Amazon Ads 3P (third-party) Supply Policies

Creative and Copy Guidelines

Policy OverviewThese policies apply to the creative content featured within advertisements. We apply a high creative bar to ad content to ensure a consistent, high-quality customer experience.
DefinitionsAd Copy: The text within a creative
Creative: The imagery within an ad

Core Policies

Ads must:

  • Identify the advertiser, either by including their logo or a text brand name
  • Ads that offer “free” products or services or promote special offers that are dependent on a purchase (for example, a free case with the purchase of a mobile phone) must indicate that “terms and conditions apply”. The terms and conditions, or a link to terms and conditions, must be clearly and conspicuously presented in the ad close to the offer. The landing page must prominently present the offer advertised.

Ads must not:

  • Contain ad copy that acknowledges or implies the targeting criteria used for the campaign
  • Contain discriminatory or offensive language
  • Contain low-quality images that are blurry or distorted, low-resolution, pixelated, smudged or stretched
  • Contain pop-ups or pop-unders
  • Contain “exit strategies”, such as asking the customers to confirm multiple times if they are sure about closing the page
  • Contain misspellings and grammatical errors
  • Contain emotionally exploitative language
  • Use scare tactics such as “don't wait until it is too late”, “know your baby is OK” and “every second counts”
  • Contain sexually suggestive language or double entendre, including when the meaning is obfuscated but clear (for example, “f#@k” or “Soft AF”)

Display Ad Disclosure and Ad Copy Text Requirements

Disclosures

Policy OverviewEffective disclosures are critical in helping consumers make informed decisions. Disclosures must be crafted with care concerning their language and presentation.
DefinitionsA disclosure is relevant information that a consumer requires in order to make an informed decision about the product or service they are purchasing. E.g. the terms and conditions pertinent to understand a sales promotion.

Core policies

Disclosures must be:

  • Accurate
  • Legible to the average customer (both in size and with text sufficiently contrasted with the background colour of the ad to be distinct) and running horizontally
  • Understandable to the average customer (for example, only abbreviations that are common and well understood are permitted)

Ad Copy

Policy OverviewAd copy is critical in helping consumers make informed decisions. It must be crafted with care concerning its language and presentation.
DefinitionsAd copy presents relevant information that a consumer requires in order to make an informed decision about the product or service they are purchasing.

Core policies

Ad copy must be:

  • Accurate
  • Legible to the average customer (both in size and with text sufficiently contrasted with the background colour of the ad to be distinct)
  • Understandable to the average customer (for example, only abbreviations that are common and well understood are permitted)
  • In the primary language of the site on which they appear

Claims and Other Customer Commitments

Core policies

Ad Copy that indicates product or service performance, pricing or other objective claims, or that makes a commitment to the customer are included at the discretion of the advertiser. Ad content like the below are therefore advertiser managed or moderated reactively:

  • Pricing: Accurate product or service pricing, sales promotion terms and conditions and dates
  • Seasonal Events* and start/end campaign dates, including content related to seasonal/annual events such as Valentines Day, Christmas, Hanukkah
  • Claims: Non healthcare** claims related to efficacy, awards, performance

*All Amazon High-Traffic Events (HTE) must follow the HTE policies

**All higher-risk claims related to healthcare must be substantiated. Please see Health and Personal Care

Animated Ads

  • For all placements globally, the maximum animation time is 30 seconds.
  • Please see the DSP mobile app banner ads specs, for supported animated ads on those placements.

OLV Ads

Autoplay

  • Video stream length
    • Standard IAB Ad unit: up to 15 seconds.
    • Amazon DSP video: at least 5 seconds.
  • Video must contain audio and audio must be customer-initiated on click or tap (meaning that the ad must begin muted).
    • The use of rollovers to initiate audio is prohibited.
    • When audio is switched on by the customer, a mute button is required

Customer-Initiated

  • Maximum video stream length and audio served in conjunction with a video stream: 3 minutes.

Mobile Display Ad Policies

Display Ads on Mobile must:

  • Link to a page with the same security level as the page the ad appears on
  • Legal disclosures must be clearly legible in size and contrast with the background colour. See Mobile Style Guide for minimum font size per placement.
  • Legal disclosures must be no larger than 20% of the ad unit height.

