Audience Network

Understanding Our Policies:

Our policies for ad placements define the guidelines that developers must follow when incorporating advertising elements into their applications. These guidelines, in conjunction with our Community Standards, govern every product, feature, application, service, and piece of software that uses our advertising network—even those associated with virtual or immersive platforms. It is the responsibility of developers to ensure that their apps comply with every applicable law, regulation, and statute, as well as with our network’s specific terms and these policies.

Developer Responsibilities and Legal Compliance:

Developers are accountable for ensuring their applications meet all applicable legal requirements and follow our network’s terms. This includes adherence to relevant laws, statutes, and regulations, as well as following our provided guidance. Prior to onboarding, publishers maintaining an ads.txt or app-ads.txt file must list our network accurately. We reserve the right to accept, reject, or remove any publisher or application at our sole discretion if the app or publisher negatively affects our relationship with users or advertisers or promotes content, services, or activities that conflict with our competitive position or advertising philosophy. We may update our quality standards at any time, and developers agree to follow all instructions or notices provided. Violations of these policies may result in the suspension or termination of services, and because we continuously analyze ad engagement data for patterns of abuse, any account posing risks to our platform, users, or advertisers may have its access limited or disabled.

Content Restrictions:

Applications that integrate our advertising network must not include or promote material that violates our Community Standards or breaches any of our advertising or content monetization guidelines. Apps must avoid displaying ads on content that is low quality, disruptive, or misleading, and that serves as a conduit for illegal products, services, or activities. Content that is sensational, inflammatory, or excessively violent is not acceptable. Furthermore, any form of discriminatory practice—based on attributes such as race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family status, disability, or medical/genetic conditions—is strictly prohibited. Applications must also refrain from promoting the sale or use of tobacco products, drugs (illegal, prescription-based, or recreational), unsafe supplements, weapons, ammunition, or explosives. In addition, apps must not contain or promote adult content, which includes nudity, explicit or suggestive imagery, sexual tips, casual dating, or material that is overly provocative. Applications serving as surveillance tools or promoting hidden tracking devices, as well as those facilitating business models like penny auctions, bidding fee auctions, or pay-per-bid systems, are disallowed. Apps must also avoid providing procedural voting details or soliciting voter registration information, and real money gambling—where any form of monetary wager or prize is involved—is only allowed when explicit written approval has been granted. Similarly, apps should not promote free-to-play experiences in which users have a chance to win actual money or prizes, and those relying primarily on user-generated content require our prior written approval. Moreover, applications that facilitate the buying, selling, or exchanging of social engagement metrics or that mimic the look and feel of our platform or associated products are not permitted. Finally, apps must not promote financial products or services associated with deceptive practices, nor should they present unrealistic or misleading employment opportunities or other business practices intended to scam users.

Implementation Restrictions and Requirements:

When it comes to technical implementation, apps must always provide accurate and current information during ad requests, including details such as placement size and the primary URL of the approved app. A comprehensive privacy policy that clearly outlines data practices is required. Applications are prohibited from monetizing while operating in early access mode on Android, and our advertising network is available only to apps distributed via recognized app stores unless explicit written permission has been granted. Altering, modifying, or rearranging any part of an ad without prior written consent is strictly forbidden, and any ad format that obscures or partially hides creative elements is unacceptable. In addition, apps must not engage in practices such as crawling, indexing, or permanently caching information from ads. Ad placements must be designed to avoid accidental clicks by ensuring that only intended interactive elements—such as titles, URLs, call-to-action buttons, and image assets—are clickable, while non-interactive areas remain inactive. Ads must be clearly distinguishable from surrounding content and should display appropriate disclosure icons and labels (for example, “Sponsored” or “Ad”) unless alternative labeling has been approved. Furthermore, apps must not interfere with the natural behavior of an ad, such as suppressing pop-ups or redirects, and must allow users to exit screens without being forced to interact with any ad elements. Placing multiple ads in a single slot is prohibited, and users should never be directed to unexpected pages or destinations without clear prior intent. Any claims made to encourage ad engagement must be truthful and not misleading, and offering incentives or baiting users to click on ads is not permitted. Automatic ad refreshing is banned, and ads must appear only within the confines of the app; they should not run in the background or after the app has been uninstalled. The distribution of spyware, malware, or any software that results in an unexpected or deceptive experience is strictly forbidden. All applications must also comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and any related guidelines.

Quality and Authenticity:

To maintain high standards, developers should avoid spamming digital distribution platforms with multiple or similar versions of the same app. Essential details, such as screenshots and clear descriptions of the user interface, must be provided. Publishers are only permitted to use our advertising network if they either own or operate the app, have been granted exclusive third-party rights by the app owner, or have received explicit written permission from us. Verification of app ownership is required prior to monetization. Furthermore, traffic generated by automated or non-human processes is strictly forbidden; ads must be displayed only on genuine devices to real, actively engaged users. The use of bots or automated tools to simulate human engagement, inflate metrics, or artificially increase impressions or conversions is not allowed. Attempts to modify, translate, or create derivative works of our software development kit (SDK), or to reverse engineer any of its components, are also prohibited. It is crucial that publishers do not misrepresent any information related to their business, whether regarding financial details, app versions, store listings, or user data, and that they do not encourage the installation of external programs that inject ads into other applications. If our systems detect any abnormal behavior or potential policy violations, we reserve the right to suspend or restrict access to our advertising network until all concerns are addressed.

Additional Policies for Rewarded Video:

For rewarded video formats, strict additional rules are in place to ensure a fair and transparent user experience. Users must actively opt in to view each rewarded ad at the time it is served, using clear mechanisms such as a tap-to-play method or a countdown timer. A single opt-in covering all rewarded ads is not acceptable; every ad must independently disclose the reward being offered and provide an option to close or exit without requiring the user to exit the entire application. Offering cash or any cash-equivalent rewards—such as gift cards, cryptocurrencies, or in-app tokens redeemable for real money—in exchange for viewing an ad is expressly forbidden. Rewarded video or interstitial ads may only be shown after a clear break in the user experience, such as following the completion of a game level, or, if no natural break exists, they must be limited in frequency with a defined maximum per timeframe, and clearly disclosed in the digital store listing. Users may only receive rewards as a direct result of watching an ad, and no rewards may be offered for actions unrelated to ad viewing, such as downloading an app or completing other conversion events. Moreover, rewards cannot be transferred between users; if rewards are given randomly, the probability of receiving the reward must be clearly stated before the user opts in. Once an ad has been viewed, the reward must be delivered immediately and be redeemable within the same app or website. Finally, apps must not alter or restrict the user’s ability to close, skip, or exit from the rewarded ad experience, and if a user decides not to watch the ad, no alternative interstitial ad should be presented. Users should not receive any rewards if they exit the ad before completion or if they dismiss it using any reporting or hide functions.

This detailed set of guidelines is designed to ensure that every application using our advertising network maintains high standards of quality, transparency, and user trust. By following these policies, developers contribute to a fair ecosystem that benefits users, advertisers, and the entire community. Every aspect—from technical implementation and ad placement to the handling of rewarded content—has been carefully outlined to prevent abuse and to ensure that both advertisers and users have a clear, consistent, and trustworthy experience with our services.

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