Ads Policy

kynthia
  • Updated

Overview

All advertising content is subject to Discord’s community guidelines, however there are additional restrictions for advertising content. 

Discord’s Ads Policy, outlined below, provides guidance to advertisers on the platform to publish trustworthy, safe, useful, and high-quality ads to users. Ads are prohibited, restricted, or allowed based on Discord’s content policies below. 

  • Prohibited: Content you cannot advertise.
  • Restricted: Content you can advertise, with limitations.
  • Allowed: Content you can advertise.

In this policy, you will also find our ads practices and our editorial guidelines for designing and implementing your ad copy and landing page.

This policy is mandatory and applies to all native and third party ads on Discord including ads in Activities. The policy applies to the ad, the landing page, the username, reward, and any other surface directly associated with the ad.

Advertisers on Discord are responsible for their ads ensuring they follow all applicable laws and regulations. In addition to Discord's Ads Policy, advertisers must comply with our Terms of Service, Community Guidelines, and all other policies governing the use of our services.

Ads Content Policy

Below are examples of ads content that is prohibited or restricted on Discord.

Adult Sexual Content

Discord prohibits the promotion of explicit and implicit adult sexual content.

Adult sexual content includes depiction of, or references to:

  • Compensated sexual acts (e.g. escort services, cuddling sites, intimate massage, sex work),
  • Full or partial nudity,
  • Mail-order brides or international marriage brokers,
  • Models in sexualized poses,
  • Non-consensual sexual themes,
  • Penis enlargement or breast enhancement,
  • Pornography, cartoon porn, or hentai,
  • Products in the shape of intimate body parts (e.g. genitals, butts, female breasts),
  • Reproductive, contraceptive, or fertility products,
  • Sex toys and personal lubricants, 
  • Strip and host/hostess clubs,
  • Suggestive live chat or phone calls,
  • Other explicit or implicit suggestive content.

Alcohol Content

Discord prohibits alcohol advertising including branding, online and offline sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages. 

Alcohol advertising includes:

  • Sale of any type of alcoholic beverage (e.g., beer, wine, or liquor),
  • Events sponsored by alcohol brands,
  • Competitions where alcohol is a prize,
  • Non-alcoholic products offered by alcohol brands,
  • Simulated alcohol games,
  • Depicting people under the influence,
  • Hangover treatments.

Body Alteration

Discord prohibits advertising of body-altering products and services.

Body Alteration includes:

  • Invasive cosmetic procedures (e.g. tongue splitting, ear shaping, waist training),
  • Body piercing,
  • Permanent tattoos,
  • Permanent makeup,
  • UV Skin tanning or skin bleaching products and services.

Charitable Causes

Discord restricts the solicitation of funds for or promotion of charitable causes. Soliciting funds or donations is only allowed for tax-exempt organizations. The ad or ad’s destination must clearly state that donations are tax-exempt, or disclose a charity number or a tax exemption number.

The following are allowed:

  • In the United States, organizations that have 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) status,
  • Entities with an equivalent non-profit registration in their home country.

The following are prohibited:

  • Soliciting funds on behalf of a politician, political party, or any other violation of the political content policy,
  • Soliciting funds without tax-exempt status.

Children’s Content 

Discord prohibits advertisements intended solely for children. Children’s content is defined as any content intended for an audience below 13 which is Discord’s minimum age requirement.

Examples of Children's content include:

  • Activities that appeal to children, such as play-acting, simple songs or games, or early education,
  • Actors, characters, celebrities, or toys that appeal to children, including animated characters or cartoon figures.
  • Songs, poems, stories, or other subject matter that reflect an intent to target children.

This policy does not apply to general audience content that could appeal to everyone, but isn’t intended specifically for children, and/or content that is intended for those 13 years or older. 

Dating

Discord prohibits ads for online dating apps or services, matchmaking services, or romance coaching.

Dangerous Activities

Discord prohibits ads that depict or encourage real world dangerous activities.

Dangerous activities create an extreme risk of physical harm to the participant including but not limited to:

  • Physical challenge or stunt trends,
  • Misuse of fireworks.

Drugs and Drugs Paraphernalia

Discord prohibits advertisement of illegal or recreational drugs and paraphernalia.

Drugs and drugs paraphernalia advertising includes but is not limited to:

  • Illegal drugs,
  • Recreational and herbal drugs,
  • CBD products,
  • Accessories associated with drug use and storage (e.g. grinders, syringes, pipes),
  • Drug dispensaries, 
  • Depictions of intoxication or drug use.

Financial Products and Services

Discord prohibits the promotion of financial products and services.

