of others. This includes sites that provide “how-to” information on bomb-making, lock-picking, and similar topics.
• Defamatory or libelous content.
• Distribution of viruses, malware install spyware, trojans, viruses, or other malware.
• Graphic or gratuitous depiction or glorification of the pain, torture, violence against humans or animals.
• Descriptions, depictions, or glorification of the pain, suffering, torture, violence or death of or against humans or animals.
• Sales or promotion of firearms, ammunition, bombs or other weapons, or related design materials.
• Automatic redirections of the user to a new page or app; pop-ups on a webpage upon banner open or upon page exit.
• Anything misleading or containing content that is not reflective of what the user finds on the clickthrough URL.