Restricted categories
What you can advertise, and where.
Nineteen restricted categories across seventeen channels. Most agencies keep this inside a sales conversation. It is more useful on a page you can read before you call anyone.
Platform policy changes without notice, and every restricted category has its own rules about what the ad itself can say. Treat this as the start of a conversation rather than a guarantee — we check creative with the exchanges before launch rather than after a rejection.
Category by channel
| Category | Display | Video | Native (display) | Native (video) | Meta | Geo-Targeted Mobile | Connected TV | Social Mirror | Social Mirror on CTV | YouTube | Online Audio | Google Ads | Amazon | TikTok | Digital Out-of-Home | Performance Max | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewery/Winery | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | No | No | No | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ |
| Alcohol | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | No | No | No | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ |
| Cannabis/CBD Oil | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | No Cannabis, Yes CBD | No Cannabis / Yes CBD | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes | No | Yes to 21+ | No | No | No | No | Certain states only | No |
| Tobacco | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | No | No | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | No | Yes to 21+ | No | No | No | No | Need Pre-Approval | No |
| E-cig | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | No | No | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | No | Yes to 21+ | No | No | No | No | Yes to 21+ | No |
| Casinos | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | No | No | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ |
| Gentleman's Clubs | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | No | No | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | Yes to 21+ | No | Yes to 21+ | No | No | No | No | Need Pre-Approval | No |
| Guns, Weapons, Fireworks | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | No** | Guns/Weapons No Fireworks Yes | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | No | Yes to 18+ | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Supplements* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Depends on ad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Depends on ad | Yes | Depends on ad | No | No | No | Yes | Depends on ad |
| Weight Loss* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Depends on ad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Depends on ad | Yes | Depends on ad | No | No | No | Yes | Depends on ad |
| State Lotteries | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | Yes to 18+ | No | No | No | Need Pre-Approval | Yes to 18+ |
| Political | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Medical Procedures | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Depends on ad | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Depends on ad | Yes | Depends on ad | No | No | No | Yes | Depends on ad |
| Short term or High interest loan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Need Pre-Approval | No |
| Housing/Real Estate | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Off Amazon only | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Yes | Restricted Targeting |
| Recruitment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Off Amazon only | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Yes | Restricted Targeting |
| Cryptocurrency | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Need Pre-Approval | No |
| Loans & Credit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Yes | Yes | Restricted Targeting | Yes | Restricted Targeting |
| Bail Bonds | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
The caveats that apply across the table
- Every restricted category has its own rules about ad content. We can check creative with the exchanges before launch rather than after a rejection.
- Supplements, weight loss and medical procedures cannot carry medical or weight-loss claims, and the exchanges may scrutinise the content of the landing page as well as the ad.
- “Restricted targeting” on Meta means limited categories: no targeting by age, income, gender, marital status, parental status or ZIP code, and no custom audiences, lookalikes or category exclusions.
- California, Washington State and Nevada do not allow geo-fencing of medical facilities with any product. Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and Oregon place heavy restrictions on location-based mobile targeting.
- No website retargeting is available for any health-related website on location-based mobile.
- Google and YouTube apply state-by-state rules to political advertising in Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Washington and Virginia.
- Performance Max does not support health-related search themes.
- Facebook permits some safety-training ads and certain weapons accessories — worth checking case by case rather than assuming a flat no.
- Radio stations cannot advertise their own stations through online audio.
Questions we get asked
- Can you advertise cannabis on Facebook or Instagram?
- No for cannabis itself. CBD is accepted on Meta, and cannabis can run on display, video, native, Connected TV and Social Mirror to 21+ audiences. Location-based mobile takes CBD but not cannabis.
- Can a casino advertise online?
- Yes, across most channels to a 21+ audience — display, video, native, Meta, location-based mobile, Connected TV, Social Mirror, YouTube and online audio all accept it. Search, Amazon and LinkedIn do not.
- What does “restricted targeting” mean on Meta?
- For housing, employment and credit ads, Meta limits the targeting available: no targeting by age, income, gender, marital status, parental status or ZIP code, and no custom audiences, lookalikes or category exclusions. It applies to real estate, recruitment and lending.
- Are there places you cannot use geo-fencing?
- Yes. California, Washington State and Nevada do not allow geo-fencing of medical facilities with any product. Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut and Oregon place heavy restrictions on location-based mobile targeting, and no health-related website retargeting is available on that channel anywhere.
- Can supplements and weight loss products be advertised?
- Yes on most channels, but the creative cannot carry medical or weight-loss claims, and the exchanges may review your landing page as well as the ad. Meta and search decide case by case on the specific ad.