Prohibited financial products and services include but is not limited to:

  • Banking services and institutions,
  • Buy now, pay later (BNPL) providers and payment installment services,
  • Currency exchange, trading, and services,
  • Cryptocurrency and related products
  • Contract for Difference (CFDs),
  • Debt relief and consolidation,
  • Digital wallets,
  • Insurance,
  • Loans products and services,
  • Mobile and electronic payments,
  • Mortgage services,
  • Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and related products,
  • Securities,
  • Tax preparation or filing.

Gambling Content

Discord prohibits the promotion of gambling or gambling-adjacent activities.

The following are prohibited:

  • Affiliates and websites driving traffic to gambling,
  • Brick-and-mortar casinos,
  • Online casinos and gambling,
  • Odds, tips, picks, forecasts, and handicapping, 
  • Gambling advice and discussions,
  • Games or apps played for money,
  • Horse race betting,
  • Lotteries,
  • Pay to play games of chance with prizes of real-world value,
  • Simulated casinos and their games,
  • Sports betting, sports books, or fantasy sports.

Hateful Content

Discord prohibits ads that promote hateful content.

Hateful content includes degrading, mocking, threatening, attacking or advocating against individuals or protected groups based on, but not limited to:

  • Race,
  • Ethnicity,
  • National origin,
  • Color,
  • Sex,
  • Sexual orientation,
  • Gender identity, 
  • Religious affiliation,
  • Age,
  • Physical or mental disability,
  • Medical or genetic condition,
  • Veteran status,
  • Refugee status,
  • Immigrant Status,
  • Familial status.

Healthcare Content

Discord prohibits advertisement of healthcare products and services. 

Prohibited healthcare products and services include:

  • Clinical trials,
  • Surrogacy services,
  • Telemedicine providers,
  • Online pharmacy,
  • Prescription medicines,
  • Mental health services,
  • Rehabilitation centers,
  • Over the Counter (OTC) medicines, 
  • Health and dietary supplements,
  • Medical devices,
  • Surgical and non surgical cosmetic procedures (e.g. lip fillers, botox, skin lightening creams, plastic surgery). 

Illegal Products and Services

Discord prohibits advertising of illegal products and services, including anything that facilitates or promotes illegal behavior.

Illegal products and services include but is not limited to:

  • Fake IDs, passports, or other official documents,
  • Illegal streaming or downloading of copyrighted material,
  • Instructions for or equipment to illegally access websites, cell phones or software.  

Inappropriate Content

Discord prohibits advertising that contains inappropriate content. 

Categories Discord considers to be inappropriate content include:

  • Distasteful content
    • Content meant to shock or scare,
    • Imagery of guts, gore, sexual fluids, human or animal waste.
  • Offensive and divisive content
  • Sensitive events
    • Content that refers to a sensitive event or topic (e.g. deaths, natural disasters, violent attacks, civil disorder) and contains personal attacks, the selling of goods or services, solicitation of followers, or other attempts to capitalize on these events.
  • Misinformation
    • Content that is false including disinformation, conspiracy theories, and climate change denial.
  • Misleading synthetic or manipulated content
  • Profanity and vulgarity
    • Including obscene uses of symbols, emojis, or gestures.
  • Personal attacks
    • Including the use of non-public personal information in ads.
  • Violence
    • Graphic imagery and realistic displays of crime, violence, physical trauma, execution, 
    • Excessive gore, physical or psychological abuse, self-harm, animal abuse or torture.
  • Malware & Software Downloads
    • The advertising of malware products, including software or devices such as VPN promoting access to geo blocked or illegal services.
    • Malware products include but is not limited to:
      • Spyware,
      • Stalkerware,
      • Illegal hacking devices,
      • Phishing links,
      • Software that is deceptive or compromises user safety.

Intellectual Property

Discord prohibits ads that infringe the copyright, intellectual property, trademark, privacy, or other legal rights of any person or entity.

The following are prohibited:

  • References to Discord and uses of Discord-owned trademark, including suggestions of affiliation with or endorsement by Discord,
  • Ads for products or services primarily used to infringe the intellectual property rights of others,
  • Ads for products or services primarily dedicated to selling counterfeit products,
  • Use of the name, likeness, voice, or other identifying features of an individual without consent,
  • Any use of copyrighted material without written permission.

Political Content

Discord prohibits advertising that contains political content.

Political content includes but is not limited to references to a:

  • Candidate,
  • Political party,
  • Political Action Committees (PACs) or Super PACs,
  • Elected or appointed government official, 
  • Election or referendum, 
  • Ballot measure, proposition, legislation, regulation, or judicial outcome.
  • Advocacy for or against any of the above. 

