Ad maturity exceeds app
Google Play policies guide how you can use ads in your apps, to help ensure the best experience for users visiting and downloading apps from the store.
In general, for the purposes of policy, the content of ads displayed by your app is considered part of your app. As an app developer, it is your responsibility to ensure that the content, context, and behavior of ads in your apps conforms to Google Play policies.
Before you publish, make sure you understand Google Play ad policies and how to display ads in conformance with those policies. The sections below highlight best practices and common examples to help you avoid the most common types of policy violations.
For more information about Google Play policies that apply to your apps and content, please see the Developer Program Policies and Developer Distribution Agreement.
From a policy perspective, ads shown in your app are part of your content and your app is responsible for any violations. If an ad shown in your app violates Google Play policies, your app may be suspended or your developer account terminated.
For this reason, it's important for you to be be aware of what ads will be displayed in your app and to manage the ads content according to Google Play policies. Here are some guidelines:
In the example at right, the app's maturity rating is set to "Everyone", which is the lowest maturity level on Google Play. By choosing the "Everyone" maturity level, the developer is declaring that all of the content in the app, including ads, is suitable for all users regardless of age.
The example app violates Google Play policies by displaying ad content with a higher maturity level—ad content showing gambling, profanity, user location, suggestive content, or content from another app with higher maturity exceeds the "Everyone" maturity rating. Because the ad's maturity is higher than the app's maturity level, the app itself is in violation of policy. To correct the problem, the developer must either restrict ads content to "Everyone" level or raise the app's maturity rating.
For detailed information about how to choose the appropriate maturity level for your app, or to assess the maturity requirement of ads in your app, see Rating your application content for Google Play.
If your app displays ads, it should do so in ways that do not interrupt users, mislead them into clicking on ads, or make changes outside the app without the user's knowledge or consent. Here are some guidelines:
In particular, note that notification ads must clearly identify your app as the ad origin. If your app sends notification ads that do not sufficiently identify your app as the origin, the app will be in violation of policy.
To identify your app as the origin, you should display the app's full name and and icon in the notification to provide the clearest identification and best policy compliance. Displaying a partial app name can also be sufficient, provided the name unambiguously identifies your app.
Above right is an example notification ad that violates ad policy by not providing attribution of the origin app. Below right, the notification ads comply with policy by providing both the app icon and full app name (in this case, "Turtle Test").
It's important to sufficiently disclose to users how your app will use ads. You must make it easy for users to understand what ads will be shown in your app, where they will be shown, and what the associated behaviors are, if any. Further, you should ask for user consent and provide options for managing ads or opt-out. Here are some guidelines:
A recommended approach is to provide an ads disclosure in an End-User License Agreement (EULA). The disclosure should be clear and succinct and displayed in a modal dialog that asks the user to agree to the terms before using the app.
If your app adds homescreen icons and/or browser bookmarks, an acceptable practice for revealing that behavior is to provide a disclosure in both the app description and an opt-in EULA on app launch. This ensures that the behaviors are clearly explained to the user up-front and requires the user’s consent in a pop-up EULA to continue using the app.
Above left is an example of ads disclosure that is hidden in a long EULA. The disclosure information itself is not clearly indicated in the document text and it's not visible unless the user happens to scroll down far enough in the EULA. Above middle and right show two alternative approaches that present the disclosure in an obvious and clear manner at the top of a EULA and in a dedicated Terms agreement.
Your app must not display any ad that attempts to impersonate or represent a system function or UI component. If such an ad is displayed in your app, your app will be in violation of policy and subject to suspension. Here are some guidelines:
At right is an example of a pop-up ad impersonating a system dialog, warning the user about viruses. This is a violation of policy.
If your app uses adwalls to drive affiliate traffic, those adwalls must not force the user to click on ads or submit personal information for advertising purposes before using the app.
Forcing a user action in an adwall is not only a poor user experience, it is a violation of Google Play policies.
For this reason, all adwalls must give the user the option to cancel or otherwise dismiss the ad without penalty.
At right is an example of an app that requires the user to click through the ad to fully use the app. This is a violation of policy.
The adjacent example demonstrates an adequate option to let the user dismiss the ad wall easily by cancelling.
Ads associated with your app must not interfere with any other ads originating in other applications.