Healthcare ads on Google and Meta: what is allowed

What Meta prohibits

Meta does not ban healthcare, but has strict rules about how to talk about it.

• Personal attributes. You cannot imply you know the person’s condition: “Toothache?”, “Tired of extra weight?”, “Your diabetes…”. Talk about the service instead: “Cavity treatment in one visit”.
• Before and after. Images comparing results are banned. This covers weight loss, cosmetology, dentistry, dermatology.
• Unrealistic promises. “Pain gone forever”, “guaranteed result”, “no side effects”.
• Age. Ads for cosmetic procedures, weight loss and some supplements are shown only to people 18 and over. Set the restriction yourself in the audience settings.
• Focus on body parts. Close-ups of a belly, teeth or skin with flaws are treated as “negative self-perception”.

What Google prohibits

Google works by category and country.

• Prescription drugs. Only certified pharmacies and manufacturers may mention them. A clinic should not name drugs in ads.
• Medical claims. Cure, guarantee, “100%”. Google will reject and may flag the account.
• Restricted services. Abortion, addiction treatment, cosmetic surgery have extra requirements and in some countries need advertiser certification.
• Personalised ads. You cannot build remarketing audiences based on health. A list of “everyone who visited the HIV treatment page” is banned, “all visitors of the clinic website” is allowed.

How to write so it passes

The formula is simple: service, fact, action.

• Instead of “Back pain?” write “Neurologist consultation today, 30-minute appointment”.
• Instead of “Lose 10 kg” write “Weight management programme with a dietitian”.
• Instead of “Teeth like the stars” write “E-max veneers, 5-year warranty on the work”. A warranty on the work is allowed, a guaranteed result is not.
• Prices and timelines are fine and welcome: “Implant from [amount], placed in one visit”.

Images: the doctor, the room, the equipment, a smiling person with no emphasis on flaws. Video of the appointment process beats any banner.

What the website must have

Reviewers visit the site. It needs:

• Legal entity name, address, licence or registry number.
• Real doctors with names and qualifications.
• Prices or at least ranges.
• A privacy policy and consent to data processing in forms.
• A disclaimer “Contraindications apply, consult a specialist” next to procedures.

What to do when an ad is rejected

One rejected ad is not a restriction. Read the policy name, rewrite the copy or replace the image and resubmit. Do not duplicate the rejected ad in a new campaign: the system sees it and accumulates violations on the account.

If everything gets rejected without a clear reason, contact support via the chat in the account and ask them to explain the specific violation. For healthcare this works better than guessing.