Streaming TV

Video Quality

Video specs and resolution

  • Streaming TV ads require a 16:9 aspect ratio with a recommended bit rate of 8mbps.
  • The majority of the visual space of the ad must be full screen movement with multiple points of motion (for example: animated products, vertical videos, moving text). Placing a separate motion or movement overlay on top of a static image, akin to simplistic animation in a presentation deck, does not meet the quality bar.
  • Video ads must be in high resolution
  • Video ads with a bit rate of less than 4 mbps cannot be accepted.
  • Videos with third-party watermarks are not permitted.

The pillarbox/letterbox effects occur when black bars (or masking) are placed on the sides of the image and/or when the original video asset is shrunk and placed in the middle of the widescreen frame. Video ads may contain either pillarbox or letterbox formatting, but not both.

Example image

A visual example of the policies around pillarbox/letterbox effects.

Clarity

  • Video ads must include the brand name and logo on screen for at least 3 seconds
  • Video ads must include a voiceover (VO) and/or on-screen text
  • Videos that contain blurry, unclear or unrecognisable visuals cannot be approved
  • Disclosures must be legible to the average customer viewing on a larger screen
  • To be consistent with the surrounding video content and ensure that customers can understand the ad, all graphic and textual content must be clear to the average customer

Transitions and effects

  • Video content that may trigger photosensitive epileptic seizures cannot be accepted.
  • No ad (irrespective of when it is shown) may include images of very brief duration, or include any other technique, that would constitute subliminal advertising.
    Non-Entertainment video ads cannot contain pixilation, glitches or other effects that may let customers think their streaming device or internet connection is failing

Interactive Ad Elements

We strongly recommend the use of interactive video ads (IVA) for all non-Prime Video ads streaming TV campaigns, which incorporate both remote and QR code functionality. Advertiser-submitted QR codes will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis for Prime Video Ads and other streaming TV campaigns.

Interactive ad elements must:

  • Be displayed for a minimum of 10 consecutive seconds.
  • Drive to an app or a page that complies with Amazon specs and policies set to protect mobile users. Ensure that the content being advertised matches the landing page and maintains customer safety.
  • QR codes that drive to a website must link to a mobile-optimised page.
  • Drive to a site or mobile app/app store compatible with the smartphone.

Interactive ad elements must not:

  • Obstruct text or primary content that may help customers make an informed decision.
  • Obstruct any disclaimers, disclosures, claims, product information, rating information.
  • Obstruct entire visuals of the primary product shot or primary logo being advertised.
  • Primary is defined as a feature image showcasing the product that enables the viewer to attribute the ad to a specific product.

Partial logo and product coverage is permitted when:

  • Multiple products are in the frame and only a portion of the product is covered
  • Attribution has been clearly understood by the viewer in primary product shot logo, enabling the secondary shot to have partial coverage.
  • The user has taken an action on the IVA and therefore shown intent
    • Please note that this is product-specific - any disclaimers, disclosures, claims, product information, rating information still cannot be covered.

Audio Quality

Audio Specs

  • Streaming TV ads require 2 audio channels and a minimum bit rate of 192 kbps.
  • Poor video quality and low-resolution ads with a bit rate of less than 4 mbps cannot be accepted.

Disruptive Audio

  • Ads can be engaging but we recommend not featuring elements that may disrupt the customer experience.
  • Ads cannot be louder than the video content they run next to.

Alcohol

Cryptocurrencies and related products

Financial Services

Gambling and Real Money Gaming (RMG)

Healthcare and Medicines

Real Estate

Policy OverviewThese policies apply to ads for Real Estate services, such as housing searches, and also to ads for specific individual buildings or dwellings.
DefinitionsReal Estate Services: The provision of real estate services, house searches or estate agency services.
Specific Dwellings: An individual house, flat, apartment block or other specific individual residence.

Ads must not:

  • Promote specific dwellings, flats or buildings. Real estate services may be promoted.

Sexual content and Nudity

Policy OverviewTo ensure that ad content is suitable for its intended audience, we restrict ad content that contains nudity or sexually suggestive content.
DefinitionsIntimate areas: female breast (including areola and nipple), vagina, penis, scrotum and gluteal cleft

Ads must not:

  • Be designed to appeal in an overly sexualised way. Examples: models posed with legs spread, the touching of covered intimate areas or poses mimicking sexual positions.
  • Include full or partial nudity of intimate body parts. Examples: visible intimate body parts such as genitals, female breasts – not including breastfeeding – and buttocks.

