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Microsoft Advertising Network policies

Media formats

30 June 2023

Imagery

Image quality

  • Images must meet average industry standards, including proper image quality and resolution. For example, images may not be fuzzy, obscured, or non-readable.
  • Imagery within the ad must be high quality / high definition.
  • Image may not resolve in “image not available” or similar.
  • The image must be relevant to the product that is being promoted, a direct correlation between the product that is being promoted and the image must exist.  For example: If an ad headline is about seeing a celebrity’s home that s/he shares with a partner, the ad image should show the celebrity either alone or with that celebrity’s real-life partner.
  • Advertisers should use accurate brand or logos. For example, do not use old, outdated logos, or logos that do not match the product or service advertised (for example image of a Windows Phone associated to a Microsoft Surface ad text). Microsoft Advertising Intellectual property policies and Promotion of third-party products and services also apply.
  • In ads with multiple product and price offerings, offers and associated images must be consistent in quality, theme, and relevance to each other.
    • Examples of acceptable products/offers may include florists showing images of multiple bouquets; retailers showing images relevant to the theme of the campaign (i.e., beach wear and beach merchandise images in a summer holiday sale ad or multiple images of clothing from a specific designer).
    • All offers/images must be clearly legible and uncrowded within the ad space.
    • Each of the images/offers within the same ad creative must be relevant to each other as well as to the campaign theme.
  • Images may not be crude or inappropriate.
  • Images may not be political or religious in nature.
  • Images may not contain symbols or imagery of hate speech.

DISPLAY

  • Graphical content ads (tiered/stacked ads): Non-brand marketers promoting separate products/services or companies in a tiered/stacked format that may or may not include different landing pages and points of purchase, within the same ad unit are not allowed. In this example, Best Buy would still be allowed to run an ad promoting multiple products offered, assuming there is a consistent theme and product offering, at their retail store or online. This restriction only applies to standard banner ads, not to native ads that are approved by the publisher to have stacked content (for example, the MSN Shopping Stripe).
  • Borders: Ads with a similar color as the background of the site must have a border or otherwise be distinct as advertisements (see the individual product creative specs for details).

NATIVE

  • Images in localized native ad headlines should be reflective of the local area mentioned in ad headline. For example: A localized ad headline that appears in a location with a cold climate should not show an image of a desert landscape.

Nudity

  • Nudity, sexually suggestive poses/positioning or imagery, and images focused on cleavage, genitals, buttocks, or female nipples is prohibited with the exception of nudity in landing pages for approved Search advertisers in the Adult Advertising Program.
  • Images with moderate skin exposure such as a swimsuit ad are generally allowed. Market sensitivities may result in rejections in markets where such images are deemed inappropriate.

AUDIENCE

  • Advertising for thongs, G-strings, micro-bikinis, string bikinis, or similar minimum coverage clothing cannot be shown on a model.  
  • Advertising for clothing with sheer or see-through fabric cannot show genitalia, female nipples, or exposed buttocks. 
  • Advertising focus on the buttocks or breasts out of context (example, a sports bra ad can show the top portion of the body, but a one-piece swimsuit ad cannot focus only on the top portion of the body). 

DISPLAY

  • Advertising for thongs, G-strings, micro-bikinis, string bikinis, or similar minimum coverage clothing cannot be shown on a model.
  • Advertising for clothing with sheer or see-through fabric cannot show genitalia, female nipples, or exposed buttocks.
  • Advertising focus on the buttocks or breasts out of context (example, a sports bra ad can show the top portion of the body, but a one-piece swimsuit ad cannot focus only on the top portion of the body).

NATIVE

  • Advertising for thongs, G-strings, micro-bikinis, string bikinis, or similar minimum coverage clothing cannot be shown on a model.
  • Advertising for clothing with sheer or see-through fabric cannot show genitalia, female nipples, or exposed buttocks.
  • Advertising focus on the buttocks or breasts out of context (example, a sports bra ad can show the top portion of the body, but a one-piece swimsuit ad cannot focus only on the top portion of the body).

Animation

DISPLAY

  • No animation in-excess of 30 seconds or that exceeds creative file specs. (ex. maximum of 30 seconds for cycling of sequences/ looping/ repeat animation)- see the individual creative product specs.

NATIVE

  • Animation is not allowed, this includes GIFs or other similar file types.

Audio

Users should be in control of the audio experience, on click for instance, both within ad copy and landing page. A mute button or toggle must be present so users can re-mute.

Audio must adhere to all other policies and content guidelines and must be appropriate for all Microsoft audiences. For example, the use of racial or religious epithets, or language that advocates doing physical harm to people or their property, would be disallowed based upon our defamatory, slanderous, libelous, or threatening content policy.

Video

  • Video must be relevant to your ad, relating to your product, service, or brand.
  • With the exception of CTV or streaming pre-roll ads, users should be in control of the video experience, both within ad copy and landing page. 
    • Audio must be muted on load.
    • Must allow users to rewind, pause, forward, or re-mute the video.
    • Visual indicators about the video length must be visible.
  • Video content must be suited for the targeted audience, query intent, or query for which it is served.
  • All movie trailers must be rated for all audiences and include all required disclosures.
  • Video ads must adhere to all other policies.

SEARCH

  • Videos cannot auto-play, this includes both the animation and audio.