Tobacco and Tobacco Accessories

Discord prohibits the advertising of tobacco products or accessories. 

Prohibited tobacco products include but are not limited to:

  • Tobacco of any kind,
  • Hookah,
  • Cigars and cigarettes,
  • Cigar bars and hookah lounges,
  • Imitation smoking,
  • Pipes, rolling papers, or filters,
  • E-cigarettes, e-liquid, or vapes.

Unacceptable Business Practices

Discord prohibits unacceptable business models, products, and services.

Categories Discord considers to be unacceptable business practices include but is not limited to:

  • Animal or insect sale,
  • Bail bonds,
  • Counterfeit goods or services, 
  • Homework or essay writing services for students,
  • Extortion and blackmail,
  • Multi-level marketing models or get-rich-quick schemes,
  • Payday loans,
  • Services attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression,
  • Selling social media followers,
  • False, unsubstantiated, unrealistic, or exaggerated claims,
  • Deceptive or misleading ads which withhold reasonable information on pricing, terms or expenses from the landing page. 

Weapons and Weapons Accessories

Discord prohibits the advertising of real-world weapons and weapons accessories.  

Prohibited real-world weapons and weapons accessories include but are not limited to:

  • Knives, throwing stars, daggers, spears, or swords,
  • Guns, firearms, airsoft guns, air guns, blow guns, paintball guns, antique guns, replica guns, imitation guns, or gun parts,
  • Stun guns, taser guns, mace, pepper spray, or other weapons of self defense,
  • Bombs, fireworks, flamethrowers, gunpowder, or explosives,
  • Weapon making instructions,
  • Weapon training programs or classes,
  • Ammunition.

This policy does not apply to ads of virtual reality weapons and weapons accessories for use in video games. 

Weight loss Products and Services

Discord prohibits the advertising of diet and weight loss products and services.

Prohibited diet and weight loss products and services include but are not limited to:

  • Weight loss language or imagery,
  • Diet or weight loss testimonials,
  • Weight loss or appetite suppressant pills or supplements,
  • Before and after weight loss imagery,
  • Procedures such as liposuction, fat burning, or cool sculpting,
  • Encouragement or glamorization of unhealthy or unsafe eating behaviors or eating disorders.

This policy does not apply to ads that promote health, wellness, and fitness products and services that do not focus on weight loss.

Campaign Considerations

Targeting

In order to protect user experience on the platform, advertisers are prohibited from targeting ads to certain audiences or using sensitive categories for such ad targeting. 

Advertisers are prohibited from: 

  • Using copy that asserts or implies knowledge of a user's personally identifiable information. Personally identifiable information (PII) includes any information that could be used to identify an individual, such as a name, home address, social security number, banking information, driver's license number, and any other sensitive data.
  • Targeting users based on any of the following categories: 
    • Alleged or actual commission of a crime 
    • Health 
    • Negative financial status or condition 
    • Marital or relationship status
    • Race, color, or ethnic origin 
    • Religious or philosophical affiliation and/or beliefs 
    • Sexual orientation 
    • Gender identities other than cisgender 
    • Political affiliation and/or beliefs 
    • Trade union membership 
    • Genetic and/or biometric data

In addition to these targeting restrictions, ads for housing or employment are not allowed to target users based on age, sex, gender, or precise location (post code or more precise location). 

Editorial Guidelines

To keep ads trustworthy and useful for Discord users, ads and their landing page must meet our editorial criteria for accuracy and quality. 

Accuracy:

  • Ads must represent the brand or product being advertised.
  • Ads must not be misleading or make exaggerated, sensationalized or inaccurate claims.

Quality:

  • Text must use correct grammar and spelling 
  • Text must avoid excessive punctuation, spaces, or symbols.
  • Images, video, and audio must not be unclear, indecipherable, fuzzy, blurry, extremely grainy, or otherwise of low quality.
  • Imagery with artificial functionality is not permitted (e.g. play or download buttons, notification icons, or elements that mimic Discord features).
  • Images and video must be oriented correctly (not sideways or upside down).

Landing Page:

  • The destination URL must link to a functional landing page.
  • The landing page's primary purpose must not be for advertising and must be relevant to what is being promoted in the ad.
  • The landing page must not contain intrusive pop-up ads, automatic downloads, redirect users to another site, or require users to sign in before they can view the page.
  • The contents of the landing page must comply with all of Discord’s ads content policies.

Sanctions

Advertisements that violate US or other applicable sanctions are prohibited on Discord. 

Additionally, advertisements may not be targeted to individuals located in regions that are subject to general embargoes or comprehensive trade restrictions.

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