Prohibited Products, Services and Content

Policy OverviewThe policies in this section list the products, services and content, that are always prohibited.
Prohibited Product and Services:
Academic aids that could be used for cheating, plagiarising or other such activities. Actual academic tutoring services are permitted.
Aerosol paint.
Airsoft/BB guns, paintball guns.
Alcohol recovery or hangover cures or treatments.
Bows and arrows, slingshots and other projectile weapons.
Chewing gum (Singapore only).
Escort services, adult dating, sex toys and merchandise.
Etching creams.
Fertility clinics and research.
Get-rich-quick and pyramid schemes.
Handgun safety certificates.
Illicit and recreational drugs, drug paraphernalia, drug testing equipment or products to beat drug tests.
Illegal or sensitive pharmaceutical or medical device products and services.
Imitation tobacco products, e.g. toys that resemble cigarettes, or fake tobacco packaging (Singapore only).
Oils, supplements or ingestibles that are derived from or contain hemp, cannabidiol (CBD), THC or otherwise related to cannabis.
Medical procedures and research.
Tobacco or tobacco-related products, including e-cigarettes.
Knives (except for kitchen knives, cutlery and general multi-purpose camping knives).
NL: Knives and other bladed objects are prohibited except for kitchen knives, cutlery or silverware.
Lethal and non-lethal weapon sales, including guns, gun parts, kits, gun racks, mace, black powder and ammunition.
Malware, scareware or spyware.
Online pharmacies.
Pre-natal gender selection and determination test products and services.
Premium pay-per-call services, such as 900 numbers in the US.
Products, services, technology, or website content that i) infringes, encourages or enables the infringement of the intellectual property or personal rights of others, or ii) promotes any illegal or dangerous activity, including false document services, counterfeit designer goods, cable descramblers, fireworks or websites that promote hacking or evading law enforcement.
Scientology or Dianetics: CH, DE, DK, FI, FR, NL, NO, PL and SE. Content that promotes Scientology or Dianetics (e.g. books published by L Ron Hubbard).
Short-term high-interest loans with a repayment period under 12 months and an APR of more than 50% (or 25% in Denmark).
Any spy cam and/or voice bug disguised as an everyday item that is capable of transmitting video/audio via WI-FI/GRMS/IP/GSM/Bluetooth to someone else, without the person knowing they are being recorded (Germany only).
Tattooing and body branding products and services.
Testosterone boosters.
Ticket resellers (Australia and New Zealand only).
UV tanning services and equipment.
Weapons.
Prohibited Content

We prohibit content that is/contains:
Depictions of minors, or people who appear to be minors, in an adult, dangerous or sexual way
Directly targeted at or that appeal to children due to the messaging, imagery or targeting
Emotionally draining or exploitative, including content that portrays abused humans or animals. This is not intended to prohibit bona fide charity or humanitarian aid advertisement; provided it otherwise complies with our policies
Images related to subjects, places and events of current political or armed conflict.
Deceptive, false or misleading
That is demeaning, embarrassing, shocking, pressuring, foul or vulgar
Foul, vulgar or obscene language or language containing profanity, including obscured profanity, graphic or suggestive language or double entendres.
Obscene, defamatory or libelous
Invasive of another's privacy, illegal
Content that implies or claims to diagnose, cure, reverse, treat or question sexual orientation
Promotes practices that can result in the physical or mental harm of customers
Threatening, abusive or harassing, hate speech or content that advocates or discriminates against a protected group
That revolves around controversial or highly debated social topics
Content that may be considered culturally inappropriate in the geographical location where the ad will be displayed
Political such as campaigns for or against a politician, political party or related to an election and content related to political issues of public debate
Images related to militant/terror/anti-national groups, their flags, leaders or apparel.
Excessive violence or gore.
Exploitation of sensitive events
Full nudity
Pornography or explicit sexual content
Religious advocacy (either advocating or demeaning any religion)
That encourages, glamorises or depicts consumption of drugs or excessive alcohol consumption.