Google provides translated versions of our Help Centre, although they are not meant to change the content of our policies. The English version is the official language that we use to enforce our policies. To view this article in a different language, use the language drop-down at the bottom of the page.
We value diversity, inclusivity and respect for others, so we support the promotion of general dating services that are not discriminatory, exploitative or deceptive, in both content and promotion. Some kinds of dating and companionship ads (including matchmaking, matrimonial and dating facilitation) are allowed if they comply with the policies below, do not allow users under 18 and the advertiser has received the proper Google Ads certification.
Dating and companionship ads may be restricted based on the ad category, user age, local laws, the user’s SafeSearch settings and the user’s sexual content search queries. Additionally, dating and companionship ads are not eligible to serve in Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Tunisia, Egypt or Yemen.
Learn about what happens if you violate our policies.
In this article
Learn more about the 'Eligible (Limited)' status.
General dating and companionship
Ads that feature or promote the following types of content and are not otherwise restricted or prohibited by this policy, the Sexual content policy or Google’s other ad policies, will be permitted to serve on Search, Display and Video, and Google Ads with age and country restrictions.
General dating and companionship
Promotion of dating and companionship services that are not discriminatory, exploitative or deceptive, in both content and promotion.
Examples (non-exhaustive):
- Sexual-orientation-based dating
- Matchmaking services
- Dating facilitation services
- Matrimonial services
- Consensual dating preferences based on background or interests (religion, hobbies, language, etc.) that are not otherwise restricted or prohibited by this policy
- Live stream or chat apps whose primary focus is meeting new people
Certification
Dating and companionship advertisers must be certified by Google in order to serve ads. Learn more about how to apply for dating and companionship ads certification.
Restricted dating and companionship
Ads that feature or promote the following types of content are restricted. They will only serve based on the following conditions:
- The user’s age, the local laws where the ad is being served and the user’s SafeSearch settings
- The user’s sexual content search queries
Restricted dating and companionship
Dating that is explicitly focused on sexual themes or explicitly driven by sexual encounters, or ads or landing pages with racy content.
Examples (non-exhaustive):
- Hook-up, fling or swinger dating sites
- Affair dating or infidelity services
- Sexual fetish dating
- Live stream or chat apps that feature nudity, partial nudity or sexually suggestive content
- Ads or landing pages that feature racy content, such as people in lingerie or underwear in sexualised imagery
Certification
Dating and companionship advertisers must be certified by Google in order to serve ads. Learn more about how to apply for dating and companionship ads certification.
Prohibited dating and companionship
Ads that feature or promote the following types of content are not allowed:
Aggregators
Aggregrator or affiliate sites that promote dating or companionship content
Examples (non-exhaustive):
- Sites that rank dating sites for promotion, for example, top 10 local dating services in your area
- Sites that compare dating sites with redirections for promotion
Compensated dating, companionship or sexual acts
Content promoting, referring to or referencing in-person companionship, dating or a sexual act in exchange for compensation like money, gifts, financial support, mentorship or other valuable benefits.
Examples (non-exhaustive):
- Sugar dating (including references to 'sugar daddies', 'sugar mamas', 'sugar babies')
- Prostitution, companionship, hostess and escort services
- Cuddling, intimate massage or similar services
- Sex tourism
Deceptive dating services
Dating services using synthetically generated profiles or chatbots without a clear and conspicuous disclosure placed in a location where users are likely to notice it.
Examples (non-exhaustive):
- AI-generated profiles without sufficient disclosures
- Deepfakes without sufficient disclosures
- Chatbots without sufficient disclosures
Exploitative dating
Dating or companionship oriented content that glorifies, advocates or facilitates the exploitation of vulnerabilities for sexual purposes (includes profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the exploitation of another).
Examples (non-exhaustive):
- Exploiting socio-economic differences or stereotypes
- Exploiting victims of conflict or crisis
- Exploiting disabilities or sensitive health concerns
Mail-order spouses
Content promoting marriage to a foreigner or any type of international matchmaking service that promotes transactional relationships or exploits socio-economic differences or stereotypes.
Examples (non-exhaustive):
- Mail-order brides/grooms/partners
- Transactional international matchmaking
- Romance tours
Prohibited dating content
Ads or landing pages must not feature the following content in how a dating or companionship service is advertised.
Examples (non-exhaustive):
- Content promoting underage dating themes
- Imagery or text on landing pages not representative of the users to whom the service markets itself
Learn how to fix a disapproved ad or asset.
Apply for dating and companionship ads certification
To advertise a dating and companionship product, service or content, you must be certified by Google. Eligibility for certification is dependant upon your compliance with our requirements and an in-depth review, which may include reviewing your existing ads, landing page and post-login content. To complete our review, we require:
- App IDs for Google Play or Apple app store or URLs for websites (including YouTube.com if that's the landing page)
- All details to enable access to your service if the entire service or parts of the service are restricted based on login credentials, sign-in details, memberships, location or other forms of authentication
Submit our application form, including the required documentation, to apply for the following certificates:
- Restricted dating and companionship certificate: Promotion of Restricted dating and companionship
Ads promoting restricted dating and companionship where an account has been certified with the appropriate certificate will be permitted to serve on Search with age/country restrictions.- General dating and companionship certificate: Promotion of General dating and companionship
Ads promoting general dating and companionship where an account has been certified with the appropriate certificate will be permitted to serve on Search, Display and Video, and Google Ads with age/country restrictions.
Advertisers offering online dating services targeting Japan must also complete the Online dating services ads in Japan certification application, and the ads must include a warning display '18禁' or '18+'.
Edit your ads to comply with this policy
- In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon
.
- Click the Campaigns drop-down in the section menu.
- Click Ads.
- Hover over the ad or asset and click Edit.
- Edit the ad or asset so that it complies with the policy.
- Click Save. Your ad will be automatically reviewed again. Check the ad’s status in the 'Ads and assets' page for updates.
.Apply for certification
If your ad was disapproved due to a missing Google certification and you meet the requirements, apply for certification.
Appeal policy decision
If you've fixed your destination or believe that we've made an error, appeal the policy decision directly from your Google Ads account to request a review. After we confirm that the destination is compliant, we can approve your ads. If you aren't able to fix these violations or choose not to, remove your ad to help prevent your account from becoming suspended in the future for repeated policy violations.